Hi Michael....WHY DO YOU NOT HAVE MORE SUBSCRIBERS?!?!?!? I love your reviews! They're as informative as they are fun!! Not a hint of snobbery, which is unusual in this hobby. This was a great series!! Well thought out and presented!! While I haven't heard any of these cans myself I have been seriously thinking about getting Elites. Please keep this ball rolling!! Thanks for all your hard work!
Just received my Elites yesterday! It’s literally PERFECT!!! EVERYTHING SOUNDS GREAT!!! Thanks again for making this video because this video helped me to make my decision!
Thank you, Michael. It’s a great shootout and there is so much work going into this. You just won a long-term follower :). I am privileged with owning 3 out of the 6 (elite, utopia, tc) headphones here and I am also familiar with the remaining 3. Whereas I agree with most of your findings, I have to hold up a candle for the Utopia. Compared to the others, it lacks a wow factor but when listening to the right music, the wow is superficial bling-bling and the utopia has pure sophistication and the best localization ….. with the right music, which is classical for the Utopia, it’s still a class of its own. The tc is pure fun and the elite perfectionism for design and everyday use. My 2cents… and keep up the great reviews. I love when you revisit older gear how it stands the test of time.
Awesome job Michael! Have owned or own most of these great headphones and agree 100% with your assessments. Sold my Susvaras some time ago because of the EXACT reason you mentioned. Once you hear and then become aware of a certain coloration, emphasis, etc., you can’t then ‘un hear’ it. I currently own the Audeze CRBN’s and again, you nailed it. They are incredible, but like you, I find my self inching the volume up as they simply just get more ‘real’ sounding the higher you go. I’ve had to discipline myself to limited listening sessions and take a day or two off in between with them - but what a ride they give you! Thanks, and keep up the great work!
Totally agree with your assessment of the atrium. Except for appearance and comfort they do not win in any other category, but when you look at their total performance as a package they are incredible . For just relaxing on the couch and enjoying the experience of listening to music they are utterly fantastic. And given they are not just the cheapest in this test but far cheaper in many cases, they win the value category by a big margin. They are my go to set of cans .
Michael, awesome work man! My friend Trevor @ Norne Audio referred me to your channel. Truly wish you the best on your channel. Imo you will do well!!! Production quality and entertainment value is high!
Great channel. I have the LCD-4's with a Pathos InPol Ear headphone amp and Electrocompaniet ECD2 DAC. Simply blissful. Was at a headphone convention and listened to the Susvara's being run by the same Pathos amp and an Aurender A15 DAC/streamer and it was breathtaking......
Of the headphones you ranked, I have heard the Utopia, Susvara, and Meze Elite. I agree with everything you said about these. You are right that Utopia is too bright. I once purchased the Susvara, but was disappointed and returned them. I now own the Meze Elite and love them. What a great combination of comfort and sound! The Abyss are a bit too strange and expensive for me, so I'll continue to happily enjoy the Elites. By the way, if your ears ring after playing a headphone at high volume, you are damaging your hearing.
The best sounding channel! That RCA vintage Mic is worth as much as many of the headphones! World class production. Headphone question! Would you mind sharing associated gear that you used with headphone to reach best potential, both cable and amp?
Thanks for this great shootout! It’s a lot of fun! If you do decide to sell the CRBN you might want to replace it with a Stax SR-007A. I got one a few months ago and it quickly became my favorite HP. And I’m not listening to it through a BHSE. I’m using a lower end Stax amp. And the 007A cost half of what a new CRBN costs.
That's the entire point Jim, it's a fun exercise. It gets people talking and passionate about this hobby. I've had several people recommend the SR 007A-- they say the tuning is probably more in my preference range. We'll see-- it comes down to money and opportunity. I buy things when I see a deal where I won't get killed on resale. That's why I have OG headphones show up here from time to time. The old stuff is often better than the new!
Great job Michael! The Elite has gotten too much crap from other reviewers. Also, I think it's kind of cool that the LCD 4 hung with the best of them given it's age. Just goes to show how fomo has made many to give up something great for something that isn't really that much better. I appreciate a reviewer who isn't afraid to tell people to save their money.
Thanks for watching, Astor! On the livestream today I'll make a case for how the LDC-4 could (and maybe should) have won the whole shootout. Hope you can join at 3pm. This was fun to do, and I hope you enjoyed the series.
@@DirectorsGarage Hello Michael, Are you using them with the new angled alcantara pads? I've just switched to those from default hybrids, after ~month of having the Elites and they've become so much more enjoyable. Much more slammy, engaging/addictive and with a slightly better level of detail, transparency/unmuffledness, timbre.
If I can grab a deal on a used Bakoon-- there are a few on the market right now-- I may make that deal. But it comes down to what gets sold. If I have $4000 to spend-- I'm probably more likely to pick up the Utopia 2022, Expanse, or Final Audio- but you never know. These are great problems to have, for sure.
@@DirectorsGarage Michael DO NOT sell your Susvara’s it’s your amp I see a used Woo WA33 with a TAK 274B on it for $5k this is a STEAL. The WA33 has all the power you could ever have with a flip of a switch. Or at least a used Benchmark AHB2 @ $1,500 Susvara will blow anything away.
@Director's Garage agree with the folks here. I use mine with an ahb2 + holo may L2.... And very important tip too is to hardware eq with lokius with an audio gd master 9 as the pre amp.... I absolutely love this thing. I can't listen to it without the eq anymore though . The bass rumbles and hits you in the chest in all the right ways :).
I agree about Susvara. I pair mine with the new ENLEUM 23 R and the headphone disappears as if you are listening to close field speakers. The sound field is open and deep. I doubt the Elites can achieve this type of stage.
I'm incredibly satisfied to see elite ranking so high. Looking at the overall package it's actually the most logical ranking for most people. 1) comfort 2) build quality 3) tuning 4) design & aesthetic 5) driveability.
Absolutely Raymond. And I've bought and tried the Susvara with several other headphone amps just to try to eek out a little more performance from them. I have not had the courage to try it with my Krell KSA-100s amp, and hooking the Susvara up to a speaker amp has destroyed the headphone, so I don't recommend it to anyone.
Hi Michael, great comparison! I have a question didn’t see it mentioned in the live cast either. Did you use superconductor cable for Abyss 1266 for this review? Thanks!
It’d be interesting to see where the ZMF caldera would rank here. It seems like it’s kind of a better version of the atrium, and with that being one of the “cheaper” ones, the caldera could get pretty far.
Nah, it's not a better version of the Atrium. Just a different version. More resolving and better sub bass extension, but the Atrium still takes the cake in regards to some other attributes.
Personally, I think that it’s a little unfair to group in dynamics with planars. Their differences are distinct enough to make them difficult to compare head to head. Now I’ve found myself to prefer planar sound for the most part but I do still appreciate dynamic drivers.
I mean, if I asked for the fastest car and was given a winning Nascar while there were top F1 cars on the track, I wouldn't care too much that my car was the fastest in my category when I'm left in the dust by the others. Definitely a good idea to compare dynamic drivers with dynamic drivers for those who prefer them, but headphones as a whole can be compared to find a winner. Even though it's all subjective, we find what matches our preferences.
Hi Arthur, I kind of agree-- I don't know that any of it's fair. But it is fun-- and an enjoyable exercise to break down what I like and dislike about insanely priced headphones that, let's be honest, no one should really buy! I hope you enjoyed the episodes, cheers!
@@bronsoncjmj You’ve actually made my point for me which is why bother including them in the first place? Planar & ribbon drivers have an inherent speed advantage over dynamic drivers. It makes for a big difference. Maybe Focal drivers do a credible job but they still fall behind. It was no surprise that the two dynamics rated at the bottom. The only surprise was that the LCD-5 ranked so low.
With all due respect, you're making it as if Dynamics are necessarily inferior in some areas. It's certainly true for some, but as always there are exceptions. Look up at Mysphere 3.1 and 3.2 and then tell me they lack speed in comparison to planars. My point is that dynamics drivers can be push to compete with planars, it just take some competent skills to pull it off. For me, at least, it's much more interesting to see different TOTL drivers compared against each other but that's just me.
want to scale the 1266 T.C. even more.... plug them into the Smyth Research A16 realizer with the 3dsounshop Dutch & Dutch 24 Channel PRIR .... the 1266 headphones emulate 24 of those Dutch & Dutch speakers perfectly....
Hey Michael.... AUDEZE FIXED THE CRBN - CRACKLE NOISE. They have the CRBN version 2 that has a vented connection to the pads. They no longer crackle anymore. The FR is the same and this change makes the Sub-base very easy to handle EQ. They are much better than the version 1 CRBN that you used for this review. Sooooooo, I would love to know where you now rank the CRBN with the crackling fixed and a better FR. Thanks and keep up the great reviews. G
Hi Gary, Audeze did the mod to my headphone. The crackle is still there. It’s not as bad, but it did not cure the issue. I do not EQ for the purposes of this show for a variety of reasons. No two EQs sound the same. So if I tell you to boost 2db at 1000hz and you aren’t using my software or hardware, you will get different results. I still think the CRBN is amazing. Quite an achievement and better than the Stax 009s, in my opinion.
looking for " that " amp for the Susvara... look no further than the Burson Conductor 3XGT .... use that amp on all of the headphones in the shootout and lets see where they end up in the ranking then 🙂
Still looking, but maybe not for long. I may get off the Susvara train, depending on what sells. If I can afford teh Bakoon 13r or it's successor the 23, I may pick it up, but that's another 4k and If I have 4k, I'm more likely to pick up the Utopia 2022 or Expanse. Not the worst choice to have to make.
Great shootout! I'm very interested in owning the LCD-4 and LCD-5 now as they seem like yin and yang. Will you post the LCD-5 for sale on UA-cam or probably sell privately? If it's posted here I might be interested in buying them 🙌🏻 Cheers and have a great weekend all
Thanks Bronson. We're going to talk about the results on today's livestream at 3pm PST. I'm going to show you how I could have weighted things differently and come up with a list that has the LCD-4 winning the shootout. The truth is: these are all great headphones. I bought every one of them. I've bought and sold several flagships in between-- so these 8 are special.
Thinness = Lack of powering the Susvara’s which why there are 20,000 of them for sale on Headfi because certain UA-camrs say all you need is a Topping A90 which is the worst amp I’ve heard. The Susvara’s need minimum the Benchmark AHB2 Power Amplifier. The Woo WA5LE doesn’t have enough power to drive it to its perfection as well as Ferrum stack not enough juice. People before you buy the Susvara’s make sure you have the cash for a AHB2 used $1500 or more. When you get up to the high end headphone market SOURCE is king and will make you enjoy any headphone and gear more.
The question for me, for the purposes of this show becomes-- is it worth spending another $4000 - $6000 dollars to see if I can't clear up what I feel is the Susvara's greatest weakness. I think the answer is likely: no. $4000 can get me into an Expanse, a Final Audio D8000, a good way toward the Stax X9000, or the Utopia 2022. I'd argue viewers would rather see those reviews than another amp review trying to make the Susvara sound better than the Abyss (or any of the others). These are FUN problems to have! Thanks for watching.
Had a lot of fun following this shootout. Farts aside, I’m curious if you are considering trying the CRBNs with other amps (LTA Z10e, Stax, etc) to see if they drive better and would alleviate the “louder=better” issue?
Perhaps, but I have here one of the best electrostatic amps on the market in the BHSE. If I have another $4000 laying around, I'm more interested in, say, the Utopia 2022, Final Audio D8000, or DCA Expanse before another electrostatic amp. But you never know-- the right deal could pop up and entice me.
@@DirectorsGarage the Carbon amplifier from Mjolnir is the better pair for this unit, but even still the Stax Srx9000 (which is great with the BHSE) is levels above the CRBN for me.
@@DirectorsGarage one concern I do have is they initial feedback is the 2022 isn’t that much of a divergence from og model. So perhaps you might take a big L holding both models 🤷♂️. As long as you’re prepared for that.
For all those who are considering CRBN but are worried about the second issue....DON'T BE...If you have proper amp...not sure about BHSE but my Mjolnir Carbon CC drove them with ease at any volume, no need to crank them up.
Hi Kevin, thanks for watching! I'd have to rely on the generosity (and sympathy) of viewers to lend me a different amp. With the fragile state that is the budget of the Director's Garage, I have a difficult time justifying spending money on another kilobuck electrostatic amp, for the performance of a single headphone. The Headamp BHSE is regarded by many as the best E-Stat amp on the market. If I'm going to make a purchase, it will be for, say, the X9000 instead of another amp. More people will watch a review of the X9000 than an amp review trying to make the bass fill in on the CRBN at lower volumes. It's the endless decision-making process of this channel! Not the worst problem to have, to be fair. Cheers!
Thanks Eric, on the live show today I'm going to discuss alternate rankings and how a headphone like the LCD-4 could have possibly won the shootout, if I'd weighted things differently. Hope you can join today! It's a public flogging!
Mysphere 3.1 on tubes or Mysphere 3.2 on solid state is a must in directors next shootout. I know he’s poo poo’d the raal SR1a previously but the Mysphere are special
Hi, I've considered it, but I've read on the forums where users have destroyed the headphone putting a speaker amp in the chain, and I can't afford to take that risk here. I do have a Krell that is tempting, maybe at a million subs! LOL. Thank you for watching, I hope you enjoyed it, either way.
1. Abyss 1266 2. Meze Empyrean Elite 3. LCD 4 4. Audeze CRBN 5. Hifiman Susvara 6. ZMF Atrium 7. Audeze LCD 5 8. Focal Utopia There are a shift on your sound preference for sure, I'm not sure whether Utopia 2022 can be the fix for you seeing how minor the change is. I'm starting to think it's simply Focal's attempt to reset Utopia's MSRP (adapted to inflation 5K is close to 4K back then) while fixing any design defect it has. Hopefully acquiring it won't be such a huge hole on your budget, there are lots other to try for the price.
Muhammad, I'm going to talk about how I could have ranked these headphones differently in today's livestream at 3pm PST. I actually think they downgraded the Utopia on looks. The OG is simply beautiful and they've lost some elegance, I think. I still want to hear the 2022 Utopia-- and the Expanse-- and the Final Audio 8000s. Hope I can do all of that in the next year.
Hi, this has been an AMAZING series! Thank you for all the time and effort! Really informative, very relaxing to watch, all out amazing. I do have a small query, how do i reach out to you to purchase the items that you've listed on sale? Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you!
Hi Michael....WHY DO YOU NOT HAVE MORE SUBSCRIBERS?!?!?!? I love your reviews! They're as informative as they are fun!! Not a hint of snobbery, which is unusual in this hobby. This was a great series!! Well thought out and presented!! While I haven't heard any of these cans myself I have been seriously thinking about getting Elites. Please keep this ball rolling!! Thanks for all your hard work!
yes, i think this is becoming my fav channel, with the australian guy in japan
Just received my Elites yesterday! It’s literally PERFECT!!! EVERYTHING SOUNDS GREAT!!! Thanks again for making this video because this video helped me to make my decision!
The Elites are basically the open version of the Sony MDR -1r - And I love both of them.
Thank you, Michael. It’s a great shootout and there is so much work going into this. You just won a long-term follower :). I am privileged with owning 3 out of the 6 (elite, utopia, tc) headphones here and I am also familiar with the remaining 3. Whereas I agree with most of your findings, I have to hold up a candle for the Utopia. Compared to the others, it lacks a wow factor but when listening to the right music, the wow is superficial bling-bling and the utopia has pure sophistication and the best localization ….. with the right music, which is classical for the Utopia, it’s still a class of its own. The tc is pure fun and the elite perfectionism for design and everyday use. My 2cents… and keep up the great reviews. I love when you revisit older gear how it stands the test of time.
just found your channel, immediately wow'd by the difference in style or presentation here compared to other reviewers; its great stuff man
Awesome job Michael! Have owned or own most of these great headphones and agree 100% with your assessments. Sold my Susvaras some time ago because of the EXACT reason you mentioned. Once you hear and then become aware of a certain coloration, emphasis, etc., you can’t then ‘un hear’ it. I currently own the Audeze CRBN’s and again, you nailed it. They are incredible, but like you, I find my self inching the volume up as they simply just get more ‘real’ sounding the higher you go. I’ve had to discipline myself to limited listening sessions and take a day or two off in between with them - but what a ride they give you! Thanks, and keep up the great work!
Totally agree with your assessment of the atrium. Except for appearance and comfort they do not win in any other category, but when you look at their total performance as a package they are incredible . For just relaxing on the couch and enjoying the experience of listening to music they are utterly fantastic. And given they are not just the cheapest in this test but far cheaper in many cases, they win the value category by a big margin. They are my go to set of cans .
Michael, awesome work man! My friend Trevor @ Norne Audio referred me to your channel. Truly wish you the best on your channel. Imo you will do well!!! Production quality and entertainment value is high!
How do you put susvara in 5th place... You need to amp them better...
Great channel.
I have the LCD-4's with a Pathos InPol Ear headphone amp and Electrocompaniet ECD2 DAC. Simply blissful.
Was at a headphone convention and listened to the Susvara's being run by the same Pathos amp and an Aurender A15 DAC/streamer and it was breathtaking......
Of the headphones you ranked, I have heard the Utopia, Susvara, and Meze Elite. I agree with everything you said about these. You are right that Utopia is too bright. I once purchased the Susvara, but was disappointed and returned them. I now own the Meze Elite and love them. What a great combination of comfort and sound! The Abyss are a bit too strange and expensive for me, so I'll continue to happily enjoy the Elites. By the way, if your ears ring after playing a headphone at high volume, you are damaging your hearing.
Great reviews, buddy. Thanks.
The best sounding channel! That RCA vintage Mic is worth as much as many of the headphones! World class production. Headphone question! Would you mind sharing associated gear that you used with headphone to reach best potential, both cable and amp?
Thanks for this great shootout! It’s a lot of fun! If you do decide to sell the CRBN you might want to replace it with a Stax SR-007A. I got one a few months ago and it quickly became my favorite HP. And I’m not listening to it through a BHSE. I’m using a lower end Stax amp. And the 007A cost half of what a new CRBN costs.
That's the entire point Jim, it's a fun exercise. It gets people talking and passionate about this hobby. I've had several people recommend the SR 007A-- they say the tuning is probably more in my preference range. We'll see-- it comes down to money and opportunity. I buy things when I see a deal where I won't get killed on resale. That's why I have OG headphones show up here from time to time. The old stuff is often better than the new!
Great fun! Enjoyed the series 😊
Great job Michael! The Elite has gotten too much crap from other reviewers. Also, I think it's kind of cool that the LCD 4 hung with the best of them given it's age. Just goes to show how fomo has made many to give up something great for something that isn't really that much better. I appreciate a reviewer who isn't afraid to tell people to save their money.
Thanks for watching, Astor! On the livestream today I'll make a case for how the LDC-4 could (and maybe should) have won the whole shootout. Hope you can join at 3pm. This was fun to do, and I hope you enjoyed the series.
Thank you Director
Elite is my personal, every day favorite.
Thanks for watching Klaus, the Elite is my most used headphone, for sure. You have a great headphone, no question. Cheers!
@@DirectorsGarage Hello Michael,
Are you using them with the new angled alcantara pads?
I've just switched to those from default hybrids, after ~month of having the Elites and they've become so much more enjoyable. Much more slammy, engaging/addictive and with a slightly better level of detail, transparency/unmuffledness, timbre.
good, now do it again with the caldera’s and expanse ;-)
The Elites get my vote. They are awesome!
Great line up, thanks Mike!
Fantastic series, but how is the LCD-5 in the top five of nearly every category and finish 7th?
I’m still a Susvara fanboy. Love me the Susvara. I use the Bakoon Amp-13r to power it quite well.
If I can grab a deal on a used Bakoon-- there are a few on the market right now-- I may make that deal. But it comes down to what gets sold. If I have $4000 to spend-- I'm probably more likely to pick up the Utopia 2022, Expanse, or Final Audio- but you never know. These are great problems to have, for sure.
@@DirectorsGarage Michael DO NOT sell your Susvara’s it’s your amp I see a used Woo WA33 with a TAK 274B on it for $5k this is a STEAL. The WA33 has all the power you could ever have with a flip of a switch. Or at least a used Benchmark AHB2 @ $1,500 Susvara will blow anything away.
@Director's Garage agree with the folks here. I use mine with an ahb2 + holo may L2.... And very important tip too is to hardware eq with lokius with an audio gd master 9 as the pre amp.... I absolutely love this thing. I can't listen to it without the eq anymore though . The bass rumbles and hits you in the chest in all the right ways :).
I agree about Susvara. I pair mine with the new ENLEUM 23 R and the headphone disappears as if you are listening to close field speakers. The sound field is open and deep. I doubt the Elites can achieve this type of stage.
Well...Elites won an EISA award this year and that means something..😊
After going back to reality, I grab the HD800 and enjoy the music.
I'm incredibly satisfied to see elite ranking so high. Looking at the overall package it's actually the most logical ranking for most people.
1) comfort
2) build quality
3) tuning
4) design & aesthetic
5) driveability.
Hear some reviewers here on youtube drive the Susvara on the speaker outputs of some beefy integrated amps to drive them to their full potential.
Absolutely Raymond. And I've bought and tried the Susvara with several other headphone amps just to try to eek out a little more performance from them. I have not had the courage to try it with my Krell KSA-100s amp, and hooking the Susvara up to a speaker amp has destroyed the headphone, so I don't recommend it to anyone.
Hi Michael, great comparison! I have a question didn’t see it mentioned in the live cast either. Did you use superconductor cable for Abyss 1266 for this review? Thanks!
Yes, the superconductor was in the chain, for sure!
Have you tried the 4Z? In theory it works wing given that it’s the Dane as the 4 but with the weight and power requirements reduced.
It’d be interesting to see where the ZMF caldera would rank here. It seems like it’s kind of a better version of the atrium, and with that being one of the “cheaper” ones, the caldera could get pretty far.
Nah, it's not a better version of the Atrium. Just a different version. More resolving and better sub bass extension, but the Atrium still takes the cake in regards to some other attributes.
Personally, I think that it’s a little unfair to group in dynamics with planars. Their differences are distinct enough to make them difficult to compare head to head. Now I’ve found myself to prefer planar sound for the most part but I do still appreciate dynamic drivers.
I mean, if I asked for the fastest car and was given a winning Nascar while there were top F1 cars on the track, I wouldn't care too much that my car was the fastest in my category when I'm left in the dust by the others. Definitely a good idea to compare dynamic drivers with dynamic drivers for those who prefer them, but headphones as a whole can be compared to find a winner. Even though it's all subjective, we find what matches our preferences.
Hi Arthur, I kind of agree-- I don't know that any of it's fair. But it is fun-- and an enjoyable exercise to break down what I like and dislike about insanely priced headphones that, let's be honest, no one should really buy! I hope you enjoyed the episodes, cheers!
@@bronsoncjmj You’ve actually made my point for me which is why bother including them in the first place? Planar & ribbon drivers have an inherent speed advantage over dynamic drivers. It makes for a big difference. Maybe Focal drivers do a credible job but they still fall behind.
It was no surprise that the two dynamics rated at the bottom. The only surprise was that the LCD-5 ranked so low.
@@arthurhaywood2184 ohhh yes, gotcha. Misunderstood your first message.
With all due respect, you're making it as if Dynamics are necessarily inferior in some areas. It's certainly true for some, but as always there are exceptions. Look up at Mysphere 3.1 and 3.2 and then tell me they lack speed in comparison to planars. My point is that dynamics drivers can be push to compete with planars, it just take some competent skills to pull it off.
For me, at least, it's much more interesting to see different TOTL drivers compared against each other but that's just me.
A proper outro would be Cowboy Michael broke from all his spending riding off on a horse wearing Koss Porta Pro HP's 😆
want to scale the 1266 T.C. even more.... plug them into the Smyth Research A16 realizer with the 3dsounshop Dutch & Dutch 24 Channel PRIR .... the 1266 headphones emulate 24 of those Dutch & Dutch speakers perfectly....
Hey Michael.... AUDEZE FIXED THE CRBN - CRACKLE NOISE. They have the CRBN version 2 that has a vented connection to the pads. They no longer crackle anymore. The FR is the same and this change makes the Sub-base very easy to handle EQ. They are much better than the version 1 CRBN that you used for this review. Sooooooo, I would love to know where you now rank the CRBN with the crackling fixed and a better FR. Thanks and keep up the great reviews. G
Hi Gary, Audeze did the mod to my headphone. The crackle is still there. It’s not as bad, but it did not cure the issue.
I do not EQ for the purposes of this show for a variety of reasons. No two EQs sound the same. So if I tell you to boost 2db at 1000hz and you aren’t using my software or hardware, you will get different results. I still think the CRBN is amazing. Quite an achievement and better than the Stax 009s, in my opinion.
looking for " that " amp for the Susvara... look no further than the Burson Conductor 3XGT .... use that amp on all of the headphones in the shootout and lets see where they end up in the ranking then 🙂
Still looking, but maybe not for long. I may get off the Susvara train, depending on what sells. If I can afford teh Bakoon 13r or it's successor the 23, I may pick it up, but that's another 4k and If I have 4k, I'm more likely to pick up the Utopia 2022 or Expanse. Not the worst choice to have to make.
ENLEUM 23 R and Susvara is a must listen.
Great shootout! I'm very interested in owning the LCD-4 and LCD-5 now as they seem like yin and yang. Will you post the LCD-5 for sale on UA-cam or probably sell privately? If it's posted here I might be interested in buying them 🙌🏻
Cheers and have a great weekend all
Thanks Bronson. We're going to talk about the results on today's livestream at 3pm PST. I'm going to show you how I could have weighted things differently and come up with a list that has the LCD-4 winning the shootout. The truth is: these are all great headphones. I bought every one of them. I've bought and sold several flagships in between-- so these 8 are special.
Thinness = Lack of powering the Susvara’s which why there are 20,000 of them for sale on Headfi because certain UA-camrs say all you need is a Topping A90 which is the worst amp I’ve heard. The Susvara’s need minimum the Benchmark AHB2 Power Amplifier. The Woo WA5LE doesn’t have enough power to drive it to its perfection as well as Ferrum stack not enough juice. People before you buy the Susvara’s make sure you have the cash for a AHB2 used $1500 or more. When you get up to the high end headphone market SOURCE is king and will make you enjoy any headphone and gear more.
The question for me, for the purposes of this show becomes-- is it worth spending another $4000 - $6000 dollars to see if I can't clear up what I feel is the Susvara's greatest weakness. I think the answer is likely: no. $4000 can get me into an Expanse, a Final Audio D8000, a good way toward the Stax X9000, or the Utopia 2022. I'd argue viewers would rather see those reviews than another amp review trying to make the Susvara sound better than the Abyss (or any of the others). These are FUN problems to have! Thanks for watching.
Had a lot of fun following this shootout. Farts aside, I’m curious if you are considering trying the CRBNs with other amps (LTA Z10e, Stax, etc) to see if they drive better and would alleviate the “louder=better” issue?
Perhaps, but I have here one of the best electrostatic amps on the market in the BHSE. If I have another $4000 laying around, I'm more interested in, say, the Utopia 2022, Final Audio D8000, or DCA Expanse before another electrostatic amp. But you never know-- the right deal could pop up and entice me.
@@DirectorsGarage the Carbon amplifier from Mjolnir is the better pair for this unit, but even still the Stax Srx9000 (which is great with the BHSE) is levels above the CRBN for me.
One request could you keep the Utopia until you buy the new one day you can do direct comparisons? That might be helpful to do a b listening
Ace, I'd love to do that. It's going to come down to what sells and when. If I can keep the OG I will.
@@DirectorsGarage one concern I do have is they initial feedback is the 2022 isn’t that much of a divergence from og model. So perhaps you might take a big L holding both models 🤷♂️. As long as you’re prepared for that.
I'll say it again ....these rankings mean very little without talking about source amp pairings.
For all those who are considering CRBN but are worried about the second issue....DON'T BE...If you have proper amp...not sure about BHSE but my Mjolnir Carbon CC drove them with ease at any volume, no need to crank them up.
Hi Kevin, thanks for watching! I'd have to rely on the generosity (and sympathy) of viewers to lend me a different amp. With the fragile state that is the budget of the Director's Garage, I have a difficult time justifying spending money on another kilobuck electrostatic amp, for the performance of a single headphone. The Headamp BHSE is regarded by many as the best E-Stat amp on the market. If I'm going to make a purchase, it will be for, say, the X9000 instead of another amp. More people will watch a review of the X9000 than an amp review trying to make the bass fill in on the CRBN at lower volumes. It's the endless decision-making process of this channel! Not the worst problem to have, to be fair. Cheers!
Great shootout! I agree 100% with your rankings. I would be interested in hearing about your amp pairings for each headphone during the evaluation?
Thanks Eric, on the live show today I'm going to discuss alternate rankings and how a headphone like the LCD-4 could have possibly won the shootout, if I'd weighted things differently. Hope you can join today! It's a public flogging!
thx. great🎉
Mysphere 3.1 on tubes or Mysphere 3.2 on solid state is a must in directors next shootout. I know he’s poo poo’d the raal SR1a previously but the Mysphere are special
put the susvara on a speaker amp
Hi, I've considered it, but I've read on the forums where users have destroyed the headphone putting a speaker amp in the chain, and I can't afford to take that risk here. I do have a Krell that is tempting, maybe at a million subs! LOL. Thank you for watching, I hope you enjoyed it, either way.
@@DirectorsGarage how about an LTA ZOTL
@@DirectorsGarage i run mine on my Krell power amp taps. 150W monoblock
Well, Diana TC ?
Right?!!!
@@DirectorsGarage You will never know until you try hahaha
Subscribed as Susvara review was on dot! I didn't like Susvara as it had no wow factor!
1. Abyss 1266
2. Meze Empyrean Elite
3. LCD 4
4. Audeze CRBN
5. Hifiman Susvara
6. ZMF Atrium
7. Audeze LCD 5
8. Focal Utopia
There are a shift on your sound preference for sure, I'm not sure whether Utopia 2022 can be the fix for you seeing how minor the change is. I'm starting to think it's simply Focal's attempt to reset Utopia's MSRP (adapted to inflation 5K is close to 4K back then) while fixing any design defect it has.
Hopefully acquiring it won't be such a huge hole on your budget, there are lots other to try for the price.
Muhammad, I'm going to talk about how I could have ranked these headphones differently in today's livestream at 3pm PST. I actually think they downgraded the Utopia on looks. The OG is simply beautiful and they've lost some elegance, I think. I still want to hear the 2022 Utopia-- and the Expanse-- and the Final Audio 8000s. Hope I can do all of that in the next year.
I very much enjoyed your Shootout videos. Now you gotta get a Final D8000/Pro in for review ;-)
Definitely on my short list for the coming year. Leaning toward the D8000 over the Pro. I like a more colored sound.
Holoaudio bliss + susvara = win
Hi, this has been an AMAZING series! Thank you for all the time and effort! Really informative, very relaxing to watch, all out amazing. I do have a small query, how do i reach out to you to purchase the items that you've listed on sale? Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you!
directorsgarage@gmail.com
I knew it!
Im on this video and before watching it I will guess the rankings
1) crbn
2) abyss
3)lcd 5
4) susvara
5) elite
6)lcd 4
7) Utopia
8) forgot the 8th
Swap the lcd-5 and lcd-4 positions
The most uncomfortable cans win...
bravo.... standing applause 👋👋👋