[Benno1988]

Box and headphones. Between the AHB2 and the TI1a I would imagine doesn't really matter too much.

 

[yyzSB]

I'm certainly not going to argue with that. But if I didn't listen while working, I'd be down to listening for a half hour a day at most. As it is, I get that half hour of prime listening, plus another 8-10 hours of listening while working. I count that as a win, at least until I'm able to retire and all time is prime listening time. To bring it back to this thread, I bet there are others like me, meaning there may be a market for pads that accommodate glasses-wearers.

I listen to the SR1a ONLY when I am working late at night (unfortunately that is a lot). I also wear glasses and the SR1a fits nicely with the glasses.

Oops, maybe the statement I quoted was about the new headphones and not the SR1a or SR1b. I was referring to the SR1a.

 

[Catharus]

I'm using the Thoman Room stand with the extra large top hanger, perfect for the SR1a and presumably the CA-1a as well.

Just be aware that if the steel of the SR1a touches the aluminum of the Room stand, there will be oxidation creating a thin white powder.

 

[Benno1988]

Just be aware that if the steel of the SR1a touches the aluminum of the Room stand, there will be oxidation creating a thin white powder.

The ROOM is powdercoated no? Think it would really create enough electrical difference to start oxidising?

What type of steel is the headband too?

 

[Catharus]

The ROOM is powdercoated no? Think it would really create enough electrical difference to start oxidising?

What type of steel is the headband too?

My Room stand is the silver colored version. I was wondering what all the white powder on the SR1a’s black leather was until I noticed the metal pieces touching when I put them away.

With a bit of luck, the black version is better in this respect.

 

[Benno1988]

Guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to coat the steel on the RAAL in that case. Anyone living near salt water likely to start to see some pitting etc eventually.

 

[Christer]

**** that's a weird statement bud.

Most of my listening is while I work. If I had a spare 40 hrs a week to then also listen to music I would. That'd be nice wouldn't it!

@Aleksandar R. Those photos are great!

May I ask what kind of work you are doing while listening to music at the same time?
Cheers CC

 

[Benno1988]

May I ask what kind of work you are doing while listening to music at the same time?
Cheers CC

Well, I could do anything while listening to music

But I'm a structural engineer, make buildings not fall down

If you can't work to a high standard and listen at the same time, all good, but maybe just rephrase crap you say to be more open to other people being different haha

 

[Aleksandar R.]

I'm saying I have a LCD-5. I'll test them to see how they compare. LCD-5 is at a different pricepoint, but I suspsect the CA-1A will punch on quite well. Super keen to try!

CA-1a will be better than LCD5.
Price does not matter. We have the tecnological advantage.
Not the planar-we-renamed-into-a-ribbon like LCD-R, but the real thing.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

Guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to coat the steel on the RAAL in that case. Anyone living near salt water likely to start to see some pitting etc eventually.

Likely??? Pitting, no less???How did you figure that out? Same like assuming our cable is bad, so you want to make your own?

 

[FLTWS]

My Room stand is the silver colored version. I was wondering what all the white powder on the SR1a’s black leather was until I noticed the metal pieces touching when I put them away.

With a bit of luck, the black version is better in this respect.

I've had no such issue with my headband or any other leather or metal part of my SR1a. I wasn't even aware there was a silver version of the Room. Being the fussbudget I am when it comes to my gear I always treat all my gear in such a way that it will still look new years on. And with my metal HP stands (I also own several Woo's which are silver) I've never had issue. I prefer stands that allow any earpads to hang free so as to not deform. And the wide top Room (which may have been designed specifically for the SR1a -but I don't know that for certain) is wide enough that when hung the left and right SR1a wings don't touch each other. Nor does any metal part of the Room come into contact with any metal on the SR1a.

White powder on the headband. Could it be an interaction of the leather with shampoo residue or other hair conditioning product? Or even just sweat (I've had that happen to me with some of my golf caps).

I just went and checked mine, the only thin white powder I see is on the horizontal and vertical "replaceable pads" that come into contact with the side of my (beardless) face and over the ear where it comes into contact with my hair. A soft painters brush cleans it right off.

 

[SageM]

will we be able to use the new HP's with the Tl-1a?

Yes. In fact, the CA-1a Circum-Aural is available "Naked" meaning, headphone only (no cables, nothing). This is for anyone who already owns a SR1. There's no need to repurchase equipment you already have, such as: TI-1a, TI-1b, cables, amplifiers.

The only "legacy" product this would not apply to (that I can think of, at this hour of the morning) would be our original RI-1a Ribbon/Amp interface. This is because the RI-1a has Open Baffle Compensation (required for SR1) hardwired into the circuit, making it unsuitable for interfacing the new CA-1a.

For those handy with a soldering iron, it is possible to modify the original RI-1a with a "switchable bypass". I believe I've seen someone (maybe on this forum) who has already done that.

I'm unaware of any pitfalls inherent in the mod. Perhaps Alex will want to expand on this.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

First you say you don't listen to other headphones and don't really care (cool, good attitude). Now you're straight up saying its better than another flagship without comparing them directly. I'm saying I will compare them, purely because I ALREADY OWN THE LCD-5.


Are you ok Aleksandar? You've gone from super cool and helpful to straight up hormonal teenager.

No, I haven't assumed your cable is bad. I make cables, I like doing it. I make them the exact length I need, and use the connectors I like. It has nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, to do with the quality of your cable.

And pitting. Read above. Someone reported oxidisation between aluminium stand and your steel headband. If that is true, this means the steel headband is susceptible to this given the right conditions, since it means it isn't coated and isn't some stainless variant. Again, if the report of oxidisation is correct.

It is either a case of two separate people using the same Head-Fi account, or you've gone and gotten drunk and decided to go on Head-Fi and skim read posts and respond poorly.

Chill. The. ****. Out.

I'm OK, thank you. I just get agitated with assumptions, sometimes. Sorry about dropping a teenage rant on you.

The headspring is made of spring stainless steel 301. See here about applications and corrosion resistance. : https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6807
So, that should be good enough for corrosion resistance in coastal areas.
I don't think if anyone in their right mind, having any level of technical prowess, would use a regular steel without any paint, on any product, but still, you assumed I did, so that triggered me off. It felt like you're considering me an idiot. I know that what i felt is wrong, so sorry about that, too.

As for the claim of white powder on leather in relationship with that stand, I would first assume dandruff, then mechanical scratching of primer paint, or Zinc oxide from plating, but the last thing would be corrosion by contact of two dissimilar metals, especially in room conditions without presence of dew.
Even if that would be the case, I would not paint over a perfectly good looking bead blasted S-S. I'd rather recommend using wooden stand. Don't like wood? Perfectly fine. In the same way, I don't like painting non corrosive metals.

I really don't listen to anything else when in development phase. I finished that before Munich High-End, so got free of that rule and got to listen a lot of stuff and form the opinion about it.
It's not correct on my part to post here what I've found to be the deficiencies in sound of other manufacturer's flagship products, so it's best for me to say "I don't know" or "Mine will fare better". That kinda' conveys my confidence in my product, but doesn't sound dismissive to other people's products, because it really isn't what I feel about those products. I actually admire certain solutions in certain products very much.

So, without disclosing what I have listened to in Munich, I'll stick to explaining technical differences.
I just happen to know certain advantages of the working regime of a True Ribbon -the way we make it, compared to working regimes of Planars that are clamped over their whole circumference. It's about the necessary acoustical resistance you must use, and that defines dynamic compression in bass.
Another thing is that smooth leather pads are bad for midrange. It's an acoustical fact. There are some workarounds, but it's not enough to remove the problem. the bigger question is if the workaround is good and costs equally to make, why it hasn't been implemented in cheaper products, but just on a flagship?

 

[Aleksandar R.]

Yes. In fact, the CA-1a Circum-Aural is available "Naked" meaning, headphone only (no cables, nothing). This is for anyone who already owns a SR1. There's no need to repurchase equipment you already have, such as: TI-1a, TI-1b, cables, amplifiers.

The only "legacy" product this would not apply to (that I can think of, at this hour of the morning) would be our original RI-1a Ribbon/Amp interface. This is because the RI-1a has Open Baffle Compensation (required for SR1) hardwired into the circuit, making it unsuitable for interfacing the new CA-1a.

For those handy with a soldering iron, it is possible to modify the original RI-1a with a "switchable bypass". I believe I've seen someone (maybe on this forum) who has already done that.

I'm unaware of any pitfalls inherent in the mod. Perhaps Alex will want to expand on this.

Adding a switch is perfectly fine, no pitfalls there.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

@Benno1988 and other glasses wearers:

I have been wearing my reading glasses while listening for two hoursand doing the paperwork, typing here, sending e-mails.
I've plucked out the lenses, so I could actually read the monitor, but CA's are super comfy with glasses!
Memory foam is really good stuff for de-localizing pressure.
My glasses-arms are thin, though, but I really don't expect anyone feeling significant discomfort.
the arms do show the imprint on my skin, but really nothing that I can feel during wearing.

And on a side-note, to me, the listening does suffer a lot, but it's nice to work with background music. there was always playing music in our workshop and office, so during the night, while I do a lot of my work, I listen to my background music on headphones. Currently, it's Mark Knopfler's solo opus. Sublime!