Best sounding headphones you have owned?

Soix please describe for me the improvement over your last amplifier ( which one ) and the linear audio MZ2 because i am interested by Berning design...

Thanks very much for the trouble... I dreamed to buy one because i dont think much amplifier inder 5,000 bucks will beat my Sansui alpha...

Currently my Hifiman Arya Stealths are my top ‘phones and I love them and love the Hifiman “house sound” and will very likely stick with the brand. As good as the Arya Stealths are, from everything I’ve read the HE1000SE is significantly better in pretty much every way (and actually reportedly knock on the door performance wise of the much dearer and higher-maintenance Susvaras), so I covet them and they’ll likely be my next purchase as I recently upgraded my HP amp to a Linear Tube Audio MZ2 so the headphones are very likely the next upgrade. I’d say possibly the “final” upgrade at least for my HeadFi rig, but we all know here that that’s just a farce. There is no “final upgrade” among audiophiles until the last nail is driven into the coffin — its just how we’re, uh, wired. No?

@soix - I've had both HE1000SE and Susvara (which I still have), and if they knock on Susvara's door, Susvara's not answering on my system, at any rate, as they sound a good bit better than the HE1000 SE's, which are certainly no slouches, either.

By 'high-maintenance', you mean finding an amp that will have enough current and wattage? Yes, there is that. $6000 is a lot of dough, but you can find them for less than that; I got a demo pair for about half that. 

By 'high-maintenance', you mean finding an amp that will have enough current and wattage? Yes, there is that.

@larsman Exactly correct.  You need a bonafide 2-channel amp that can drive home speakers to drive the Susvaras, and that’s an expensive and tough ask in a HeadFi setup and brings things to a much higher level in expense whereas I can easily power the HE1000SEs with my LTA or even my Singxer Class-A solid state amp.

@mahgister I really wish I could help answer your excellent question, but alas I’m going through a divorce and haven’t had the chance yet to hear my MZ2 with my Arya Stealths yet, which gives me huge amount of frustration.  The amp I’ve been using up to this point is the fully-balanced, Class-A Singxer SA-6 that, frankly, sounds pretty damn good through excellent balanced silver LavriCable headphone cables.  I’m thinking I can get my MZ2 up and running within the next month and will definitely share my impressions, but I’m highly impressed with the Singxer SA-6 with my Arya Stealths FWIW.

Thanks very much for your kind answer...

I hope all will be better for you at the end of this hard time...Sorry for you...

I dont want to miss your compared impressions... Feel free to remind me about it here... I will wait... Berning ZOTL is my dreamed amplifier....

My very best to you...

@mahgister I really wish I could help answer your excellent question, but alas I’m going through a divorce and haven’t had the chance yet to hear my MZ2 with my Arya Stealths yet, which gives me huge amount of frustration. The amp I’ve been using up to this point is the fully-balanced, Class-A Singxer SA-6 that, frankly, sounds pretty damn good through excellent balanced silver LavriCable headphone cables. I’m thinking I can get my MZ2 up and running within the next month and will definitely share my impressions, but I’m highly impressed with the Singxer SA-6 with my Arya Stealths FWIW.

Focal Utopia.