[Ciggavelli]

Yeah I fear for Cigga. Wanting the ‘best possible sound’ surely can only lead to becoming an unhappy paranoid wreck. The best possible surely doesn’t even exist. What does ‘best’ actually mean? I enjoy music most when there is an emotional connection or response to the music; this doesn’t necessarily happen when the sound is the ‘best‘. And there I go saying the word ‘best’ again and I still don’t know what it means. Does best mean that it sounds exactly the same whether you’re listening to music through your phones or seeing it played live by the same musicians? We’re all different, we hear things differently, we prefer different genres, we’ve had different experiences in life, our brains are different. So what help can we give to Cigga for him to find his best possible sound?

My problem is I want the best sound possible with my audio. I love music, and I figure I should have the best headphones and the best amps. I already got my planars and dynamics down with the WA33 EE JPS. I sold off my estat collection (I had the Shang Sr, X9K, etc.) because of the bass problem. I want my ribbon headphones to sound the best possible. The VM has really impressed me with the CA and SR. Like really impressed me. Once I get the 3 Ribbon, I'll want to maximize the sound quality. My problem is, I'm always wondering if there is a better sound. I'm chasing the dragon I know, but it's what I do

We'll see how much this new 300B costs. Talking to Danny, he said the price will be substantial. I'll need to hear impressions before dropping money on it. Plus, I only have room for 2 amps in my space. The WA33 EE JPS and VM-1a occupy that space now. If I was to get the 300b, the VM would have to go. I'm hoping I don't have to get the 300b. I don't like using the adaptor box either, so that's a strike against it. We shall see...

 

[ppbb]

Dear All,

I am very glad to announce the formation of the new brand of true-ribbon headphones, RAAL 1995.

The new brand stands on the shoulders of RAAL Advanced Loudspeakers, the brand that I have founded for manufacturing tweeters and RAAL-requisite, the brand that I have co-founded with Danny McKinney of Requisite Audio Engineering and Standel fame, for manufacturing of headphones.

RAAL 1995 will, at first, focus to headphones and later to loudspeakers, with aim to push the limits of True-Ribbon technology in different applications.

I'll start from the beginning, with an intro to the technology that we use:

Over the decades past, all kind of rectangular-diaphragm drivers were called ribbons, but that's not really what they were.
Most of the time, they were mass-produced planars in a long(ish) form factor. A really good True-Ribbons can not be mass produced and need ancillary components to work, but they carried the fame, so the need to rub-off on some of that fame by twisting the names was pronounced in audio marketing.

We follow the specifics of the tech, as I believe that this is the best loudspeaker technology that has ever existed.

Here's a short pictograph of what are the differences between True-Ribbons vs Planars (regardless of their form-factor):




So, no matter what you do to a planar, unless you make it long, narrow, place the magnets at the sides of it, clamp it only at top and bottom, regardless of it's resistance, or percentage of plastic foil area covered with conducting layer, it won't become a ribbon.
The exception are quasi-ribbons, like Apogee Acoustics used to make, that are ribbons, but using a plastic substrate foil to carry the conducting layer that is etched to form many traces connected in series, for increasing the resistance.

A True-Ribbon is only pure metal foil, with no plastic substrate, hanging in magnetic field. They are exactly what is used in ribbon microphones, only reinforced to work as speakers, but the purity of it's acoustical vicinity (the stuff placed around the sound-radiating element) remains.
This is what I was developing for the past 29 years and together with Danny McKinney, 5 years ago, introduced the True-Ribbons as a new headphone technology.

After showing the technology, more about the new headphones later...

Hi. Just watched Darki video. Congratulations on new models. I need your help....I have a left ear medium hearing loss and apply a roon speaker filter of -15db to the right channel. I use chord dave/mscaler as my amp fed into zahl hm1/enleum AR23/burson soloist GT.


I bought the CA1 and returned as the spl level was so low I could not get enough volume. I'd buy the 1995 asap if I knew I could get enough volume. I run Susvara, 1266, Utopia with no problem at all. My Dave dac as preamp pushes up to 9V. My HM1 can take 10v with no problem at all.

Will the 1995 work for me.


Many thanks

 

[yyzSB]

Reading back through the 6moon article, I saw the ribbon drivers have 4mm of excursion, that's pretty crazy, I didn't realize they moved that much. No wonder we find the bass impact so good, they have the lightness/speed of an estat but the excursion of a dynamic.

I really have fallen in love with the ribbon style drivers. I even switched over to magnepans for my speakers (they're "quasi-ribbon", not true ribbon but still)

I have Magnepan LRS+ and a KEF KC62 sub hooked up to the same DAC as the VM-1a. So when I switch from the LRS+ to the CA-1a I can get a good comparison. The LRS+ is similar to the RAAL phones. I no longer have the SR1a (waiting for the new stuff), but the SR1a was even more like the LRS+.

BTW - a great amp for the Maggies is the Sanders Magtech. It took me a while to find the right amp, but I got a used Magtech from Sanders for $4k. A perfect combo with the LRS+.

 

[jlbrach]

and it isn't just genre. Over the last couple years I have been really surprised how some unknown changes in my own health, barometric pressure, sunshine, whatever change the way I hear a headphone. And proximity to one headphone (in terms of listening hours) also matter for me. If I have listened all week to the SR1a, everything else sounds broken for the first hour. And if my sinuses are inflamed, or I am tired, I like different presentations. I am just back from CA yesterday. Before I left I was ready to sell my Verite Closed. Today, as the first headphone I threw on, they sound amazing. And I cannot hear the tree removal going on across the street, lol.

agreed, if I have been listening to the sr1a for a week and put on the abyss it sounds blated at first due to the difference in bass...the same happens in reverse when I go back to the sr1a ,it sounds very lean....it isnt simple that is for sure...I try to never change HP's during one listenng session and try to wait for the next day or at least several hours

 

[Hiker816]

Hi. Just watched Darki video.

What is this Darki video of which you speak? Inquiring minds want to know. Do you have a link? Thanks!

 

[ardbeg1975]

What is this Darki video of which you speak? Inquiring minds want to know. Do you have a link? Thanks!

perhaps this?

https://darko.audio/2024/02/podcast-51-naim-hifi-rose-antelope-raal-carbide-lhy/

 

[nfandi]

Hi. Just watched Darki video. Congratulations on new models. I need your help....I have a left ear medium hearing loss and apply a roon speaker filter of -15db to the right channel. I use chord dave/mscaler as my amp fed into zahl hm1/enleum AR23/burson soloist GT.


I bought the CA1 and returned as the spl level was so low I could not get enough volume. I'd buy the 1995 asap if I knew I could get enough volume. I run Susvara, 1266, Utopia with no problem at all. My Dave dac as preamp pushes up to 9V. My HM1 can take 10v with no problem at all.

Will the 1995 work for me.


Many thanks

Hello p and welcome. There’s a few guys here who own the Raals, Susvara and 1266 and so I’m sure you’ll get the help you’re looking for. Can you please say what Interface box you used; was it the TI-1b? The Magna and Immanis are not yet released into the wild but what we do know from Alex is that if you were to state that the Raal SR1b needs 100% power from an amp, the Magna is 40% and the Immanis is 25%. So these new phones are much less ‘hungry’ for current and will be able to be driven by a wider range of good Headphone Amps.

 

[ppbb]

Hi. Just watched Darki video. Congratulations on new models. I need your help....I have a left ear medium hearing loss and apply a roon speaker filter of -15db to the right channel. I use chord dave/mscaler as my amp fed into zahl hm1/enleum AR23/burson soloist GT.


I bought the CA1 and returned as the spl level was so low I could not get enough volume. I'd buy the 1995 asap if I knew I could get enough volume. I run Susvara, 1266, Utopia with no problem at all. My Dave dac as preamp pushes up to 9V. My HM1 can take 10v with no problem at all.

Will the 1995 work for me.


Many thanks

More information: My zahl HM1 puts out 12.6V/4,980 mW (@ 32 Ohm) and my Enleum puts out 6.25W into 32 ohms

 

[ppbb]

More information: My zahl HM1 puts out 12.6V/4,980 mW (@ 32 Ohm) and my Enleum puts out 6.25W into 32 ohms

My Burson Soloist GT puts out 10W art 32 ohms.

 

[ThanatosVI]

I'm still contemplating wether I should visit World of Headphones on 2nd of march in Heidelberg.

Who of you will attend?

@Aleksandar R. When testing the Immanis and Magna on a Feliks Envy, try low gain as well, even if you have to up the volume wheel significantly.
That setting has the blackest background.

 

[Lokust]

I'm still contemplating wether I should visit World of Headphones on 2nd of march in Heidelberg.

Who of you will attend?

@Aleksandar R. When testing the Immanis and Magna on a Feliks Envy, try low gain as well, even if you have to up the volume wheel significantly.
That setting has the blackest background.

München is closer, might be heading there, if I'm not too lazy.

 

[nfandi]

I'm still contemplating wether I should visit World of Headphones on 2nd of march in Heidelberg.

Who of you will attend?

@Aleksandar R. When testing the Immanis and Magna on a Feliks Envy, try low gain as well, even if you have to up the volume wheel significantly.
That setting has the blackest background.

I will definitely be there. Not sure how long we’ll stay though; the old town has a forceful power on my partner. And also I only want say hello to Alex and Thomas. Of course I want to see and hear Magna and Immanis but if it‘s busy or noisy I’ll wait until Thomas receives the first shipment hopefully a little later in March. Being committed to buying one of the new phones means I’m really not interested in whatever else is at the show……and ‘cough cough’ neither is my bank account.

 

[gammi]

I have Magnepan LRS+ and a KEF KC62 sub hooked up to the same DAC as the VM-1a. So when I switch from the LRS+ to the CA-1a I can get a good comparison. The LRS+ is similar to the RAAL phones. I no longer have the SR1a (waiting for the new stuff), but the SR1a was even more like the LRS+.

BTW - a great amp for the Maggies is the Sanders Magtech. It took me a while to find the right amp, but I got a used Magtech from Sanders for $4k. A perfect combo with the LRS+.

Yup, LRS+ is what I have, amazing speaker. I paired mine with a Rythmik F12-400 sub (direct servo tech is impressive) and it feels a bit wrong spending $4k on an amp for a $1k pair of speakers so I got the $800 Vidar 2. That's the same amp Schiit and Magnepan themselves use for demos, and I must say it all sounds quite nice. It has me questioning my headphones when I'm getting this great of sound out of $2500 of speaker equipment...

 

[yyzSB]

Yup, LRS+ is what I have, amazing speaker. I paired mine with a Rythmik F12-400 sub (direct servo tech is impressive) and it feels a bit wrong spending $4k on an amp for a $1k pair of speakers so I got the $800 Vidar 2. That's the same amp Schiit and Magnepan themselves use for demos, and I must say it all sounds quite nice. It has me questioning my headphones when I'm getting this great of sound out of $2500 of speaker equipment...

I am a big fan of the Schitt gear. In fact, I sold my VM-1a to go with the Schitt Mjolnir and Schitt Aegir for the SR1a and CA-1a. I got the VM-1a again once I got the money. I sold the VM to buy the Sanders Magtech for the LRS+. It is definitely the very best Class AB amp I have heard. I am told CODA designed a good part of this amp and I think Sanders did the power supply. The other amp I tried with the LRS+ was the CODA #16. That was also great. I am not too big into matching price for gear. Sometimes you hit a homerun like the LRS+ and putting the best you have on it makes sense. Form my vantage, the LRS+ really needs good power. I tried a lot of amps on it.

Interestingly, the Sanders was not my fav with the TI-1b and the SR1a. While the CODA #16 was incredible with the TI-1b and SR1a. The CODA and Sanders are too much power for the RAALs but that 100 watts of Class A of the CODA worked great on the SR1a.

My Schitt Mjolnir + Aegir combo is now my replacement for the Schitt Jotuheim R. A huge improvement over the JR.

BTW - the Magna Risers and upgraded terminal wire provided with the Risers (for the LRS+) are a huge improvement on the stock feet and wire.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

Hi. Just watched Darki video. Congratulations on new models. I need your help....I have a left ear medium hearing loss and apply a roon speaker filter of -15db to the right channel. I use chord dave/mscaler as my amp fed into zahl hm1/enleum AR23/burson soloist GT.


I bought the CA1 and returned as the spl level was so low I could not get enough volume. I'd buy the 1995 asap if I knew I could get enough volume. I run Susvara, 1266, Utopia with no problem at all. My Dave dac as preamp pushes up to 9V. My HM1 can take 10v with no problem at all.

Will the 1995 work for me.


Many thanks

I know nothing of Zahl HM-1, as I've never used it.

I know that Burson is a low-gain amplifier. I've had it on a table at Munich High-End '22, running CA's. In order to yield enough power out of it, I had to raise the gain setting to the max (100) and keep the pot pretty high up.

I think that the Enleum carries a certain misunderstanding with it. It does not have that power at headphone TRS connector at the front, but at the speaker connectors in the back, so you need to run it from the speaker binding posts. So, when I've tried it, it had plenty of power, but I used Banana-to-XLR adapter cable to plug into Transformer Interface, as my hosts were using that adaapter cable to run 1266 and Susvara like that, so I just plugged in to try it and it was plenty of power for CA's.

Now, it's a bit tricky to compare the apparent loudness of Susvara to CA, as Susvara has a flat response and CA's have a mellow, dipped, "presence" region, so on more vocal music they will seem less loud, so you will need to crank up the gain for ~6dB to equalize the loudness for vocals.

So, SR with their EQ and CA were needing power (and enough gain to reach that power), and usually, even very powerful headphone amps are low gain, as even low sensitive headphones use only up to 200-500mW, and high sens. headphones like up to 100mW, so they had to lower the gain of the amp so you wouldn't use the pot at 8-9 o'clock all the time. They make it low gain so your pot would sit around 11-1 o'clock.
Our stuff demanded 2-5W, so needed 10dB more gain, which in turn places the pot to unusually high position, feeling unusual to some, but in essence irrelevant if the amp isn't distorting (a whole different topic that relates to habits not techical facts)

The RAAL 1995 Magna is different and its apparent loudness equals Susvara, or it feels a touch louder in vocals than Susvara.
Immanis is about 2dB louder, so both should work just fine in your -15dB setting.

I think that CA would work as well, if you plugged it in the back of Enleum.