[Axel]

Speakers are multi driver, Iems are multidriver... besides Dan Clark's AMTS system, I haven't seen much innovation in the headphone space. And going for a multi driver design is probably the only thing that will compete/ take things to the next level. I think single driver headphones have reached a technical limitation speed wise, and you need some other tricks to push detail and clarity further.

Speakers use more drivers to push more air easily. To fill larger spaces with sound and reach higher spls.
You don’t need that with headphones being 1cm from your ear.
Also, I don’t think what I’m missing with headphones is more detail and clarity.
It will be interesting to see/hear what can be achieved.
The SR-1 was a 10 year long project to get it right.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I love the VM-1a with both the CA1a and SR1a, but I found it made a much bigger difference with the CA1a than SR1a. It's kind of staggering how much of a difference it made, for me.

Yeah, it's crazy.

Are you using the Mitch filters too? I'm trying them out. I dunno if I like no filter or filter better. I guess it's good to have options though

 

[yyzSB]

I love the VM-1a with both the CA1a and SR1a, but I found it made a much bigger difference with the CA1a than SR1a. It's kind of staggering how much of a difference it made, for me.

Same for me. The VM-1a improves the CA-1a way more than it improves the SR1a. I like the SR1a more than the CA-1a. If that makes any sense.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I prefer the CA without Mitch filters on the VM I think. I guess the filters work better with the TI Interface

I gotta say the VM with the CA is one of the best headphone setups I've heard. It does a lot really well. For the price of the combo, I dunno what can beat it.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I really can't believe the bass I'm getting out of the CA in Triode mode with the VM. It really is th900mk2 levels. It makes rap sound so good. I could only own this combo and be happy. They are giving the TCs a run for their money with this bass, and I didn't expect that at all.

 

[Hiker816]

Yeah, it's crazy.

Are you using the Mitch filters too? I'm trying them out. I dunno if I like no filter or filter better. I guess it's good to have options though

I don't use any filters when I'm using the VM1a. When I'm driving the SR1a with the TI-1a interface and another amp, though, I use the Mitch SR1b neutral + bass filter (the one that provides the open baffle compensation and allows you to take the barrels out of the chain). With that combo and filter, at least with a good amp (Zahl HM1 for me), I find the SR1a sounds close and maybe even equal to driving it off the VM1a. With the CA1a, though, it's no contest. It's simply better off the VM1a regardless of what filter combo and amp the VM1a is compared to. For me, anyway. YMMV.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I just gotta say the VM is a big step up from the TI. I'm super surprised that the VM is so good. It's well worth the money. I highly recommend it

 

[Ciggavelli]

I don't use any filters when I'm using the VM1a. When I'm driving the SR1a with the TI-1a interface and another amp, though, I use the Mitch SR1b neutral + bass filter (the one that provides the open baffle compensation and allows you to take the barrels out of the chain). With that combo and filter, at least with a good amp (Zahl HM1 for me), I find the SR1a sounds close and maybe even equal to driving it off the VM1a. With the CA1a, though, it's no contest. It's simply better off the VM1a regardless of what filter combo and amp the VM1a is compared to. For me, anyway. YMMV.

What do you think of the Zahl? I've been very skeptical of it, and I hate the limited number of units a year strategy. What other headphones are you driving it with?

 

[Ciggavelli]

The only complaints I have about the VM-1a is that you have to use XLR ICs and it gets hot....lol.

Ribbons might be the answer to headphones. I'm super surprised and very happy

 

[Spawn300Z]

I will say the CA-1A w/ T1-1B off the Riviera AIC-10 is amazing. Would love to hear the VM-1A, but don’t see it getting better than this.

 

[Hiker816]

What do you think of the Zahl? I've been very skeptical of it, and I hate the limited number of units a year strategy. What other headphones are you driving it with?

I love it. Compared to the CFA3, the Zahl is more resolving, more holographic, has a blacker background, and slightly better dynamics. (CFA3 is a touch more muscular, though, for lack of a better term). I also really like the Zahl features like the soundstage adjustment knob and Class A vs Class A+servo. It's compact size is also kind of nice. I was pretty much always using a tube pre into the CFA3, but with the Zahl, I switch back and forth, as it sounds pretty great on its own. I'm driving the SR1a (when not using VM1a), Abyss 1266 TC, newly acquired Spirit Torino Valkyria, ZMF VC, DCA Stealth, and Senn HD800S off it, and all sound as good as I've heard them. (Though I bet the ZMF might sound even better off a high-end tube amp).

The only HP I don't ever drive off the Zahl is the CA-1a, as it's just a lot better off the VM1a.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I love it. Compared to the CFA3, the Zahl is more resolving, more holographic, has a blacker background, and slightly better dynamics. (CFA3 is a touch more muscular, though, for lack of a better term). I also really like the Zahl features like the soundstage adjustment knob and Class A vs Class A+servo. It's compact size is also kind of nice. I was pretty much always using a tube pre into the CFA3, but with the Zahl, I switch back and forth, as it sounds pretty great on its own. I'm driving the SR1a (when not using VM1a), Abyss 1266 TC, newly acquired Spirit Torino Valkyria, ZMF VC, DCA Stealth, and Senn HD800S off it, and all sound as good as I've heard them. (Though I bet the ZMF might sound even better off a high-end tube amp).

The only HP I don't ever drive off the Zahl is the CA-1a, as it's just a lot better off the VM1a.

Nice! I'm jealous about your Valkyria. That is my next headphone to buy. My high-end water cooled pc just completely bricked, so my money is going to that at the moment ($8K for at TOTL setup). After that, I'm buying the Valkyria. My dealer will give me 10% off, but maybe I need a new dealer...

 

[Aleksandar R.]

Multiple drivers = more complex design.
One of the highlights of the single ribbon in the SR-1b is it's pure coherency.
Adding additional drivers may make it difficult to preserve it.

In any case, it'll be interesting to hear impressions, and possibly later to try out.
I'm still learning my SR-1b and it is certainly not a plug-and-play headphones, it is very finicky and requires many tweaks and matching gear to shine.
Just ordered the star-8 cable.

Thank you for bringing the coherency question up.
IME, this is not a real problem. More of a philosophical problem, knowing that two (or more) of the "same" things aren't exactly the same...

However, look at it this way: there is a single driver surface area that has been divided into two or more sections.

I did a lot of ribbon and cone-midrange drivers in tight arrays back in the day, sometimes tapering them, and all is normal and well and nothing happens, as long they are in phase, like they would be if they were parts of a single cone, "coupled" by shared air loading (unlike in MTM arrays).

This time, I'm doing something that could be called "complimentary tuning", which in essence is a slightly different tuning of ribbon sections in a duo or a trio. What this does is that when a dip in response of one ribbon appears, there's no dip in it's mate's response, so one fills the holes of the other and vice versa.
Air load sharing happens normally, so they are well coupled in overcoming radiation impedance of air.

With complimentary tuned diaphragms or ribbons, you don't get multiplication of a problem. You get local field (less than 1/2" away from the ribbon) exchange of pressure between high pressure (peaks) and low pressure (dips), so the far field response (of the whole surface area) is smoother.

That is why, back in the day, B&W came up with weaved cone midrange drivers (Kevlar in their case), as there is the same mechanism of smoothing out the far-field response with weaved cones. Their different stiffness and speed of sound in different directions of the weave is basically dividing the diaphragm in sections with different tuning (4 sections tuned one way, 4 sections tuned the other way in a 90° weave).
Those cones do produce peaks and dips in pressure, in sections of their surface area, but that gets cancelled out locally.
Unless you do a close-up point-to-point measurement (or an inteferogram) of the cone, by measuring in far field, you would not be aware that there are local problems, or that there is (a multiple) cone breakup.
Things are just smooth and nice in far-field and they sound as clear, detailed and smooth as can be.

So, this is not just about increasing the surface area of the ribbon, it's also about reducing the problems that a single one has, or any other single diaphragm has, for that matter.

 

[jlbrach]

The SR1b with the VM-1a might be better than the Shang Sr. That extra bass really helps. The resolution on the Sr1b is slightly lower than the Shang, but the added low end is a big plus

the SR with the VM-1a is spectacular...it is a presentation nothing else matches...

 

[jlbrach]

I really can't believe the bass I'm getting out of the CA in Triode mode with the VM. It really is th900mk2 levels. It makes rap sound so good. I could only own this combo and be happy. They are giving the TCs a run for their money with this bass, and I didn't expect that at all.

you sound like myself and paradoxper lol...the combo is magical and for me as good as anything I have heard