[Hiker816]

I'm at 4 steps on the CA, so I guess I would be at 1 step with the new Immanis? Seems problematic to me

My only 2 complaints about the VM-1a are that it only has balanced inputs, and the stepped attenuator. I get the advantage of a stepped attenuator, but agree it needs more steps in this case. 23 is not enough. I'm lucky that my DAC will attenuate, but it'd be nice not to have to rely on that.

 

[nfandi]

I fear they are gonna make us get a new amp. I really don't like using the TI adaptor box, but we may have to. We shall see...

Aleks has already said that the existing direct drive amps will work with the Magna and Immanis. However it’s very possible that son of VM or HSA will work even better. Let‘s just wait and see what we learn in the next few weeks and months.

 

[Barone Birra]

Is that all you have to say?
Has somebody paid you to come here and make negative comments?
Those of us who own Aleks’s previous ‘could be better’ attempts love them primarily for their sound quality and probably also for their unconventional looks.
Come back and reiterate your negative comment once you’ve heard them.

Keep calm. I've been listening to the SR1a for some time and find it to be an exceptional headphone, but with a poor headband, and I simply see that the construction style hasn't evolved much over time. It may be comfortable but, for the high asking price, from my point of view you also need more noble material than a bent metal strip.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

I'm at 4 steps on the CA, so I guess I would be at 1 step with the new Immanis? Seems problematic to me

Hmmm, then you're overdriving the input.
See if you can do a setting on your source to reduce the output.
The input transformers in the VM, will be happier with less input voltage.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

Keep calm. I've been listening to the SR1a for some time and find it to be an exceptional headphone, but with a poor headband, and I simply see that the construction style hasn't evolved much over time. It may be comfortable but, for the high asking price, from my point of view you also need more noble material than a bent metal strip.

I see your point, but I see it as actually evolved design compared to usual pivot/fork scheme.

This is lighter and weight reduction is important when you have the heaviest drivers on the market.
That is how we ended up with 610g for Immanis. Not lightweight by any means, but not outrageous.

What this system with separate prongs instead of a solid fork also allows for, is a simple detachment of drivers without tools, for warranty replacements/repairs, so dealers can repair headphones on the spot. That is a true VIP experience, as there is no need to send headphones away for 2-3 months.

The metal is spring stainless steel coated in unscratchable TiAlN coating for cutting tools, so no chipping of powder coating or paint, like with others, so they will look the same for decades.

It takes 3 hours to brush it and smooth the edges after laser cutting. It's easier to wrap it in leather for 2 minutes, so no real value in wrapping. Wrapping is invented to hide things.
After the prep, bending the right way takes at least another hour, then it's ready to get to the coating.

Coating is an 8 hour process at 450°C and it's far more expensive than leather wrapping, so you won't see it elsewhere.
It's similar to what they do for watches, only harder, as this is not just a decorative coating, and our surface area is larger, so we pay a lot more for this.

There is a real value here, in work hours and expensive services. More than what it takes to produce any other headspring out there.

In general, I don't like to hide how things work. I hate wrapping. I like the natural appearance of materials and fine preparation of them.
I like brushed metal better than bead-blasted, hence the hard coating that protects the brushing.
This won't look like a watch bracelet after one year of use.

I am certainly aware that the norms are different. However, all that comes from what is easy to do in industrial setting, something that we don't need to adhere to.

In the old days, people used to make beautiful telescopes, sextants, compasses, barometers...there was blueing on brushed spiral springs...
All that pride of showing what things are actually made of, and how their internals work, is getting lost these days...

So, after working so much in getting the drivers made and dropped in, I felt that other details should show the same care...

 

[Chefguru]

I see your point, but I see it as actually evolved design compared to usual pivot/fork scheme.

This is lighter and weight reduction is important when you have the heaviest drivers on the market.
That is how we ended up with 610g for Immanis. Not lightweight by any means, but not outrageous.

What this system with separate prongs instead of a solid fork also allows for, is a simple detachment of drivers without tools, for warranty replacements/repairs, so dealers can repair headphones on the spot. That is a true VIP experience, as there is no need to send headphones away for 2-3 months.

The metal is spring stainless steel coated in unscratchable TiAlN coating for cutting tools, so no chipping of powder coating or paint, like with others, so they will look the same for decades.

It takes 3 hours to brush it and smooth the edges after laser cutting. It's easier to wrap it in leather for 2 minutes, so no real value in wrapping. Wrapping is invented to hide things.
After the prep, bending the right way takes at least another hour, then it's ready to get to the coating.

Coating is an 8 hour process at 450°C and it's far more expensive than leather wrapping, so you won't see it elsewhere.
It's similar to what they do for watches, only harder, as this is not just a decorative coating, and our surface area is larger, so we pay a lot more for this.

There is a real value here, in work hours and expensive services. More than what it takes to produce any other headspring out there.

In general, I don't like to hide how things work. I hate wrapping. I like the natural appearance of materials and fine preparation of them.
I like brushed metal better than bead-blasted, hence the hard coating that protects the brushing.
This won't look like a watch bracelet after one year of use.

I am certainly aware that the norms are different. However, all that comes from what is easy to do in industrial setting, something that we don't need to adhere to.

In the old days, people used to make beautiful telescopes, sextants, compasses, barometers...there was blueing on brushed spiral springs...
All that pride of showing what things are actually made of, and how their internals work, is getting lost these days...

So, after working so much in getting the drivers made and dropped in, I felt that other details should show the same care...

Thank you for this information.

Regarding the drivers - is there expectation like the other ribbon models that they have a finite life and are to be replaced? If so, what is the hourly expiration expectation

 

[Aleksandar R.]

Thank you for this information.

Regarding the drivers - is there expectation like the other ribbon models that they have a finite life and are to be replaced? If so, what is the hourly expiration expectation

We learned a lot, so we're not expecting a finite life.
With greater efficiency, less power is used and with greater surface area. less excursion is used, so ribbons are more relaxed now.

In general, we're not going to interrogate clients of what happened, we're just going to devise a nice scheme with dealers to make quick swaps, or we'll directly take care of shipping broken in and shipping new ones out, depending on client's country and convenience.

We've had a pretty good reliability record so far, so that will continue or improve.

The main idea is to keep creating a cozy setting for our clients, so they can tell us what's bothering them and we'll take care of it.

 

[Ciggavelli]

Hmmm, then you're overdriving the input.
See if you can do a setting on your source to reduce the output.
The input transformers in the VM, will be happier with less input voltage.

I suspect the overdrive is why I'm liking the bass on the CAs through the VM so much.

I'll try lowering it, but it's inconvenient because my DAVE is also hooked up to my WA33 EE JPS, which wants -6db. I'll give it a go though.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

I suspect the overdrive is why I'm liking the bass on the CAs through the VM so much.

LOL, That's really funny!

Yeah, try lowering the DAVE, maybe there's more refinement to be gained like that.

 

[Ciggavelli]

Drunk ramblings me, but why do we care about an under stitch though?

 

[jlbrach]

I'm at 4 steps on the CA, so I guess I would be at 1 step with the new Immanis? Seems problematic to me

I am at about 12-1 o clock on my CA with the VM-1a..I use the dave and blu2 and have it set to 0

 

[Ciggavelli]

I am at about 12-1 o clock on my CA with the VM-1a

I'm overdriving the hell out of my VM I guess. I think that is really why I like the bass so much. There's no clipping, but I guess it might be a problem. I'm gonna have to lower my DAVE, but I don't want to lose the bass. We'll see

 

[Ciggavelli]

Adjusting my DAVE's volume doesn't affect the bass luckily, but I'm lazy and want one dac setting for both my WA33 EE JPS and VM-1a. I mean it's just a few button clicks though, so I'll adjust.

 

[BassicScience]

I see your point, but I see it as actually evolved design compared to usual pivot/fork scheme.

[snip]

I generally like the design, but my one concern is precisely the inability of the cups to pivot about the vertical axis. It seems like this could impact comfort and/or the quality of the seal. Thoughts?

 

[Hiker816]

I am at about 12-1 o clock on my CA with the VM-1a..I use the dave and blu2 and have it set to 0

I have my Dave set to -20 and my VM1a at step 5 (about 9 o'clock) for the CA1a. Yes, I listen at very low volume relative to most, but 1 o'clock, with Dave at zero, would cause my head to explode.