Article: Taking the RAAL-requisite SR1a Headphones To Another Level

[yyz]

I also asked Mitch to create some filters for the SR1a, just for fun. I have a perfect setup right now. However, I am very happy these filters were done. 

 

I am a huge fan of the SR1a. I have now got almost all the gear in place for my SR1a system. Over the past 6+ months the following was used with the SR1a trying to get them to sound perfect. I tried each for about 1 week or more

 

- RAAL HSA-1b amp | AudioMirror Tubadour III SE tube DAC (AMT3SE) =  I was only able to use RCA wire and not XLR  [9/10]

- Benchmark AHB2 x2 | Benchmark HPA4 preamp  | Benchmark DAC3B  = 7/10

- Benchmark AHB2 x2 | Benchmark HPA4 preamp  | AMT3SE  = 7.5/10

- CODA CSiB integrated | AMT3SE = 9.5/10

- KRELL K-300i integrated  | AMT3SE = the most bass, smooth 9.5/10

- CODA 07x preamp | D-Sonic M3a 800s (400 watts) | AMT3SE = 8.5/10

- CODA 07x preamp | Benchmark AHB2 | Gustard X26 Pro DAC = 9/10

- CODA 07x preamp | Benchmark AHB2 | AMT3SE | Audience Conductor SE speaker cables = 9.5/10

- CODA 07x preamp | Benchmark AHB2 | AMT3SE | Audience  FrontRow speaker cables with SpeakON termination = 10/10

 

I am going to replace the AHB2 on the 10/10 setup because I need the amp for a mono setup in another room. I am looking to get a VTV Purifi amp and get it modified to sound as close to the AHB2 (much cheaper and curious).

 

The CODA 07x preamp has dual XLR outputs so that makes it a breeze to have a dedicated amp for the SR1a and also 1 for my floor standers.

 

My best DAC is the Gustard X26 Pro but the AMT3SE tube DAC is the best on the SR1a.

 

My streaming is done from a Ubiquiti Network Switch to a Sonore OpticalRendu (2 of them) with LPS.

[yyz]

26 minutes ago, Hiker said:

This is all so new to me and so fascinating , I can’t yet wrap my head around this technology,,.Reading other topics here on this great site I’m starting to wonder if I should of spent $9000.00 on a server , ripped CDs sound darn good even better from memory of a EMM Labs sacd player I had though I don’t stream any of my music yet I find other comments by seemingly completely sane people of the Pi2aes streamer incredible ...

 

To this topic here , comments like , I sit across from a $100,000 plus audio system while listening to RAAL headphones , the headphones literally change the game , even though I am self confessed technically disabled I’ll have look into all of this ,

 

 

 

Before you spend a ton of money on a server try using fibre optical to stream (maybe you do?). I believe the benefits of the expensive server are also provided by the much cheaper fibre. I do not have an expensive server (a cheap DELL server is what I use) so what do I know other than the stream sounds incredible. It did not before I started using fibre.

[yyz]

"What about those who own other headphones? This is where it gets very interesting and the future looks very bright. Accurate Sound can measure almost any type of headphone once, and have the filters available for all consumers with those headphones. I know I sound like the master of the obvious, but I'll just restate that once a headphone is measured, everyone with that headphone can benefit from the filter. There is no room or listening space to measure as there is with our main audio systems. "

 

With my Meze Empy headphones there are 2 sets of pads that came with it, leather and some other material. They sound different, especially in the bass region.

[yyz]

Here is some info from Accurate Sound.

 

"thanks for your payment. Here are your filters.

 

FS1 = neutral

FS2 = neutral plus bass extension

FS3 = neutral plus bass and treble extension

 

I am sure you already know, but you just need to unzip the main zip, but you don’t have to unzip the individual filters. Just point Roon at each one of the three zip files."

[yyz]

On 6/3/2021 at 10:14 PM, yyz said:

I also asked Mitch to create some filters for the SR1a, just for fun. I have a perfect setup right now. However, I am very happy these filters were done. 

 

I am a huge fan of the SR1a. I have now got almost all the gear in place for my SR1a system. Over the past 6+ months the following was used with the SR1a trying to get them to sound perfect. I tried each for about 1 week or more

 

- RAAL HSA-1b amp | AudioMirror Tubadour III SE tube DAC (AMT3SE) =  I was only able to use RCA wire and not XLR  [9/10]

- Benchmark AHB2 x2 | Benchmark HPA4 preamp  | Benchmark DAC3B  = 7/10

- Benchmark AHB2 x2 | Benchmark HPA4 preamp  | AMT3SE  = 7.5/10

- CODA CSiB integrated | AMT3SE = 9.5/10

- KRELL K-300i integrated  | AMT3SE = the most bass, smooth 9.5/10

- CODA 07x preamp | D-Sonic M3a 800s (400 watts) | AMT3SE = 8.5/10

- CODA 07x preamp | Benchmark AHB2 | Gustard X26 Pro DAC = 9/10

- CODA 07x preamp | Benchmark AHB2 | AMT3SE | Audience Conductor SE speaker cables = 9.5/10

- CODA 07x preamp | Benchmark AHB2 | AMT3SE | Audience  FrontRow speaker cables with SpeakON termination = 10/10

 

I am going to replace the AHB2 on the 10/10 setup because I need the amp for a mono setup in another room. I am looking to get a VTV Purifi amp and get it modified to sound as close to the AHB2 (much cheaper and curious).

 

The CODA 07x preamp has dual XLR outputs so that makes it a breeze to have a dedicated amp for the SR1a and also 1 for my floor standers.

 

My best DAC is the Gustard X26 Pro but the AMT3SE tube DAC is the best on the SR1a.

 

My streaming is done from a Ubiquiti Network Switch to a Sonore OpticalRendu (2 of them) with LPS.

 

I got the filter from Accurate Sound and gave it a spin. I am drawn to filter 3, "FS3 = neutral plus bass and treble extension". Which I find surprising.

 

Cut to the chase. The new best combo I have is the following:

 

- CODA 07x preamp | Benchmark AHB2 | Gustard X26 Pro | Accurate Sound SR1a Convolution Filter 3 | Audience  FrontRow speaker cables with SpeakON termination = 11/10 (Spinal Tap level good)

 

I am going to sell my Audio Mirror Tubadour III SE DAC on Monday. I was using it just for the SR1a but with these Convolution filters the Gustard is better. I said in my post I above that the Gustard was a better DAC except on the SR1a. That is no longer the case. So bye-bye to the AMT3SE.

 

I also put up my Meze Empy for Sale on Head-fi tonight. I am not going to listen to any other headphones with the sound I have now. So bye-bye to those phones.

 

My SR1a sounds as good as my floor standers now. This is some great stuff.

[yyz]

I sold my AMT3SE DAC today (that was easy) and now only have the Benchmark DAC3B and the Gustard X26 Pro both connected by the ROON Ready Sonore OpticalRendu (2 of them). They get the fibre directly from a Ubiquiti network switch containing 2 SPF slots.

 

I connect each DAC to the XLR inputs of my CODA 07x preamp with Audience AU24 SE XLR wire (same length). I use Mitch's Filter 1 for the SR1a on both ROON endpoints for the 2 DACs. I then GROUP the playback on ROON so that both DACs get the same synchronized stream. 

 

Unfortunately the preamp gain is not matching perfectly. Though it is close enough. I can adjust the gain on each input of the CODA but I am too lazy to figure that out.

 

In the past I said that the Benchmark DAC3B | AHB2 | CODA 07x was not the very best combo. The best being the Gustard X26 Pro | AHB2 | CODA 07x. However, now with the filter running on each endpoint the differences have narrowed down considerably. The DAC3B path is almost as good as the Gustard path. The DAC3B still has a smidgen of hardness on the SR1a that the much warmer Gustard does not.

 

In the past I would never have considered the DAC3B for the SR1a. However, with the Convolution filter it is rather good.  I do find the DAC3B a little more lively and sometimes that is fun to have. Both DACs are staying put.