My first Impressions of the HEKSE, driven off a Pass HPA-1:
Nearly as much detail as the Susvara. Nearly (but not quite) as much texture. Slightly thinner tone (tonal density). Great bass extension and detail…typical for HFM headphones.
Unlike the Sus, the mids sound just a teeny bit sucked out. Not like a dramatically V shaped headphone or anything. But compared to the “just right” balance of the Sus, it’s noticeable with certain tracks.
Comparable dynamics and slam. Very nice in this regard.
Overall, it has a lot of what makes the Susvara magical. But it’s definitely it’s own headphone. I wouldn’t label this as an easier to drive version of the Sus or anything.
I think that a warmer amp is a better pairing. A more analytical amp might emphasize the thinner tonal weight and push it in a harsher direction. I could imagine it working well with LTA amps too.
I’ll be getting a Sus in a couple days so planning a cable upgrade from the stock. I know Prion4 is the usual suggested but I just wanted to check if there are other good options.
I’ve not tried any Norne cables yet so was wondering if any of those might be a good pairing. Other candidates are Skedra/Arctic/Danacable I think.
I’ll be primarily using it with Mojo Mystique X SE + CFA3.
Cable made with good OCC wire sounds better than stock cables IMO. But it’s hard to know which one to buy, based on recommendations, because most sane people buy one upgrade, realize it’s better than what they had, and proclaim Norne/DHC/Arctic etc the best cable maker around. But what they’re really telling you, without having anything else to compare to, is that the cable is better than stock.
There are only a few sources for OCC wire, so if most boutique companies are using the same raw materials, you’re paying for how much wire they use, perhaps a unique implementation and of course how nice it looks to you. But I’m willing to bet that 2 different cables of similar gauge, made of the same wire, are more likely to sound the same than different.
I don’t have a Susvara, but I did recently compare a bunch of DHC cables with a Caldera, and the Prion4 was my favorite. The higher priced OCC silver + copper Chimera slightly rolled off the treble relative to the all silver Prion4, so which is “better” comes down to whether you want more or less sparkle in the highs.
I’m currently using the Arctic Gladius (OCC copper/silver hybrid), which I really like for its neutrality and detail. The Prion4 (going off memory) sounded very similar in tonality and probably had a touch more resolution but at a much higher cost, so I’m very happy with the Gladius.
The one cable I’m dying to hear is the Lazuli Nirvana because where the majority of the boutique companies are using similar materials, Danacables has gone in a different direction. Their OG cable wowed me with amazing mids and lows, but again, the highs didn’t have enough sparkle for me. From what I understand, lack of sparkle is not an issue with the higher end Danacable cables, so I’m very intrigued.
I’m currently leaning between new-ish Norne Skollvar v2 and Prion4. Arctic has so many options, it always confuses me, I’ll check out Gladius.
I really like the Lazuli Ref with Utopia but it’s already quite bulky and from the photos and what I hear Nirvana looks very bulky, not to mention it’s quite a reach for my budget, as curious as I might be.
There’s a nirvana on HF for a decent price (relatively to its cost new that is) but if I remember it’s 1/4" and you’d probably want XLR for your CFA3 right?
There’s also a Prion4 on HF that’s been there for about 6 months and the seller is refusing to admit his price is wrong but might be worth a quick message to see if he’d lower it.
I’m obviously a big fan of the Prion4. I also listened to the Chimera and didn’t feel it’s worth the extra money
I’m currently using Norne Drausk and I’ve also used Norne Vygarde on the Sus but I put that on my he6se v2. Before I moved to the Nornes I was using a FAW Noire Hybrid which I liked a lot with it. I think the Vygarde and the Noir Hybrid are neck n neck and work well with the Sus. The drausk is a larger gauge and all copper and works better with my setup and Sus and Spring 3 KTE. If using the Yggy I go back to one of the hybrids, the Vygarde or the Forza Noir Hybrid
This is why I have a few cables. Synergy is key, and it’s really important to understand the differences between them to know which will be best for a particular chain.
That’s good point about synergy. CFA3 can become a little sharp on treble which is why I wonder if a pure silver cable might not be the best choice in my system.
Yep… it’s not bright. You can call it clear and revealing imo which for some might mean it’s bright because you can hear things that you might not have noticed before but it’s not harsh which I think is the stigma of silver cables. It’s also not fatiguing as you’d associate with bright.
I also recommend DHC, but haven’t heard the Prion4. I do, however, have the Molecule Elite 19 Fusion that I think does a great job with the Sus. I prefer it to the Dana Lazuli Ultra, which is much smoother and polite, which sometimes is leans the Sus a little too far that direction for my taste.
I love DHC cables (sound and build quality) and have never had a delivery or communication-related issue with Peter. Peter replaced some adapters that didn’t work for me, even though it was my fault I ordered them (and he warned me they wouldn’t work). And he replied to me within minutes when I recently asked him a random question about litz. But @Souldriver’s experience is not a one off, so it’s best to start your DHC experience with your eyes open.
Norne has a similar reputation. I couldn’t get him to reply to my emails so I didn’t bother buying anything from him.
I ended up buying a Norne cable used, because @ValentineLuke was much better at answering my questions than Trevor LOL. Buying DHC or Norne used might be the way to go if you don’t want to roll the dice on when you get it delivered.
If you’re looking to buy new, I found Arctic to be very responsive. They do have too many options, which is overwhelming, but they helped me put together a short list, based on my budget and sonic preferences. They were also nice enough to send me actual photos of splitters so I could take a closer look. The Prion4 is still my favorite cable I’ve tried so far, but the buying experience with Arctic and the quality of the Gladius may lead me to buying their higher end cables next.
Thanks for the heads up, I am caught up with that thread. I actually have a retermination of Complement4 with Peter which I don’t know how long it will take so I am a little hesitant of ordering a new DHC, just because of the wait time if nothing else. But the Prion4 doesn’t seem to come on the used market often. Arctic seems promising too.
In the past 6 months I know of at least four pairs that sold used. Keep in mind you can reterminate with him both the headphones and the amp ends. I’ve done that.
Hey guys, i am about to pull the trigger on a Susvara on head-fi but i have a question before i do.
Does the Susvara also have that resonance peak in the bass when you break the pad’s seal same as the HE6?
I ask because the bass port modded version of the HE6 is my favorite set, and i have auditioned the Susvara once but it was quick, i remember i loved everything about it except the lack of bass slam.
If the Susvara can also be modded in the same way the HE6 can then it may be just what i am looking for.
Yes, you can get a bit of a bass boost, and I’ve tried this with my own pair. I don’t think it’s to the extent of the HE6 mod from what I’ve read, but it does make a clearly audible difference. I prefer the consistency/realism of the Sus’ tuning (what it’s best at), so I keep the pads fully attached.
