HiFiMAN SUSVARA

The Hifiman Susvara was once quite ridiculed and hated for its outrageous price tag at its time at $6000. Yes, that's right, it's $6K. And it still is today, 6+ years later. And while it's still one of the most expensive headphones on the market, there are others in this price range now that compete with it, including even more expensive in-ear monitors!

Some of the vitriol against this was the entertaining video interview between Tyll Hertens and Fang Bian, the owner of Hifiman, and also Hifiman's long-going quality issues and relatively lack-luster build quality for their asking price. It's true, the company focuses primarily on its driver technology and its stellar tuning, and sometimes slaps it together in whatever form-factor that'll work.

After always dreaming about this headphone, I decided to just sell off the majority of my headphones and audio collection except a few essentials and just buy up this unit. I've always wanted to get my hands on this unit, being a long-time fan of Hifiman's tuning and lightweight designs, despite fragile they can be sometimes.

So, it was to my surprise that the Susvara's build is actually not that bad. It shares similar designs with my previous two Hifiman staples: the HE560 and the Arya, and can actually be considered a smashing of the two. It's not quite round, and it's not tear-dropped either. It's kind of an oblong-circular cup design with the same style headband as my two prior headphones. The headband removes the plastic yokes and has full-metal headband and yoke design that feels very strong and sturdy. The grills are aluminum and don't have any issues with creaking or feel like they're going to implode on themselves.

There is still the goofy wood veneer from the HE560 though. It's not the best, but it is not appalling either. I'll take it.

The Susvara nano-scale diaphragm and magnet structure were its major selling point, allowing it to have major improvements in resolution and clarity, as well as what I'd say better tactility and impact. One thing that was interesting when this headphone came out was that the majority of Hifiman's releases were moving more and more towards efficiency and allowing their planars to be played on a variety of sources. The Susvara goes backwards a bit in this movement, and has power requirements more akin to their old HE6 model, with a rated sensitivty of 83dB/mW and 60 ohm impedance.

This means, you'll need an amp with at least 2 Watts into 60 ohms to really get the best out of the Susvara, and for the most part, I think this is quite true. I've run this on a gambit of sources and the ones with the most power seem to really show off the most characteristic features of the Susvara the best, with my current pick being a 50 Watt (into 8 Ohm) integrated speaker amplifier using the speaker taps as my headphone connection.

Before I go further into the sound qualities, I do want to mention that the Susvara's unboxing experience was kind of lackluster for the $6000 MSRP tag. It came in a latched box, which was alright, but did not include a portable travel case, and the cables are horrendous. They're the same ones that come with the HE6SE V2, HE1000SE and a few other recent headphones.

Hifiman did include a hardcover photo book detailing the features and process of designing the headphone, which is a pretty nice coffee table item.

So apparently, I started writing this review in May 2021, and I stopped my writing at this point in time. It was so long ago, I forgot I had even wrote anything. I tend to be slower or sometimes never get to reviewing products I own, but anyway.... Since, it seemed like nothing really changed, I will continue writing the review from where I left off, nearly 2 years later in March 2023 now...

Sound Impressions​

The Susvara is my favorite headphone. I've owned it for over 2 years now, and I've tried many other headphones before and after that point, and it's still the one I go back to. The Susvara has a very neutral reference sound that doesn't color anything. It's not as bright as your typical Hifiman, as it doesn't have any random peaks in the treble range, and it doesn't have a large dip in the mids as some planars do. The bass levels are flat from the lowest sub-bass regions through the mids, and begins to rise just after 1KHz, and extends well into the upper treble range, giving this a nice clean sound that doesn't exaggerate any one frequency range in my opinion.




Before I dive further into this, some may have read my adventures in amping the Hifiman HE6SE V2, and going deep down the headphones and speaker amp rabbit hole with it. I ended up with a Bakoon AMP-13R after all was said and done, which is a 25 watt (into 8 ohms) speaker/headphone amp that was designed from the ground up around the Susvara, and it shows. It's a perfect pairing, with a warm-bodied sound compliments the neutral sound of the headphone.

So, yes, the Susvara requires some power to get going. It will drain your digital audio players, and will require you to push them to their limits to get it up to listenable volumes. When I tried it on a Chord Mojo, for example, I drained the entire battery of it in 25 minutes. My iBasso DX240 audio player can get it loud, but bass performance was severely lacking. And, basically, don't even try it out of an Apple dongle.

Using the Susvara dropped me deeper into the DAC rabbit hole too. I settled in with the Holo Spring 3 KTE at some point, and now my chain starts with Roon, through the Holo Spring 3 KTE DAC, and finally into the Bakoon AMP-13R, where spits audio into my ears via the Susvara. And for the most part, it is ultra bliss.





The Susvara is source dependent. I mentioned this with the HE6SE V2, and the same can really be said with this one. If you put a bright setup with it, it'll be bright. If you put a warm source behind it, it'll be warmer. But in all cases, it's still fairly neutral in its overall tonal presentation.

This headphone really excels at resolution. It's a detail monster, and it presents it in a very open and large soundstage that is layered with texture and micro-details when called upon. The bass presentation is nuanced and fast, and is unlike many other headphones I've tried. It doesn't necessarily have the long, lingering decay of a good dynamic driver, but it can slam with the best of them -- if you give it the current it needs to give you the volume and drive it takes.

On the morning that I'm writing this out, I'm jamming to Nickel Creek's latest record, Celebrants. It's a progressive bluegrass record that truly excels on Susvara. Acoustic music is one of the specialties that I feel Hifiman made shine on their creation. The intricacies of each instrument are on full display, with a large and grand soundstage, and quick, exacting detail projected to each of my ears. The sheer speed and agility of the string-play the band presents can be fully appreciated on the Susvara, because its driver can keep up and then some.





I've had Hifiman headphones from their entry level up to this flagship in the past, and when I compare say the entry level HE400SE or the HE6SE V2 to the Susvara, I can quickly discern the differences in sheer speed of the driver. The faster transients that I hear make a big difference in how resolving the headphones sound, and while I adore and use the HE400SE quite often (it's my work-office headphone), I can easily hear the resolving deficiencies between this entry level headphone and the Hifiman flagship.






I put on a more upbeat, but, still acoustic album, Mipso's self-titled record from 2020, and listening to songs like the faster-paced "Hourglass" sound wonderful on Susvara. The bassline hits well, and the snare drum is timely and not distracting. It falls behind the scene as it should, and let the vocals shine. The lead guitar and bass guitar intro of "Your Body" sound very coherent and balanced, while Libby Rodenbough's sometimes breathy and strained-sounding vocals are so full of detail, that you can hear the transitions between the loud and quiet singing quite well and without skipping a beat.





Now, I will say, some may find the Susvara a tad bright, or perhaps too neutral. And there is some truth to that. It's definitely not very colored, and may not have as much warm body as other headphones that people tend to compare this too, such as a typical Audeze planar, or a ZMF headphone -- both of which have warmer mids, darker treble, and a fuller-bodied sound. These are their house sounds, and Hifiman has always strayed towards a less colored, and sometimes bright-tilting tonal balance.






For alternative rock and hip hop music, I still find the Susvara enjoyable, but perhaps this isn't its strongest suit. For me, these genres could use the extra mid-bass or mid-range body, or perhaps a little darker skew to the treble range that tames some of the electric guitars or electronic treble-inducing beats. And in that case, I prefer listening with the fantastic ZMF Caldera, another planar open-back headphone with a more warm and fuller tuning.

Even so, putting on Radiohead's The Bends is still a treat. It's can be a tad bright at times with the amount of electric guitar and high hats going on in the busiest parts, but that depth and layering qualities the Susvara can present is really something -- and a band like Radiohead, who is all about those intricate details in every one of their songs -- its not a bad thing at all. "Everything in its Right Place", for example, sounds incredibly large, awe-inducing, and hypnotizing on this headphone.

Final Thoughts​

I could probably write more and more about this headphone, but at some point I do need to stop. While I don't think its probably the be-all-end-all headphone for everyone, it is for me and my musical preferences. I love this headphone for jazz, for bluegrass, for acoustic music. I enjoy it for electronic and classical, and rock. I don't know if I'd like it for hip hop, modern pop, and soul music as much, but I have other gear for that.

Obviously, this is an EXPENSIVE headphone, and it more than likely requires an EXPENSIVE set of sources (DAC and amp), which adds more to the cost, and so "easily recommending it" is not something I am going to do. But, this headphone does give me so much enjoyment listening to it that I find its value proposition still kind of ridiculous at times, but perhaps I justify to myself that it is an investment in quality and quantity -- and by quantity, I mean years of service. This is a for-life headphone, and not likely one that will be replaced. It's been on the market for 8 years now, and still popular and still being purchased today.

With that said, and a random note, my other "most-used" headphone is nearing its 27 or 28th year now -- the Sennheiser HD600. I haven't had it for that long, of course, but it is something to say that the two headphones I use the most are not just flavors of the month, and they've, so far, tested the passage of time with flying colors.

I am updating this review. Please bear with me...

Intro:


The Hifiman Susvara has been Hifiman’s flagship planar magnetic headphone since it was released in 2017, succeeding the HE1000. It originally retailed for 6000$, twice the price of the preceding flagship and on a price point only matched by the ab-1266 (4995$) surpassing the likes of the Utopia and LCD-4 (4000$). Despite its extravagant price tag, the Susvara can now be purchased brand new for closer to 4500$ (I purchased mine at 4200$ through connections at a Hong Kong audio store). I have had my Susvara since August 2018 giving me ample time with the headphones to understand its characteristics.


Build Quality/Comfort:


For a 6000$ pair of headphones, some might be disappointed by the lack of more “premium materials” such as carbon fibre or exotic woods, but the Susvara’s design is functional and if nothing special, is at the very least passable. It is clear that Hifiman has at least paid a little closer attention to the finer details on the Susvara as compared to their previous flagship with the construction feeling comparatively more solid and robust. Despite Hifiman’s reputation for having poor build quality, I have had no issues with their products so far, having previously owned the HE1000. On the other hand, I have had the drivers in my LCD-3s fail twice and my Chord Hugo having battery issues. Your mileage may vary and these are purely personal anecdotes.


At 450g, the Susvara is lighter than both the Utopia (490g) and the LCD-4s (600g); and owing to its headband system, is noticeably more comfortable to wear than the aforementioned pairs. The Susvaras revert to a more circular shaped ear cup as compared to the oval shape of the HE1000 or the Shangri-la. I have 0 issues with wearing the Susvara for upwards of 5+ hours; the ear pads are sufficiently plush and breathable and despite the weight being present, poses no issues for long listening sessions.


Listening Chain:


Foobar2000 -> Wasapi Out -> Chord Qutest -> Niimbus Audio US4+ -> Susvara


The Susvara’s sensitivity is rated at 83dB, which makes the headphones even more inefficient than the notoriously difficult to drive HE-6 (which the Susvara actually succeeds). People have had tremendous success driving the Susvara directly from speaker taps, but in my case, a powerful headphone amplifier will suffice. When poorly driven, the Susvara tends to sound bass-light or even anemic, a relatively powerful amplifier is required to even drive the Susvara to listenable levels. The Qutest is a solid DAC from Chord that does its job well, with the only downside being that it is only able to output 3V to the amplifier due to its lack of balanced capabilities. All music used in the listening tests range between 16/44 FLACs to DSD256 files.


Overall Sound Signature:


If I were to sum up the quality of the Susvara in one word, it would be “natural”. The Susvara excels across every area of the audio spectrum, reproducing a sound that is neither harsh nor unnatural. Instruments take on a lifelike nature, they sound just “right”. The decay speed of snare drums or the crash of cymbals is extremely realistic, brass instruments blare with appropriate resonance, guitars scream and shred, vocals are a little laid back but do not lack in substance. The Susvara sounds less like a planar magnetic and almost takes on the qualities that you would expect from an electrostatic headphone like the Stax Sr-009.


Soundstage and Imaging:

The headroom of the Susvaras is noticeably greater than that of the Utopia and makes the Utopias sound claustrophobic in comparison. The Susvaras are not as wide as the HE1000 (due to the change in ear cup shape) or the HD800s, this does however, come with the benefit that the Susvara does not sound as diffuse as the HD800s in particular can struggle with. When it comes to imaging, the Utopias are probably a fraction more precise than the Susvara. I have no issues identifying the position of instruments when it comes to large orchestral pieces with the Susvara.


Bass:


The Susvara is almost perfectly linear up till 1kHz. Bass impact, bass extension, bass texture are all abundant. Decay speed is faster than the Utopia’s and only slightly lags behind the Sr-009s. While the LCD-3s have greater presence in the low-end, the Susvara surpasses them in both texture and extension, going deeper with a more refined sound which does not bleed into the midrange which occurs occasionally with the LCD-3s. The only headphone I have listened to that surpasses the Susvara when it comes to bass is probably the AB-1266, which provides an almost visceral experience akin to that of speakers, but both pairs of headphones provide such a high standard of bass reproduction that I’d argue that it comes down to personal preference.


Test Track: Moby Dick - Led Zeppelin II (DSD 64)


John Bonham takes center stage in this instrumental by rock legends Led Zeppelin. The drum solo returns the listener into the seat of the late Bonham, with his comprehensive drum set laid out right in front of you. Each hit of the snare or hi-hat or cowbell or bass drum rings, snaps and pops all with a realistic and natural decay.


Midrange:

There is a noticeable dip around the 2kHz range, which while still preferable to a peak, results in a more laid back sound. Vocals are still clear and defined but perhaps do not come across as concretely as the Utopias or the LCD-4s which tend to be a little more lush and have more bloom when delivering vocals.


Test Track: Il Trovatore Act 2: Il Balen Del Suo Sorriso - Dmitri Hvorostovsky (16/44 FLAC)


The late baritone titan returns to life with conviction belting out his aria with unbridled passion, resonating through the concert hall. The orchestral accompaniment being supple but appropriate, never infringing on his infallible vocals. Each instrument in the orchestral pit is accurately placed and the listener is put at the forefront of the action.


Treble:


The Susvara’s treble extends beyond the audible range, and remains both detailed and smooth. There is a slight sense of “airiness” which enables violins to breathe in the upper registers of the instrument. The speed and dexterity of which the Susvara handles complex melodies and rhythms of instruments in this range is only matched (and potentially surpassed) by the very best electrostatic headphones. The AB-1266, which sounds nearly as bright and detailed as the Susvaras suffer from a slight sibilance which is particularly audible not only in poorer recordings but even in some well-recorded pieces.


Test Track: Dvořák: Symphony 9 in E minor, ‘From the New World,’ 4th Movement - Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmoniker (24/96 FLAC)


From the opening notes of the string section, to the introduction of the brass section to the triumphant finale, the Susvara displays its immaculate control and reproduction over some of the most dense violin chords and accompaniment while maintaining the woodwinds and brass as the frontrunners of this epic final movement to Dvořák’s magnum opus. If I were to criticize any aspect of the Susvara, it would perhaps that the strings sound a little dry and thin and times during the recording.


Final Impressions/Closing Thoughts:

At 6000$ the Susvara lies in a plane that has far surpassed any form of value for money and diminishing returns. Admittedly I would like to demo the Empyrean, the SR1a, the HEDDphone and maybe the latest iteration of the AB-1266 in the future, but for now, I am more than satisfied with the Susvaras and will be for quite some time unless Fangbian decides to release a new flagship or even a V2. 6000$ is an extravagant price to pay, especially for a pair of headphones, I do not believe any headphone can be “worth” that amount of money. With the Susvara, you can at least rest assured that they represent the pinnacle of what modern headphone technology currently has to offer. For now, the Susvara marks the end of my headphone journey.