Article: Review | RAAL-requisite SR1a Earfield Headphone Monitor

[DelsFan]

Question for Chris, have you heard the MySphere headphones paired with a fairly first-class amplifier (like, Pass Labs HPA-1 or Apex Teton or MicroZOTL MZ3)?  

 

As for leakage, I had the MySphere headphones for a week and totally loved them; the only reason I haven't bought them is I would like to hear the Raals (with superior amplification) and then "jump in", one way or the other (super nice amp that will power other headphones too vs. direct drive amp which, like electrostatic amps, are good for one thing and one thing only).  With the SR-1a headphones, it seems any amplifier paired with the interface box can be bad, good, or great - but not "best".  Even spending $20K on (for example, Spectral) amplification (and pre-amplification) doesn't seem to allow the headphones to out-perform a Raal powered by the reasonably priced Jot-R.  I could be wrong, but my thought is: Until the HSA-1a becomes available, perhaps no one has a clue yet just how good these headphones can be.  (Is there really an HSA-1a in the wild yet?)  Several reviewers whose opinions I respect think the Raal headphones have no peer, and many of these haven't heard the SR-1a headphones with the Jot-R (and maybe none have heard them with the HSA-1a).   I DIGRESS, sorry.

 

On Topic: Leakage.   At the same db/listening level, I'd suggest the difference between leakage while listening with the MySpheres vs the Raals would be none, none at all.  As in: Each will leak sound about as much as any headphone can!  When I was enjoying the MySpheres, I found simply closing the door to my study was sufficient to keep any unwanted outside noise out, and whatever music I was listening to, in.  At the very worst, one might choose to put a rolled-up towel up against the bottom of their door to the outside world/house, because of the, normally, 1/2" to 3/4" gap between a door and the floor.  After doing this, I'd think a person in an adjacent room might remotely possibly be able to hear something faint, in the middle of the night, when all else is perfectly quiet.  Maybe.  More than one room away, with the towel if necessary, I'd be shocked if at louder-than-anyone-should-listen levels anyone trying to sleep would possibly have any clue that someone else was listening to music.  After listening for a while and realizing a utilization of the towel would be best, the cost to put on a mostly soundproof threshold might run you $30 to $70; a small price to pay for convenience if it would be compatible with your door/floor surface.