"You have to hear the RAAL headphones," a friend entices as we cross the raised walkway connecting the second floor of the convention center to the hotel. "They're the best headphones on the planet! You've heard of RAAL ribbon tweeters, right?" he continues. "Well, these are their headphones!"
Seated at the RAAL requisite booth at the Ear Gear Experience, I sample the RAAL Immanis Triple-Ribbon Headphones ($9460). It uses the RAAL Ribbon Current Drive Interface that allows you to use their headphones with standard headphone amps, I'm told. Also in play is the Feliks ENVY 300B Headphone Amplifier ($7900).
From the first strike on a snare through Diana Krall's cooing and breathy vocals, the RAAL Ribbon Current Drive headphones yield an extremely detailed and dynamic portal into "Temptation." Brushed snare and hi-hat, Anthony Wilson's plucked hollow body guitar, the warm tones of the Hammond B-3, and Krall's piano are ultra defined.
"Get Lucky," featuring Pharrell Williams and Nils Rogers/Daft Punk unpacks a rumbling low end bass line, vivid vocals, keys, and drums with sparkling resolve, verve, and snap!