moby2004
New Head-Fier
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- Jul 8, 2014
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Interesting. Any sound difference vs the existing interface if we use a powerful speaker amp ?
Raal Ribbon Headphones - SRH1A
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SageM
Member of the Trade: RAAL-requisite
A full TI-1a product page with plenty of pics should be up by Monday. In the meantime, look on the "Store" page for a pic and a highly detailed explanation of the TI-1a.
SeniorBrother
New Head-Fier
Hmm... maybe I'll go to Ventura to pick one up to try my sr1a on a friend's riviera aic-10.
SageM
Member of the Trade: RAAL-requisite
Sounds good. Would enjoy meeting you.
FLTWS
Headphoneus Supremus
Just noticed something comparing the "NEWS" section on the RAAL website for the VM-1a to the "preliminary" manual for it. The 6SL7 and 6SN7 are interchangeable and either will be able to be used in the VM-1a? I'm not sure they are.
MANUAL
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SageM
Member of the Trade: RAAL-requisite
Correct. Both 6SN7 and 6SL7 are suitable. The original design was to use the 6SL7, however, after sufficient listening sessions, I find, in the vast majority of applications, the 6SN7 is ideal. The 6SL7 is recommended only in cases where additional gain is required. Others may prefer the opposite and can exercise that option. VM-1a is supplied with 6SN7 as standard configuration.
John Useless
New Head-Fier
Very interesting and good to know both are safe and suitable to use. I am definitely going to have to try a 6SL7 now myself. I hadn't even noticed that the labeling on the amp didn't match the pdf spec/manual and actual tube so thanks @FLTWS for spotting that! I don't think I need any additional gain but will be curious to see what differences I hear for sure.
Also excited about this new TI-1a, going to definitely make it easier/cheaper for me to have some extra listening stations in other locations by re-using some headphone amps I have on hand. I expect I'm still going to prefer the VM-1a to any of the other headphone amps I have on hand but always interesting to have options and to compare. I know it's been mentioned in the past that the compensation for the open baffle design can be achieved a number of ways (passive circuit, active eq, etc) and I'm curious how it works in the new RCA/XLR adapters to pair with the TI-1a?
SageM
Member of the Trade: RAAL-requisite
Just this morning, I posted TI-1a pics on our "NEWS" section of our site. On our "STORE" page, there is a fairly comprehensive explanation covering the TI-1a applications and design goals. It's a little long but, good information, for sure.
eboleyn
New Head-Fier
I couldn't help myself and already ordered the new TI-1a.
But to be clear, I would also like to hear from those who have been working on/tuning it what they'd have to say here!
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Please keep us posted with your findings!I couldn't help myself and already ordered the new TI-1a.
But to be clear, I would also like to hear from those who have been working on/tuning it what they'd have to day here!
eboleyn
New Head-Fier
Sure. I have various amp adapter cables I'd created over the years to experiment with balanced headphones, so I'll surely do things like some side-by-sides with my existing class A speaker amps to see what I like better.
Aleksandar R.
Sponsor: RAAL 1995
Yes, the new TI-1a will draw far less power from the amp, so the amp will rarely leave Class A in normal listening. When you count the number of transistors per rail, and if each has ~50mA of bias current, that's already a significantly high bias current considering you'll use it on 32 Ohms. You can expect more "smoothness", so to speak.
Aleksandar R.
Sponsor: RAAL 1995
All of our SR1 OB Compensations in all amps we make is passive, at line signal level. The same is with TI-1a, so it's the same result as you get with HSA-1a/b or VM-1a. The only active PB Comp. we were offering is in Jotunheim R, and it works great, too.
The TI itself is quite neutral. Very neutral. The differences in sound we've been having with different amps is due to amps themselves.
Aleksandar R.
Sponsor: RAAL 1995
Thank you!I couldn't help myself and already ordered the new TI-1a.
But to be clear, I would also like to hear from those who have been working on/tuning it what they'd have to say here!
The goal was to have the most transparent transformers. We've been developing the VM tube amp for two years and we definitely liked how Toroidal Output Transformers worked in it and I went on to develop the Toroidal ones for the TI. Eventually, I ditched all my Amorphous C-core prototypes as they were inferior.
By it's nature we've had low leakage inductance, extending the bandwidth, and the distortion was the same. Then the task was to reduce the leakage even further, to the lowest possible value. Given the high transformation ratio and very low secondary load, that was a complicated thing to do.
We're using high-permeability cores, so low-level detail comes out very nicely. The limit in that regard will be in the amp, not the TI or the source.
This high permeability with toroidal cores with no gap is a problem when there's a DC offset at the amp output, so the primary has a certain resistance that prevents core saturation.
In parallel to that, the cable problem had to be solved, as the cable is the dominant load to the TI secondary.
So, little by little, the best combo of parameters was found and I was able set the cable length and the transformer ratio for best results.
There is also the backwards compatibility with our "old" Silver cables, as they are having very low inductance, so they can work wonderfully with the TI.
there's no need to bother you wirh more details, as once you get your own, you will try it on different amps and see if it preserves what they can do or not. I hope you will be very happy with what you hear, but you'll be the judge.
Aleksandar R.
Sponsor: RAAL 1995
I bet this will be great! What power does it make at 8 Ohms?
