[thefitz]

If I had to go back to a speaker amp setup, I'd definitely check out the Bryston 3B series. I had one when the HE-6SEv1 was my daily driver, before "The Great v2 Fire Sale That Ruined Everything" (tm).

The current 3B cubed is overkill (the 2.5B is more sensible), but there are definitely some relative bargains out there if you're willing to grab something a few generations old.

If you're a shrewd enough buyer, you will be able to sell the amp for what you paid (if not more) in short order.

 

[jlemaster1957]

If I had to go back to a speaker amp setup, I'd definitely check out the Bryston 3B series. I had one when the HE-6SEv1 was my daily driver, before "The Great v2 Fire Sale That Ruined Everything" (tm).

The current 3B cubed is overkill (the 2.5B is more sensible), but there are definitely some relative bargains out there if you're willing to grab something a few generations old.

If you're a shrewd enough buyer, you will be able to sell the amp for what you paid (if not more) in short order.

Bryston seems a really good company too. I almost bought the BHA-1 HP amp so had a close look at them. They warranty their products for 20 (!) years, and the warranty is transferable if you can prove it was originally bought from an authorized dealer (paperwork). Also they had a program to upgrade some of their old devices and re- issue a limited warranty. I’ve heard good things about their CS as well.

 

[trollbearpig]

How does Susvara sound to you BTW?

Good enough that I sold my Calderas within a few days of demoing the Susvara on my Topping 90 stack.

Amazing bass, no punch relative to calderas which I prefer and allows me to listen for longer periods of time. The most noticeable difference though are the mids which are more forward and silky. Mids were seriously lacking on Caldera, like embarrassingly so.

Songs on the Sus carry more emotion on the vocals and strings due to the more present and silky mids and I love it.

 

[theveterans]

Sounds like you love it! No need to pursue anything further than that seriously! I'd say attend a CanJam and hear Susvara on different setups. If you don't find as much differences from your setup then you're golden. We're crazies here that we want to explore how Susvara can potentially sound in unexpected ways by demoing a bunch of systems for it. As for the $1500 SET amp, a used Forge (6SL7 / EL34, anything in between all the way to KT88, SS rectifier SET amp) with the right combination of tubes (I find certain NOS tubes on the front end is essential, but the power tubes with new production are good enough) will bring those wrap-around and expansive soundstage to Susvara. Your Topping might slam more than the Forge since Forge can only muster 1-2W of power nominal power with max peak power of 4-4.5 watts (peak power for 1/20th of a second burst: see ifi iDiablo 2 power rating fiasco touting their power rating as the true power and not clearing things up that their 5W quoted is actually peak power)

If you want a more refined SET amp, you can DIY the Aegis AMP for $2000, and run Susvara at 5pm on the knob (again, it's roughly 1-2 watts like based on how much gain it has on the knob)

 

[Exekuhtor]

If you invest in a TOTL amp (*cough* Envy *cough* Elrog tubes *cough*) you get all that punch and slam back...

 

[theveterans]

If you invest in a TOTL amp (*cough* Envy *cough* Elrog tubes *cough*) you get all that punch and slam back...

Yep! That slam and absolute dynamics is what keeps our pockets having a huge hole all the time

 

[thefitz]

Bryston seems a really good company too. I almost bought the BHA-1 HP amp so had a close look at them. They warranty their products for 20 (!) years, and the warranty is transferable if you can prove it was originally bought from an authorized dealer (paperwork). Also they had a program to upgrade some of their old devices and re- issue a limited warranty. I’ve heard good things about their CS as well.

Yeah, if you're willing to "take a risk" on a device that has worked reliably without issue for over 20 years, the prices get even better. And it's not like out-of-warranty means unserviceable - it just means repairs aren't free. People send in their perfectly fine 30+ year old amps for a clean up and tune up all the time.

I actually had a Bryston 3B ST and one of their balanced preamps (model escapes me) and I could only get the volume to about 9:00 (!!) on the HE-6SE which was a little bonkers. Then I switched to a Freya which was super cool, and gave me the ability to run the preamp in passive (which I would argue is where inefficient headphones like this are happiest!).

The tube noise running any headphone more sensitive than the HE-6SE drove me flippin' mad, so I blew the whole operation up and got my current Ragnarok 2.

I found tube rolling infuriating more than fun. They might influence the sound more than pads do. I got to a point where I had certain tubes for certain headphones and realized I had jumped the shark.

 

[BillinSF]

Songs on the Sus carry more emotion on the vocals and strings due to the more present and silky mids and I love it.

YES!!

 

[sahmen]

If you invest in a TOTL amp (*cough* Envy *cough* Elrog tubes *cough*) you get all that punch and slam back...

Well touché there, so kindly hear me out:

1. So far I have worked my way up one rabbit hole, by acquiring 3 allegedly TOTL SS amps (Cen.Grand Silver Fox, Niimbus, Pathos InPol Ear) all of which drive the Susvara pretty well to my ears... And, yet as strange as this might sound, I have been somewhat surprised on occasion to catch myself "envying" an Amp called "Envy with the 300b Elrog tubes," without having ever even seen one in person, or made a conscious effort to "want," talk less of "audition" one!

2. As crazy as 1. might sound, I have been on head-fi and in this hobby long enough to realize that in the land of Audio Nervosa, "crazy" never stops working, but only specializes in moving the goal-posts of satisfaction a few steps away, and further into the fog of new desires and cravings whenever one begins to think that one is finally "arriving" or reaching Audio Nirvana.

3. An yet, it is not all "doom and gloom" either. Insight # 2. above comes with its own silver-lining regarding my "envy of the envy," namely, my recognition that this "envy of the envy," is itself the name of another mirage : Today, I'd gladly welcome the idea of having an "Envy in Walnut-themed wood" with "300b Elrog tubes" in my stable to drive my Susvara and 1266 TC, but is that presence going to calm "the hunger" and rid me of "the goal-posts" or "the fog of new cravings" once and for all?:

I no longer believe that there are any cans, amps. DACS. or related audio components in existence anywhere that could ever make that happen... And yet, for the sake of my sanity, I have to step back from this last insight, go back to the drawing board, so to speak, and resume the chase of audio nirvana, acting as if "nirvana" is actually "a thing," and one that is worth pursuing with every last breath I can muster...

You could also call the above rant a summary of my experience with the Susvara, which I continue to love, and which never stops surprising me... To be continued (Maybe )

 

[Exekuhtor]

Sure thing, everyone wants to settle down at some point with their gear (after a big purchase), you can probably substitute the "Envy with Elrogs" with a lot of different TOTL amps.
My comment was more directed to the guy that used the Susvara with a Topping 90 stack.
If you're happy, be happy! I am also satisfied where i sit now (mostly).

 

[jlemaster1957]

Well touché there, so kindly hear me out:

1. So far I have worked my way up one rabbit hole, by acquiring 3 allegedly TOTL SS amps (Cen.Grand Silver Fox, Niimbus, Pathos InPol Ear) all of which drive the Susvara pretty well to my ears... And, yet as strange this might sound, I have been somewhat surprised on occasion to catch myself "envying" an Amp called "Envy with the 300b Elrog tubes," without having ever even seen one in person, or made a conscious effort to "want," talk less of "audition" one!

2. As crazy as 1. might sound, I have been on head-fi and in this hobby long enough to realize that in the land of Audio Nervosa, "crazy" never stops working, but only specializes in moving the goal-posts of satisfaction a few steps away, and further into the fog of new desires and cravings whenever one begins to think that one is finally "arriving" or reaching Audio Nirvana.

3. An yet, it is not all "doom and gloom" either. Insight # 2. above comes with its own silver-lining regarding my "envy of the envy," namely, my recognition that this "envy of the envy," is itself the name of another mirage : Today, I'd gladly welcome the idea of having an "Envy in Walnut-themed wood" with "300b Elrog tubes" in my stable to drive my Susvara and 1266 TC, but is that presence going to calm "the hunger" and rid me of "the goal-posts" or "the fog of new cravings" once and for all?:

I no longer believe that there are any cans, amps. DACS. or related audio components in existence anywhere that could ever make that happen... And yet, for the sake of my sanity, I have to step back from this last insight, go back to the drawing board, so to speak, and resume the chase of audio nirvana, acting as if "nirvana" is actually "a thing," and one that is worth pursuing with every last breath I can muster...

You could also call the above rant a summary of my experience with the Susvara, which I continue to love, and which never stops surprising me... To be continued (Maybe )

So true - at every level. I too have been bitten by that “Envy envy”, never having heard that it, and not currently able to afford it.

I think if one can easily afford any of these gears, and also to absorb the inevitable losses of buying and selling (or even returning ie shipping and restocking fees), it seems (how would I know?) to be a case of comparing the pros and cons and ones SQ preferences. That is an “enviable” state, and perhaps one might assume that all Sus users are in that club but we are not- many of us got our Sus not at MSRP and so find ourselves here, loving it as we experience it but knowing there is more and having to balance other costs - be they financial or (in my case and I bet I am not alone) relational.

For me the key has been to seek a balance in which I can enjoy the ‘hunt’ (reading about comparing, maybe go to a CanJam to audition), but still temporize the actual purchase so as to meet all the other real-world demands placed on me. After all (YMMV) this hobby is Not. My. Whole. Life. For me, it is that pleasure and comfort that helps me deal with all the rest.

Of course, this is not just an issue unique to Susvara owners (or 1266 or other hard-to drive HP) owners. So maybe a good ‘Watercooler’ discussion…

 

[theveterans]

For budget amp, look no further than Schiit Mjolnir 3 at $1.2K brand new. You'd be seriously hard pressed to find a brand new amp at its price and lower that can beat it in terms of driving the Susvara. You get very close to Envy like slam and dynamics and tons of refinement and nuances, just don't expect magical tube sound out of it

 

[timsams]

Ultra Budget would be any THX amp, the topping A70pro or a schiit LYR+ (but I max out my lyr+ with the Sus) and EQ what you lack (+10dB bass baby !!!)

 

[theveterans]

Ultra Budget would be any THX amp, the topping A70pro or a schiit LYR+ (but I max out my lyr+ with the Sus) and EQ what you lack (+10dB bass baby !!!)

That’s another way to put it. But the most important thing for me as a budget conscious amp buyer is refinement and nuance. Taking that away from Susvara is a no no in my opinion

 

[timsams]

That’s another way to put it. But the most important thing for me as a budget conscious amp buyer is refinement and nuance. Taking that away from Susvara is a no no in my opinion

That's indeed a refinement in price ^^