[protoss]

@Jerseyboy

And what type of music dose the Srh1a excel at? Classical? Hip-hop? Classic Rock? Or it can sound great in every genre?

 

[Jerseyboy]

@Jerseyboy

And what type of music dose the Srh1a excel at? Classical? Hip-hop? Classic Rock? Or it can sound great in every genre?

I have used it mainly with Electronic, Avant-garde jazz, Ambient, World, Classic Rock and some Classical and I would say the only limiting factor so far has been the quality of the source. Well mastered lossless albums and tracks will always shine although as it is an extremely accurate and lifelike headphone it may not suit those who prefer a warmer, euphonic, or bass heavy presentation.

 

[GuyForkes]

Srajan at 6moons has just finished his review of SR1a (we got the Blue Moon Award!) and he has a nice suggestion for sub-$3k amps here, at the top of the page 11:

https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/raalrequisite/11/

It is NORD's Class-D with optional upgrades. He wasn't a fan of the previous version, just like I wouldn't be for the same reasons, but he deliberately wanted to find flaws in this MkII version and he ended up being happy with it, so much so, that he happily recommends the pairing with SR1a!

Have you considered finding a demo/used chord etude? The ttoby will be a bit underpowered. The Brooklyn will have enough power, though, and I do like their expressiveness even though the mytek isn't as refined as some amps in its price range.

No issues with class D. In fact class D amps might have better response speed that compliments the speed of the SR1a's. It does depending on the quality of power delivery into the amp, though.



You'll need a power amp that goes after the atom. But yes, even on a budget power amp (Vidar, NAD) these will be far, far more resolving and clean than the options you listed.

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll explore more class D options then. Unfortunately the mytek is the only one of that size (that I know of) that puts out the kind of power required.

 

[protoss]

@Jerseyboy

If you compare the Srh1a to other bright headphones such as HD800, Uptoia and 009. What comes close to the Srh1a? Or how much of a gain will there be from a HD800 to Srh1a? From soundstage to detail, etch... or let me say. If you own an HD800 how much better in % is it? 5% or 10% or this all depends on gear etch. If someone has a TOTL gear for the HD800 is there even a point of owning the Srh1a?

Thanks

 

[Zhanming057]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll explore more class D options then. Unfortunately the mytek is the only one of that size (that I know of) that puts out the kind of power required.

Not class D, but you might want to consider the Hegel H190 if the size works out - I liked that combination and it comes with its own DAC as well. Another option is the PS audio stellar which is full rack but a fairly slim design.

 

[Jerseyboy]

@Jerseyboy

If you compare the Srh1a to other bright headphones such as HD800, Uptoia and 009. What comes close to the Srh1a? Or how much of a gain will there be from a HD800 to Srh1a? From soundstage to detail, etch... or let me say. If you own an HD800 how much better in % is it? 5% or 10% or this all depends on gear etch. If someone has a TOTL gear for the HD800 is there even a point of owning the Srh1a?

Thanks

I wouldn’t describe the SR-1A as “bright” in the same way as with traditional headphones. Indeed, the headphones you refer to as bright are all part of my collection, but I do not perceive them as such on my system. As you will appreciate, any headphone set-up is only as good as it’s weakest link. A high-end system, i.e. source, DAC, amplifier, etc can get the best out of a headphone but it cannot make an ordinary headphone great. In my opinion the SR-1A is in a different league to those you mention and indeed all other headphones I have tried. I could try and break this down into the various characteristics, but my comments could only ever be subjective. Indeed, the differences are so extensive as to render comparisons meaningless in any event. I suggest you try to audition the SR-1A and you will see precisely what I mean.

 

[protoss]

I could try and break this down into the various characteristics

Please break it down. It is nice to get full views of different opinions on this headphone.

Take your time. But I like a full break down if you can please.

 

[HoloSpice]

Please break it down. It is nice to get full views of different opinions on this headphone.

Take your time. But I like a full break down if you can please.

Nuff said. "King of headphones"

Go buy it now @protoss

 

[WilliamWykeham]

If anyone in NYC winds up getting a Nord mk2 I would be very curious to check it out - also interested in Bryston. I have an mscaler I could bring

 

[Bill13]

Nuff said. "King of headphones"

Simply stated, no headphone I've ever heard sounds as real.

 

[HoloSpice]

BE PREPARED – I took receipt of the above headphone, connected it to my Bryston 2.5B3 power amplifier as instructed, sat back and listened. Even after 20 years of being a headphone fanatic my ears were not prepared for what they heard. I am not an experienced review writer and I rarely put pen to paper – usually preferring to read and assimilate other people’s eulogies about their favourite pieces of equipment. But this is different.


I could simply list the clichés that apply to this headphone, silky highs; treble splash; bass slam; speed, accuracy; soundstage; detail; etc, etc. All this is true but in a different context to whatever you may have heard from your headphones before. This headphone is not trying to compete with other TOTL headphones - it is creating its own genre through the innovative and unprecedented use of ribbon technology. To put this in perspective, my usual “go to” headphone is the Stax SR009S running off the fantastic Blue Hawaii SE electrostatic amp. I can honestly say that once I put on the Raal Requisite, I have found myself unable to listen to the Stax in the same way again.

I will try to elaborate but firstly a word of warning. The Raal is a Monster!! You will not be prepared for the inherent dynamics presented. You will put on the headphone and listen and because of the accuracy and realism you will be drawn into putting the volume to what you think is a comfortable level based on your normal listening experiences BUT the dynamic range is so huge that when the louder sequences kick in you will rapidly be grasping for the volume level to control the assault on your eardrums. I was not prepared for this and after a couple of days listening, I found myself with a mild (and thankfully temporary) episode of Tinnitus. Be assured that this was entirely my own fault by not giving this headphone the respect it deserves – please know that if you want to use this headphone you need to RE-TRAIN your ears. It is a NEW listening experience, I say that even as an AKG K1000 owner and supporter of “earspeakers” in whatever form.

Also don’t bother trying to do an A/B test with these – the listening experience is so different, almost akin to a live presentation, your ears will not be able to adjust quickly enough to provide any credibility to the findings. The Stax to my ears sounded flat, bloated and lacking detail when I tried to listen directly after using the Raal Rquisite. To compare, you need to give yourself several hours for your ears to readjust before moving on to any comparison.

It has been said that the Requisite can be a little “hot” at the top end owing to its linear response. I found this to be only slightly true with poorer source material and I am sure this can be adjusted to taste by a change to different jumper cables between the power amplifier and the provided adapter box. I have tried a couple of alternatives and can testify to this fact (IMO, of course)

All I can say is that all headphone enthusiasts owe it to themselves to listen to a pair of these headphones, whether it be at CANJAM, a friend’s house, or by buying a pair. Compared with the inflated cost of the current range of TOTL headphones the USD3,500 is a snip as the cost of entry into a new world of headphone listening. So much so that I am now enthusiastically looking forward to future upgrades……doh!!!

You need to be careful of what you say around here... otherwise the Stax mafia will gcome after you..

 

[joseph69]

You need to be careful of what you say around here... otherwise the Stax mafia will gcome after you..

Yeah, @HoloSpice told me the same thing, and I'm still here.

 

[Jerseyboy]

You need to be careful of what you say around here... otherwise the Stax mafia will gcome after you..

.....but I'm a fully paid up Member !!!!!

 

[Tekunda]

I find the bass is not exaggerated or overblown at all - it is solid, tight, articulate and with fast transitions. The bass drives the rhythm as it should reaching deep into the lowest reaches you are looking for but without clouding or obscuring other parts of the instrumentation. It is also balanced within the overall presentation. The clarity and realism is what I have found the most fascinating - you can hear tight, solid, structured bass at the same time as the clearest of clear mid-range and top-end - it is this interplay across the whole sound spectrum that makes this headphone so addictive - it is the closest thing I have ever heard to listening to live music. Just one caveat - as has been said elsewhere you will need excellent source material to enjoy the full range of what this headphone can do. Hope this helps.

Yes, your reply will help me to make an educated decision on my path to find my personal endgame headphone.

I find the bass is not exaggerated or overblown at all - it is solid, tight, articulate and with fast transitions. The bass drives the rhythm as it should reaching deep into the lowest reaches you are looking for but without clouding or obscuring other parts of the instrumentation. It is also balanced within the overall presentation. The clarity and realism is what I have found the most fascinating - you can hear tight, solid, structured bass at the same time as the clearest of clear mid-range and top-end - it is this interplay across the whole sound spectrum that makes this headphone so addictive - it is the closest thing I have ever heard to listening to live music. Just one caveat - as has been said elsewhere you will need excellent source material to enjoy the full range of what this headphone can do. Hope this helps.

Yes indeed, your reply will help me to make an educated decision on my path to find my personal endgame headphones.

 

[Tekunda]

Does anybody have experience with Chord's Mscaler and the Raal?
Quite a few people are intrigued by the Mscaler (plus HugoTT2).