RAAL-requisite SR1a Has Landed

[fas42]

I've been doing the "ear against the tweeter" thing for ages ... on speakers, 😁 ...  and that tells you just as much about what the rig is getting wrong, as the RAALs.

 

What many people don't appreciate is that if it sounds "off", right next to the tweeter, then one's hearing has no trouble picking this up, from metres away ... just because it's now much lower in level, doesn't stop it being heard ... QED.

[TubeLover]

4 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

One device that was pretty noisy was from Benchmark, the company who is the darling of the objectivists. 

And a company whose DAC's I have always thought were unlistenable. Strident, overly dynamic, overly analytical, too lean, and shrill. And then there are the real issues!

How these things get good reviews are an absolute mystery to not only myself, but I've had this same discussion with an entire group of well versed audio enthusiasts, as well as several audiophile oriented friends, and more than one top notch audio reviewer that I know. 

 

JC

 

[TubeLover]

6 hours ago, sandyk said:

 

 Better still,  a pair of 100W Nelson Pass Class A Monoblocks .

Perhaps a good test for typical Class D amplifiers too ?

Sandy, I suspect you are very likely to be right about those Pass amps. As I noted to Chris in an earlier comment, the Pass XA100.5 mono's would be great to try with the RAAL's. Very, very few solid state amplifieres ahve the 

 

As far as class D amps, I tried a pair of very good Class D monoblocks and they sounded fine, but just did not compare with using the RAAL's with a quality tube amp. 

 

JC

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Guys, I got the Parasound HINT 6 integrated in today and connected it to the SR1a right away. This is a terrific amplifier. It's ultra quiet and right now, with virtually zero hours on it, I think it's a giant killer. Can't wait to get more time on it. 

[lambdastorm]

On 2/27/2020 at 4:39 AM, Energy said:

I heard from reviews that some find the RAAL SR1a's a little bright. To me it feels like many ribbons and electrostatics do not punch as hard dynamic headphones or even planar's like Abyss, Audeze, or HiFiMAN and emphasizes the high frequencies. Is this true? I do know the new HEDDphone is more balanced but still has somewhat of a fixture on treble qualities that I don't find to be good sounding.

I don't think any headphone is going to out-punch Abyss any time soon. I own the OG 1266 and it's hands down the punchiest headphone I've ever heard, and that's including my HE6 driven by B22. Heddphone on the other hand, I heard the prototype at AES last year, the bass is monstrous. But it looks like they went with a different tuning with the final product. 

[lambdastorm]

For those who are curious about heddphone vs RAAL, here are my 2 cents. I heard the Heddphone prototype at AES, at the time there were 3 tunings. One bass heavy, one bass light, and the last one near-field (I think?). My favorite was the bass heavy one. The bass is carnivorous, and the extension is really good. I heard the RAAL at a friends house a few months back. Dunno what his driving them with but it has to be the most resolving headphone there ever is on this planet. The details are presented in a very brutal fashion. It's not even like electrostatics. Electrostatics offer a ton of detail but they at least do it somewhat naturally. These things just outright highlight detail and punishes any recording with bad mastering. I don't really agree with its tonality, as its way too bright sounding for me, but damn the resolution of these ear-speakers is just unparalleled. 

[TubeLover]

On 6/28/2020 at 2:15 AM, lambdastorm said:

For those who are curious about heddphone vs RAAL, here are my 2 cents. I heard the Heddphone prototype at AES, at the time there were 3 tunings. One bass heavy, one bass light, and the last one near-field (I think?). My favorite was the bass heavy one. The bass is carnivorous, and the extension is really good. I heard the RAAL at a friends house a few months back. Dunno what his driving them with but it has to be the most resolving headphone there ever is on this planet. The details are presented in a very brutal fashion. It's not even like electrostatics. Electrostatics offer a ton of detail but they at least do it somewhat naturally. These things just outright highlight detail and punishes any recording with bad mastering. I don't really agree with its tonality, as its way too bright sounding for me, but damn the resolution of these ear-speakers is just unparalleled. 

That resolution, speed and detail is why I, and many others find that the RAAl's truly come to life, in a much more natural way, with a good tube based amp. The added warmth is exactly whats needed for incredible sound and it balances everything. Once you pair it with the right tube amp, magic simply happens. 

 

JC

[The Computer Audiophile]

I’m up at a cabin near the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. It didn’t even dawn on me to bring the RAALs with the Schiit JR. Would’ve been a great traveling combo because the JR is so compact. 
 

Instead I’m stuck with a great pair of electrostatic custom IEMs, but they aren’t the SR1a. Can’t wait to get back to my RAALs. 

[AudioDoctor]

1 minute ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I’m up at a cabin near the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. It didn’t even dawn on me to bring the RAALs with the Schiit JR. Would’ve been a great traveling combo because the JR is so compact. 
 

Instead I’m stuck with a great pair of electrostatic custom IEMs, but they aren’t the SR1a. Can’t wait to get back to my RAALs. 

 

Even better with a Schiit Modi Multibit!

[ssh]

9 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I’m up at a cabin near the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. It didn’t even dawn on me to bring the RAALs with the Schiit JR. Would’ve been a great traveling combo because the JR is so compact. 
 

Instead I’m stuck with a great pair of electrostatic custom IEMs, but they aren’t the SR1a. Can’t wait to get back to my RAALs. 

C'mon Chris!

Put down the phones and BE THERE NOW.

 

I love the BWCA. Enjoy yourself, you deserve it.

[TubeLover]

On 7/8/2020 at 9:57 PM, The Computer Audiophile said:

I’m up at a cabin near the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. It didn’t even dawn on me to bring the RAALs with the Schiit JR. Would’ve been a great traveling combo because the JR is so compact. 
 

Instead I’m stuck with a great pair of electrostatic custom IEMs, but they aren’t the SR1a. Can’t wait to get back to my RAALs. 

Have a great time at that beautiful Boundary Waters area. A good friend of mine has canoed there, several times in the fall, during peak colors, and the pictures he brought back were breathtaking. 

 

And just think how much you will enjoy the RAAL's when you get back, and first fire them up! 

 

JC

[jlbrach]

I am lucky enough to be the owner of both the Abyss 1266 TC and the Susvara and am currently using the Bakoon 13R amp with both and I must say they are both truly remarkable....given that I am admittedly crazy when it comes to audio I had to take the plunge and purchase the RAAL-requisite SR1a and I am thrilled I did...I waited until the Schiit amp option existed to make things easier and was blown away upon my first listen....there is something truly special about the experience and although I do miss the visceral bass experience of the Abyss I find myself listening to albums I grew up with and have played 100s of as if for the first time...I hear details in recordings I have never heard both in good and bad ways. Last night I was listening to Court and Spark and heard some tape noise in the recording that I had never noticed...in addition many times I found myself looking around to see where certain noises or sounds are coming from before realizing it is part of the recording...the soundstage is huge and is for acoustic jazz and recordings with lots of space almost an brand new listening experience. I recently sold my loudspeaker system because I found myself listening to my HP's more and more and finding it difficult to really take advantage of my system in my apartment. I shockingly do not miss the loudspeakers because the HP's are that good. I thought the Abyss and Susvara were as good as it can get but now I am not sure. I find myself looking forward to late night listening sessions now that I can no longer enjoy live music for the time being. All I can say is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and good job!

[jlbrach]

I would say the only issue I find with these phenomenal HP's or whatever we call them is the incredible accuracy can result in some sobliance with recordings prone to it because there is literally no filter with which the music is presented. The susvara with their excellent detail presentation have a bit of the same issue the abyss TC a little less than the susvara...basically in terms of the recordings you listen to you what you hear is essentially what is on the original tape unvarnished for good or bad....good recordings are glorious

[nevillekapadia]

It’s crazy times now, and family is spending more time at home! So this is clearly cutting into my listening time as my system is in the lounge room. And everyone may not be in the mood to listen to the wide choice of music I may play.

 

So let me start with by saying that I have never been a headphone guy (use ordinary IEM’s for travel, which really isn’t happening). So the Raal SR-1A’s are my very first set of serious headphones I've purchased. And as the designer/manufacturer decided to make an amplifier to get the most out of it, I got that too (Raal HS-1A).

 

This was sparked solely on reading the reviews and this thread, totally understanding why users are enjoying them and the product being sold out till next month!

 

A few years back, I have traveled around the world visiting audiophiles homes on different continents. That experience was an eye & ear opener. More than that, this hobby is a great lifelong friendship builder.

 

After all that learning, my main system off late has been (analog) active, and from 800Hz upwards I am using pure ribbons. So I have really enjoyed quite a decent level of transparency, coming out of my main speakers. But it is limited as there are no pure ribbons that have the capability to go down into the lower frequency ranges. One has to then go with planar, electrostatic, dynamic drivers. saying that, I have heard a few commercial speakers showcase a high level of transparency, but they are all close to six figures and upwards in spend.

 

So being in admiration of pure ribbon’s transparency, the RAAL’s peaked my curiosity to hear how this transparency would sound like to 30Hz. I can very easily say that the descriptions used in the earlier threads by others is spot on, and saves me the writing.

 

I have heard the combo only last evening, before it was invaded by my eldest son. It was fun to see his body language reactions, with the new notes and spatial cues he was hearing. 

 

So let me start with the part I didn’t like about these headphones and get that out of the way.

I may be partially wrong as they are still new and need burn in. I also have to play around with the way I wear them. Their sound staging is not like normal speakers, and they do sound stage closer towards your head. Pulling them a bit forward on the temple, does make it better. 

 

Now the good part is that it is a great sonic reference, and easily shows off where the colouration is in your main system. Not sure if that’s a good part or not. Ha ha!

 

I thought I was hearing all the notes, but clearly was surprised to find many more. Half way through my listening, I jumped off my listening seat as I seriously thought a painting behind me was scraping along the wall falling onto my head. The track was Drum Warfare by David Fesliyan. So the RAAL’s go down low, but the visceral impact from the main rig does have a different experience on this track.

 

Even though these headphones are revelatory and super enjoyable and have a fabulous presentation, I wanted to point this out. Do remember this is my first foray into headphones. I agree when others say there is nothing like it (which I believe as I have heard Abyss, Hifi-Man, Sennheiser Orpheus, etc. at shows) they will keep thrilling you for long listening sessions, as they are super comfortable to wear. 

 

As I write this, the urge is there to have a listen to them once again! I really can’t say more! 

 

 

 

“Hopefully the Gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span, the hours listening to music”

 

[cfisher]

Was just reading someone's initial impressions on FB and he mentioned that there are so many different ways to wear the SR1a including backwards. My first thought was that wearing them backwards is totally stupid and then I tried it. It does wrap the soundstage around your head in an interesting way. I'm sure this won't replace the way I normally wear the headphones but I have to admit I kind of like it. It's probably particularly well suited to the free jazz that I listen to. This is what is currently playing:

 

 

[TubeLover]

3 hours ago, cfisher said:

Was just reading someone's initial impressions on FB and he mentioned that there are so many different ways to wear the SR1a including backwards. My first thought was that wearing them backwards is totally stupid and then I tried it. It does wrap the soundstage around your head in an interesting way. I'm sure this won't replace the way I normally wear the headphones but I have to admit I kind of like it. It's probably particularly well suited to the free jazz that I listen to. This is what is currently playing:

 

 

Besides backwards, could you elaborate on the "many different ways to wear the SR1a's" that were noted? I think it would be an interesting perspective for current owners. 

 

JC

[cfisher]

I think the person was referring to the ability to open and close the baffles and to wear the headphones next to your ears or over your temple.

[davide256]

On 5/29/2020 at 10:06 PM, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hi Guys, I got the Parasound HINT 6 integrated in today and connected it to the SR1a right away. This is a terrific amplifier. It's ultra quiet and right now, with virtually zero hours on it, I think it's a giant killer. Can't wait to get more time on it. 

Curious if you have any more feedback on the Parasound amp section? Not many reviews out there of the A23+ amp section thats part of the Hint 6.

[RickyV]

 

[jlbrach]

I must admit this new review kind of left me scratching my head. The bass is extremely accurate while not as impactful as say the abyss but in terms of the placement and presentation of instruments I actually found it more realistic than other headphones and not at all one big presentation. The clarity and detail and dynamics are unlike any other headphone. For me the challenge is the fit and getting the right angle to your ear because slight differences make enormous changes and a small angle change in terms of forward or backward can be the difference between sibilant presentation or not. For those willing to put the work in these are a revelation 

[jp11801]

I would largely align with Andrew's review of the SR1a paired with the JotR. I spent Sunday auditioning a NAT 805 integrated amp 50 watts but volume never went past 52 on a 100 scale and a Cary 60 watt tube amp again never above 50 out of 100 on volume. Both amps significantly increased bass volume and midrange density both retained the speed, transparency and leading edge transient response the SR1a is known for. 

I love the JotR for what it is a relatively inexpensive amp that does a good job showing what the Sr1a can do but in no means is it near showing you what the Sr1a is capable of with a great amp. Now having a 50-100 pound amp for a sub 500 gram headphone is a little crazy but we are audiophiles/music lovers.

[nevillekapadia]

I haven't heard the SR-1A with the JotR amp, and I would say that is the entry level for the Raal Headphones. 

 

But I clearly did not come across those issues the reviewer mentions in the lower mids and bass using the Raal headphone amp.

 

These headphones won't shake your solar plexus with a thump, as they don't have your ears covered in a tight fit. So don't go looking for it. 

 

But they do go down low enough in the bass registers and as they are so clean its a revelation. Its a different listening experience and you have to get used to it.

 

There is no going back once you do.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hey guys, here's my review of the JR

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

It's finally time to move on to the integrated amps. I love my "job."

 

[AudioDoctor]

38 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

It's finally time to move on to the integrated amps. I love my "job."

 

 

Looks rough Chris, just an awful day at work...  ;-)