[dude120]

The bass of the Immanis is overall deep, fast and tight.

Sub-bass
The Immanis goes well down to the sub-bass octave, although it does not have the volume, oomph and visceral impact of the best planars (AB-1266). Much more complete and clean than the Valkyria, whereas the X9000 goes similarly deep but with a bit more plushness which can be nice or not depending on the track and genre.

Bass
Above 40Hz is the most resolving and fast bass I have heard (together with the Aperio), you can follow intricate bass lines, or quiet tympani sections in the background of a massed orchestral passage very easily.
The Valkyria comes out more bassy, with much greater punch (no other headphones can touch the Valkyria for energy density delivery), but not as clean and elegant as the Immanis.



As @ThanatosVI was commenting, it is too early for a conclusion. Coming from the meaty, dark, dense tonality of the Valkyria and its forward, grab-you-by-the-guts character, the Immanis provides a totally different, almost olympian, gentle, luminous, aristocratic approach which I still have to absorb as of what it will bring in terms of emotional involvment in the mid term.

I am still in the stage where I explore, astonished, what it can do rather to just enjoy the music. Yesterday I was playing this album in disbelief. The sense of not having anything in between me and the musicians was almost unsettling, a wide, transparent soundstage with each of the soloists at hand's reach as they were physically present into the room, really eerie ...

​

I seem to recall you mentioning demoing the HE1 for a bit previously, do you have any comparisons of the immanis to the HE1? (i know this is not always easy to do from memory)

 

[Ciggavelli]

+1 here, and especially if the performance rivals the Aperio. But agree, any comparisons are appreciated.

Also, what's the latest update on ordering? I think my understanding was the first run was complete, are there preorders for a second run available? The dealer I've typically worked with mentioned that the update he got is that there's a few month lead time on ordering, but I'm not sure if that's accurate.

I really wonder this to. When are these actually going to be released? First run and second run? I thought they said April for the 2nd run, so March for the first?

 

[nfandi]

I really wonder this to. When are these actually going to be released? First run and second run? I thought they said April for the 2nd run, so March for the first?

Still waiting for actual dates. Alex’s leather guy was working on the headphone stand and he was waiting for the results. If there are no problems we should see first shipments early to mid-March. Alex confirmed that reservations were already “deep” into the second batch but wouldn’t confirm shipment dates, and due to lead-times etc Alex has not committed anything yet to when the 3rd batch could be ready to the extent he‘s delayed the go-live of the Raal 1995 web-site. If you haven’t yet done so you need to contact Danny for latest info for US.

 

[simorag]

I seem to recall you mentioning demoing the HE1 for a bit previously, do you have any comparisons of the immanis to the HE1? (i know this is not always easy to do from memory)

The report about my HE 1 home demo is here (https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ser-he-1-the-new-orpheus.786512/post-17892512).

The Immanis is a very different animal. Where the HE 1 is more tuned for a pleasing, comforting sound with very good technicalities, the Immanis is a more neutral / take-no-prisoner tuning with very good listenability.

The HE 1 is more forgiving, has a fuller overall tonality, a plush, more prominent sub-bass and a smoother midrange and treble.
The Immanis has more vivid dynamic contrast, way better soundstage and transparency, microdetails, speed / articulation and treble extension.

To this day, I would say that the specialty of the HE 1 is that they make everything sound beautiful and emotional, whereas the specialty of the Immanis is that they give you the illusion of not wearing headphones and listening to a tastefully tuned studio monitor.

Note that I still have only few hours of experience on the Immanis, so, in addition to the usual YMVV, these are still very early impressions.

Furthermore, it must be added that depending on the amp, one can achieve different overall results with the Immanis, while the HE 1 is less flexible in this respect.

 

[Axel]

Check with Danny if he intends to take the Raal-Requisite phones to NY or whether it’s just the Raal 1995. He was asked about the CA-1a on another thread and wasn’t sure if he’d have one available. If in doubt take yours with you. Definitely agree with you on the personal impressions comment. We are the only ones who can decide for ourselves. Personally, based on Alex’s descriptions, I can see the Immanis replacing the CA-1a, except maybe for those guys who use it with the VM-1a, but I think there’s something almost ‘magical’ about the SR-1a/b that a circum-aural design just cannot replicate/replace.

I’m not close by to NY. I was referring to it as a possible chance to listen head to head.

 

[Leto Dal]

Couldnt make to todays Heidelberg fair - few friends called - in awe by Immanis!

 

[mimaximax]

The report about my HE 1 home demo is here (https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ser-he-1-the-new-orpheus.786512/post-17892512).

The Immanis SR1a+Star8+TI1a is a very different animal. Where the HE 1 is more tuned for a pleasing, comforting sound with very good technicalities, the Immanis SR1a+Star8+TI1a is a more neutral / take-no-prisoner tuning with very good listenability.

The HE 1 is more forgiving, has a fuller overall tonality, a plush, more prominent sub-bass and a smoother midrange and treble.
The Immanis SR1a+Star8+TI1a has more vivid dynamic contrast, way better soundstage and transparency, microdetails, speed / articulation and treble extension.

To this day, I would say that the specialty of the HE 1 is that they make everything sound beautiful and emotional, whereas the specialty of the Immanis SR1a+Star8+TI1a is that they give you the illusion of not wearing headphones and listening to a tastefully tuned studio monitor.

Note that I still have only few hours of experience on the Immanis, so, in addition to the usual YMVV, these are still very early impressions.

Furthermore, it must be added that depending on the amp, one can achieve different overall results with the Immanis SR1a+Star8+TI1a, while the HE 1 is less flexible in this respect.

Thank you, Simorag, for sharing your thoughts!

It appears there's a distinct Raal house sound. If you replace every instance of "Immanis" in your write-up with "SR1a+Star8+TI1a", all the points you mentioned still seem valid.

Edit : Upon re-reading your post #256, I see that you've already discussed the Raal house sound characteristics. However, you mentioned that the Immanis is not as detail-intensive as the SR1b. It appears that no other headphones can match the SR1a in terms of detail retrieval. Regarding the plushness of the sound (HE-1), the meaty, dark, dense tonality (Valkyria), and the visceral impact (1266Phi TC), I believe I can achieve—and even surpass—these qualities with various combinations of amps, filters, EQ, and a subwoofer.

What I gather from all this is that the Immanis is the superior all-rounder as it stands. However, I feel that I can extract much better performance from different SR1a combinations and configurations.

 

[simorag]

Thank you, Simorag, for sharing your thoughts!

It appears there's a distinct Raal house sound. If you replace every instance of "Immanis" in your write-up with "SR1a+Star8+TI1a", all the points you mentioned still seem valid.

Indeed, the house sound is recognizable. Within that signature, the Immanis provides a definitely more complete musical experience compared to the SR1, given its substantial low end, and richer midrange. Also, the slight dryness of the decay is improved on. All this, while retaining most of the speaker-like openness of the soundstage, which is quite the achievement.

Speaking of which, here is a perfect album for the Immanis. A totally immersive out-of-the-head stage, with seemingly boundless space around you.

The attack of the strings and the percussion has a sharpness I haven't heard before, without being dry or one-noted, and has a startling nature which is very exciting. It does not sacrifice the decay, which remains rich of overtones and details, both from the mechanical nature of the instruments / fingernails and the from the resonant ambient.

Deep bass is totally present and satisfactory when called for (try the title track), without the slightest blurring effect on the rest of the instruments, which instead are resolved through a transparent layered stage.

A sonic marvel

 

[Leto Dal]

Would love to read an A/B with Susvara on the same chain.

 

[cAsE sEnSiTiVe]

Indeed, the house sound is recognizable. Within that signature, the Immanis provides a definitely more complete musical experience compared to the SR1, given its substantial low end, and richer midrange. Also, the slight dryness of the decay is improved on. All this, while retaining most of the speaker-like openness of the soundstage, which is quite the achievement.

Speaking of which, here is a perfect album for the Immanis. A totally immersive out-of-the-head stage, with seemingly boundless space around you.

The attack of the strings and the percussion has a sharpness I haven't heard before, without being dry or one-noted, and has a startling nature which is very exciting. It does not sacrifice the decay, which remains rich of overtones and details, both from the mechanical nature of the instruments / fingernails and the from the resonant ambient.

Deep bass is totally present and satisfactory when called for (try the title track), without the slightest blurring effect on the rest of the instruments, which instead are resolved through a transparent layered stage.

A sonic marvel

​

Try this album if you get a chance. The realism is unbelievable on the SR1's.

 

[cfisher]

The song "Snow and Pollen" on the album, New Decade, by Phew does some things on the SR1a that I was not able to replicate on much more expensive headphones at the Florida Audio Expo a couple of weeks ago.

 

[SteveM324]

Will RAAL be at the 2024 Axpona Show with the Magna and Immanis?

 

[nfandi]

Would love to read an A/B with Susvara on the same chain.

Try testing simorag’s memory. He used to own the Susvara.

 

[yellowblue]

Try testing simorag’s memory. He used to own the Susvara.

How are things going in Heidelberg? @nfandi

 

[nfandi]

How are things going in Heidelberg? @nfandi

Things are no longer “going”, I’m now home again and enjoying a cup of tea. I’ll post details of my experience and thoughts a little later after I’ve eaten. In summary:- new phones , trying to assess them in a public space …….