IMR RAH - Discussion / Impressions Thread

[Skullar]

Well getting Halcyon (kind of) made sense for me because it also opened PB1 and loyalty. Semper will still be a stretch $$$ wise. Also, combining 4 types of drivers sounds like a serious challenge! Haven't seen many other offerings with 4 driver types combined in one shell. If it works, it will be a steal, if it doesn't, well.....

PB1 should be right up my alley with the bigger planar (I love nice vocals and thick, full electric guitar with impactful drums). Halcyon will show how Bob integrates estats. Many companies tried last year with various degrees of success.
In a way Halcyon is the riskier bet and will give indications on how Semper shapes up. It's the one missing piece of the puzzle

Well i am hoping estats will take care of FR between piezo and planar and i also hope for even better seperation and maybe even bigger soundstage? Bob was really confident in it last time i spoke to him. There was skepticism on Rah too. So i will go for it. It is not like you cannot return it if you dont like it.

That said Rah is perfectly fine and im sure Halcyon/PB One will be too. Its just that sence of possible regret if i wont buy Semper that bothers me.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

Well i am hoping estats will take care of FR between piezo and planar and i also hope for even better seperation and maybe even bigger soundstage? Bob was really confident in it last time i spoke to him. There was skepticism on Rah too. So i will go for it. It is not like you cannot return it if you dont like it.

That said Rah is perfectly fine and im sure Halcyon/PB One will be too. Its just that sence of possible regret if i wont buy Semper that bothers me.

What I’m hoping for with the Halcyon is that quality of timbre improved even further. Music sounds so natural on the Rah. An even larger soundstage is going to verge on the weird - I don’t need studio-recorded music to sound like the band was playing in an open field. Bob rather emphasizes placement, and that’s one thing where there’s still room for improvement with IMR; the holographic experience that sometimes distinguishes the great from the greatest.
Bob is taking aim ever more squarely at the flagships with his mention of “8+-drivers” iems. A bold claim it maybe, but if IMR is one thing it’s a giant slayer, so if I were any other brand I’d tremble. Separation, as you mention, is paramount to get there. I don’t think the ceramic driver is a hindrance in this regard, some of the best tweeters I’ve heard were ceramic.

On a side note I see sensitivity going down from 104 to 101dB between Rah and Halcyon. Already the Rah requires significantly more volume than the Aten, although the gap there was just 2dB, 106 vs 104.
5dB overall is meaningful - the Halcyon is going to eat up a lot of amplification, much more than the R2.

I guess I’ll have to plug in my extension cord to force the V30 into Aux mode... while I keep pondering the DAP and portable DAC/amp options out there. Replicating the richness and involvement of my desktop tube amp is hard, even though it’s not a top-tier unit.

 

[Kevintj604]

Hi Gang,

I just bought kdphan's Rah and looking to swap the cable when it arrives. Any thoughts on the best cable options?

I'm also wondering what tips you've had success with.

Thanks

 

[Skullar]

Hi Gang,

I just bought kdphan's Rah and looking to swap the cable when it arrives. Any thoughts on the best cable options?

I'm also wondering what tips you've had success with.

Thanks

Cable is very subjective. Depends on how much you are willing to spend and what you expect from it. I went with Forza Audio hybrid and like the fact that he did not put heatshrinks and its quite thin. So very portable.
Tips, i just love Whirlwind, my favourites by far and i tried over 10 brands on Rah alone. But do try Spiral Dots and Sednas too. people like them too.

 

[Kevintj604]

Cable is very subjective. Depends on how much you are willing to spend and what you expect from it. I went with Forza Audio hybrid and like the fact that he did not put heatshrinks and its quite thin. So very portable.
Tips, i just love Whirlwind, my favourites by far and i tried over 10 brands on Rah alone. But do try Spiral Dots and Sednas too. people like them too.

I'm looking at Effect Audio's Vogue Grandioso or Null Audio's Symphonym Tiburon UP. I want to be in the $200 to $250 range. My daily drivers are the IMR R1's with Bob's upgraded cable and my Campfire Solaris with the Super Litz so i'm looking for a similar upgraded experience with the Rah.

 

[kdphan]

Hi Gang,

I just bought kdphan's Rah and looking to swap the cable when it arrives. Any thoughts on the best cable options?

I'm also wondering what tips you've had success with.

Thanks

dang if you had told me before, I would've offered some cables with it too.
When paired with the rhapsodio SG2.98 MK2 4 wire cable, the treble is a bit more clear and pronounced than the stock cables.

 

[Skullar]

dang if you had told me before, I would've offered some cables with it too.
When paired with the rhapsodio SG2.98 MK2 4 wire cable, the treble is a bit more clear and pronounced than the stock cables.

Damn you guys. I think i need silver cable now...

 

[kdphan]

Damn you guys. I think i need silver cable now...

I have too many...

DHC Clone Silver
Satin Audio Athena
Rhapsodio SG 2.98 MK2 8 wire and 4 wire (not sure why I have both)

 

[Kevintj604]

I have too many...

DHC Clone Silver
Satin Audio Athena
Rhapsodio SG 2.98 MK2 8 wire and 4 wire (not sure why I have both)

It's all good. I'll check the price on the Rhapsodio. The Athena and the DHC Clone Silver unfortunately are out of my range right now.

I'm gonna try to sell my R1's and maybe look at getting something a bit nicer with a cable

 

[davidmolliere]

Damn you guys. I think i need silver cable now...

ISN AG8 is a nice pairing with the Rah and not too expensive as well... I like is as much as Thor II 8 wire
The build is really great on this cable...

 

[Kevintj604]

ISN AG8 is a nice pairing with the Rah and not too expensive as well... I like is as much as Thor II 8 wire
The build is really great on this cable...

Thanks. Looks like a great cable. I'll take a look at it as well.

 

[MattSPL]

ISN AG8 is a nice pairing with the Rah and not too expensive as well... I like is as much as Thor II 8 wire
The build is really great on this cable...

What’s the weight of that cable, thinking for Rah use cable down. Thanks

 

[Skullar]

Finally my beast from the east came back.
Amp8 Ultimate Mod and Advanced ROM on dx220 is trully amazing combination with Rah.
The ROM improved already decent seperation and soundstage of the dap.
And amp8 mod added clarity and detail further improved imaging.
It now has that good treble extension.

Oh boy i feel like going through filters again.

 

[Xintaur]

ISN AG8 is a nice pairing with the Rah and not too expensive as well... I like is as much as Thor II 8 wire
The build is really great on this cable...

Looks nice, but is there really going to be a big difference compared to a generic TRN silver cable for 28 bucks?

 

[masterpfa]

I had been hearing so much about Whirlwind Tips and wondered what was so special about them. Couldn't find any suppliers in the UK so decided to go ahead and order from Amazon.com.

Today on my return from work there waiting for me was a delivery... OK I'll cut to the chase

Loved my ATEN R2, R2 Red and RAH's before

*#!$$$? ME absolutely head over heels now.

Having been foam tips fan due primarily to fit and seal, but found even Comply's struggled for fit personally especially on my RAH's (hence my purchase of the R2 Red).

I have never had such a satisfactory seal before with any other headphones besides my previous CIEMs but even they had their moments.

The Tenmark Whirlwinds are whole new game.

For me the plus points
1. Shallow Fit
2. Isolation
3. Comfort
4. Bass
5. Staging & Holographic sound even more apparent

Still to try them on my commute and the Underground but hopefully will avoid the expense or need for custom tips going forward.

Damn these RAH's sound AWESOME

Tonight I shall mostly be listening to EDM