Great review. Educating people to choose headphones according to their taste and music genre might be tough but at the and that's the only right direction I guess. I haven't heard newest Susvara yet, but probably will be in 2 weeks. I wish you all the best.
My main hifi rig costs comfortably north of six figures but I use a 1980s pre amp with headphone out feeding a pair of sennheiser px100s for headfi listening . This set up reminds me of my youth and provides much joy . At the end of the day regardless of price , If the music makes you happy , the equipment has done it’s job.
For anyone who is planning to buy this, please go to your dealer and have a look at the headphone first. I was shocked at the build quality. It feels like a $300 headphone. Everything feels so cheap.
Nice headphones. I’ve only got cheaper stuff like Edition xs, aune ar5000, fiio ft3 350ohm and audeze maxwells. Oh and koss kph40 and ksc75 on a headband.
That is including an amplifier as well. Plus, if you watched the first few minutes of the video, he basically excluded ribbon and electrostatic headphones. Aperio, Shangri-La, Immanis all cost more than the Unveiled, but they are not planar or dynamic. (And I forgot the ridiculously priced Valkyria.)
@@kellycny65 Sure, that is how the algorithms work. Sadly. I guess if we really wanted to, we could say 'the most expensive commercially available' headphones. I know from the Valkyria roughly 60 were sold worldwide I doubt Sennheiser sold more HE-1s or HiFiMan sold many more Shangri-La Seniors. They probably sold quite a few hundred if not thousands of the og Susvara though.
Finally, someone said it. Susvara never had much staging, like all Hifimans I heard. I always thought so many people were nuts when talking about Susvara staging. Lachlan, the Utopia kills the Susvara when it comes to transients and plucking of instruments.
Yep. Some HiFiMan headphones do have decent stage depth IMO, but not the Susvaras. I've got a big roundup of flagship headphones coming and the Utopias can't quite match the feel of the Susvara Unveiled. I'm not talking about subjective transient qualities as that's hard to judge, but the ability to feel the impulse or energy of a plucked string is better on the Susvara Unveiled IMO.
The Original Susvarra was not a soundstage monster.. It was more LR vs deep and immersive.. .So, it would seem that the new Susy is again doing that again.....
@@PassionforSound Yes... The Original Susy's have a decent "LR" soundstage, and not an immersive soundstage. In Fact something like the Meze Emperian has a much wider, deeper, better SS then the Orig. Susys... as does the Hifiman HEK-V2....
LCD-5 would be my favourite, I think. 2022 Utopia is excellent too. HD800 is also amazing of course. For closed backs, I'd go for the Sony MDR-Z1R I think
I plugged in the Susvara Unveiled and asked them to "open the pod bay doors," AKA the driver covers. In an incredibly lifelike hi-fidelity voice they said, "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that." And my name's not even Dave!
Hope you’re well, long time no see and long time no speak, I’m curious where the journey took you, still finishing the final review over here. I have collected some interesting toys along the way Levante Riviera, WA33JPS elite, AIC10, HM one, Poseidon and IDEON epsilon for the DAC, for the review we’re going full out for this It does not make the OG SUS redundant. I felt it did at the beginning, but after testing Yes I think it’s better in some areas by a little bit and resolution by a margin but it’s complicated LOL. But the Spirit, Torino valkarya raal emanis and a couple of others beat it for price, but they might not be available in Australia so I might be mistaken in regards to the location you were referring to world no though
The unveiled has a much easier time of it on lower and equipment, surprisingly and shockingly so, Og you can pick up used now from US et cetera. I know things are very expensive in Australia though, for about $3000 now. For me, I am still using OG as the channel reference. I don’t know unveiled is a strange duck but it’s still early days, but OG requires a lot of high-quality equipment to sound tremendous to showcase what it’s capable of, unveiled is very straightforward. I can even run it off a DAPLOL.
@@danielbulcsupekh7922 on the lower end equipment, I’ve actually tested unveiled on HA2A, IDAC, a90 cyan two, the ferrum stack Quite honestly unveiled does a much better job on this type of equipment by a significant margin than the original The threshold for sound indecent is very low compared to OG
I heard these at CanJam London and they were pretty bloody good but edged out by the Modhouse Tungsten although the MT were hooked up to a giant tube amp and Laiv harmony dac... 🤷♀️
How good is it for pianos? I have the He1000se now and the pianos are such a standout (I play the piano it's very important thats it's good). How is the soundstage vs the HE1000se? Thank you so much for the standouts for the arya Organic vs the HE1000se! Are you also coming to Cam Jam Socal?
I don't think I'll get to SoCal this year. The channel either needs to grow or get some serious sponsorship for it to be justifiable to spend the money and time to make that trip. ☹️ As for the Unveiled with piano, they have an excellent overall tonality and will capture the percussive attack well too. The one place they might leave you wanting is with the weight of notes. The HEKSE has a little more bass which helps to fill in the body of the piano's sound to my ears. For staging, the HEKSE throws the sound a little deeper, but the Unveiled might be a touch wider, I think. My HEKSE were on loan when I did this review and I've packed up the Unveileds to send back to HiFiMan for checking of the damage so I can't do a direct comparison right now unfortunately.
would really like for you to get a hold of the HE1000u and see how it measures and sounds... the other day I put the Cayin C9 with the RU7 DAC together on the HE1000V2 and it was simply a magic combination.... if the HE1000u would sound any better with that setup I'd be done buying phones... for the new headphones its now coming down to the matchup between the Amps and Dac/cables.... its all getting to be very very good...
Agree. Total no-go for me. If they had released an easier-to-drive version with a silver trace but the original cups, I would have been interested. But maybe it wouldn't have made any sound difference ?
well i listened to all of those headphones (except the Unveiled), and the Utopia's, IMO aren't even in the same category as the original Susvara, neither are the Meze Elites, i discarded the Utopia's after 5 minutes, the separation of instruments is so much better on the Susvara's, i frankly don't understand why people like the Utopia's that much, i love the Empyrean's, i found them very moving, and the Elites lose that quality, without being as good as the technicaly as the Susvara's, just listen to all of them, i find the Susvara's the best for Jazz as well, or any music that was actually recorded live, instead of being constructed in a computer
I just purchased the Arya Stealth for $599 USD. I consider that price to be a genuine deal when considering past pricing. I wouldn't consider a more expensive headphone in their lineup give the QC issues and cost. I am very much pleased with my recent purchase, I find the Arya Stealth fabulous. I'm good at this point, leaving the engine under the hood exposed doesn't seem to be a great idea to me.
During CanJam SoCal 2024, I tried out two sets of these on two different high-end amps. Swapping out for the HE1000SE on the same amps sounded better in my opinion. I think the $8k price is set arbitrarily high to make maximum profit from the early buyers. If you've got the money though, knock yourself out.
I purchased probably the 1st used pair of Unveiled’s to hit the market on Head-Fi. Have been extremely cautious thus far, I’m still concerned with dust collection & eventually having to clean the headphone thoroughly.
How are u liking it so far? Is it worth the price? Is there a headphone that is half the price of the unveiled that comes close to its performance and sound quality?
Don't worry too much about dust, Robert. All open back headphones allow some dust in just as these do. It's foreign objects that are the real concern. As for headphones at half the price coming close to the performance of the Unveiled, at 4k there are some amazing options like the ZMF Caldera and Meze Elites (I think?)
@@PassionforSound I am thinking of the dca expanse or meze elite for my end game. Right now I have the fiio m23 paired with monarch mk2, hd6xx, andros og and steele, fostex purplehearts and the oracle og. I want to have a headphone for my end game. Iems i worry too much about busting my eardrums as I like cranking up the volume lol but headphones are still more immerssive and more comfortable for long listening sessions with ice cold beer 😬
I think if I had headphones that expensive I would have an amplifier specifically matched to them, so their wide compatibility would be of little value.
Amps (and DACs) do not add any coloration to sound if they're even remotely well made. If you want to change your sound signature, either change the speakers, or add an EQ.
Choosing a tube amp with these is a great addition to their sound and it doesn't mean strongly colouring them so much as adding a touch of smoothness/weight. Every DAC and every amp has some degree of colouration, too. If not, there'd be no point choosing between all the different models out there. As for the versatility, the Unveiled opens up more choices in options like tube amps that are generally not as powerful so I think it's helpful.
Yes, the differences are very significant when using both on a suitably high end source chain. To get a sense of this, my review of the HE1000 Stealth and SE versions discussed the upgrade from the Arya to the HE1000 level headphones. The Susvaras are another step up again.
@@PassionforSound Thank you. This then it’s a good example of the diminishing returns law. Talking about Hifiman, for example, the step between the Ananda Nano an Arya Organic it’s quite double price and Susvaras, even more. The steps are there but the costs to get them increase a lot. I want to improve my AKG K712 Pro to the Hifiman Arya Organic, and I think they will be end game for me headphones. But it’s good to know there are even more… or perhaps it isn’t so good 🤣
I get that the HE-1 isn't a headphone (system) that you can buy off the shelf but technically I believe it's the most expensive headphone in the world in 2024. Sennheiser Australia still has a product page for the HE-1 - yours for a mere 85k AUD.
Lachlan, to date, what would you say is your favourite top-tier, all-around headphone? Big question, I know, and any answer you provide would likely have caveats, but interested nonetheless.
Did you review the headphones with the stock cable or an aftermarket cable? HiFiMan’s cable material quality is much better than it looks and even better than many aftermarket cables. I have a Sony MUC-B20SB1 4.4 balanced cable from my Z1R, which also worked with my HE1000SE, but HiFiMan’s stock cable in single-ended is better than my Sony’s. Since you are using a red aftermarket cable, I also had a WyWires Red Silver cable, but HiFiMan’s own cable is better than anything I’ve ever tried.
And if you dont want to consider them because they deliver an amp directly with them, maybe have a look at the „Focal Utopia by Tournaire“ wich costs roughly 120.000$ without an dac or amp or anything.
@@stevendavis1135 you can also buy a pair of Kef R7 and a pair of schiit Aegir 2 as mono block and a thousand-dollar dac for that much money lol. No headphone in the world be that satisfying
It all depends on a person's situation. For some people, speakers aren't an option so investing in top notch headphones makes way more sense. And then there's the question of mid-tier vs flagship. Both have their merits so again it comes back to the person's needs and priorities.
@@PassionforSound I agree and like you said in the past, “there is no wrong, it is what you enjoy. I enjoy both but I do prefer regular speakers bc you get bigger sound stage and depth. Some times when I wear my hifiman XS I completely forget I had phones on lol
Yeah it's all big boys toys at the end of the day.. buy stuff, give it all away, it's your cash and it's a crazy world we're living in, I worked for a family who at the time spent around €30k a month on wine... There are lots of bottles of wine out there north of 1k per bottle.. my favourite wines I remember having were with another family and cost €16 & €22 each 😅 I'm pretty frugal but spend most my hobby money on hi-fi 🤝
My 1st serious pair of headphones cost me $449! A few months later I was perusing my local hi-fi store, which was having a closing down sale and on a complete whim I bought a pair of headphones for $199! They blew those more expensive headphones out of the water. Years later, me being blessed with more disposable income and having seriously upgraded my main hi-fi system, I decided to seriously upgrade my headphones. $8000 is outside any budget I would allocate to headphones, but I was in the market for a pair of premium, reference, headphones. After much research, I ended up spending $1999 on a pair of headphones from the same A-brand as my $199 pair. Do they meet the criteria I was loooking for? Yes. Are the 10 times better than my $199 pair? Absolutely not. Are they perfect? No. Do I regret paying $1999 for them? Absolutely not.
@@PassionforSound close second is anime albums lol I use ab1266 so the metal makes sense for me No right answer it’s about what we like and our journey which I know you resonate with 🤝
if this is a uni project, the zero rear protection will get the student laughed out of the studio by the tutors for being a lazy ass for not offering to solve the sound quality vs basic protection on the investment
@@PassionforSound phd in science/engineering or industrial design? a lack of basic protection to the most expensive product will either break the company with all the warranty claims and/or lose their core customer base if they say it's customers' fault for the damage... a phd in structural engineering can build a solid house but will it be a well designed house? will the client ask the phd engineer to design their dream $50mil house
@fatdoi003 he's a researcher into sound design of headphones AFAIK which relates directly to your comment about being laughed out of the studio for not solving sound quality vs basic protection. He's decided for the Unveiled that there's a need to design it this way and that will be based on significant research and design conversations, I'm sure. It's probably also why the original Susvara isn't being discontinued.
you know perfectly well that the Susvara's are not the most expensive headphones in the world, there is the Immanis at 10000, Sennheiser HE1 at 70000, Warwick Audio has two headphones that cost more than 25000 and Hifiman themselves have more expensive headphones !!
And you've just named all of the types of headphones I specifically excluded when I said "not including ribbon or electrostatic headphones that need additional adapters or energizers".
If you've got the dough and are willing to part with it... but it's an absurd amount of money, far too rich for me. I've got an LCD-2 and an LCD-X. I have the 109 Pro. I'm happy with what I have, pretty much. I just wish I could get the darn pads to stay on the Audeze!
I would rather get older one because I couldn't stand them. they are seen so easily to break the drivers for unknow reasons. BUT if I buy HiFiMan I am probably buying their lower price ranges, 8k USD can buy so 2 or more flagship headphones! I will have more fun listening. IMO HiFiMan still need to step-up more with the design and materials, because their headphones feel like going to break or toy like compare other headphones. once Again with 8k USD many people can buy end game setup (headphones, DACs Amplifiers or multi of each) 🤣I I
I don't believe the hole was there from the beginning although I have no idea how and when it occurred. Also, I took measurements on multiple occasions during ownership and found no signs of any type of variance between the left and right channels so I don't think that tiny hole was having any influence on the sound.
what kind of logic is that? the more people buy, the more people will sell. the more people you see selling, the more people bought it, same with iphone and samsung
@@vanbuitran1746 its very niche product. Not like smartphone. It's for audiophile, it's for hobby. Very little have that Unveiled and they already sold it, which means Unveiled is not for them and fail to meet the most demanding audiophile desire.
It's not at all uncommon for brand new models to be bought by those who are curious and some of those will inevitably sell them if it's not to their tastes. It doesn't represent a failure because there's no perfect headphone for everyone.
I’m very upset with this review. Especially comparison with Elite that not even close to he1000se. This review is very short for Unveiled and very strange my friend. I hope you devote more time for he1000 unvield.
The HE 1 is a Headphone System. Not just a headphone, so it's technically not in the running. The Spirit Torino Valkyria would've been a better comparison for those in the know. Edit: i just noticed OP actually wrote "headset" not "headphone" ... which implies an attached microphone so... yeah. If you're trying to correct someone be aware of what you yourself are saying
Maybe go for traing how to speek to people to not make them asleep. Maybe good for ASRM but not for review. You modulation of voise is so liveless. No face expressions. Too much cuts. You can't remember more than few seconds?
What a complete, professional, helpful and honest review. One of your best yet. Thanks Lachlan
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it 🙂🙂
8000 dollars for a pair of coasters and you get a bonus headphone that will work for a week before you poke holes in them. What a deal !
😄
😂😂😂
The coasters are awesome!
Okay, this comment made me chuckle-
yea its crazy to risk it for that kind of money 😅
“If I win the lottery I won’t tell anyone but there will be hints” slowly puts cup down on the shiny coaster
😂
Lol😂
Great review. Educating people to choose headphones according to their taste and music genre might be tough but at the and that's the only right direction I guess. I haven't heard newest Susvara yet, but probably will be in 2 weeks. I wish you all the best.
My main hifi rig costs comfortably north of six figures but I use a 1980s pre amp with headphone out feeding a pair of sennheiser px100s for headfi listening . This set up reminds me of my youth and provides much joy . At the end of the day regardless of price , If the music makes you happy , the equipment has done it’s job.
💯
For anyone who is planning to buy this, please go to your dealer and have a look at the headphone first. I was shocked at the build quality. It feels like a $300 headphone. Everything feels so cheap.
Except their sound hehe
Thank you for this, it’s my favourite review of the Sus Unvy. It’s great that you mentioned system/chain synergy at the end, that can really help.
I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know.
We need your takes on the other Hifiman unveileds! Thx.
I've got the Arya U and HEK U here now. Reviews scheduled for early next year because there's SO much in the pipeline already. :)
... as usual an EXCELLENT JOB! ...very well done, bravo!
🙏♥️
Hi Lachlan! Great review, but I'll stick with my Meze Elite and Focal Bathys.
Sound logic, I'd say, Bobby!
Nice headphones. I’ve only got cheaper stuff like Edition xs, aune ar5000, fiio ft3 350ohm and audeze maxwells. Oh and koss kph40 and ksc75 on a headband.
Isn't the Sennheiser HE-1 $59,900 USD? That's a smidge pricier than the Susvara.
That is including an amplifier as well. Plus, if you watched the first few minutes of the video, he basically excluded ribbon and electrostatic headphones. Aperio, Shangri-La, Immanis all cost more than the Unveiled, but they are not planar or dynamic.
(And I forgot the ridiculously priced Valkyria.)
@@Berkanann 10-4. Still a click-baity headline, but that's probably what it takes to get noticed these days in the UA-cam content creator space.
@@kellycny65 Sure, that is how the algorithms work. Sadly. I guess if we really wanted to, we could say 'the most expensive commercially available' headphones. I know from the Valkyria roughly 60 were sold worldwide I doubt Sennheiser sold more HE-1s or HiFiMan sold many more Shangri-La Seniors. They probably sold quite a few hundred if not thousands of the og Susvara though.
@@Berkanann All good points. Thanks.
it doesn't matter what he says in the video, the title is a lie, and there is a type, Headphones are always plural
Finally, someone said it. Susvara never had much staging, like all Hifimans I heard. I always thought so many people were nuts when talking about Susvara staging.
Lachlan, the Utopia kills the Susvara when it comes to transients and plucking of instruments.
Yep. Some HiFiMan headphones do have decent stage depth IMO, but not the Susvaras.
I've got a big roundup of flagship headphones coming and the Utopias can't quite match the feel of the Susvara Unveiled. I'm not talking about subjective transient qualities as that's hard to judge, but the ability to feel the impulse or energy of a plucked string is better on the Susvara Unveiled IMO.
Looking forward to the inevitable $8K Susvara Unveiled vs the $35 Dora the Explorer Target exclusive headphone!
😂
The Original Susvarra was not a soundstage monster.. It was more LR vs deep and immersive.. .So, it would seem that the new Susy is again doing that again.....
Exactly. They're very similar like that. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who questions the true soundstage capabilities of the Susvara.
@@PassionforSound Yes... The Original Susy's have a decent "LR" soundstage, and not an immersive soundstage. In Fact something like the Meze Emperian has a much wider, deeper, better SS then the Orig. Susys... as does the Hifiman HEK-V2....
@@PassionforSoundwhats the best 3d soundstaging headphone you heard?
For Open back and closed back
LCD-5 would be my favourite, I think. 2022 Utopia is excellent too. HD800 is also amazing of course.
For closed backs, I'd go for the Sony MDR-Z1R I think
To each his own. I connect more with the Susvara's sense of immersion than with the Utopia's feeling of standing in a corridor.
I plugged in the Susvara Unveiled and asked them to "open the pod bay doors," AKA the driver covers. In an incredibly lifelike hi-fidelity voice they said, "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that." And my name's not even Dave!
Hope you’re well, long time no see and long time no speak,
I’m curious where the journey took you, still finishing the final review over here. I have collected some interesting toys along the way
Levante Riviera, WA33JPS elite, AIC10, HM one, Poseidon and IDEON epsilon for the DAC, for the review
we’re going full out for this
It does not make the OG SUS redundant. I felt it did at the beginning, but after testing Yes I think it’s better in some areas by a little bit and resolution by a margin
but it’s complicated LOL.
But the Spirit, Torino valkarya raal emanis and a couple of others beat it for price, but they might not be available in Australia so I might be mistaken in regards to the location you were referring to world no though
If you were in a position to consider upgrading from the HEKSE would you choose the OG Sus for 4000 bucks or save up for the Unveiled?
The unveiled has a much easier time of it on lower and equipment, surprisingly and shockingly so,
Og you can pick up used now from US et cetera. I know things are very expensive in Australia though, for about $3000 now.
For me, I am still using OG as the channel reference. I don’t know unveiled is a strange duck but it’s still early days, but OG requires a lot of high-quality equipment to sound tremendous to showcase what it’s capable of, unveiled is very straightforward. I can even run it off a DAPLOL.
@@ConvinceMeAudio I have the Auris Nirvana amp with a new Gustard x30 dac
@@danielbulcsupekh7922 on the lower end equipment, I’ve actually tested unveiled on HA2A, IDAC, a90 cyan two, the ferrum stack
Quite honestly unveiled does a much better job on this type of equipment by a significant margin than the original
The threshold for sound indecent is very low compared to OG
I heard these at CanJam London and they were pretty bloody good but edged out by the Modhouse Tungsten although the MT were hooked up to a giant tube amp and Laiv harmony dac... 🤷♀️
for orchestral, maybe a HE1000SE will be an easier recommendation?
HD800S is better than HEKSE for orchestra. The timbre is more accurate than HEKSE with it's lean and dry sound.
I'd choose the Unveiled for orchestra over the HEKSE. The difference in resolution and detail is significant.
How good is it for pianos? I have the He1000se now and the pianos are such a standout (I play the piano it's very important thats it's good). How is the soundstage vs the HE1000se? Thank you so much for the standouts for the arya Organic vs the HE1000se! Are you also coming to Cam Jam Socal?
I don't think I'll get to SoCal this year. The channel either needs to grow or get some serious sponsorship for it to be justifiable to spend the money and time to make that trip. ☹️
As for the Unveiled with piano, they have an excellent overall tonality and will capture the percussive attack well too. The one place they might leave you wanting is with the weight of notes. The HEKSE has a little more bass which helps to fill in the body of the piano's sound to my ears.
For staging, the HEKSE throws the sound a little deeper, but the Unveiled might be a touch wider, I think. My HEKSE were on loan when I did this review and I've packed up the Unveileds to send back to HiFiMan for checking of the damage so I can't do a direct comparison right now unfortunately.
would really like for you to get a hold of the HE1000u and see how it measures and sounds... the other day I put the Cayin C9 with the RU7 DAC together on the HE1000V2 and it was simply a magic combination.... if the HE1000u would sound any better with that setup I'd be done buying phones... for the new headphones its now coming down to the matchup between the Amps and Dac/cables.... its all getting to be very very good...
The HEKU will make its way here once it's available as a production unit. I believe there are currently only show samples available.
No comparison to the Caldera?
No. I don't have a Caldera here anymore. It had to go home to ZMF after the review.
@@PassionforSoundoh wow from the review I figured you’d find a way to own them. Feeling these days like the elite does more for you after all?
Reason I ask is I’m poking around for a relaxed alternative to my HE1000 stealths. They both seem like contenders.
@davids2214 it's more of just a cost thing and I think ZMF are super busy these days as I haven't received any new models from them for ages.
The extra special care required / recommended to prevent damage to the drivers is a big turnoff ...
Agree. Total no-go for me. If they had released an easier-to-drive version with a silver trace but the original cups, I would have been interested. But maybe it wouldn't
have made any sound difference ?
I’d be curious how these compare to the Warwick Bravura.
Me too. They'd just need a comparable DAC and amp because the Bravura is a system if I'm not mistaken.
well i listened to all of those headphones (except the Unveiled), and the Utopia's, IMO aren't even in the same category as the original Susvara, neither are the Meze Elites, i discarded the Utopia's after 5 minutes, the separation of instruments is so much better on the Susvara's, i frankly don't understand why people like the Utopia's that much, i love the Empyrean's, i found them very moving, and the Elites lose that quality, without being as good as the technicaly as the Susvara's, just listen to all of them, i find the Susvara's the best for Jazz as well, or any music that was actually recorded live, instead of being constructed in a computer
What was the source chain you used for the test?
I just purchased the Arya Stealth for $599 USD. I consider that price to be a genuine deal when considering past pricing. I wouldn't consider a more expensive headphone in their lineup give the QC issues and cost. I am very much pleased with my recent purchase, I find the Arya Stealth fabulous. I'm good at this point, leaving the engine under the hood exposed doesn't seem to be a great idea to me.
Happy listening!
During CanJam SoCal 2024, I tried out two sets of these on two different high-end amps. Swapping out for the HE1000SE on the same amps sounded better in my opinion. I think the $8k price is set arbitrarily high to make maximum profit from the early buyers. If you've got the money though, knock yourself out.
I purchased probably the 1st used pair of Unveiled’s to hit the market on Head-Fi. Have been extremely cautious thus far, I’m still concerned with dust collection & eventually having to clean the headphone thoroughly.
How are u liking it so far? Is it worth the price? Is there a headphone that is half the price of the unveiled that comes close to its performance and sound quality?
Don't worry too much about dust, Robert. All open back headphones allow some dust in just as these do. It's foreign objects that are the real concern.
As for headphones at half the price coming close to the performance of the Unveiled, at 4k there are some amazing options like the ZMF Caldera and Meze Elites (I think?)
@@PassionforSound I am thinking of the dca expanse or meze elite for my end game. Right now I have the fiio m23 paired with monarch mk2, hd6xx, andros og and steele, fostex purplehearts and the oracle og. I want to have a headphone for my end game. Iems i worry too much about busting my eardrums as I like cranking up the volume lol but headphones are still more immerssive and more comfortable for long listening sessions with ice cold beer 😬
Lets hope they have fixed the resonance issues of the original version...great review lachlan
The smoother sound would suggest some improvements there so I think they might have. Glad you liked it!
Could you make video about Audirvana
Do you mean the player software?
I'll also be very interested in hearing your points of view @PassionforSound
Yes@@PassionforSound
i 3rd this!
It's coming soonish... 😁
I think if I had headphones that expensive I would have an amplifier specifically matched to them, so their wide compatibility would be of little value.
Amps (and DACs) do not add any coloration to sound if they're even remotely well made. If you want to change your sound signature, either change the speakers, or add an EQ.
Choosing a tube amp with these is a great addition to their sound and it doesn't mean strongly colouring them so much as adding a touch of smoothness/weight.
Every DAC and every amp has some degree of colouration, too. If not, there'd be no point choosing between all the different models out there.
As for the versatility, the Unveiled opens up more choices in options like tube amps that are generally not as powerful so I think it's helpful.
Great perspective
🙏
When I see that kind of incredibly expensive headphones, my real question is… how does it work compare with the Hifiman Arya Organic?
Having heard the Arya Organic... I would hope, significantly better.
Yes, the differences are very significant when using both on a suitably high end source chain. To get a sense of this, my review of the HE1000 Stealth and SE versions discussed the upgrade from the Arya to the HE1000 level headphones. The Susvaras are another step up again.
@@PassionforSound Thank you. This then it’s a good example of the diminishing returns law. Talking about Hifiman, for example, the step between the Ananda Nano an Arya Organic it’s quite double price and Susvaras, even more.
The steps are there but the costs to get them increase a lot. I want to improve my AKG K712 Pro to the Hifiman Arya Organic, and I think they will be end game for me headphones.
But it’s good to know there are even more… or perhaps it isn’t so good 🤣
Yes, hard to know sometimes if it's good or not good. The Arya Organic will be a marvellous upgrade from the K712.
I preferred OG Susvara to the Unveiled
Now hifi has the he1000 unveiled would be awesom to see if its better than he1000se or the same
I'm hoping to have one here soon to review and compare
I get that the HE-1 isn't a headphone (system) that you can buy off the shelf but technically I believe it's the most expensive headphone in the world in 2024. Sennheiser Australia still has a product page for the HE-1 - yours for a mere 85k AUD.
I saw a golden eagle fly out of that hole.
Lachlan, to date, what would you say is your favourite top-tier, all-around headphone? Big question, I know, and any answer you provide would likely have caveats, but interested nonetheless.
I've got a full video coming up on that very topic, but the short answer is that the Meze Elites and Focal Utopia (2022) are my two equal favourites.
@PassionforSound I had a suspicion that the Focal Utopia 2022 might get a mention. They do seem to be a wonderful all-around headphone.
@justincollins6077 they definitely are 🙂
Spirit Torino's Valkyria owns the title as most expensive headphones, i think. (excluding the estats holy trio)
I'm not familiar with their full range. Wow!
Now you need to test the he-1000 unveiled.
As soon as they're available for reviewers, I hope to be able to...
I have just ordered 2 pairs just incase one pair breaks.
Haha. It's like that 🙂
Spirit Torino Valkyria Titanium costs 12k €
$8000 is shameful.
Did you review the headphones with the stock cable or an aftermarket cable? HiFiMan’s cable material quality is much better than it looks and even better than many aftermarket cables. I have a Sony MUC-B20SB1 4.4 balanced cable from my Z1R, which also worked with my HE1000SE, but HiFiMan’s stock cable in single-ended is better than my Sony’s. Since you are using a red aftermarket cable, I also had a WyWires Red Silver cable, but HiFiMan’s own cable is better than anything I’ve ever tried.
I tried both so my opinions are based largely on the stock cable because that's what people will hear straight from the box.
How are you missing the Sennheiser HE-1 at 69.000€ thats another 61.000€ on top… you could buy almost 9 pairs of the susvara unveiled
And if you dont want to consider them because they deliver an amp directly with them, maybe have a look at the „Focal Utopia by Tournaire“ wich costs roughly 120.000$ without an dac or amp or anything.
Only if I was rich I would throw away 8000 dollars on a headphone lol. you can buy a lot of audio gear for that much money.
That's enough for 2 really nice headphones. Mid to high-end dac and amp and still have money left over for lunch
@@stevendavis1135 you can also buy a pair of Kef R7 and a pair of schiit Aegir 2 as mono block and a thousand-dollar dac for that much money lol. No headphone in the world be that satisfying
It all depends on a person's situation. For some people, speakers aren't an option so investing in top notch headphones makes way more sense.
And then there's the question of mid-tier vs flagship. Both have their merits so again it comes back to the person's needs and priorities.
@@PassionforSound I agree and like you said in the past, “there is no wrong, it is what you enjoy. I enjoy both but I do prefer regular speakers bc you get bigger sound stage and depth. Some times when I wear my hifiman XS I completely forget I had phones on lol
Yeah it's all big boys toys at the end of the day.. buy stuff, give it all away, it's your cash and it's a crazy world we're living in, I worked for a family who at the time spent around €30k a month on wine... There are lots of bottles of wine out there north of 1k per bottle.. my favourite wines I remember having were with another family and cost €16 & €22 each 😅 I'm pretty frugal but spend most my hobby money on hi-fi 🤝
My 1st serious pair of headphones cost me $449! A few months later I was perusing my local hi-fi store, which was having a closing down sale and on a complete whim I bought a pair of headphones for $199! They blew those more expensive headphones out of the water.
Years later, me being blessed with more disposable income and having seriously upgraded my main hi-fi system, I decided to seriously upgrade my headphones. $8000 is outside any budget I would allocate to headphones, but I was in the market for a pair of premium, reference, headphones. After much research, I ended up spending $1999 on a pair of headphones from the same A-brand as my $199 pair. Do they meet the criteria I was loooking for? Yes. Are the 10 times better than my $199 pair? Absolutely not. Are they perfect? No. Do I regret paying $1999 for them? Absolutely not.
I'm glad you're enjoying your new purchase!
For me dawg if i had to pick one itd be metal
Susvara Unveiled probably isn't for you then 😁
@@PassionforSound close second is anime albums lol I use ab1266 so the metal makes sense for me
No right answer it’s about what we like and our journey which I know you resonate with 🤝
💯
Scary, you wouldn't want to accidentally stick a finger in them when putting or taking off the headphones
I think we’ve reached peek headphone 😮
You'd think so wouldn't you. Sadly, this might just open us up for the next wave of flagships at even higher prices. Let's hope not!
If you can afford $8k headphones, you might as well go for something even more expensive.
Unless 8k is the upper end of your budget...
I've got more expensive, better headphones without the QA drawbacks
Spirit Torino Valkyra Titanium and RAAL Immani are both more expensive, I believe.
The Raal Immani is a ribbon headphone that needs special amplification or adapters IIRC. I wasn't aware of the Valkyra.
if this is a uni project, the zero rear protection will get the student laughed out of the studio by the tutors for being a lazy ass for not offering to solve the sound quality vs basic protection on the investment
When you have a PhD qualified designer like Dr Fang Bian building these based on ongoing research, I think that's maybe not an accurate statement.
@@PassionforSound phd in science/engineering or industrial design? a lack of basic protection to the most expensive product will either break the company with all the warranty claims and/or lose their core customer base if they say it's customers' fault for the damage...
a phd in structural engineering can build a solid house but will it be a well designed house? will the client ask the phd engineer to design their dream $50mil house
@fatdoi003 he's a researcher into sound design of headphones AFAIK which relates directly to your comment about being laughed out of the studio for not solving sound quality vs basic protection. He's decided for the Unveiled that there's a need to design it this way and that will be based on significant research and design conversations, I'm sure. It's probably also why the original Susvara isn't being discontinued.
you know perfectly well that the Susvara's are not the most expensive headphones in the world, there is the Immanis at 10000, Sennheiser HE1 at 70000, Warwick Audio has two headphones that cost more than 25000 and Hifiman themselves have more expensive headphones !!
And you've just named all of the types of headphones I specifically excluded when I said "not including ribbon or electrostatic headphones that need additional adapters or energizers".
Do you post the review on Head-fi? They will ban you because you criticize their sponsor, hahahaha..
I don't see this as a criticism. It's an excellent headphone, just not for everyone.
If you've got the dough and are willing to part with it... but it's an absurd amount of money, far too rich for me. I've got an LCD-2 and an LCD-X. I have the 109 Pro. I'm happy with what I have, pretty much. I just wish I could get the darn pads to stay on the Audeze!
I used Velcro on my LCD-2 earpads. ☝️
I suspect you can have just as much fun with those two LCDs!
I would rather get older one because I couldn't stand them. they are seen so easily to break the drivers for unknow reasons. BUT if I buy HiFiMan I am probably buying their lower price ranges, 8k USD can buy so 2 or more flagship headphones! I will have more fun listening. IMO HiFiMan still need to step-up more with the design and materials, because their headphones feel like going to break or toy like compare other headphones. once Again with 8k USD many people can buy end game setup (headphones, DACs Amplifiers or multi of each) 🤣I I
Most expensive is the Sennheiser HE1, I have the oportunity to listen them today
That's a full system with DAC and energizer, not a standalone headphone
"The most expensive headphone in the world" is not the susvara unveiled
The price, design prone to easy damage, and compromised sound when compared to other headphones; in my opinion, makes this headphone a non-starter.
Every headphone is compromised because there's no perfect headphone, but the damage risk is a real concern for many people, I think.
You answered your own question.a loose screw,how true.
What is textured? He uses that word a lot...
You can hear more of the textures of sounds - the tiny details
They are far too fragile for me to dare to buy them.
Sennheiser HE 1 orpheus
Is the BEST and the most expensive headphone in the world
It's also a full system including an energizer and DAC so not really comparable
Merci
Not the most expensive, even with the caveats you added, because Spirit Torino Valkyria exist.
Most expensive headphone? Isnt there a sennheiser headphone and amp combination that cost about 65000 dollars?
Yes. A headphone and amp combination which is not a traditional headphone...
Someone will die, leave me some money, and I STILL WONT BUY!
Dude, you had a hole in the driver. You can't review a damaged set of cans. Get them repaired and do it over.
I think it's pretty reflective of the reality of owning them though!
@@ChrisStoneinator I completely agree
I don't believe the hole was there from the beginning although I have no idea how and when it occurred. Also, I took measurements on multiple occasions during ownership and found no signs of any type of variance between the left and right channels so I don't think that tiny hole was having any influence on the sound.
There are no points in time, only moments.
No its not. To much money,give me staks anyday.
most expensive standalone headphone in the world is hifiman shangri la senior
That's an energizer and electrostatic headphone system...
Most expensive headphone in the world? 🤨 I think not
There are 2 people's already sold his SUS unveiled on head fi. Looks like it's failure.
what kind of logic is that? the more people buy, the more people will sell. the more people you see selling, the more people bought it, same with iphone and samsung
@@vanbuitran1746 its very niche product. Not like smartphone. It's for audiophile, it's for hobby. Very little have that Unveiled and they already sold it, which means Unveiled is not for them and fail to meet the most demanding audiophile desire.
It's not at all uncommon for brand new models to be bought by those who are curious and some of those will inevitably sell them if it's not to their tastes. It doesn't represent a failure because there's no perfect headphone for everyone.
I’m very upset with this review. Especially comparison with Elite that not even close to he1000se. This review is very short for Unveiled and very strange my friend. I hope you devote more time for he1000 unvield.
It’s finally here lol
Too expensive for my budget even in 10 years
Country
Not worth 8k thats it.
And grillles design is a failure
It's not the most expensive headset. The most expensive headset is Senheiser HE 1 🎧! 69000 euro.
He literally just said that if you pay attention to the video
It's not. There are even more expensive headphones, but HE1 is the best one :) had pleasure to use them with my own music for an hour
Immanis are more expensive
The HE 1 is a Headphone System. Not just a headphone, so it's technically not in the running.
The Spirit Torino Valkyria would've been a better comparison for those in the know.
Edit: i just noticed OP actually wrote "headset" not "headphone" ... which implies an attached microphone so... yeah. If you're trying to correct someone be aware of what you yourself are saying
Maybe go for traing how to speek to people to not make them asleep. Maybe good for ASRM but not for review. You modulation of voise is so liveless. No face expressions. Too much cuts. You can't remember more than few seconds?
most expensive? no
HE-1