[paradoxper]

Go back a few pages. I provided my comments and RAAL responded. TL'DR - new pads will fix everything (so claimed)

Thank you. I'm very relieved. Ha.

 

[hifixman]

I have had it since last year (seems to finally come to wider market with HeadAmp showcasing it in recent CanJams).

This amp is fantastic. A hidden jem that needs to be discovered. Bricasti is a pro audio shop that also well known DACs in the 2 channel worlds. Their quality is stellar.

I have the fully-loaded package above. The network option is full Roon Ready, which is a massive plus for Roon users. The built-in SS headphone amp is good at the incremental price point. I personally don't use it as I have better amps I use exteranlly, but it's great to have the all-in-one option for future proofing (the product has a very low profile and could be put anywhere as such). The remote hefty and machined beautifully. This unit is also a very high quality pre-amp. And it has 2 separate dedicated DACs inside, the DSD decode is a separate DAC they build on their own.

The sound signature is different that the dCS, which I appreciate greatly but don't enjoy as much. The Bricasti offers a bit more smoothness rather than the colder analytical perspective of the dCS (resolutions aside, they are both excellent).

Encourage anyone who can to demo one at some point..

Another anologue NOS R2R DAC:


If a dac is really good enough, it could make the most significant difference even in an entry level system.

Jay from Jay's Audio said MSB Select II makes the most significant difference as the best component he owned. Well, that dac is out of my reach maybe during my life time lol but Mystique is definitely one of the most impressive dacs I have tried in my system. Can't go back to digital sound after hearing the best R2R...

 

[Aleksandar R.]

Thanks for the explanation. The cups were fine. It's the foam I had a problem with. The headphone is very light and comfortable. Much lighter than anything else I own. I will definitely give it another go in SoCal. Hoping I can hear it with my own music and A/B test it with a headphone I already know or own.

You're most welcome!
Yeah, I get that about the foam, totally. It wasn't what I wanted it to be. I wanted nice, plush, leather wrapped pads, but it simply didn't work right for the sound on those.
Wrapping in cloth just brought in sliding off of the skin (not very stable) and weird tingling...
The foam with the smaller cells will look better and it feels significantly better.
What you saw to is on the left in this picture.

I'm glad they didn't feel heavy, thanks!
You certainly can listen to anything of yours (headphones and sources) at our booth at any show, Danny will be happy to hook you up.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

You're most welcome!
Yeah, I get that about the foam, totally. It wasn't what I wanted it to be. I wanted nice, plush, leather wrapped pads, but it simply didn't work right for the sound on those.
Wrapping in cloth just brought in sliding off the skin (not very stable) and weird tingling...
The foam with the smaller cells will look better and it feels significantly better.
What you saw to is on the left in this picture.


I'm glad they didn't feel heavy, thanks!
You certainly can listen to anything of yours (headphones and sources) at our booth at any show, Danny will be happy to hook you up.

Well, I originally hated the 1266TC form factor and I learned to love it and now it's my favorite headphone. So, now that I know what's going into the foam, I feel more confident that it was built to last instead of a temporary thing that will need constant replacement.

 

[PopZeus]

Yeah, as a local, I'm really glad CanJam was in Chicago. I hope they have it here again sometime!

One neat thing about the Auteur Classic... the guy running the ZMF room was kind enough to swap pads for me from the suede to the hybrids (not sure of the style) and the headphones took to both of them well. Ofc I prefered the hybrids with more bass but the suede pads were certainly balanced and smooth enough to satisfy more neutral listeners.

 

[adornoWest]

We just wanted to make a step in an unusual direction with the whole design/appearance thing, in hope that it will be appreciated for how it makes a great headphone for not so much money, so still hoping

Thanks for focusing on SQ and comfort rather than appearance and for keeping the prices manageable. I love my SR1a's. They are, among other virtues, extremely comfortable even with glasses on.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

Well, I originally hated the 1266TC form factor and I learned to love it and now it's my favorite headphone. So, now that I know what's going into the foam, I feel more confident that it was built to last instead of a temporary thing that will need constant replacement.

Yup, we sure can get used to certain forms and looks after a while.

Sure, everything on the CA1a is built to last and you can wash the pads.
Mild solution of the dishwasher, soak them in, press them a couple of times, hang out to dry.
Press only from the face towards the supporting ring, don't soak them for long, 30 sec is enough.
Plus, these will not be expensive at all to replace after couple of years, if they start tearing...

 

[buke9]

L

Reading several other comments I may be an outlier but I actually quite like the MM-500. Yes, very reference sound but it still brought musicality. As a non-professional I could see using it for listening deeply into the music, which I enjoyed sometimes along with other sessions when I just want to relax or work with music in my ears. I will definitely audition it again in SoCal if I

Reading several other comments I may be an outlier but I actually quite like the MM-500. Yes, very reference sound but it still brought musicality. As a non-professional I could see using it for listening deeply into the music, which I enjoyed sometimes along with other sessions when I just want to relax or work with music in my ears. I

I have had it since last year (seems to finally come to wider market with HeadAmp showcasing it in recent CanJams).

This amp is fantastic. A hidden jem that needs to be discovered. Bricasti is a pro audio shop that also well known DACs in the 2 channel worlds. Their quality is stellar.

I have the fully-loaded package above. The network option is full Roon Ready, which is a massive plus for Roon users. The built-in SS headphone amp is good at the incremental price point. I personally don't use it as I have better amps I use exteranlly, but it's great to have the all-in-one option for future proofing (the product has a very low profile and could be put anywhere as such). The remote hefty and machined beautifully. This unit is also a very high quality pre-amp. And it has 2 separate dedicated DACs inside, the DSD decode is a separate DAC they build on their own.

The sound signature is different that the dCS, which I appreciate greatly but don't enjoy as much. The Bricasti offers a bit more smoothness rather than the colder analytical perspective of the dCS (resolutions aside, they are both excellent).

Encourage anyone who can to demo one at some point..

Yep agree with you .

You're most welcome!
Yeah, I get that about the foam, totally. It wasn't what I wanted it to be. I wanted nice, plush, leather wrapped pads, but it simply didn't work right for the sound on those.
Wrapping in cloth just brought in sliding off of the skin (not very stable) and weird tingling...
The foam with the smaller cells will look better and it feels significantly better.
What you saw to is on the left in this picture.


I'm glad they didn't feel heavy, thanks!
You certainly can listen to anything of yours (headphones and sources) at our booth at any show, Danny will be happy to hook you up.

Yep Didn’t get the ear pads with the new Raals .

 

[busseysound]

Yeah, as a local, I'm really glad CanJam was in Chicago. I hope they have it here again sometime!

One neat thing about the Auteur Classic... the guy running the ZMF room was kind enough to swap pads for me from the suede to the hybrids (not sure of the style) and the headphones took to both of them well. Ofc I prefered the hybrids with more bass but the suede pads were certainly balanced and smooth enough to satisfy more neutral listeners.

The Auteur Classic was really impressive. It was competing with my VC's for attention. It's amazing how much change a pad swap makes. Joe was behind the table the day I was there (Sat) and was very, very accommodating. Helped me with different amps I wanted to try, even let me try out his personal Cayin portable. Their room was the highlight of the show for me. So many gear combinations to try!

Not only are the headphones works of art both sonically and aesthetically, but Zach, Bevin, and their team are some of the kindest people I've ever met in any industry.

 

[ZzZzZzZ]

Any updates on HIFIMAN EF400 impressions ?

 

[buke9]

By far my favorite of the show. Yes crazy expensive but I don’t think I have heard better.

Dont have $50,000 on hand but still one of the best things I have heard.

 

[chesebert]

Any updates on HIFIMAN EF400 impressions ?

It was meh for me with Susvara - I didn't even bother to do any actual listening.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Any updates on HIFIMAN EF400 impressions ?

Yes. It was very underpowered for driving Susvara as I had to put it at 3 pm to get enough volume. But, I thought it did a decent job especially with Arya. If someone is buying a high quality system for around $2000-2200, the Arya + EF400 is a good pairing. It has an R2R dac which is my favorite and the bass response is decent. Sounds even better with HE1000SE.

 

[Arcamera]

Regarding Spirit Torino, can anyone describe the sonic differences between the current TOTL Valkyria/Pulsar, and their previous TOTL Twin Pulse 1706? (I have the Twin Pulse 1706 and the Grande).

 

[wazzupi]

Dave + Mscaler and Lina + clock.

Don’t take show impression too seriously - the moral of the story is to also try M3 (don’t forget M1, Weiss and Meitner Audio) if you are in the market for a high priced dac around $10k.

Weiss 502 when I had it on tour made me want to just sell everything and buy it but I felt like my chain gave me more freedom can’t replace tube sound with a ss no matter how good.