[adrianm]

I tend to listen to jazz blues and classic rock. The CA does a great job with all genres IMHO. I am not for a moment denigrating the TC and susvara both of which I own and love. I am only suggesting that the RAAL HP’s especially with the VM-1a is magical

Still, without denigrating then, how does the ca-1a compare to the 1266 with filters? (Would not try them without at this point)

 

[jlbrach]

more detailed, less sub bass...better imagining IMHO...better vocals

 

[FiGuY1017]

Looking at buying these, but since I only use the Tidal app Windows and also ios, can the filters still be utilized?

 

[nojwe]

Looking at buying these, but since I only use the Tidal app Windows and also ios, can the filters still be utilized?

Yes, you can use the filters in the HLConvolver app on Windows and route the audio from Tidal through it and then have HLC output to your DAC. I've done that and it's worked great. I don't think there is a way to use iOS though, but I'd love to find out I'm wrong there.

I have a pair in great condition for sale in the classifieds here if you are interested

 

[FiGuY1017]

Yes, you can use the filters in the HLConvolver app on Windows and route the audio from Tidal through it and then have HLC output to your DAC. I've done that and it's worked great. I don't think there is a way to use iOS though, but I'd love to find out I'm wrong there.

I have a pair in great condition for sale in the classifieds here if you are interested

Might have to pay you for a walk through on that one day . & Thanks but I think I need to find maybe a b stock combo with the box
, cable etc to afford it

 

[ra990]

These caught my interest tonight, especially after browsing through Mitch's filters and the plots. Do these really go flat all the way down to 15khz? That's impressive for ribbons, ordered...

 

[FinHifi]

I'm waiting for these to arrive and will compare to ADX5000 and Elite.
One thing that would probably push the popularity would be efficiency: I would not have thought twice if these had the ability to be connected directly to my amp.
I did ask from Violectric that could I just plug these directly to my V222, but they said it could cause issues and did not recommend that.
Has anyone tried this with a regular cable? If I had a cheap amp available, I could try this

This applies to Stax headphones also, the need for massive amp does hurt the appeal, tough with Stax I don't know if it would even be possible to modify drivers to work with a regular 4pin XLR amp outlet.

 

[nojwe]

I'm waiting for these to arrive and will compare to ADX5000 and Elite.
One thing that would probably push the popularity would be efficiency: I would not have thought twice if these had the ability to be connected directly to my amp.
I did ask from Violectric that could I just plug these directly to my V222, but they said it could cause issues and did not recommend that.
Has anyone tried this with a regular cable? If I had a cheap amp available, I could try this

This applies to Stax headphones also, the need for massive amp does hurt the appeal, tough with Stax I don't know if it would even be possible to modify drivers to work with a regular 4pin XLR amp outlet.

I mean, no. That’s a terrible idea. The power requirements are massively different for ribbons vs dynamics/planars vs estats. Ribbons need a ton of current at low voltage (the Jot R does up to 13 amps at I think 5v) due to the extremely low impedance, dynamics need a middle range, and estats need a ton of voltage at low current (480-680v or so). This is why the transformer boxes exist for the Raals. Think of it as the headphone is actually the driver and interface box if you want to use a regular amp.

If you plug ribbons in to a regular amp, best case the amp will immediately go into a protection shut down, worst case you fry your amp and headphones. Don’t try it.

 

[Polygonhell]

One thing that would probably push the popularity would be efficiency

Efficiency isn't really he right word.

Not to belittle the work that goes into making a good one, all a ribbon driver is in it's simplest form is a strip of thin metal foil between 2 magnets, the current goes in one end of that foil and out the other, that means by it's very nature it has incredibly low impedance. To a conventional amp designed to drive loads with say 4+Ohms that looks like a short circuit and it will either shutdown, or just break.
You basically have 2 options to connect it to an amp, you either stick a resistor series with it, like the original speaker amp box (ignoring the baffle compensation), but that means that almost all the supplied power is converted to heat by that resistor, rather than driving the headphone, so you need a lot of power, or you use a transformer like in the TI-1C to make that impedance look reasonable to the amp, there are significant losses here as well, but not at the same level.

 

[FinHifi]

I mean, no. That’s a terrible idea. The power requirements are massively different for ribbons vs dynamics/planars vs estats. Ribbons need a ton of current at low voltage (the Jot R does up to 13 amps at I think 5v) due to the extremely low impedance, dynamics need a middle range, and estats need a ton of voltage at low current (480-680v or so). This is why the transformer boxes exist for the Raals. Think of it as the headphone is actually the driver and interface box if you want to use a regular amp.

If you plug ribbons in to a regular amp, best case the amp will immediately go into a protection shut down, worst case you fry your amp and headphones. Don’t try it.

Efficiency isn't really he right word.

Not to belittle the work that goes into making a good one, all a ribbon driver is in it's simplest form is a strip of thin metal foil between 2 magnets, the current goes in one end of that foil and out the other, that means by it's very nature it has incredibly low impedance. To a conventional amp designed to drive loads with say 4+Ohms that looks like a short circuit and it will either shutdown, or just break.
You basically have 2 options to connect it to an amp, you either stick a resistor series with it, like the original speaker amp box (ignoring the baffle compensation), but that means that almost all the supplied power is converted to heat by that resistor, rather than driving the headphone, so you need a lot of power, or you use a transformer like in the TI-1C to make that impedance look reasonable to the amp, there are significant losses here as well, but not at the same level.

Yeah, I know that it is a bad idea to plug those directly to a regular amp, but still im slightly interested
And yes, efficiency is not a right word in this case.
I was thinking if the manufacturers could do modifications to drivers so that they would support regular amps, not easy i recon.

 

[nojwe]

I was thinking if the manufacturers could do modifications to drivers so that they would support regular amps, not easy i recon.

I think the laws of physics would need to change

 

[Polygonhell]

I think the laws of physics would need to change

A lot of Ribbon drivers for full sized speakers just package the transformer with the driver, but unless you want really heavy headphones that's not really possible for the Raal's.

 

[Belialspawn]

I just wanted to say that i prefer mine without the filters; I've tried through Roon, Foobar and Convolver just to make sure i was using them right but did'nt like the results. For me it takes all the magic out, they just become dull and muted. The Visceral and Raw nature they give out the box just makes some music come alive, its not very forgiving.

If the amplifier has low enough output impedance it will work. i know a guy that runs his CA-1a's from the speaker taps of Schitt Tyr Monoblock's. but it needs to be 0.2ohm and balls of steel.

 

[luiscesar]

Interested here to try filters it with iOS and Tidal, any fast guide?

 

[nojwe]

Interested here to try filters it with iOS and Tidal, any fast guide?

I don’t think you can use the filter on iOS. I’d love to be proven wrong though.