[draytonklammer]

I'll be honest, I am still trying to form some solid thoughts to share with the class.

My thoughts will likely continue to evolve as I listen.
Similarly, I still have a lot of comparisons to eventually work through, to figure out if this one is a keeper, or a sale waiting to happen.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I'll be honest, I am still trying to form some solid thoughts to share with the class.

My thoughts will likely continue to evolve as I listen.
Similarly, I still have a lot of comparisons to eventually work through, to figure out if this one is a keeper, or a sale waiting to happen.

I always, always wait try to wait nearly a week before sharing impressions of anything new as there's a lot happening at once (sometimes I cave in a few days if I've spent enough time). Overhype, hyper-comparison, adjustments from what you had prior, internal bias checking, etc. But I truly appreciate when others do, for all gear.

With that said, definitely feel free to share both pros and cons as soon as your ready. None of these headphones are perfect, and it all comes down to what you listen to, the type of sound you prefer, etc. So all perspective helps potential buyers and hobbyists.

I would try to refrain from thinking about whether it's a keeper or cost/ROI factors this early and really just focus on the sound and whether or not you love it or not. Happy listening.

 

[GY3288]

Here is a measurement of the Shangri La . ( Red line )
The green curve is the Harman Target 2018 .

Why is there a big difference between left and right channel?

 

[draytonklammer]

Why is there a big difference between left and right channel?

Different headphones.

 

[NOMOS]

Why is there a big difference between left and right channel?

These are not the left and the right channel ,.
are the measurement of the Senior (red line) and Sennheiser HE1 (blue line)

Best Greetings, NOMOS

 

[GY3288]

Thank you for the clarification

 

[genefruit]

Welcome to the club. As I said before, I did my best to not sway you in any way--you are my witness I was very objective (if that's even a thing) lol.

But to follow up on the last few topics and questions.. as I feel it could be very beneficial to many, and I'm listening to the SGL Sr. right now, have been for the past few hours..

First and foremost, there are three major things that standout with the SGL Sr. over all other headphones I've heard.

1. Realism: instruments just sound more realistic than ever before. The texture, the accuracy captured with the stroke of a piano key, pluck of a guitar string.. vocals as well. All much better than anything else.
2. Soundstage: most perfect and comprehensive soundstage. Insane depth, unrivaled. TOTL width, I think the Sr1a bests it, the TC and a few others equal. But the naturalness of it is what stands out.
3. Resolution/Imaging: the imaging within the amazing soundstage mentioned above is incredible. Together, the holographic nature is unmatched. Resolution wise, they're the best available that I've heard among anything

Some caveats and things to consider whether they're for you or not..

1. Bass is around what to expect for a stat. With fresh new pads, it's on par with the x9000, with better texture and detail. Both are just slightly ahead of say the 009 however, and not major improvements in that regard. When the pads wear down a bit, performance does decrease noticeably imo. Either way, for me, if bass heavy genres were my main thing, I would want a complement
2. For a stat, they are average neutral from a tonality perspective, but if you're significantly sensitive to brightness, you should at least try to hear them first. For reference, the 009 (as much as I love it) is bright to my ears but doable for an hour or two. The SGL Sr. is definitely much less offensive than that, but does have amazing sparkly highs, which some may not like

I have yet to hear a pair of headphones that can rival them at all. But I'm always happy to share perspective honestly, especially on if they may or may not work for anyone individually.. they are expensive lol, definitely do your due diligence. But I've yet to run into anyone that's purchased them that hasn't echoed my same post purchase satisfaction sentiments. Happy listening.

I joined the ranks today. I was going to write up my first impressions but they mirror what @number1sixerfan says above so I didn't see the point. I'm clearly in the honeymoon phase but I question when would I ever pick up the Susvara again.

 

[draytonklammer]

I joined the ranks today. I was going to write up my first impressions but they mirror what @number1sixerfan says above so I didn't see the point. I'm clearly in the honeymoon phase but I question when would I ever pick up the Susvara again.

I'm relieved. I had hoped that I wouldn't be pointing you in the wrong direction with our messages back and forth...

 

[number1sixerfan]

I joined the ranks today. I was going to write up my first impressions but they mirror what @number1sixerfan says above so I didn't see the point. I'm clearly in the honeymoon phase but I question when would I ever pick up the Susvara again.

Congrats! And please do share when you can, we definitely need more impressions from people on these.

 

[genefruit]

Congrats! And please do share when you can, we definitely need more impressions from people on these.

I plan to provide more impressions in the coming weeks. I'm running them with the Eksonic Aeras until my T2 arrives. So far, so good. The Aeras doesn't seem to be a limiting factor but I won't know until the T2 arrives.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I plan to provide more impressions in the coming weeks. I'm running them with the Eksonic Aeras until my T2 arrives. So far, so good. The Aeras doesn't seem to be a limiting factor but I won't know until the T2 arrives.

I had the Aeras for a few months while I waited as well. I was very tempted to tell Kerry I'd like to keep the Aeras and get a few dollars back haha. The Aeras powers it very well, and with really good synergy.

 

[gammi]

I had the Aeras for a few months while I waited as well. I was very tempted to tell Kerry I'd like to keep the Aeras and get a few dollars back haha. The Aeras powers it very well, and with really good synergy.

Did you listen with the X9000 on the Aeras? I'm considering a direct drive amp for my X9000 to test against my transformer setup and the short list is essentially Novem, Aeras, Megatron.

 

[Chefguru]

Did you listen with the X9000 on the Aeras? I'm considering a direct drive amp for my X9000 to test against my transformer setup and the short list is essentially Novem, Aeras, Megatron.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/vin...s-and-impressions-thread.930051/post-17008008

 

[gammi]

Thank you sir

 

[draytonklammer]

I'm going to leave everyone with my final thoughts regarding the Shangri-La Sr.
This is going to be short and sweet. Some people may not want to hear it.

It IS the most technically proficient pair of headphones I have ever heard.
Detail retrieval, soundstage, and technicalities are beyond excellent.
Comfort, as per usual with flagship Hifimans, is excellent.

There is so much that Shangri-La does well, but for my personal preferences, it wasn't the end of the road.
Now that I own a brand new Susvara (this is my third Susvara) I have come to realize that I prefer a neutral tuning with a touch of warmth.
The Susvara fits this bill for me at a much more reasonable price point.
With Utopia 2022 as my more intimate complementary pairing, with the Susvara, I am fairly content.
The X9000 is also a very proficient headphone, and easily within a glance of the Shang, but once they make it back from RMA, I will be moving on, due to their poor quality control and driver reliability.

Some folks may ostracize me for not pairing Shang with a warmer chain, but I don't feel as though this makes a transducer worthwhile for me.
I ran a very reference chain and found the Shang a hair bright. It DOES take well to PEQ, but I prefer not to have to run anything.
Don't shoot the messenger! These are my personal thoughts and opinions.
Outside of trying out the Diana MR and Empy2, I am feeling pretty decent.
I have tried 90% of the gear out there now and I can safely say that I have found a good place to sit for a bit.

My closing thoughts are:
Shangri-La Sr. was absolutely worth purchasing to try in a quiet environment for a long length of time.
After a month, I can conclude, for my own preferences, this isn't my current end of the road.
It is a technically impressive headphone and one of the finest out there, but this didn't make it a compelling stopping point for me.

For a bit, I thought that I might end up buying Aperio and HE-1, too, but the Bravura made me realize that I don't want a system, for numerous reasons.
I'm sure that Aperio is right up there with Shang and that HE-1 is a marvel in its own right, but they're too expensive to warrant ownership.
In this day and age, with so many technically impressive designs released, I see no good reason to spend so much on a halo product.
This hobby is fun because of the folks I meet, and discuss with, and because of the different flavors we constantly try out.
Chasing the dragon has been fun, but the dragon itself doesn't exist. Some headphone, regardless of price, always does something a hair better than another.
I could buy the Aperio, HE-1, or another Shang, and still end up preferring the ownership of some less expensive headphones, to use when I am in different moods, or for their various complementary strengths.