When did you order?
RAAL 1995 headphones, Magna and Immanis
- Thread starter Aleksandar R.
- Start date
nfandi
500+ Head-Fier
I might be wrong, but I see the TI-1a and I thought the new phones were not compatible with the 1a, only the 1b/c and new interface. Apologies if I’m wrong
.Edit; now I think more about this I think the 1a and 1b were only differentiated by the case design and material? It was the original interface for the SR-1a that was the resistor network when the SR needed an amp of 100W or more to sound good. It’s that original interface that might not be compatible.
Last edited:
fredfung28
100+ Head-Fier
Ti1a is same as ti1b , and it’s 32ohmI might be wrong, but I see the TI-1a and I thought the new phones were not compatible with the 1a, only the 1b/c and new interface. Apologies if I’m wrong
fredfung28
100+ Head-Fier
Forgot, long time ago.. I’m in the quite early order waiting list
fredfung28
100+ Head-Fier
That’s not ti 1a, it’s even an older interface.I might be wrong, but I see the TI-1a and I thought the new phones were not compatible with the 1a, only the 1b/c and new interface. Apologies if I’m wrong
Edit; now I think more about this I think the 1a and 1b were only differentiated by the case design and material? It was the original interface for the SR-1a that was the resistor network when the SR needed an amp of 100W or more to sound good. It’s that original interface that might not be compatible.
ThanatosVI
Headphoneus Supremus
The TI-1A is technically identical to TI-1B but in the old case with Inputs at the backI might be wrong, but I see the TI-1a and I thought the new phones were not compatible with the 1a, only the 1b/c and new interface. Apologies if I’m wrong
Edit; now I think more about this I think the 1a and 1b were only differentiated by the case design and material? It was the original interface for the SR-1a that was the resistor network when the SR needed an amp of 100W or more to sound good. It’s that original interface that might not be compatible.
The original Interface was the RI-1A which was a Resistor Interface instead of Transformer Interface and is probably not compatible with the Magna/Immanis
fredfung28
100+ Head-Fier
I have to say I like Sol P a lot, more than susvara and 1266 tc in the past, after upgrading a lot in my chain, I got back 1266 tc for recording purposes and also can use as a reference to compare headphones
May I know if anyone knows the run in time of the immanus? so I will wait till then to compare the phones
MokhaMark
100+ Head-Fier
Raal 1995 Magna Impressions
This time I am not rushed to write impressions of the new Raal 1995 Magna as I previously shared when I had a timer ticking away for less than 2 days. Then I was also listening to Immanis and SR1a and trying different combinations of source gear. I bit off more than I could chew then. Now, I’ve spent five days with my own Magna on one chain and it’s been a real joy, and a bit of a revelation.
As I mentioned in my first post these are impressions, not a review. I am stating my own subjective opinions, not making qualitative judgements. There are very few comparisons below to any headphone other than the SR1a. At the end of these impressions, I have written an explanation of my listening priorities for any who may be curious. I do not presume to call the Magna the best headphones on earth or assume that they will work as well for you, but I write about why they are a great all-rounder for me. It has a lot to do with what is important to me musically.
The logic I used in getting the Magna vs. the Immanis:
These impressions turned into a bit of a long musical share (could have been longer). So, I’ll just start with the conclusion for those who do not want to read the specifics or read musical notes.
Summary/Spoiler
The Magna is not an “also ran” in the shadow of the Immanis. I find it to be the most versatile and capable headphone I have owned yet, especially as a partner to the SR1a. It may also represent a better choice for listeners with a focus on specific genre that will capitalize on its bass energy, its overall visceral engagement, and what I refer to more than once, a sense of live venue listening.
The Magna is a dynamic as hell, detailed, spacious listen. Punchy bass combines with rich, substantive midrange/vocals, and the hyper detail and speed typical of ribbon drivers. It is the perfect complement to the SR1a, bringing a warmth and weight that the SR1a does not have in equal measure. The Magna is also an extremely detailed and technical headphone. It reproduces as much of the source material as any headphone I have heard. It has fun doing it. To clear the air early, the Magna does not stage as big as the Immanis. I am not sure anything does, actually. But I would not call it “intimate” in respect to the rest of the field.
The Magna is not simply 66.6% of an Immanis. It is not simply 2 vs 3 ribbons. The Immanis and Magna are like first and middle born siblings. Very different in personality. The Magna is a unique top of line headphone worthy of consideration alongside all other flagship headphones.
Amplification
Almost all listening this weekend was done on the VM1a amplifier and Star 8 cable. However, I double down on my earlier impressions and emphasize the Magna also sounds great through the little Jotunheim R. This makes me interested to try more solid-state amplifiers with the TI1b, which I will get to do in June at the Denver meet.
Comfort
At 508 grams, the Magna are not light headphones, but the innovative headband distributes evenly on my head, and I get no hot spots. The clamp force is very mild. I do not think the incredible bass is dependent on an especially constricting airtight seal. Although the pads are smaller than the Immanis, my own ears fit perfectly, and I feel no distraction inside the cup from touching the internal sides of the pads. In fact, I cannot even tell if I am touching. They are very comfortable headphones in comparison to most I have tried. They are not as light and loose fitting as the HD800/s, but I find them more comfortable than any planar I have owned save the Susvara, which I found very comfortable.
When do I prefer the SR1a
By a small margin, I still want to use the Sr1a with orchestral and solo piano music. There is something that the Sr1a does for the concert hall sensation that I like for full scale orchestral listening. Depth front to back and placement is more lifelike. However, the Magna are not far behind in any of these attributes. They are after all ribbon drivers with similar surface area to the Sr1a.
And for solo piano, there is still nothing like the Sr1a I have heard (I qualify this opinion to omit the Immanis which I still need more time with). The percussive attack of the piano (technically a percussion instrument after all) and the resonance of both the piano body and the recording space are better represented on the SR1a. The decay of complex upper partials and differential tones is more realistic. The engagement and dynamic range, the sense of being the player (depending on mic placement of course) is unmatched on the SR1a. The Magna, although fast as hell, is a little warmer in timbre and a bit softer in its rendering of the piano attack. It is also great, and my second choice for piano, but the SR1a is superior enough, I’ll keep one around forever if for no other reason than piano. Just opinions.
I am not making a plug for Raal, but it is rumored there are only 60-70 SR1b left for sale……and I have not heard if there will be another production run. The SR is such a unique and capable ear speaker that does a few things I have yet to hear another headphone do. If you have one, I recommend you do not sell it. What I cannot honestly say yet is if the Immanis alone can “replace” or will have the same versatility the Magna and SR1a have as a “team”. I do not have enough listening with the Immanis to make that decision for myself, let alone anyone else. But what I will say in the meantime, again, do not sell your SR1a! They are brilliant.
And if you do already own SR1a, that creates a different value proposition for the Magna worth considering.
What Kinda Music?
Okay, here’s some specific musical examples with notes on the Magna and sometimes Sr1a that highlight what I think are the headphones attributes. Commentary comes after each album art and link.
https://i.imgur.com/52CmLXC.png
This is the album that got me hooked on Yuseff Dayes, a great young drummer very active in the contemporary jazz scene in London. I share this track because it highlights the speed and impact of the ribbons as Dayes tensions up a tom drum in the opening 40 seconds before the track really drops, and the incessant kick drum is delivered with an interwoven bass line that highlights one of the Magna's key characteristics, bass. It rocks! This is not a particularly great vocal track (for critical listening). This is highly stylized and manipulated vocal, as Misch often does, but I like this album a lot and it shows off the punch of the Magna well. Also check out the track Nightrider, maybe an even better example with the electric bass sound and an overall more laid-back style with some bonus lines from Freddie Gibbs.
https://i.imgur.com/SOzFZqd.png
Listening to the Magna, this track just puts you in Ted Poor’s seat as an imaginary drummer. The wide staging and resonance of the toms and the out of head cymbal strikes is so cool, and then a closely mic’d D’Angelo comes in on sax with a rich tone that the Magna delivers with less nasal than other headphones I’ve listened to this track on. When the piano joins in, there is a rich, warm over all sound from the Magna.
https://i.imgur.com/QtLuMMl.png
Moving on to Tord Gustavsen Trio (with a new bassist), this is an ECM recording that moves us just a bit further away from the performers, but still delivers a rich bass sound. The Magna makes the overall sound luxurious. When the piano left hand and bass line up in octaves, it weighty. But it is always separated and layered on the Magna. Transparency and richness. It is both beautiful musical content and recording technique by Eicher and Rainbow Studios.
https://i.imgur.com/p8addgO.png
To begin to reinforce a point I hope to make about the Magna and its ability to render recording space and technique, here’s another ECM recording from Rainbow Studios in Oslow. The overall sound is very different from the Gustavsen recording above. This shows that ECM is not formulaic in their “house sound”. First of all, the piano sound is more percussive and brighter. The bass is panned harder to the right and drier in the attack and reverb. The drum kit resides more clearly to left and center left, vs spanning the whole of our imaginary stage. This makes for a less rich sound but a crystal-clear separation. I really appreciate this during the great bass solo that starts at 1:30. On the Magna the texture and articulate approach to the bass is perfect and brings no boominess or resonances even down to the lowest octave. What is striking is how distinctly different these trio recordings are, and how it is laid bare through the Magna. In this case, despite being a studio recording, there is an almost live vibe to the recording, something reverberant.
https://i.imgur.com/AcnLpzz.png
To segue from jazz to female vocalists, we will straddle both. Daniel Herskedal is a contemporary jazz tubist from Norway. Although more famous as a pop star in Norway, Emilie Nicolas has some chops of her own and her incredibly malleable voice is on display on this unique album. What is nice here with the Magna, is the ambient orchestration with resonant percussion sounds coming from every direction. Emilie sneaks in and slips into the center of our brain while the rest of the music is expansive and swirls about. Very enjoyable on the Magna, especially how tastefully the bass and low percussion is rendered.
https://i.imgur.com/TWnyGup.png
This Cowboy Junkies track has a very live venue sound on the Magna. I almost listen for beer bottles clanking in the background. But oh, the vocal. Margo has an incredible presence in this recording. Moderately intimate placement, her tone is beautiful. The violin and acoustic guitar are bright, but never overpower. And it is all underpinned by never sibilant rim shots and a simple walking base line. It’s a nice poem and I like the way it is recorded.
https://i.imgur.com/8wFixTY.png
OK, here is a really intimate placement, I can smell Naima’s breath mint since she’s sitting on my lap. Every breath, ever gravelly nuance of her deep alto voice. Again, the Magna makes for a very reverberant live feeling, with the pizzicato and percussion sounds seeming to fill a large venue, despite the closeness of her voice in our head space. If you’ve not listened to Naima (Belgium) before, this whole album is full of great music. She has a unique way of using her voice.
https://i.imgur.com/bAOIHM2.png
I love West African music and the kora is one of the cornerstone instruments from the classical Mande musical culture. A 21-24 stringed double harp made from a large gourde and cow skin. This album is very classical, but the instrument is often used in popular music and larger bands. I am sharing it to set up the next track, and because I simply like to proselytize about the great music of Mali (and Senegal etc….). But the kora runs the risk of sounding overly strident and the lower ostinato strings can sound boomy and indistinct. The Magna make this a nice listen, textured low strings and no stabbing high strings. Toumani is a legend in Mali. Now that I think of it, we should listen to one of his large group recordings also:
https://i.imgur.com/RniYPzr.png
Here is Toumani with his “Symmetric Orchestra” which has percussion, western strings, and in some tracks, electric guitar, and bass. And a horn line. You can hear him leading and singing from the Kora. What can I say about this in relation to the Magna? It’s fun to listen to! Mostly, I just want to spread some Diabate around.
https://i.imgur.com/5yXh20o.png
OK, this one has some relevance to headphone listening, I promise. Seckou Keita is a game changing Kora player from Senegal, parts of which were part of the Mande culture which cultivated the Kora. His tuning is slightly different than what his peers use. He is also an active collaborator with musicians from other cultures, one of my favorites, the Irish harpist Catrin Finch. They have made some cool music together with these two very different harps. I love this tune for headphone listening because of the HUGE frequency range of the western concert harp (typically down to C1, approximately 32hz). The Magna easily reproduces this fundamental tone right at the beginning of the track. My desktop speakers will not even try, they just produce overtones and threaten to go on strike. On the Magna this is an enveloping track, that modulates halfway through into a very optimistic, uplifting Kora jam.
https://i.imgur.com/mCAqDvz.png
Sticking with Senegal. Way before Peter Gabriel made him famous to western listeners (2003?), Youssou N’Dour was already an icon in West Africa. This is one of my top tracks from him from 1992. The reason is the phenomenal bass playing of his bassist for many years Habib Faye. This is very deep reaching but it bounces all over the place. The opening minute he takes us very deep, then in the rest of the 9 minute song, he spins an intricate yarn that is the very best part of the song, seeming never to repeat himself. This is not about slam, this is about depth and foundation bass that also carries a lot of melody. I remember this tune on the Susvara, which was effortless and full here. The Magna keeps pace, never seeming to roll off and lose the line at the lowest frequencies. This song on the LCD-5, Stealth/Expanse, and Utopia needed EQ to do what the Magna is doing off the shelf. I forgot to listen to this song on the Immanis, but I predict it would be best of show. The Magna is neck and neck with Susvara for bass extension here, but pulls ahead of anything I remember for enjoyability. (Comparisons from memory).
https://i.imgur.com/mCAqDvz.png
While on the subject of sub-bass, let’s go to Pakistan. This hypnotic track from Arooj Aftab is one of my go to sub bass tracks. The whole song has a very textured upright bass sound and very reverberant percussion. All good. But just after 2 minutes, a very deep pedal tone comes in that many headphones do not even reproduce, or it is so faint due to roll off, it is not heard or felt. The Immanis replayed this as if it would have been happy an octave lower. Susvara always did also. Magna does a great job, bringing this deep pitch a little less evident than the other two headphones (from memory). This is the only instance which I added any EQ at all, a +4db low shelf at 30hz and the Magna loosened my fillings (I don’t have any fillings, but turn of phrase). The Magna took the EQ like a champ with no indication of distortion or the warning sounds @Aleksandar R. has described. Of course, the staging is very different. Both the Immanis and Susvara are more expansive, the Magna more intimate in comparison to those two (from memory).
https://i.imgur.com/hJ9vkKH.png
One more plucked/strummed global track, from northern India, and what, Hawaii? Indians have been very quick to adapt instruments from other cultures. Bhattacharya became famous for adapting the Hawaiian slide guitar to perform the classical raga form. This meant adapting it physically to include sympathetic resonating strings characteristic of the sitar and sarod. I chose this track because you do not have to wait 15 minutes for the tabla to come in. Northern Indian music was not designed for the Instagram era. This raga lights up quickly. There is a lot going on here with the tabla that can easily sound congested on other headphones as the tabla gets busy. Also, the Magna are so detail driven, all of the complex upper harmonics and partials are present in the sustain and reverberation of the guitar.
Mahler 6 Two Ways
https://i.imgur.com/ELAvVHx.png
https://i.imgur.com/8NBP5Up.png
I keep writing about how the Magna render recording space and technique. With orchestral recording, it is often impossible to learn more about the microphone placement and count. Are the engineers putting a mic on damn near every stand and mixing in later? Or is it the room being recorded with fewer microphones. I wish this information were readily available to us. Here’s two recordings of the slow movement of Mahler’s 6th (each conductor chose a different order for the middle movements, long story). The Vienna recording was recorded in the Grosse Saal of the Musikverein, a 19th century shoe box hall. The Berlin recording in the Berliner Philharmonie, and pentagon shaped, larger hall built in the early 1960s. It has seating all around the stage. These are dramatically different spaces and different labels with different engineers. I cannot be sure what of these variables accounts for the differences but suffice to say the Magna exposes them. I like both recordings for different reasons. Berlin is grander, bigger sounding. It sounds like a bigger space (it is) with more reverberation. The Vienna hall is more dampened. And let’s not start any arguments about the conductors! I may not like Boulez’s music, but I do like the way he conducts Mahler. Fight me.
Having said all of that, this is where the SR1a really exhibit what I consider a superiority over the Magna. There is even more “I am there” quality to the Sr1a. I have not heard the Berlin Phil in Berlin, but I have attended concerts many times in the Musikverein. I love that hall and have a sense of what an orchestra sounds like there. The Sr1a reproduce my memory of an orchestra in that hall more accurately, for what that is worth.
https://i.imgur.com/Qjoy7Wr.png
https://i.imgur.com/hOFxTjB.png
https://i.imgur.com/PlPBvyn.png
I could share dozens more recordings, but we need to cut to the chase: piano.
We’ll do three recordings of the same piece again. Why not use one of the greatest pieces in western civilization? Schubert D 960 played by Zimmerman and recoded by D&G, and Luisada recoded by La Dolce Volta, and Buniatishvilli recorded by Sony. Night and day different acoustics.
The Magna sounds great with piano; the timbre is realistic. The sustain is detailed enough to hear the complexity of sound a piano by its nature produces. It is a more bodied sound over all for piano than the SR1a. But the full picture is still just a little more complete with the Sr1a, for me. The low strings are more textured, the percussiveness of the hammers against the strings is more dynamic.
What we clearly hear with these three recordings is a warmer sound from D&G, less dynamic range (I think), a softer attack (softer felts on the hammers?). The Luisada recording Is brighter, more percussive. It also sounds like it is mic’d a little further away, which for this piece, I think is important because there are a lot of big moments where some distance helps the harmonies settle and carry in a cohesive way. The Zimmerman recording feels like we’re closer to the bench. The Sony recording is the darkest of them all, the most “studio” sounding to my ears. There is even less in the way of percussive attack except in the upper octaves we get a bit in the energetic sections. The sustain is more dampened. The Sony recording, to me, sounds comparatively like we are under water, at least in the left hand.
In a way, this comparison mirrors very much the way I feel about the differences between the Magna and SR1a. The Magna is more like the D&G recording, detailed with a healthy dose of attack and speed. The Sr1a is the Luisada recording, the most hall like presentation, the most detail, the most attack, less intimate. The Sony recording is like any other headphone sounds in comparison after listening to ribbons for hours, lol. Dark, dampened, less detailed, except disproportionally bright in the top octaves.
https://i.imgur.com/eJMLVDY.png
I was going to stop, but this is one of my favorites on the Magna. This is a very talented jazz pianist covering James Blake’s Retrograde. The use of the piano body as a drum really creates a lot of complicated internal resonances. There is some digital ambient sound added later. The song didn’t need it IMO. The piano body makes enough. The juxtaposition of ribbon speed and body make this track a joy to listen to on the Magna. Here we are absolutely at the piano bench.
https://i.imgur.com/GEyVIxJ.png
Really, I must stop now, but this is another piano recording I prefer on the Magna. This is Frahm recording on the Klavins M450, a massive vertical piano. The longest string is almost 13’ long. Frahm records piano in such a way as to include the internal mechanical noises, even the felts in the recording. This all becomes part of his musical composition. He has a lot of copycats now, but few make interesting music out of it. Even he doesn’t always. But this whole album is fascinating. For this, I want to listen only on the Magna. It becomes like a cross between a piano and an organ. The judicious use of the low octave makes these deep tones special when they occur. Also listen to the track “Chant” for crazy bass. And “Wall” can sound almost like a chorus at times. On the Magna, we are floating inside a massive piano. I simply cannot imagine ever affording a speaker system that could bring me here.
I could keep adding music, but I doubt anyone is still reading at this point.
Addendum: What I prioritize
I no longer play or make music myself; I only consume other people’s work. But my priorities are informed by my own earlier musical experiences, and now, the myriad genre I listen to. I listen to a diversity of music from all over the world. I listen for 20-30 hours/week on headphones. Sometimes more. It is asking a lot of a headphone to sound great with orchestral music, sitar, reggae, solo piano, jazz trio, female singer song writer, electronic, gamelan, and 1970’s Nigerian Highlife. But that is just a small list of what I listen to. So, versatility is important to me and one of the reasons I have often owned 5-6 headphones at a time. As of this week, I feel there is nothing I cannot throw at this dynamic ribbon duo of Magna and SR1a that does not sound incredible.
Happy listening.
This time I am not rushed to write impressions of the new Raal 1995 Magna as I previously shared when I had a timer ticking away for less than 2 days. Then I was also listening to Immanis and SR1a and trying different combinations of source gear. I bit off more than I could chew then. Now, I’ve spent five days with my own Magna on one chain and it’s been a real joy, and a bit of a revelation.
As I mentioned in my first post these are impressions, not a review. I am stating my own subjective opinions, not making qualitative judgements. There are very few comparisons below to any headphone other than the SR1a. At the end of these impressions, I have written an explanation of my listening priorities for any who may be curious. I do not presume to call the Magna the best headphones on earth or assume that they will work as well for you, but I write about why they are a great all-rounder for me. It has a lot to do with what is important to me musically.
The logic I used in getting the Magna vs. the Immanis:
- The Immanis is not yet available, lol.
- I own and love the SR1a and from my earlier impressions of both I decided the Immanis will have more overlap with the SR1a.
- The Magna is simply incredible also and a more important contrast in approach and attributes to the Sr1a.
- I know I will own Immanis later when the production is flowing.
These impressions turned into a bit of a long musical share (could have been longer). So, I’ll just start with the conclusion for those who do not want to read the specifics or read musical notes.
Summary/Spoiler
The Magna is not an “also ran” in the shadow of the Immanis. I find it to be the most versatile and capable headphone I have owned yet, especially as a partner to the SR1a. It may also represent a better choice for listeners with a focus on specific genre that will capitalize on its bass energy, its overall visceral engagement, and what I refer to more than once, a sense of live venue listening.
The Magna is a dynamic as hell, detailed, spacious listen. Punchy bass combines with rich, substantive midrange/vocals, and the hyper detail and speed typical of ribbon drivers. It is the perfect complement to the SR1a, bringing a warmth and weight that the SR1a does not have in equal measure. The Magna is also an extremely detailed and technical headphone. It reproduces as much of the source material as any headphone I have heard. It has fun doing it. To clear the air early, the Magna does not stage as big as the Immanis. I am not sure anything does, actually. But I would not call it “intimate” in respect to the rest of the field.
The Magna is not simply 66.6% of an Immanis. It is not simply 2 vs 3 ribbons. The Immanis and Magna are like first and middle born siblings. Very different in personality. The Magna is a unique top of line headphone worthy of consideration alongside all other flagship headphones.
Amplification
Almost all listening this weekend was done on the VM1a amplifier and Star 8 cable. However, I double down on my earlier impressions and emphasize the Magna also sounds great through the little Jotunheim R. This makes me interested to try more solid-state amplifiers with the TI1b, which I will get to do in June at the Denver meet.
Comfort
At 508 grams, the Magna are not light headphones, but the innovative headband distributes evenly on my head, and I get no hot spots. The clamp force is very mild. I do not think the incredible bass is dependent on an especially constricting airtight seal. Although the pads are smaller than the Immanis, my own ears fit perfectly, and I feel no distraction inside the cup from touching the internal sides of the pads. In fact, I cannot even tell if I am touching. They are very comfortable headphones in comparison to most I have tried. They are not as light and loose fitting as the HD800/s, but I find them more comfortable than any planar I have owned save the Susvara, which I found very comfortable.
When do I prefer the SR1a
By a small margin, I still want to use the Sr1a with orchestral and solo piano music. There is something that the Sr1a does for the concert hall sensation that I like for full scale orchestral listening. Depth front to back and placement is more lifelike. However, the Magna are not far behind in any of these attributes. They are after all ribbon drivers with similar surface area to the Sr1a.
And for solo piano, there is still nothing like the Sr1a I have heard (I qualify this opinion to omit the Immanis which I still need more time with). The percussive attack of the piano (technically a percussion instrument after all) and the resonance of both the piano body and the recording space are better represented on the SR1a. The decay of complex upper partials and differential tones is more realistic. The engagement and dynamic range, the sense of being the player (depending on mic placement of course) is unmatched on the SR1a. The Magna, although fast as hell, is a little warmer in timbre and a bit softer in its rendering of the piano attack. It is also great, and my second choice for piano, but the SR1a is superior enough, I’ll keep one around forever if for no other reason than piano. Just opinions.
I am not making a plug for Raal, but it is rumored there are only 60-70 SR1b left for sale……and I have not heard if there will be another production run. The SR is such a unique and capable ear speaker that does a few things I have yet to hear another headphone do. If you have one, I recommend you do not sell it. What I cannot honestly say yet is if the Immanis alone can “replace” or will have the same versatility the Magna and SR1a have as a “team”. I do not have enough listening with the Immanis to make that decision for myself, let alone anyone else. But what I will say in the meantime, again, do not sell your SR1a! They are brilliant.
And if you do already own SR1a, that creates a different value proposition for the Magna worth considering.
What Kinda Music?
Okay, here’s some specific musical examples with notes on the Magna and sometimes Sr1a that highlight what I think are the headphones attributes. Commentary comes after each album art and link.
https://i.imgur.com/52CmLXC.png
This is the album that got me hooked on Yuseff Dayes, a great young drummer very active in the contemporary jazz scene in London. I share this track because it highlights the speed and impact of the ribbons as Dayes tensions up a tom drum in the opening 40 seconds before the track really drops, and the incessant kick drum is delivered with an interwoven bass line that highlights one of the Magna's key characteristics, bass. It rocks! This is not a particularly great vocal track (for critical listening). This is highly stylized and manipulated vocal, as Misch often does, but I like this album a lot and it shows off the punch of the Magna well. Also check out the track Nightrider, maybe an even better example with the electric bass sound and an overall more laid-back style with some bonus lines from Freddie Gibbs.
https://i.imgur.com/SOzFZqd.png
Listening to the Magna, this track just puts you in Ted Poor’s seat as an imaginary drummer. The wide staging and resonance of the toms and the out of head cymbal strikes is so cool, and then a closely mic’d D’Angelo comes in on sax with a rich tone that the Magna delivers with less nasal than other headphones I’ve listened to this track on. When the piano joins in, there is a rich, warm over all sound from the Magna.
https://i.imgur.com/QtLuMMl.png
Moving on to Tord Gustavsen Trio (with a new bassist), this is an ECM recording that moves us just a bit further away from the performers, but still delivers a rich bass sound. The Magna makes the overall sound luxurious. When the piano left hand and bass line up in octaves, it weighty. But it is always separated and layered on the Magna. Transparency and richness. It is both beautiful musical content and recording technique by Eicher and Rainbow Studios.
https://i.imgur.com/p8addgO.png
To begin to reinforce a point I hope to make about the Magna and its ability to render recording space and technique, here’s another ECM recording from Rainbow Studios in Oslow. The overall sound is very different from the Gustavsen recording above. This shows that ECM is not formulaic in their “house sound”. First of all, the piano sound is more percussive and brighter. The bass is panned harder to the right and drier in the attack and reverb. The drum kit resides more clearly to left and center left, vs spanning the whole of our imaginary stage. This makes for a less rich sound but a crystal-clear separation. I really appreciate this during the great bass solo that starts at 1:30. On the Magna the texture and articulate approach to the bass is perfect and brings no boominess or resonances even down to the lowest octave. What is striking is how distinctly different these trio recordings are, and how it is laid bare through the Magna. In this case, despite being a studio recording, there is an almost live vibe to the recording, something reverberant.
https://i.imgur.com/AcnLpzz.png
To segue from jazz to female vocalists, we will straddle both. Daniel Herskedal is a contemporary jazz tubist from Norway. Although more famous as a pop star in Norway, Emilie Nicolas has some chops of her own and her incredibly malleable voice is on display on this unique album. What is nice here with the Magna, is the ambient orchestration with resonant percussion sounds coming from every direction. Emilie sneaks in and slips into the center of our brain while the rest of the music is expansive and swirls about. Very enjoyable on the Magna, especially how tastefully the bass and low percussion is rendered.
https://i.imgur.com/TWnyGup.png
This Cowboy Junkies track has a very live venue sound on the Magna. I almost listen for beer bottles clanking in the background. But oh, the vocal. Margo has an incredible presence in this recording. Moderately intimate placement, her tone is beautiful. The violin and acoustic guitar are bright, but never overpower. And it is all underpinned by never sibilant rim shots and a simple walking base line. It’s a nice poem and I like the way it is recorded.
https://i.imgur.com/8wFixTY.png
OK, here is a really intimate placement, I can smell Naima’s breath mint since she’s sitting on my lap. Every breath, ever gravelly nuance of her deep alto voice. Again, the Magna makes for a very reverberant live feeling, with the pizzicato and percussion sounds seeming to fill a large venue, despite the closeness of her voice in our head space. If you’ve not listened to Naima (Belgium) before, this whole album is full of great music. She has a unique way of using her voice.
https://i.imgur.com/bAOIHM2.png
I love West African music and the kora is one of the cornerstone instruments from the classical Mande musical culture. A 21-24 stringed double harp made from a large gourde and cow skin. This album is very classical, but the instrument is often used in popular music and larger bands. I am sharing it to set up the next track, and because I simply like to proselytize about the great music of Mali (and Senegal etc….). But the kora runs the risk of sounding overly strident and the lower ostinato strings can sound boomy and indistinct. The Magna make this a nice listen, textured low strings and no stabbing high strings. Toumani is a legend in Mali. Now that I think of it, we should listen to one of his large group recordings also:
https://i.imgur.com/RniYPzr.png
Here is Toumani with his “Symmetric Orchestra” which has percussion, western strings, and in some tracks, electric guitar, and bass. And a horn line. You can hear him leading and singing from the Kora. What can I say about this in relation to the Magna? It’s fun to listen to! Mostly, I just want to spread some Diabate around.
https://i.imgur.com/5yXh20o.png
OK, this one has some relevance to headphone listening, I promise. Seckou Keita is a game changing Kora player from Senegal, parts of which were part of the Mande culture which cultivated the Kora. His tuning is slightly different than what his peers use. He is also an active collaborator with musicians from other cultures, one of my favorites, the Irish harpist Catrin Finch. They have made some cool music together with these two very different harps. I love this tune for headphone listening because of the HUGE frequency range of the western concert harp (typically down to C1, approximately 32hz). The Magna easily reproduces this fundamental tone right at the beginning of the track. My desktop speakers will not even try, they just produce overtones and threaten to go on strike. On the Magna this is an enveloping track, that modulates halfway through into a very optimistic, uplifting Kora jam.
https://i.imgur.com/mCAqDvz.png
Sticking with Senegal. Way before Peter Gabriel made him famous to western listeners (2003?), Youssou N’Dour was already an icon in West Africa. This is one of my top tracks from him from 1992. The reason is the phenomenal bass playing of his bassist for many years Habib Faye. This is very deep reaching but it bounces all over the place. The opening minute he takes us very deep, then in the rest of the 9 minute song, he spins an intricate yarn that is the very best part of the song, seeming never to repeat himself. This is not about slam, this is about depth and foundation bass that also carries a lot of melody. I remember this tune on the Susvara, which was effortless and full here. The Magna keeps pace, never seeming to roll off and lose the line at the lowest frequencies. This song on the LCD-5, Stealth/Expanse, and Utopia needed EQ to do what the Magna is doing off the shelf. I forgot to listen to this song on the Immanis, but I predict it would be best of show. The Magna is neck and neck with Susvara for bass extension here, but pulls ahead of anything I remember for enjoyability. (Comparisons from memory).
https://i.imgur.com/mCAqDvz.png
While on the subject of sub-bass, let’s go to Pakistan. This hypnotic track from Arooj Aftab is one of my go to sub bass tracks. The whole song has a very textured upright bass sound and very reverberant percussion. All good. But just after 2 minutes, a very deep pedal tone comes in that many headphones do not even reproduce, or it is so faint due to roll off, it is not heard or felt. The Immanis replayed this as if it would have been happy an octave lower. Susvara always did also. Magna does a great job, bringing this deep pitch a little less evident than the other two headphones (from memory). This is the only instance which I added any EQ at all, a +4db low shelf at 30hz and the Magna loosened my fillings (I don’t have any fillings, but turn of phrase). The Magna took the EQ like a champ with no indication of distortion or the warning sounds @Aleksandar R. has described. Of course, the staging is very different. Both the Immanis and Susvara are more expansive, the Magna more intimate in comparison to those two (from memory).
https://i.imgur.com/hJ9vkKH.png
One more plucked/strummed global track, from northern India, and what, Hawaii? Indians have been very quick to adapt instruments from other cultures. Bhattacharya became famous for adapting the Hawaiian slide guitar to perform the classical raga form. This meant adapting it physically to include sympathetic resonating strings characteristic of the sitar and sarod. I chose this track because you do not have to wait 15 minutes for the tabla to come in. Northern Indian music was not designed for the Instagram era. This raga lights up quickly. There is a lot going on here with the tabla that can easily sound congested on other headphones as the tabla gets busy. Also, the Magna are so detail driven, all of the complex upper harmonics and partials are present in the sustain and reverberation of the guitar.
Mahler 6 Two Ways
https://i.imgur.com/ELAvVHx.png
https://i.imgur.com/8NBP5Up.png
I keep writing about how the Magna render recording space and technique. With orchestral recording, it is often impossible to learn more about the microphone placement and count. Are the engineers putting a mic on damn near every stand and mixing in later? Or is it the room being recorded with fewer microphones. I wish this information were readily available to us. Here’s two recordings of the slow movement of Mahler’s 6th (each conductor chose a different order for the middle movements, long story). The Vienna recording was recorded in the Grosse Saal of the Musikverein, a 19th century shoe box hall. The Berlin recording in the Berliner Philharmonie, and pentagon shaped, larger hall built in the early 1960s. It has seating all around the stage. These are dramatically different spaces and different labels with different engineers. I cannot be sure what of these variables accounts for the differences but suffice to say the Magna exposes them. I like both recordings for different reasons. Berlin is grander, bigger sounding. It sounds like a bigger space (it is) with more reverberation. The Vienna hall is more dampened. And let’s not start any arguments about the conductors! I may not like Boulez’s music, but I do like the way he conducts Mahler. Fight me.
Having said all of that, this is where the SR1a really exhibit what I consider a superiority over the Magna. There is even more “I am there” quality to the Sr1a. I have not heard the Berlin Phil in Berlin, but I have attended concerts many times in the Musikverein. I love that hall and have a sense of what an orchestra sounds like there. The Sr1a reproduce my memory of an orchestra in that hall more accurately, for what that is worth.
https://i.imgur.com/Qjoy7Wr.png
https://i.imgur.com/hOFxTjB.png
https://i.imgur.com/PlPBvyn.png
I could share dozens more recordings, but we need to cut to the chase: piano.
We’ll do three recordings of the same piece again. Why not use one of the greatest pieces in western civilization? Schubert D 960 played by Zimmerman and recoded by D&G, and Luisada recoded by La Dolce Volta, and Buniatishvilli recorded by Sony. Night and day different acoustics.
The Magna sounds great with piano; the timbre is realistic. The sustain is detailed enough to hear the complexity of sound a piano by its nature produces. It is a more bodied sound over all for piano than the SR1a. But the full picture is still just a little more complete with the Sr1a, for me. The low strings are more textured, the percussiveness of the hammers against the strings is more dynamic.
What we clearly hear with these three recordings is a warmer sound from D&G, less dynamic range (I think), a softer attack (softer felts on the hammers?). The Luisada recording Is brighter, more percussive. It also sounds like it is mic’d a little further away, which for this piece, I think is important because there are a lot of big moments where some distance helps the harmonies settle and carry in a cohesive way. The Zimmerman recording feels like we’re closer to the bench. The Sony recording is the darkest of them all, the most “studio” sounding to my ears. There is even less in the way of percussive attack except in the upper octaves we get a bit in the energetic sections. The sustain is more dampened. The Sony recording, to me, sounds comparatively like we are under water, at least in the left hand.
In a way, this comparison mirrors very much the way I feel about the differences between the Magna and SR1a. The Magna is more like the D&G recording, detailed with a healthy dose of attack and speed. The Sr1a is the Luisada recording, the most hall like presentation, the most detail, the most attack, less intimate. The Sony recording is like any other headphone sounds in comparison after listening to ribbons for hours, lol. Dark, dampened, less detailed, except disproportionally bright in the top octaves.
https://i.imgur.com/eJMLVDY.png
I was going to stop, but this is one of my favorites on the Magna. This is a very talented jazz pianist covering James Blake’s Retrograde. The use of the piano body as a drum really creates a lot of complicated internal resonances. There is some digital ambient sound added later. The song didn’t need it IMO. The piano body makes enough. The juxtaposition of ribbon speed and body make this track a joy to listen to on the Magna. Here we are absolutely at the piano bench.
https://i.imgur.com/GEyVIxJ.png
Really, I must stop now, but this is another piano recording I prefer on the Magna. This is Frahm recording on the Klavins M450, a massive vertical piano. The longest string is almost 13’ long. Frahm records piano in such a way as to include the internal mechanical noises, even the felts in the recording. This all becomes part of his musical composition. He has a lot of copycats now, but few make interesting music out of it. Even he doesn’t always. But this whole album is fascinating. For this, I want to listen only on the Magna. It becomes like a cross between a piano and an organ. The judicious use of the low octave makes these deep tones special when they occur. Also listen to the track “Chant” for crazy bass. And “Wall” can sound almost like a chorus at times. On the Magna, we are floating inside a massive piano. I simply cannot imagine ever affording a speaker system that could bring me here.
I could keep adding music, but I doubt anyone is still reading at this point.
Addendum: What I prioritize
I no longer play or make music myself; I only consume other people’s work. But my priorities are informed by my own earlier musical experiences, and now, the myriad genre I listen to. I listen to a diversity of music from all over the world. I listen for 20-30 hours/week on headphones. Sometimes more. It is asking a lot of a headphone to sound great with orchestral music, sitar, reggae, solo piano, jazz trio, female singer song writer, electronic, gamelan, and 1970’s Nigerian Highlife. But that is just a small list of what I listen to. So, versatility is important to me and one of the reasons I have often owned 5-6 headphones at a time. As of this week, I feel there is nothing I cannot throw at this dynamic ribbon duo of Magna and SR1a that does not sound incredible.
Happy listening.
Attachments
nfandi
500+ Head-Fier
Nothing has been stated by Alex. Danny mentioned that the ribbon in the SR-1a/b was slightly over-tensioned when it was shipped so that it ‘relaxed’ to its correct frequency range after some usage, but I don’t think should stop one listening, it’s just something to be aware of. I don’t know if Immanis/Magna are the same in that regard.
A great write up, thanks I always enjoy reviews with many reference tracks far more than the usual abstract poetry about sound reproduction.
@MokhaMark, epic. I think my master's thesis was less detailed and lengthy. We all got a great feel for the Magna's strengths and weaknesses, although I find myself listening to more pop music, not that I couldn't extrapolate your findings to mine. Thanks for the great writeup.
MokhaMark
100+ Head-Fier
Thank you for the compliment, and sorry for the length, it was hard to narrow down the musical examples!
On the subject of popular music, I'd suggest the Magna is also great. I did listen to some rock n' roll, classic and modern alternative. I'd suggest that the Magna make it all very exciting and add a live quality to it. For example, the classic Jeff Buckley Grace album, which I find very "studio", the Magna make it feel more like a concert. It refreshes that great album for a revisit. More modern, the song U&ME from a recent alt-J album is really cool also. One of the pervasive characteristics of a lot of pop music all the way as far as Taylor Swift, is how the sub-bass realm is now used constantly. The Magna bass just makes it all so much fun, almost like sitting in a car with a really good system. Enveloping. So, I guess I am saying I think the Magna works great for popular genre also.
Thank you again for the kind words.
Great post.Raal 1995 Magna Impressions
This time I am not rushed to write impressions of the new Raal 1995 Magna as I previously shared when I had a timer ticking away for less than 2 days. Then I was also listening to Immanis and SR1a and trying different combinations of source gear. I bit off more than I could chew then. Now, I’ve spent five days with my own Magna on one chain and it’s been a real joy, and a bit of a revelation.
As I mentioned in my first post these are impressions, not a review. I am stating my own subjective opinions, not making qualitative judgements. There are very few comparisons below to any headphone other than the SR1a. At the end of these impressions, I have written an explanation of my listening priorities for any who may be curious. I do not presume to call the Magna the best headphones on earth or assume that they will work as well for you, but I write about why they are a great all-rounder for me. It has a lot to do with what is important to me musically.
The logic I used in getting the Magna vs. the Immanis:
As I write this, I am happy with my decision not to simply wait for Immanis. Ecstatic really.
- The Immanis is not yet available, lol.
- I own and love the SR1a and from my earlier impressions of both I decided the Immanis will have more overlap with the SR1a.
- The Magna is simply incredible also and a more important contrast in approach and attributes to the Sr1a.
- I know I will own Immanis later when the production is flowing.
These impressions turned into a bit of a long musical share (could have been longer). So, I’ll just start with the conclusion for those who do not want to read the specifics or read musical notes.
Summary/Spoiler
The Magna is not an “also ran” in the shadow of the Immanis. I find it to be the most versatile and capable headphone I have owned yet, especially as a partner to the SR1a. It may also represent a better choice for listeners with a focus on specific genre that will capitalize on its bass energy, its overall visceral engagement, and what I refer to more than once, a sense of live venue listening.
The Magna is a dynamic as hell, detailed, spacious listen. Punchy bass combines with rich, substantive midrange/vocals, and the hyper detail and speed typical of ribbon drivers. It is the perfect complement to the SR1a, bringing a warmth and weight that the SR1a does not have in equal measure. The Magna is also an extremely detailed and technical headphone. It reproduces as much of the source material as any headphone I have heard. It has fun doing it. To clear the air early, the Magna does not stage as big as the Immanis. I am not sure anything does, actually. But I would not call it “intimate” in respect to the rest of the field.
The Magna is not simply 66.6% of an Immanis. It is not simply 2 vs 3 ribbons. The Immanis and Magna are like first and middle born siblings. Very different in personality. The Magna is a unique top of line headphone worthy of consideration alongside all other flagship headphones.
Amplification
Almost all listening this weekend was done on the VM1a amplifier and Star 8 cable. However, I double down on my earlier impressions and emphasize the Magna also sounds great through the little Jotunheim R. This makes me interested to try more solid-state amplifiers with the TI1b, which I will get to do in June at the Denver meet.
Comfort
At 508 grams, the Magna are not light headphones, but the innovative headband distributes evenly on my head, and I get no hot spots. The clamp force is very mild. I do not think the incredible bass is dependent on an especially constricting airtight seal. Although the pads are smaller than the Immanis, my own ears fit perfectly, and I feel no distraction inside the cup from touching the internal sides of the pads. In fact, I cannot even tell if I am touching. They are very comfortable headphones in comparison to most I have tried. They are not as light and loose fitting as the HD800/s, but I find them more comfortable than any planar I have owned save the Susvara, which I found very comfortable.
When do I prefer the SR1a
By a small margin, I still want to use the Sr1a with orchestral and solo piano music. There is something that the Sr1a does for the concert hall sensation that I like for full scale orchestral listening. Depth front to back and placement is more lifelike. However, the Magna are not far behind in any of these attributes. They are after all ribbon drivers with similar surface area to the Sr1a.
And for solo piano, there is still nothing like the Sr1a I have heard (I qualify this opinion to omit the Immanis which I still need more time with). The percussive attack of the piano (technically a percussion instrument after all) and the resonance of both the piano body and the recording space are better represented on the SR1a. The decay of complex upper partials and differential tones is more realistic. The engagement and dynamic range, the sense of being the player (depending on mic placement of course) is unmatched on the SR1a. The Magna, although fast as hell, is a little warmer in timbre and a bit softer in its rendering of the piano attack. It is also great, and my second choice for piano, but the SR1a is superior enough, I’ll keep one around forever if for no other reason than piano. Just opinions.
I am not making a plug for Raal, but it is rumored there are only 60-70 SR1b left for sale……and I have not heard if there will be another production run. The SR is such a unique and capable ear speaker that does a few things I have yet to hear another headphone do. If you have one, I recommend you do not sell it. What I cannot honestly say yet is if the Immanis alone can “replace” or will have the same versatility the Magna and SR1a have as a “team”. I do not have enough listening with the Immanis to make that decision for myself, let alone anyone else. But what I will say in the meantime, again, do not sell your SR1a! They are brilliant.
And if you do already own SR1a, that creates a different value proposition for the Magna worth considering.
What Kinda Music?
Okay, here’s some specific musical examples with notes on the Magna and sometimes Sr1a that highlight what I think are the headphones attributes. Commentary comes after each album art and link.
https://i.imgur.com/52CmLXC.png
This is the album that got me hooked on Yuseff Dayes, a great young drummer very active in the contemporary jazz scene in London. I share this track because it highlights the speed and impact of the ribbons as Dayes tensions up a tom drum in the opening 40 seconds before the track really drops, and the incessant kick drum is delivered with an interwoven bass line that highlights one of the Magna's key characteristics, bass. It rocks! This is not a particularly great vocal track (for critical listening). This is highly stylized and manipulated vocal, as Misch often does, but I like this album a lot and it shows off the punch of the Magna well. Also check out the track Nightrider, maybe an even better example with the electric bass sound and an overall more laid-back style with some bonus lines from Freddie Gibbs.
https://i.imgur.com/SOzFZqd.png
Listening to the Magna, this track just puts you in Ted Poor’s seat as an imaginary drummer. The wide staging and resonance of the toms and the out of head cymbal strikes is so cool, and then a closely mic’d D’Angelo comes in on sax with a rich tone that the Magna delivers with less nasal than other headphones I’ve listened to this track on. When the piano joins in, there is a rich, warm over all sound from the Magna.
https://i.imgur.com/QtLuMMl.png
Moving on to Tord Gustavsen Trio (with a new bassist), this is an ECM recording that moves us just a bit further away from the performers, but still delivers a rich bass sound. The Magna makes the overall sound luxurious. When the piano left hand and bass line up in octaves, it weighty. But it is always separated and layered on the Magna. Transparency and richness. It is both beautiful musical content and recording technique by Eicher and Rainbow Studios.
https://i.imgur.com/p8addgO.png
To begin to reinforce a point I hope to make about the Magna and its ability to render recording space and technique, here’s another ECM recording from Rainbow Studios in Oslow. The overall sound is very different from the Gustavsen recording above. This shows that ECM is not formulaic in their “house sound”. First of all, the piano sound is more percussive and brighter. The bass is panned harder to the right and drier in the attack and reverb. The drum kit resides more clearly to left and center left, vs spanning the whole of our imaginary stage. This makes for a less rich sound but a crystal-clear separation. I really appreciate this during the great bass solo that starts at 1:30. On the Magna the texture and articulate approach to the bass is perfect and brings no boominess or resonances even down to the lowest octave. What is striking is how distinctly different these trio recordings are, and how it is laid bare through the Magna. In this case, despite being a studio recording, there is an almost live vibe to the recording, something reverberant.
https://i.imgur.com/AcnLpzz.png
To segue from jazz to female vocalists, we will straddle both. Daniel Herskedal is a contemporary jazz tubist from Norway. Although more famous as a pop star in Norway, Emilie Nicolas has some chops of her own and her incredibly malleable voice is on display on this unique album. What is nice here with the Magna, is the ambient orchestration with resonant percussion sounds coming from every direction. Emilie sneaks in and slips into the center of our brain while the rest of the music is expansive and swirls about. Very enjoyable on the Magna, especially how tastefully the bass and low percussion is rendered.
https://i.imgur.com/TWnyGup.png
This Cowboy Junkies track has a very live venue sound on the Magna. I almost listen for beer bottles clanking in the background. But oh, the vocal. Margo has an incredible presence in this recording. Moderately intimate placement, her tone is beautiful. The violin and acoustic guitar are bright, but never overpower. And it is all underpinned by never sibilant rim shots and a simple walking base line. It’s a nice poem and I like the way it is recorded.
https://i.imgur.com/8wFixTY.png
OK, here is a really intimate placement, I can smell Naima’s breath mint since she’s sitting on my lap. Every breath, ever gravelly nuance of her deep alto voice. Again, the Magna makes for a very reverberant live feeling, with the pizzicato and percussion sounds seeming to fill a large venue, despite the closeness of her voice in our head space. If you’ve not listened to Naima (Belgium) before, this whole album is full of great music. She has a unique way of using her voice.
https://i.imgur.com/bAOIHM2.png
I love West African music and the kora is one of the cornerstone instruments from the classical Mande musical culture. A 21-24 stringed double harp made from a large gourde and cow skin. This album is very classical, but the instrument is often used in popular music and larger bands. I am sharing it to set up the next track, and because I simply like to proselytize about the great music of Mali (and Senegal etc….). But the kora runs the risk of sounding overly strident and the lower ostinato strings can sound boomy and indistinct. The Magna make this a nice listen, textured low strings and no stabbing high strings. Toumani is a legend in Mali. Now that I think of it, we should listen to one of his large group recordings also:
https://i.imgur.com/RniYPzr.png
Here is Toumani with his “Symmetric Orchestra” which has percussion, western strings, and in some tracks, electric guitar, and bass. And a horn line. You can hear him leading and singing from the Kora. What can I say about this in relation to the Magna? It’s fun to listen to! Mostly, I just want to spread some Diabate around.
https://i.imgur.com/5yXh20o.png
OK, this one has some relevance to headphone listening, I promise. Seckou Keita is a game changing Kora player from Senegal, parts of which were part of the Mande culture which cultivated the Kora. His tuning is slightly different than what his peers use. He is also an active collaborator with musicians from other cultures, one of my favorites, the Irish harpist Catrin Finch. They have made some cool music together with these two very different harps. I love this tune for headphone listening because of the HUGE frequency range of the western concert harp (typically down to C1, approximately 32hz). The Magna easily reproduces this fundamental tone right at the beginning of the track. My desktop speakers will not even try, they just produce overtones and threaten to go on strike. On the Magna this is an enveloping track, that modulates halfway through into a very optimistic, uplifting Kora jam.
https://i.imgur.com/mCAqDvz.png
Sticking with Senegal. Way before Peter Gabriel made him famous to western listeners (2003?), Youssou N’Dour was already an icon in West Africa. This is one of my top tracks from him from 1992. The reason is the phenomenal bass playing of his bassist for many years Habib Faye. This is very deep reaching but it bounces all over the place. The opening minute he takes us very deep, then in the rest of the 9 minute song, he spins an intricate yarn that is the very best part of the song, seeming never to repeat himself. This is not about slam, this is about depth and foundation bass that also carries a lot of melody. I remember this tune on the Susvara, which was effortless and full here. The Magna keeps pace, never seeming to roll off and lose the line at the lowest frequencies. This song on the LCD-5, Stealth/Expanse, and Utopia needed EQ to do what the Magna is doing off the shelf. I forgot to listen to this song on the Immanis, but I predict it would be best of show. The Magna is neck and neck with Susvara for bass extension here, but pulls ahead of anything I remember for enjoyability. (Comparisons from memory).
https://i.imgur.com/mCAqDvz.png
While on the subject of sub-bass, let’s go to Pakistan. This hypnotic track from Arooj Aftab is one of my go to sub bass tracks. The whole song has a very textured upright bass sound and very reverberant percussion. All good. But just after 2 minutes, a very deep pedal tone comes in that many headphones do not even reproduce, or it is so faint due to roll off, it is not heard or felt. The Immanis replayed this as if it would have been happy an octave lower. Susvara always did also. Magna does a great job, bringing this deep pitch a little less evident than the other two headphones (from memory). This is the only instance which I added any EQ at all, a +4db low shelf at 30hz and the Magna loosened my fillings (I don’t have any fillings, but turn of phrase). The Magna took the EQ like a champ with no indication of distortion or the warning sounds @Aleksandar R. has described. Of course, the staging is very different. Both the Immanis and Susvara are more expansive, the Magna more intimate in comparison to those two (from memory).
https://i.imgur.com/hJ9vkKH.png
One more plucked/strummed global track, from northern India, and what, Hawaii? Indians have been very quick to adapt instruments from other cultures. Bhattacharya became famous for adapting the Hawaiian slide guitar to perform the classical raga form. This meant adapting it physically to include sympathetic resonating strings characteristic of the sitar and sarod. I chose this track because you do not have to wait 15 minutes for the tabla to come in. Northern Indian music was not designed for the Instagram era. This raga lights up quickly. There is a lot going on here with the tabla that can easily sound congested on other headphones as the tabla gets busy. Also, the Magna are so detail driven, all of the complex upper harmonics and partials are present in the sustain and reverberation of the guitar.
Mahler 6 Two Ways
https://i.imgur.com/ELAvVHx.png
https://i.imgur.com/8NBP5Up.png
I keep writing about how the Magna render recording space and technique. With orchestral recording, it is often impossible to learn more about the microphone placement and count. Are the engineers putting a mic on damn near every stand and mixing in later? Or is it the room being recorded with fewer microphones. I wish this information were readily available to us. Here’s two recordings of the slow movement of Mahler’s 6th (each conductor chose a different order for the middle movements, long story). The Vienna recording was recorded in the Grosse Saal of the Musikverein, a 19th century shoe box hall. The Berlin recording in the Berliner Philharmonie, and pentagon shaped, larger hall built in the early 1960s. It has seating all around the stage. These are dramatically different spaces and different labels with different engineers. I cannot be sure what of these variables accounts for the differences but suffice to say the Magna exposes them. I like both recordings for different reasons. Berlin is grander, bigger sounding. It sounds like a bigger space (it is) with more reverberation. The Vienna hall is more dampened. And let’s not start any arguments about the conductors! I may not like Boulez’s music, but I do like the way he conducts Mahler. Fight me.
Having said all of that, this is where the SR1a really exhibit what I consider a superiority over the Magna. There is even more “I am there” quality to the Sr1a. I have not heard the Berlin Phil in Berlin, but I have attended concerts many times in the Musikverein. I love that hall and have a sense of what an orchestra sounds like there. The Sr1a reproduce my memory of an orchestra in that hall more accurately, for what that is worth.
https://i.imgur.com/Qjoy7Wr.png
https://i.imgur.com/hOFxTjB.png
https://i.imgur.com/PlPBvyn.png
I could share dozens more recordings, but we need to cut to the chase: piano.
We’ll do three recordings of the same piece again. Why not use one of the greatest pieces in western civilization? Schubert D 960 played by Zimmerman and recoded by D&G, and Luisada recoded by La Dolce Volta, and Buniatishvilli recorded by Sony. Night and day different acoustics.
The Magna sounds great with piano; the timbre is realistic. The sustain is detailed enough to hear the complexity of sound a piano by its nature produces. It is a more bodied sound over all for piano than the SR1a. But the full picture is still just a little more complete with the Sr1a, for me. The low strings are more textured, the percussiveness of the hammers against the strings is more dynamic.
What we clearly hear with these three recordings is a warmer sound from D&G, less dynamic range (I think), a softer attack (softer felts on the hammers?). The Luisada recording Is brighter, more percussive. It also sounds like it is mic’d a little further away, which for this piece, I think is important because there are a lot of big moments where some distance helps the harmonies settle and carry in a cohesive way. The Zimmerman recording feels like we’re closer to the bench. The Sony recording is the darkest of them all, the most “studio” sounding to my ears. There is even less in the way of percussive attack except in the upper octaves we get a bit in the energetic sections. The sustain is more dampened. The Sony recording, to me, sounds comparatively like we are under water, at least in the left hand.
In a way, this comparison mirrors very much the way I feel about the differences between the Magna and SR1a. The Magna is more like the D&G recording, detailed with a healthy dose of attack and speed. The Sr1a is the Luisada recording, the most hall like presentation, the most detail, the most attack, less intimate. The Sony recording is like any other headphone sounds in comparison after listening to ribbons for hours, lol. Dark, dampened, less detailed, except disproportionally bright in the top octaves.
https://i.imgur.com/eJMLVDY.png
I was going to stop, but this is one of my favorites on the Magna. This is a very talented jazz pianist covering James Blake’s Retrograde. The use of the piano body as a drum really creates a lot of complicated internal resonances. There is some digital ambient sound added later. The song didn’t need it IMO. The piano body makes enough. The juxtaposition of ribbon speed and body make this track a joy to listen to on the Magna. Here we are absolutely at the piano bench.
https://i.imgur.com/GEyVIxJ.png
Really, I must stop now, but this is another piano recording I prefer on the Magna. This is Frahm recording on the Klavins M450, a massive vertical piano. The longest string is almost 13’ long. Frahm records piano in such a way as to include the internal mechanical noises, even the felts in the recording. This all becomes part of his musical composition. He has a lot of copycats now, but few make interesting music out of it. Even he doesn’t always. But this whole album is fascinating. For this, I want to listen only on the Magna. It becomes like a cross between a piano and an organ. The judicious use of the low octave makes these deep tones special when they occur. Also listen to the track “Chant” for crazy bass. And “Wall” can sound almost like a chorus at times. On the Magna, we are floating inside a massive piano. I simply cannot imagine ever affording a speaker system that could bring me here.
I could keep adding music, but I doubt anyone is still reading at this point.
Addendum: What I prioritize
I no longer play or make music myself; I only consume other people’s work. But my priorities are informed by my own earlier musical experiences, and now, the myriad genre I listen to. I listen to a diversity of music from all over the world. I listen for 20-30 hours/week on headphones. Sometimes more. It is asking a lot of a headphone to sound great with orchestral music, sitar, reggae, solo piano, jazz trio, female singer song writer, electronic, gamelan, and 1970’s Nigerian Highlife. But that is just a small list of what I listen to. So, versatility is important to me and one of the reasons I have often owned 5-6 headphones at a time. As of this week, I feel there is nothing I cannot throw at this dynamic ribbon duo of Magna and SR1a that does not sound incredible.
Happy listening.
Your musical interests are more interesting to me than the headphones (we know they are great).
Lucky for me I get to hear a station over the airwaves that plays an eclectic set like yours, KCRW. Also available online but does not sound as good as over the FM dial. You may like that station (KCRW.com).
MokhaMark
100+ Head-Fier
Thanks for the tip! I am streaming it now I think I have heard of this station before, but never listened. Thanks again.
Aleksandar R.
Sponsor: RAAL 1995
About 100hrs, pop music, with the level like for moderately loud listening.
However, don't let that put you off from listening right away. The only thing that will change is the reach in sub-bass.
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