Reviews
Susvara - It's called the worlds best planar headphone for a reason.
"It's the Susvara, if you're reading this you likely already know it produces some of the best sound you can get in a headphone. This headphones strengths? This is some of the best build quality you'll find in a Hifiman Headphone. Timbre - This can REALLY change based on what you're using this headphone with. The Susvara will do exactly what is asked of it, as long as it has a source, and current capable of feeding to do so. It's a VERY power hungry headphone even though it can be used on some budget amps and still sound "good" It just won't be the best of what it can offer. Soundstage - It's wide, but also tame, meaning you have have objects at different distances and heights and discern ALL OF IT I stress this because it is a major strength the headphone has but this can be restricted by the source and cable you put it on. Bass - Bass is well rounded, it can punch well, sub bass is also well rounded, the bass may be softer or may be strong enough to kick the door in depending on the amp and cable you use it with. Treble - The high's and upper mid range are very revealing, but at the same time never really sharp, however I do want to point out that cables with Rhodium terminations seem to further smooth the treble as I speak about below. Now weaknesses of this headphone? Hifiman has apparently addressed some of these since the 3. 5mm release one being the cable sleeving which has been improved. Older Susvara's use a plastic cable sleeving which was awful about rolling up on it's own constantly. As I stated though this has apparently been addressed as the one I received has two braided cables. The next is a issue that plagues a lot of headphones and that's the pads can absorb oil from your face and wear in over a period of months. The pads I've found that hold up best to this issue is Abyss's Alcantara pads. The last issue I list with this headphone is it requires a lot of power. Sure you can get amps in the budget range that will drive it, but it will not bring out the very best of what the Susvara has to offer. This applies to the cable as well, Silver w/ Rhodium terminations makes a noticeable difference as they handle current differently than copper and gold combo do, for myself I've used Moon Audio's Silver Dragon which increased the airyness of the headphone pushing its sound closer to that of a Electro-Static headphone. It's also important to note however, Furutech Rhodium connectors which seem "smooth" the treble headphones can produce over Neutrik Gold connectors at least I noticed the treble was softer but produced more air at least with the Susvara. So overall the Susvara is an incredible headphone, I will not ding off stars for the problems because most of them are minor and can be worked around or fixed and given this is likely a life purchase for most people adding things to compliment it over time makes sense."
— Jonathan C. (5/5)
Enjoying the Susvaras a lot.
"Enjoying the Susvaras a lot. I value the midrange and vocals, along with a lot of details. I enjoy finding nuances in songs I've enjoyed for years and the Susvaras don't disappoint. Their comfort has also been top notch and can wear for at least an hour without issues. REcommended."
— Brian c. (5/5)
Best headphone
"I have all of the TOTL headphones and I can definitely say the Susvara is head and shoulders above ever other pair. This is not just your every day TOTL headphone"
— Johnny H. (5/5)
The best planar magnetic headphone you can buy.
"Susvara is an amazing planar headphone. The sound is very balanced with excellent separation, as well as the thick. You need a high-end DAC and powerful amp to feed it, you won't disappointed. This is my end-game headphone."
— Chunchun L. (5/5)
The best just as I heard
"I am pushing this Susvara with just a Topping l70 and it already out shines my Arya se. Compared with Arya se, it has significantly larger soundstage, which the most noticeable difference, more details and deeper base. While human sound sounds very similar to Arya se, Susvara sounds more spatial. For Arya se, it is more like you are listening music within a small room with the instruments and singer position a bit far from you. However, for susvara, it feels like you are seating a much larger room but the singer and instruments are closer to you and it is easier to tell where they are positioned. I believe the Susvara can reach another level with a much better AMP and I can't wait to try it with one!"
— jizhou h. (5/5)
Great service received them on
"Great service received them on time love the headphones"
— Roy T. (5/5)
Amazingly detailed beauties!
"The Susvara’s are one of my top 5 headphones of all time, prob top 3! The only reason I left off one star is simply the price…Everyone seems to knock Hifiman about the quality of their headphone builds, well the Susvara I had was built perfectly, there was not a single thing wrong with it that I could find, the hinges never made any noise and were silky smooth. They are one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn, period. The earcups being a bit smaller than the Aryas, or HE1000’s, but personally I find that to be a good thing because they don’t feel so huge on your head. It’s got a bit of a smaller profile. The little fake wood strips are a bit tacky looking if you really examine them but oh well, you can’t see any of the headphone on your head can ya? The stock cables are hands down the worst cables I’ve seen, so plan on buying a new cable immediately! I don’t understand how you can make a $6000 headphone, and then skimp out on the cables. How did the cables even pass? Who said yes to them? Anyways the sound, once breaking in is just sublime. It’s a pretty neutral sound but not boring or without feeling. I’m a bass head so the bass was lacking to ME. That would be the only thing with the sound I would change, but if you choose to EQ or have an Ifi Pro Ican Signature amp, just click the bass boost on and man the sound fills up, even sound stage gets a bit larger! Idk what else I can say about this that EVERY Youtuber hasn’t already. If you’ve got the cash and want one of the best, it’s very hard to go wrong the the Susvara! Just make sure you got a good BEEFY amp to power those finicky beasts, but once you do just sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the flow!"
— Brad H. (4/5)
Superb comfort, exceptional sound, improved dual 3.5mm connector
"I have been on a quest to find a headphone that offered superb comfort and exceptional sound. I had tried the Meze Elite and loved the build, but the sound didn't inspire me. I tried the Abyss Diana TC and loved the sound, but comfort seemed to be a miss for me. So I finally got the Susvara. And wow, it hit on every expectation I had for a high end headphone. I also had heard it came with a dual 2.5mm connector and they've changed them to 3.5mm, which was a nice improvement. I'm looking forward to years of enjoyment. I have no regrets. And a shout out to HeadAmp. Their customer service and support is top notch. I couldn't have gotten to my endgame headphone without them. Of course endgame only lasts for so long and I will be a returning customer."
— Todd (5/5)
Pleased in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
"Spend a delightful morning auditioning planar magnetic and electrostatic headphones using the gorgeous HeadAmp electronics. Drove home with the Susvara. Their comfort and sound are spot on! The Susvara brings more passion to the headphone experience. Should be on your short list. Always remember, that HeadAmp electronics are a crucial part of the equation."
— Hal M. (5/5)
A distinct comfort
"Why should you get Susvara? Let us set the near-perfect sound aside for this review, if you’re here you know Susvara’s reputation as the peak of headphones. Instead, perhaps paradoxically, my answer is value. For a specific type of person— those who want the best— these are a money saver. Many audiophiles will amass a collection only to eventually get Susvara and its peers anyway, leading to wasted money even if they resell their other headphones. If you don’t need a wide variety (I don’t), it’s better to have one or two of the “summit” than a bunch of cheaper headphones made redundant. They also come with the comfort that you are listening to the best of the best, which cannot be understated. Getting them from HeadAmp saves you stress, which too is a good value. They are one of the Hifiman authorized dealers, and in my opinion the best one (I reached out to ALL of them). I ordered at noon and they were shipped same day, arriving shortly thereafter. Service was stellar, quite a bit better than most of the other dealers. The site uses the excellent and easy to use Shopify system, allowing for a swift and painless buying process with convenient follow up processing emails. Did I mention the service? Like I said, I spoke to every single Hifiman dealer with Susvara available, and Justin was the clear choice. He’s a well known member of the community and makes great amps too. This is my first purchase from HeadAmp but it won’t be my last. With value out of the way: why Susvara? Out of all its peers, Susvara is the only one with no disappointing sonic properties, and this is by far the most important thing. Another reviewer here said it better than I could. Unless you prefer the quirks of the others, why settle? Moreover Hifiman’s terrible quality control is, somehow, not as big an issue in this segment. Abyss 1266 and LCD-5 have had some significant QC issues as well. Focal’s support is not good and their QC has historically been shaky as well. Abyss has some ethical concerns. Susvara pairs the best sound with (sadly) few downsides compared to its peers. You will still need to weigh Hifiman’s QC, but with the bar so low at the summit, it is not as concerning as it would be on Arya. The only other issue I can think of is that they are difficult to power. To me this is the best non-HE 1 headphone decision one can make, and depending on who you ask, it might even be better."
— James (5/5)
