As an audiophile, we’re always thinking of ways we can improve our listening experience to match our ever-changing tastes. Certain items come at a high cost, but it’s so disappointing when highly anticipated HIFI items fall short. Recently, I had the pleasure of testing the new "Susvara Unveiled" by HifiMan. At $8000, it represents the peak of what audio engineers have been able to craft at this point and time. The original Susvara was hailed as one of the most important contributions to the audio world in recent history. During extensive testing, I found that the Unveiled is a significant upgrade from their predecessor, the Susvara. Let’s find out why.

Design

The first thing that struck me about the Susvara Unveiled was the design. With a frequency response of 6 Hz - 75kHz, an impedance of 45 Ohm, and a sensitivity of 86 dB, these headphones are easier to drive than the original Susvara. Weighing in at 430 grams, they are not the lightest headphones on the market, but the headband makes them feel lighter than they are. The weight distribution is very even, making them easy to wear for a long time. There’s a 20 gram reduction in weight from the original, and the asymmetrical headband is more comfortable than the first iteration. I had no issues with comfort and the headphones fit well even after 6 hours of listening.

The Susvara Unveiled features a completely open design, leaving the drivers exposed. This is a bold design choice that maximizes the natural soundstage. HifiMan has included a "magnetic veil" to ensure safe storage of the headphones. However, these are not a durable pair of on-the-go headphones. This is to be expected, as the previous Susvara was the same way. The magnetic covers are not designed to be used as a closed-back, and there will be a significant drop in audio quality if used like that. HifiMan has clearly spared no expense at sound reproduction and accurate soundstage at the cost of durability.

There’s a unique driver architecture built with Stealth Magnet Technology. The proprietary magnetic array mixed with ultra high quality acoustically transparent magnets means that more resonance comes from the diaphragm. This increased efficiency not only makes the Unveiled easier to drive than the original, but it also comes across more naturally with less THD.

As you would expect from an $8,000 headphone, these are truly on the cutting edge of headphone tech and design. These features undoubtedly seem future proof, as I have no doubt in my mind we’ll be seeing more implementation of these features on lower-end models. If you have a pinnacle endgame set-up, consider adding these to your collection.

Soundstage

In my testing, I found the soundstage of the Susvara Unveiled to be impressively wide and expansive, with a palpable feeling of distance. Sounds are not only expansive but they can remain intimate depending on the recording. Clear micro changes in distance are on full display in a way no other headphone really does. For example, while listening to "Red Clay" by Freddie Hubbard, I could clearly hear each movement of the trumpet bell, something that most headphones hardly come close to fully capturing. The trailing reverb seems like it has no limit, giving the sound a very natural feel. It doesn't sound manufactured at all. In fact, the Susvara Unveiled has a speaker-like quality that genuinely mimics a studio setting. It feels like you're not listening to headphones at all.

Bass

The bass on the Susvara Unveiled is punchy and warm sounding. I was consistently amazed by their articulate but ‘fat’ qualities across a wide variety of genres. One of the amps I used was the Enleum HPA-23RM. With the mid-bass boosted input, there was a more boosted feel. Using the reference setting, the bass is dynamic and stays glued together. The CMA 15 Master was able to make the bass sound a little flatter. On the new track 'I Feel Nothing When You Cry' by Thou, the sub-bass is something you can feel. Nothing is muddy, but the bass is analytical. The mid-bass and high bass are more present than on the original Susvara. The Susvara Unveiled is slightly brighter than warm with more of an ultra light v-shape than the bright neutral found on the original. It responds very well to EQ and different amps if you're looking for more warmness or a boosted bass sound. Overall, the bass is relatively flat, but it has a much more natural sound than the original.

Mids

The mids on the Susvara Unveiled are relieved of low mids. It's clear that HifiMan spent a lot of time on the tuning here. Guitars, voices, snares/toms, synths, and horns all sound balanced but forward. Guitars are discernibly reproduced without sounding boxy, muddy, or shrill. There's a harmonic quality where mid-ranged textures cannot hide. It's not fatiguing because of how balanced it feels. 

Bright and crunchy guitar sounds on the album "Cause of Death" by Obituary maintain a perfect balance where there's a decisive fullness to their sound. Details on warmer sounding guitars come out as well. On "There Will Never Be Another You" by Joe Pass, Andre Previn, and Ray Brown, the full detail of Pass' playing is on display. The sound of the strings hitting the frets as they're being plucked is discernible. The excellent dynamics in Andre Previn's playing are felt, as legato and marcato notes have an excellent timbre and dynamic range. A good boost at 2kHz and slight boost around 800hz makes drums slice through heavy mixes with ease. Subtlety in dynamics is still present. The Susvara Unveiled has the best timbre I've ever heard from the midrange in a headphone.

Highs

The highs on the Susvara Unveiled are fully extended yet neutral. There's fantastic detail from this headphone and the expertly tuned highs remain flat with a certain boost at very nice frequencies. There's an electrostatic quality to their clear treble. The 75kHz extension brings in a more analytical quality to highs than fatiguing airiness. Hours of listening left me excited for more to come. Because these headphones are so hard to drive, the frequency response has a reductive feature to it. Although the highs are on full display and it can sound bright at times, less bass means that the treble can stay relatively flat. The tuning of the highs doesn't overtake the sound signature. Like a piece of museum quality furniture, there's a detailed gluing to the sounds which keeps them detailed yet full. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Susvara Unveiled by HifiMan is a significant upgrade from the original Susvara. With its improved design, expansive soundstage, deep and warm bass, balanced mids, and fully extended highs, it offers an unparalleled listening experience. Mix this with the fact that the Unveiled sounds leaps and bounds more natural than the original. It's clear that HifiMan has spared no expense in creating a headphone that prioritizes sound reproduction and accurate soundstage over durability.  If you're an exacting audiophile or audio professional, these might be the perfect headphones for you.