[Tchoupitoulas]

It has been six months since Raal 1995 announced its two new headphones, the Immanis and the Magna. Alas, the Magna has attracted much less attention than its pricier sibling and until now has not benefited from having its own dedicated thread. This is a shame as it's a fine headphone that deserves a good deal of attention in its own right. Some folks even prefer it to the Immanis. And as the less expensive model of the two, the Magna might be of interest to a wider audience. It's worth quoting Raal 1995's @Aleksandar R. about it (here): "Magna occupies the same pinnacle of performance as Immanis does. It just does it with a different presentation. In all categories that Immanis will win over something else, Magna will too, except beating Immanis in bass and max SPL."

In this and the next few posts I'm going to copy and paste information from the other two Raal 1995 threads about the Magna, starting with @Aleksandar R.'s description of it. I'll then some outstanding impressions of the Magna by @MokhaMark and @Hiker816 before including some other valuable posts, including a discussion of the differences in bass presentation between the Magna and Immanis.

Please feel free to send me messages with other impressions from other forums that I will have inevitably missed and I'll either add them here or will provide links to them.

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

Initial information from @Aleksandar R.: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-17954057

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There are two models of RAAL 1995 headphones, Magna (R² driver) and Immanis (R³ driver).

They are both Circum-aural, Open-Back, Vented Front Chamber headphones.

In short, Magna is the original next-gen ribbon headphone that will showcase the new level of performance, not just in comparison to RAAL-requisite headphones, but compared to all other technologies. A proper TOTL headphone, no ifs no buts, if I may say so.
Immanis adds more of everything to that, showing that limits can be pushed even further...

New level of performance comes with the new look, that is there to emphasize the refinements in sound quality.

Under the hood, everything is new. This is the next generation or ribbon drivers that in certain areas parted ways with the old, but inherited the best features of the previous ones.
We now have our new R² and R³ drivers that exploit a new idea that small differences in ribbon segments are beneficial. We tune the segments slightly differently, so they can't repeat errors in the same way. We call it complimentary tuning.

Being a True-Ribbon technology, they need ancillary components to work (similar to e-stats that need polarizing voltage provider and high-voltage swing).

They are a "system" formed by a Headphone driver, an impedance converting transformer and the cable that connects them together and their requirements and specifications are closely tied together.

Alternatively, the "system" can be broken apart and headphone drivers can be driven directly, without the need for impedance conversion, by specially made amplifiers for ribbon headphones (HSA and VM), in which case, headphone cable specs are far less stringent.

Here are the (preliminary) specs:

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@Aleksandar R. again, on the transformer interface and the power required to drive the Magna vs the other Raal headphones/earspeakers: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-17955526

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The 32 Ohm version comes as standard, and by order we can make 16 or 8 Ohms.
The new RCD Interface will not come with two selectable impedances, but only one, whichever someone wishes to choose.

The reasons for a single impedance on offer are that we're not chasing power so much any more and compatibility with all decent headphone amps.

Here's the comparison to SR's, driven by 32 RCD Interface, on SAEQ Hyperion Ge:

For the same perceived broadband SPL as SR's (with OB Compensation):

In dB:
CA's with Coffee Bean pads needs 1 click down (-2dB)
Magna needs 2 clicks down (-4dB)
Immanis needs 3 clicks down (-6dB).

In terms of power percentage (if SR's use 100% of power):

in % of power:
CA's need 63%
Magna needs 40%
Immanis needs 25%

In Watts, if the SR's needed, say...6W, for the same perceived broadband SPL:

In Watts:
CA's need 3.8W
Magna needs 2.4W
Immanis needs 1.5 W

Basically, if you have a SET amp of 6W at 8 Ohms, it will produce 1.5W at 32 ohms and Immanis will give you the same SPL as SR's with TI-1c at 8 Ohm input.
However, having 32 Ohms will be compatible to any decent headphone amp out there and 8 Ohms will not.

If we're talking 6-ish Watt SET amps, the new and upcoming Auris Audio Headonia 10th Anniversary 300B has output transformers that provide full power at 25, 50, 100, 150, 300 and 600 Ohms. There are transformer outputs for each of those load impedances, not one-winding-for-all, so full power is available at any impedance, and no problem there.

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And, finally, the price list from here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-17990105

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

Now for @Aleksandar R.'s description of the Magna's sound: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-17959525

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About the sound

In essence, I wanted a listening experience where nothing bothers you, but you still hear everything and in the right proportions.

I’ve kept the open midrange of the SR, but made it smoother. I have extended the highs up and, in general, removed that “information overload” feeling that SR’s tend to have for some people.

Basically, no information is lost, but what is gained is a sense of refinement. That helped in the feeling of “being there" that SR's excel at.

Magna is like refining the SR's mid-high and continuing linearly all the way down. Very neutral sound. Very much up the alley of SR aficionados.
But with bass that is better textured and deeper than with CA's.

With Immanis, I have used the extra surface area of the driver and tuned the <1kHz region to a full, big sound with a bass to match, so I added weight and punch.
I wanted some added richness in low-mid/upper bass, but with taste, nothing overwhelming. Just to give the right body to an orchestra or a choir.
As with Magna, CA-kind of bass only resembles this, but not really a good comparison.

The SR-like “edge” feels softer, but not because it really is, but because there is a <1k region to enlarge the body of the sound. If the edge would be missing, with the new tone balance, I would loose life-like presentation and the sense of refinement.
I don’t want a choir to be dull, I want to count rows, but I also want the basses, baritones and altos to have a full presence.

The difference between M and I is perhaps like listening to high-end speakers, one large floorstander with 15" woofer, the other also a floorstander, but up to 70l of volume.
They are both correct, only the bigger one sounds bigger.

The staging is quite good for a circum-aural. It goes beyond that, as now I have a large leakage zone right in front of the ear canal.
Basically, the front is open to space and that cleans up the earpad chamber reverb in front of your ear-canal. It also allows leakage of sound toward the other ear much better than when I place that leakage zone behind the ear. What I got is a sense of “spaciousness” in sound and that sense is more pronounced in Immanis.

I can listen to Classical music on either of these for 2 hours with no fatigue, yet, no information is lost, it is just presented in a different context.
With Pop, Rock, it depends on the volume and how much compression they used in mastering. For example, I can listen "Dance Fever" album by Florence+ The Machine for 2 times in a row, or my Mark Knopfler playlist for hours, but constant noise than never relieves with compressed Metal or Rock, erh...makes me look for other genres after an album.

With poorer recordings, you sure know it’s a poorer recording, but that won’t make it unlistenable. You will listen to it till the end, because of reduction of problematic areas in headphones.
Now problems in headphones do not compound with problems in recordings. It’s not because I’m reducing information, I’m just presenting it in a better way than before, I think.

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

The great head-fier @MokhaMark was among the first to hear the new Raal headphones in his own system, and I believe he is the first to provide us with detailed comparative impressions of them both. He also purchased a pair of Magna, preferring it to the Immanis, and he posted a series of outstanding, invaluable impressions, which I'm copying below.

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https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-18035899

Magna and Immanis Quick Impressions

I ended up with only 2 days with these new headphones, a fraction of the time it took UPS to fumble them for over a week. Since I will not have a lot of listening time tomorrow, I want to post my initial 24 hour impressions.

I boarded the Raal train in the early days of covid. I have tried lots of different headphones since, including e-stats, but I have always come back to the SR1a as my favorite. I will not posture here as anything other than a fan boy but will do my best to share impressions as objectively as I can. I’m lucky to have both the Magna and Immanis on hand at the same time, in a quiet place. Based on Danny’s word, I had pre-ordered the Magna before receiving these copies. I do not get to keep either of them. I’ll be in line with everyone else after I send these back to him. These are both well worth the wait.

This is not a review. I am volunteering these impressions as an informed amateur and no more. I do not wish to make detailed comparisons with conventional headphones I no longer own (such as Susvara), and very little with those I still have on hand. My primary objective with this informal entry is to put the new Raal 1995 in context with the SR1a (and CA1a from memory) for existing Raal owners. As I write this, I realize I have no envy for those who endeavor to put such a subjective activity into words routinely, or professionally.

Amplifiers Used

Raal VM1a

Schiit Jotunheim R

Donald North Audio Stratus v3 via interface

Sources Used

Topping DX7 Pro+

Sonic Frontiers SFD2 mkII via BNC & Coax (kind loan from @kkrazik2008)

Comparisons Made

Raal SR1a

Raal Magna

Raal Immanis

For the past couple weeks, I listened to not much besides the SR1a so that the early listening with the Magna and Immanis would be from the ribbon mind set. Over the last 24 hours, I listened to all combinations I could think of with the VM1a, Jortunheim R, and DNA Stratus with interface. I determined quickly that the 16 ohm output from the TI1a interface played the nicest with the Stratus, so stuck with that most of the time. I did also try the 32 ohm input on the adapter (both the TI1b and cool new stand version), but I favored the lower impedance pairing. The 32 ohm had less gain and did not drive any of the headphones sufficiently on the Stratus, more on that later.

Magna

Immediately the Magna’s higher sensitivity is noticeable, requiring some attenuation to volume match the SR1a.

Overall sound compared to SR1a is richer in body, significantly more bass and mid-range body. However, it is every bit as detailed as the SR1a. Those of you who know the SR1a will know this is saying something. The SR has more front to back depth, and comparatively the Magna is more intimate in its vocal placement. We are closer to the stage with the Magna, vocals are more in our head. Of course, the baffle angle of the SR1a impacts this so depending on how close you wear the SR to your ears, this effect will be maximized/minimized in comparison.

The Magna bass is incredible, reaching very deep, and hitting very hard. This is NOT e-stat like bass! This is a dynamic, engaging, electrifying listen. Detail is top notch, coming across sometimes just at touch brighter and more incisive than even the Immanis. It is all put together in a cohesive image that I felt nothing out of place. I could not find any range I wanted to EQ. Even with bass, no shelf is needed. The organ at the beginning of Zarathustra positively rattles the head, but then the texture of double bass tremolos immediately after is textured and accurate, like being 12 rows back from the section.

What is astonishing here with the Magna is just how much of the recording space we get, normally a hallmark of the SR1a. Even with complex piano sounds, I hear upper partials and harmonics just like with the Sr1a.

It is just a fun as hell headphone, powerful, dynamic, and very live sounding.

Immanis

Even higher sensitivity is noticeable, requiring more attenuation to volume match the SR1a.

This is an extraordinary headphone experience like none I have ever heard. I can hardly call this a headphone. This is the IMAX of headphones.

There is to my ears a touch more warmth in mid-range vs. the Magna and SR1a, even though it is placed slightly more distant. But the Immanis treble is more laid back than either of them, it splashes less and runs even less risk of anything resembling sibilance. The Magna and SR1a are “crispier” in the treble. This does not mean the Immanis is dark, it is still a detail monster on par with anything I have heard. It is just suave and composed.

The Immanis gives the most expansive, concert hall like sound I have ever heard in a headphone. I suspect the surface area and huge cup just simply make for a massive stage. There are times it is almost counter intuitive; the stereo image is so wide. For example, a recording of the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, the drum kit spans so far left to right, the mind thinks there may be two drummers! It is wider even than the SR1a.

The Immanis bass seems to reach even lower than the Magna, but with a little less outright slam and impact. It really depends on what you think bass is as a listener, what you prioritize. The Magna compresses the cranial cavities more dramatically, but the Immanis goes deeper, with more texture and specificity of pitch.

Donald North Audio Stratus v3 via interface

One of my biggest hopes with the Magna and Immanis was that the Stratus would have enough power to drive them. With the SR1a, it is just shy of sufficient juice for most genre, but timbre and imaging are so promising. There is more volume and bass with the Magna and Immanis, but even with the Immanis we are maxed out. Unlike with the SR1a, there is ample richness of body and bass, but not compared to the VM1a. For my ears, this is not game ending combination, our beloved DNA amps just do not have enough power. However, there may be DACs with higher output voltage that work better. The best combination with the Stratus I heard was the SFD balanced out into a transformer box to single ended. But even this paled in comparison to the VM1a. I believe the Magna and Immanis will require a more powerful circuit than the Stratus, but I would love to hear differently from someone with a different DAC or an active pre-amplifier in front of it. Let’s all keep an open mind with this question for more trials by others with more appropriate gear.

Jotunheim R

I am a big fan of Schiit’s little amplifier. In fact, I recently bought another one as a backup. It drives all the ribbon headphones very well. However, with the SR1a in particular, it can sound comparatively strident vs the VM1a. The Magna and Immanis are not as picky. They sound exceptional off the Jotunheim R. I don’t care what anyone else says, the Jot R is a worthy amplifier for these new headphones. I compared directly to the VM1a as objectively as I could, and with the Magna and Immanis, the VM1a simply does not show the same level of improvement as it does for the SR1a. That may be a controversial statement, but it’s what my ears are telling me today. One of my favorite combos was the Sonic Frontiers DAC balanced into the Jot R (Siemens tubes).

Raal VM1a

This is still the very best amplifier I have heard for the SR1a. The new headphones also sound incredible here, holographic, a bit warmer, with just a touch more reverb/decay. However, my VM1a is not dead silent right now, and the new headphones can reveal a little noise floor especially if I cup my hands over the earcups. I used exclusively Triode mode, as you know with the VM you have to power it down to change tube modes and I did not bother. I had to go to sleep eventually……Point is, if you have a VM1a, the cup design and higher sensitivity of the new headphones will tell you more clearly if you have a noisy tube than the SR1a will.

CA1a

I came very close to buying the CA (again) just so I could compare them real time for this entry. The human mind is not to be trusted with its own memories on subjective issues such as this, at least mine isn’t. I know there are a lot of CA owners wondering if Magna is an upgrade.

So, from memory, this is the opinion I offer, and the most I ever will until I have them side by side again:

Yes.

In every way except value, because the CA1a remain an astonishing value and a very engaging, dynamic listen. I am not sure there will ever be a less expensive ribbon headphone from Raal. The Magna is not an extension or evolution of the CA1a, it is an altogether different approach to a different goal, IMO.

The Immanis is extraordinary, but it is also more idiosyncratic. There may be listeners who find it’s imaging too spread out, too alien as a headphone experience. The Immanis is its own concert hall. The question becomes, is that the hall in which you want to hear everything? (For me, yes, it is). I predict the Magna will appeal to more people, and not just because of the price.

Why I will still never sell my SR1a

Open baffle. It’s different, and better, (for me) in some ways. I find it less fatiguing, and lighter on the head. When my tinnitus acts up, The SR1a are my preferred way to listen. There are times I do not want bass compression acting on my ear drums. They are also the only headphones that work in stereo for my daughter (cochlear implant). There is also some nostalgia as the oldest headphone in my little stable.

I still love the SR1a, but I submit that the two new headphones have surpassed it in most ways. My own personal opinion is that these are the best headphones I have ever listened to. I’m not stupid enough to call anything the best, but currently I know of nothing better.

Thank you to Danny @SageM and David at Requisite. Thank you also to @Aleksandar R. for doing all the hard work to develop this technology and transfer it to headphones. My hours with the Magna and Immanis brought a strong visceral reaction to music. I have been transported multiple times, out of body, into complete involvement in my listening. These are extraordinary headphones that enrich the musical experience.

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Now for @MokhaMark 's further impressions of his own Magna: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-18096964

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Hey friends, I have spent now about 30 hours listening with the Magna and have 12 pages of notes to consolidate before sharing impressions.

I know there is a lot of interest for the Immanis (I share it and I am in line for it also). But, the Magna is amazing. Absolutely amazing. I encourage everyone to get a listen, especially if you own the SR1a already.

Here's a small excerpt from my notes:

The Magna is not an “also ran” in the shadow of the Immanis. I find it to be the most versatile and "all rounder" 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, the 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 the same measure. The Magna is an extremely detailed and technical headphone. It reproduces as much of the source material as any headphone I have heard. And it has fun doing it.

The Magna is not simply 66.6% of an Immanis. It is a unique top of line headphone worthy of consideration in its own right.

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And now @MokhaMark's full impressions of the Magna: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-18099440
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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:

• 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.

As I write this, I am happy with my decision not to simply wait for Immanis. Ecstatic really.

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.

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[Tchoupitoulas]

Now for @Hiker816's similarly excellent impressions: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-18147703

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I just wrapped up a wonderful two weeks living with both the Immanis and Magna. The Immanis is mine, but I have @MokhaMark to thank for the Magna. I’m pretty sure he only owned his Magna for a week or two before letting me borrow it. I’ve been asking myself if the roles were reversed, would I have been willing to give up my new and astonishingly great headphone to let someone else demo it for two weeks. I’m not sure I could have done it. I think I’m too selfish and couldn’t have given it up like that. All that is to say thank you, @MokhaMark , for being a better person than I am!

The comparison below is based on about 80 hours of listening on the Immanis (running in for about 125), and about 40 hours of listening on the Magna (presumably it already had some hours on it from Mark). RAAL’s Star 8 cable was used with both. Both were run off the RAAL-requisite VM-1a, Zahl HM1, and RAAL-requisite HSA-1b.

The majority of the music used was instrumental progressive metal and rock, like Night Verses, Intervals, Syncatto, Bernth, Animals as Leaders, etc., some prog metal and rock with vocals like Dream Theater, some acoustic guitar like Rodrigo y Gabriela, and a few vocal-centric tracks and classical / orchestral tracks. I rarely listen to vocals or classical, so it’s tough for me to properly assess if it sounds better or worse than it is supposed to (but none of it sounded bad!). I didn’t listen to any jazz, rap, hip hop, or country because I literally have no idea how that is supposed to sound and anything I could say would be at best useless and at worst misleading. Sorry.

Please keep in mind that this is a comparison of the Immanis and Magna. It is not meant to be a comparison to other non-ribbon headphones—that is coming later. So, when I say one of these RAALs sounds worse to me with respect to some characteristic, don’t infer that this means it is bad compared to other headphones. It almost assuredly does not mean that. These two RAALs are, to my ears, two of the best headphones in existence. The weaker of the two in one category may well still trounce any other headphone in that category.

SQ Assessments

Staging: One of the biggest differentiators between the Immanis and Magna is the headstaging. The Immanis sounds quite expansive—everything sounds big. Not cavernous like the HD800S, but certainly more big-venue than smokey lounge. The Magna is noticeably more intimate. Not quite reach-out-and-touch the instruments like the Spirit Torino Valkyria, but certainly closer to lounge staging than concert hall. This difference in perceived staging has some spill-over impacts as mentioned below.

Dynamics/Punchiness: This category is an important one. Most of the Immanis vs Magna impressions shared so far have noted that the Magna sounds punchier—that the Immanis was more an SR-1a successor and the Magna more a CA-1a successor. That had me worried that I chose the wrong headphone by ordering the Immanis. I love both the SR1a and the CA1a, but I do really appreciate the extra punchiness of the CA1a. In fact, if I were being completely honest about it, if someone asked me which I liked more, some days I would say the SR1a, and some days I would say they’re even, but probably the slight majority of days I would say the CA1a. Thankfully, I had no reason to worry about ordering the Immanis. The dynamics on both the Immanis and Magna are top notch. Simply incredible, in fact. The more expansive staging on the Immanis does mean the instruments sound farther away, yet rather than that perceived extra distance making the notes sound more diffuse, it as though they are shot at you with a laser beam. It’s almost like, as the stage on the Immanis expands, the instruments themselves also get bigger. Another analogy might be your opponent in a boxing match. With the Magna, your opponent is a powerful compact fighter who lands blows from close range. With the Immanis, you’re fighting someone who has a longer reach and attacks from a foot farther back. But those Immanis punches still land and they still hurt (in a good way)! Nonetheless, the instruments sound farther away on the Immanis than on the Magna, and that Magna closeness could be perceived as punchier or more energetic. For the vast majority of music I listen to, though, the difference I perceived was just intimacy, not dynamics. In fact, I was able to identify one—just one—song that sounded better to me on the Magna than it did on the Immanis. That one track is Queen’s Killer Queen. This is not a track I listen to often, but I went back and forth several times, and am confident it sounds slightly better to me on the Magna than on the Immanis. My best assessment of why is live venue energy. By that, I mean that even if you’re at a big venue, there is an energy difference being in the front row than the middle or back. I wouldn’t even say this is a difference in dynamics—at a concert, the sonic sweet spot may well be back from the front row. Yet, there’s an undeniable energy, which really isn’t directly correlated to the music itself, with being right in front of the musicians. Somehow, on this one song, the Magna captured that energy in a way the Immanis did not. However, if you enjoy music technicalities as much as the energetic feeling of a live venue, the dynamics of the Immanis are, IMO, just as good as those on the Magna. Note, both the Immanis and Magna need a little bit of volume to come alive. 68 dBs will do it, but they sound lackluster at, say, 63 dBs.

Dynamic Range: Both the Immanis and Magna have incredible dynamic range, competently reproducing the quietest and loudest notes in any track with apparent ease. I would, however, give the nod to the Immanis as being just a tiny bit better at handling the extremes.

Timbre: Wow. The timbre on both new RAALs is simply stunning. Every note is reproduced with so much information—so much accurate information—that every drum strike and guitar pluck, every piano note and the vibration from every violin string, is incredibly lifelike and beamed directly to your ears. The attack of every note is spot on and erupts out of nowhere, and the decay is wholly believable and clearly a reflection of the instrument—the decay is from the note, not driver inertia or cup reverb. The texture of everything is astonishing. That said, between the Immanis and Magna, the Immanis holds pole position here. I presume because of the third ribbon, it takes life-like to another plane.

Resolution & Clarity: In my experience, the SR1a owned the resolution and clarity space, with competition coming only from the best e-stats (of which I have only had some brief auditions), and (for resolution only) the DCA Stealth. Move over SR1a, because the Immanis and Magna have you beat. This might not immediately jump out at the listener, I suspect because the Immanis and Magna are less fatiguing and sound less etched than the SR1a, and thus the two newer models might be perceived as sounding smoother. Avoid falling into that trap, though, and the exceptional resolution and clarity is apparent. Here, the Immanis is a bit ahead of the Magna. I would guess that’s a combination of two things: (1) the third ribbon cancels out errors (analogizing to room modes) more; and (2) the superior instrument separation (in part from the more expansive staging) gives it a leg up in avoiding congestion on busy tracks.

Instrument Separation & Imaging: Instrument separation on the Immanis surpasses the Magna, though both are great compared to other headphones. But here, the more expansive soundstage on the Immanis is perceived as pulling the instruments apart in space, and that has exactly the affect you would expect on separation, particularly when that extra distance doesn’t make instruments sound more diffuse, which it doesn’t on the new RAALs. Both are very holographic, with the Immanis slightly ahead. Imaging on both is also remarkable, though again, the Immanis takes the crown.

Speed: I perceive both the Immanis and Magna to sound incredibly fast. They seem even to me in this category.

Bass: The bass on both the Immanis and Magna is exceptional. And I don’t mean exceptional for a ribbon. I mean exceptional compared to all headphones on the market. Bass extension, texture, detail, control, and—once the ribbons are broken in—slam, are simply amazing. Here, again, I have to give the nod to the Immanis, though. It extends deeper, and has superior texture, detail, and control. Perceived slam I would put at about equal, with the intimacy of the Magna balancing out the Immanis’ advantage in moving more air with its larger driver surface area.

Mids: Both Magna and Immanis have great mids and the flat FR curve means the mids aren’t being overshadowed by the bass or treble—both are very balanced. Here it will likely come down to personal preference. Which is more important to you when you’re focusing on the mids—intimacy or texture/timbre/instrument separation?

Treble: Both RAALs excel in the treble region. Clarity, texture, timbre are all top notch, though the Immanis runs a bit ahead. Neither headphone is fatiguing (more on that below), assuredly thanks to the multiple ribbon drivers, but the Immanis is a touch smoother in the treble. Interestingly, the Magna seems to have slightly better treble extension (more on that below, too), but it’s very hard to notice that when enjoying music.

Vocals: The difference here again comes down to intimacy, at least for me. Are you drawn to intimate vocals or those delivered in a bigger venue? Either way, vocals on both headphones are amazing—the detail and texture conveyed is out of this world. If you’re looking for the excitement of the front row or mosh pit, irrespective of technicalities, you might find the Magna vocals more exciting as the Queen track seemed to suggest to me. If you prefer more distant large-venue vocals, the Immanis will sound more natural. For example, with “Into the Unknown” on the Frozen 2 soundtrack (go easy on me please—I almost never listen to any vocals and since I have two young daughters, it was the first example I could think of with a skilled female vocalist), the vocals actually sound more natural and compelling on the Immanis than on the Magna, likely because they were not recorded to sound as intimate as say, the Queen track.

Frequency Response: When listening to music, both the Immanis and Magna strike me as very balanced. I don’t have any testing equipment and wouldn’t trust myself to set it up and run tests correctly even if I did. I can, however, listen to a sine sweep. That, of course, will expose as much about the limits of my own hearing as the limits of the headphone. And, while I did this at the higher end of my preferred volume, that’s still very low compared to pretty much everyone else (68 dBs). With those caveats, I can sense something starting around 22 Hz with the Immanis, and actually hear it audibly starting at about 25 Hz. I hear a small peak around 3 kHz, small dip around 3.8-4.2 kHz, quite noticeable dip around 6.2-6.7 kHz, small peak around 8.8-9.7 kHz, and a very pronounced rolloff starting at 11 kHz until I can’t hear anything just past 12 kHz. On the Magna, I can sense something starting around 28 Hz, and hear it audibly starting around 33 Hz. I hear a small dip around 3.8-4.1 kHz, quite noticeable dip around 6.2-7.3 kHz, small peak around 8.9 kHz, and a pronounced rolloff starting at about 10.8 kHz, with it becoming inaudible at about 13 kHz. Thus, the Immanis extends a bit deeper. The Magna starts to roll off just the tiniest bit earlier in the treble but extends a bit higher than the Immanis before becoming inaudible (to me).

Fatigue: For some music, on some amps, and for some people, the SR1a could get a bit edgy. The Immanis and Magna remove that fatigue without losing any detail. I’ve heard the new RAALs described as “smooth”—especially the Immanis. For me personally, “smooth” is usually a dirty word as I associate it with loss of resolution and dynamics. Thankfully, that’s not a problem at all with either the Immanis or Magna. Instead, “smooth” just means not harsh or fatiguing. In terms of the difference between the two, I would say the Immanis is slightly less fatiguing in the treble, but the Magna is no slouch.

Non-SQ Assessments

Comfort: The fit is very similar between the Magna and Immanis, as you’d expect based on the similar design. Both have what I consider to be the perfect amount of clamp. Enough to get a seal but not uncomfortable, even after long listening sessions. No hot spots on the head with either. Each time I swapped from the Immanis to the Magna, I thought to myself that the Magna was slightly more comfortable. Then, when I swapped back to the Immanis, I thought no, actually, the Immanis is slightly more comfortable. I ultimately figured out that the pads were cooler on whichever I swapped to for the first minute, which was refreshing in the warmer weather. All that is to say that I think they’re equally comfortable. I never noticed the extra weight of the Immanis. But I’m also used to the Abyss 1266 TC and Valkyria. If you are sensitive to weight, perhaps you’d find the Magna more comfortable over long listening sessions.

Quality: Both the Magna and Immanis exude quality. They both appear to use premium materials with great attention to detail. No worries about the material quality or durability of either, as far as I can tell.

Aesthetics: Appearance obviously comes down to personal preference. I will say that gold usually strikes me as too gaudy. Not so with the Immanis, though. For some reason, to me, the gold grilles match slightly better with the wood veneer on the cups and comes across as classy and luxurious without stepping over the line toward ostentatious. I also like the very subtle sun at the top of the grilles on the Immanis which I probably wouldn’t have noticed had Aleks not said anything. It’s the little things. I think both headphones are stunning.

Choosing Between the Immanis and Magna

You might prefer the Magna if:

• The significant price difference between the two is important
• You prefer a more intimate soundstage, including but not limited to more intimate vocals, even if it comes at the expense of some technicalities, timbre, and texture
• You prioritize front-row live venue energy and spend most of your time listening to tracks that can capture that
• You quickly find heavier headphones uncomfortable

If these don’t describe you, or at least don’t take priority over other characteristics, get the Immanis. It’s the better headphone in nearly every conceivable category.

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

Some more impressions, from @KaiSc: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-18006238

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World of headphones March 02.2024 in Heidelberg, Germany, Part II.
Again, I‘d just report the obvious that can be retrieved under audio show circumstances.

Magna owes to get its own comment:


Magna’s best pairing:
SAEQ HSA-1c, new transformer interface RCDI-32.

Magna shares a lot if similarities with Immanis.
The typical “ribbon-resolution” and -properties we know from the other Raal offerings.
Same bass amount and character.


Still, overall Magna is a very different headphone.

Magna is kind of fresher and brighter than Immanis.
More like a “fun”-tuning, emphasizing something here or there.
On direct drive this part became too much for me, the transformer interface with integrated stand RCDI-32 tamed that into nice colors.


Magna is very sensitive to head positioning, similar but not as much as SR1a, where this is extrem (but can be handled).
Even on the “softer” sounding head positions, like shifted all the way to the front, Magna stays brighter than the more warm sounding Immanis.



Sidemark:
I missed to listen to Magna on Felix Audio Envy with new transformer interface RCDI-32, probably because this combination wasn’t my cup of tea with the Immanis.
I could imagine for Magna the Envy‘s soft character might give a good pairing.

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

And now some discussion of the bass on the Magna vs the Immanis

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By @Aleksandar R. in response to @betula: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-immanis.971583/post-18258430

Would you elaborate just a little more on the difference in bass presentation between the Magna and Immanis? Bass is mission critical to me and with the better cable Magna comes in at 6.5K (euros) and the Immanis 8.5K. Sure 2K is a lot of money, but maybe not so much when someone is already willing to pay 6.5K on a pair of headphones. (Theoretically. )

On Immanis, bass is made fuller, bigger (and the rest to match), creating an impression of listening to large floorstanding (12-15" woofers) speakers in a listening room.
With Magna, bass is completely neutral, similar to listening to a perfectly balanced 50-70 liter floorstanding speakers in a much smaller triangle.
As far as bass depth, they are very similar.

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@Aleksandar R. in response to @gammi: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-18036428

First off, thanks for the very thorough review. I'm glad to see I'm not crazy and you also think the Magna has more bass impact. I thought maybe my ears were playing tricks on me at noisy CanJam.

Also I want to second what you said about the Jot R. What a shame this amp is no longer made because I was also very impressed with it at CanJam, dare I say it even made a better impression upon me than the VM1. But that may be because the Jot R is what the Magna was plugged into on my first listen so it really had that wow factor being the first time hearing the Magna/Immanis. Either way, the new headphones sounded VERY good on Jot R.

Thankfully I own an LCD-R which is what the Jot R was made for (and therefore also own a Jot R) and I'll be testing it at home when my Magna and Immanis arrive, probably in 2-3 months unfortunately.


I can't say for sure until I have both in hand but I suspect not really. Volume (which is what EQ adjusts) is different than impact. I suspect the Magna has better impact because the smaller cup is easier to pressurize, I imagine you'd need to turn the Immanis up quite a bit to achieve the same pressure.

Think of it like how a subwoofer and a headphone could both play an 80dB 40Hz tone but on the subwoofer you'd feel it and on the headphone you'd only hear it. That's impact and it's a separate quality from the dB of bass which is what EQ adjusts.

It's so easy to get caught up in semantics here, but I'll say this in "old" terms.
Bass on Immanis is bigger and warmer. Magna is comparatively dryer and tighter, consequently with upper bass taking a lead.

Trust me, it's all about the quantity in tone balance (frequency response).
The FR is one of the things where quantity is directly experienced as quality, so if you add more bass by EQ to Magna, it won't sound as tight any more.
There will be nothing that you have taken away, you just added, but it'll feel like tightness (if that is what you call impact) is taken away.

Anyhow, semantics aside, facts are:
Magna is not pressurizing the chamber easier than Immanis.
It has far greater leakage compared to Immanis, so the bass is not as strongly supported by the chamber.

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And, finally, @Aleksandar R. in reply to @Lokust: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-18107987

Am also curious at what's causing the perception of sexier bass with the Magna.

To me, the bass on Immanis, being bigger at the bottom-end makes a sexier bass.
Plus, a greater SPL capability down there due to a larger surface area, nails it (for me).

Like in a room with a large speaker, vs. smaller speaker, that's about the difference that I was aiming for and pretty much got it.

I very much like the presentation of small floorstanders, all good. Really. All sits well and I have no complaints...But...There's something about sitting in front of big floorstanders with 12" or 15" woofers...the liberty of bass and effortlessness is special. Lifelike and almost visceral when you tune that into headphones...

But neither is wrong. Go for what you prefer.

 

[gammi]

Thanks for setting this up. People finally starting to catch on to what I've been saying since CanJam NYC in March: Immanis vs Magna isn't a clear cut choice of just buy Immanis if you can afford it. Some may actually prefer Magna.

 

[Exekuhtor]

Nice effort, but we already have enough threads about the new Raals... Ehh, whatever, i'll add it to my list i guess...

 

[tunes]

Thanks for adding all this information. It would be great to watch a video from the factory showing how those drivers are manufactured with little margin for error in tolerances. I also wonder what is the quality control process like for such expensive head phones. There appears to be a growing demand for the Immanis so will the production runs be sped up to meet demands and potentially sacrifice QC??

 

[TheMiddleSky]

While I tried magna and Immanis side by side several times, I never noticed (till now) how significant the size differences between them.

 

[gammi]

While I tried magna and Immanis side by side several times, I never noticed (till now) how significant the size differences between them.

Do you mean physically, in size of the sound, or both?

Physically, yeah, it's a sizeable difference and the cup size could actually be a deciding factor for some people who simply don't like giant cups on their head.
Sound wise, many have said Magna is smaller/more intimate as well.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Do you mean physically, in size of the sound, or both?

Physically, yeah, it's a sizeable difference and the cup size could actually be a deciding factor for some people who simply don't like giant cups on their head.
Sound wise, many have said Magna is smaller/more intimate as well.

In term of physically. Agree that Magna sound more intimate than Immanis.

 

[betula]

Physically, yeah, it's a sizeable difference and the cup size could actually be a deciding factor for some people who simply don't like giant cups on their head.
Sound wise, many have said Magna is smaller/more intimate as well.

The room in the earcup is like the space in your listening room with speakers. The smaller the room, the more intimate the sound will be. Not that the Magna has small cups, but the Immanis has huge ones. That partly explains the huge stage and imaging of the Immanis.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Here a link to my Impressions on the Raal 1995 Magna:
ThanatosVIs Magna Impressions