[yyzSB]

Knowing how Raal's cans sound like (...or I think that I do, I haven't heard them yet), I'd think that silver cables would be too much?

I was reluctant to try the cables because if the silver. However, whatever they did these cables are great.

Did you get to try the Kef LS50 speakers on Raal HSA-1b? LS50 is admittedly rather inefficient at 85dB/8Ohm, but HSA-1b is 10 watts/8Ohm, 20 watts/4Ohm, so the combo should have made decent volume levels in modest room sizes.

No I did not even try. The LS50's need some juice and the HSA-1b does not have that. I bought a Krell K-300i integrated yesterday for the LEF LS50's and the RAAL SR1a. That should also be a killer combo (CODA in the office). This is for a bigger space in the family room. I will evetnually replace the KEF LS50's later. The LS50s are going to be tried first to see if my toddler does not destroy it. Love the LS50.

The HSA-1b was great wit the SR1a.

 

[ferraro25]

Since my last post, I was having a consistent issue with peaky, sibilant, and etched treble. It was so bad that I was trying lowering the treble dial quite a bit below the neutral setting, but it wasn't targeting the peak, and so I wasn't able to find a satisfactory setting. I was assuming it was due to my cheap class D amp (see ** below for details), but I just adjusted the SR1a's thicker headband such that my ear canals are slightly below the midpoint of the height of the drivers, and that fixed the treble issues completely.

Still boosting the bass, but this time in software, as my amp's bass dial can get thumpy a little too quickly: a 7 dB (pre-amp set to -7 dB to avoid digital clipping), 0.4 Q low shelf filter centered at 166 Hz in the Peace interface for Equalizer APO (I did not come up the Hz nor the Q setting myself - built-in to Peace). I mostly keep the treble dial at or barely above neutral, depending on mood & track brightness. Sounds amazing. Less immediately gratifying than with the peaky treble, somehow, but it sure as hell sounds more real and balanced.

** Not gonna link due to realizing, while previewing my post, that head-fi adds its own affiliate tag to Amazon links, but search for "TDA7498E 2 Channel Home Stereo Audio Amplifier" on Amazon - it is the "SUCA AUDIO" one

 

[MacedonianHero]

A properly designed silver cable can be revelatory. An improperly designed one can shear your ears right off your head. All depends on the implementation.

Definitely my experiences as well! Thankfully the RAAL silver cable is the real deal without a hint of treble tizzyness but gobs and gobs of transparency, clarity and musicality. I've asked for more details on the construction, etc... and availability date, I should hear back shortly.

 

[JLoud]

Any word on cost of new silver Raal cable? Apologies if it was already mentioned.

 

[yyzSB]

Any word on cost of new silver Raal cable? Apologies if it was already mentioned.

7 foot $1050

 

[jlbrach]

I am lucky enough to have received the cable and am very pleased....not to go into a long description but suffice to say better in every area then the stock which isnt bad.....the whole package together with the HSA-1B is simply awe inspiring..just finished listening to the mahavishnu orchestra ,the inner mounting flame...quite honestly truly staggering

 

[FLTWS]

As a followup to my post above regarding wing positioning and stereo sound balance and the lack of symmetry between the L and R halves of our faces, here's a little fun thing you can do with the SR1a that you can't do with conventional headphone ear cups. While playing something with a center soloist (or centered or mono test signal) lift both wings away from contact with the sides of your face and pivot the left and right side wings in opposite directions (fore and aft) using the top center of the headband as your pivot point and hear that center image move L or R. Now set it at the point where you normally do for listening and hear if there is any difference between what you normally set it at and and where you positioned it during the pivoting maneuver.

You may think your getting balanced sound from whatever comfortable position you normally have the SR1a sitting on your face/head, but I find this to be the ultimate balance control, it accounts for any asymmetry (as well as any imbalance in the recorded material) and it introduces zero distortion! Lunatic fringe stuff, LOL!

Played with this a bit as I break-in my HSA-1a.

 

[ferraro25]

First off, since I don't want to misrepresent this headphone's bass quantity, and I care about how I'm perceived here even though I refuse to talk to anybody: the bass boost in my last post was definitely too strong, so I lowered it to 3 dB. Seems about right - adds a little power to the bass without muddying up the (extremely clear) sound.

Still very happy with the SR1a. A very nice upgrade from my HD 800 S, which sits in my closet now because it offers nothing over the SR1a. Even comfort.

However, I'm super curious if the SR1a can sound better, especially at higher volumes, so I might soon be contradicting my "amps and dacs don't make much difference as long as they all measure decently well" statement and get a Cambridge Audio CXA61 amp. In case this amp hasn't been mentioned recently or even at all in this thread: it is $999, well-reviewed, class AB 60 WPC RMS @ 8 ohms, and has a decent integrated DAC (I might get an RME ADI-2 DAC FS in the future). I do have a fried Jotunheim R - which was faulty from the get-go, so I don't know what it actually sounded like - that I could RMA, but that requires talking to people (see my sig) and going to a FedEx store or similar, and I like getting new toys & also seem to like wasting money, so...

Impressions of the CXA61 + SR1a, plus - if I decide to put the effort in - comparisons to my $79 class D amp, coming next week. Probably. The SR1a sounds extremely good with this cheap amp - been listening to it while endlessly editing this post. Dunno that spending >$1000 will amount to much more than just, well, spending >$1000. Will be interesting to see.

 

[Jon L]

Cambridge Audio CXA61 amp...class AB 60 WPC RMS @ 8 ohms

According to Raal:
"Your SR1a Earfield Monitor requires an outboard amplifier with a minimum of 100-watts RMS. Amplifiers of 200-500 watts RMS are also suitable and even preferred."

Cambridge's 60 watts really shouldn't be enough for clean, realistic volume with SR1a.

Your TDA7498E class-D amp is often advertized as 160W, but that's at 10% distortion into 4 Ohms not 8, using 32V power supply, not the supplied 24V supply. The chip itself really only makes 60-75W/channel/8 Ohms, so I am surprised you seem happy with it with SR1a.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Listening to my Susvara and the HSA-1b and I am astonished at the firm grip of the drivers that this amplifier has of these very hard to drive headphones. I'm at 10:30-ish on the volume dial with plenty of punch, drive, dynamics and transparency AND still lots of head-room to spare! Talk about a Swiss army knife of amplifiers that can drive these headphones (or any traditional headphone you can throw at it) PLUS the SR1a ribbon ear-speakers! I love having my cake and eating it too!

 

[jlbrach]

I am at 1030 or so on the most loud remastered albums sometimes 9...but with my quieter albums and old mono acoustic jazz I am at 15-20

 

[Njychen]

Listening to my Susvara and the HSA-1b and I am astonished at the firm grip of the drivers that this amplifier has of these very hard to drive headphones. I'm at 10:30-ish on the volume dial with plenty of punch, drive, dynamics and transparency AND still lots of head-room to spare! Talk about a Swiss army knife of amplifiers that can drive these headphones (or any traditional headphone you can throw at it) PLUS the SR1a ribbon ear-speakers! I love having my cake and eating it too!

Thru headphone output or ribbon output? Thanks.

 

[jlbrach]

has to be ribbon output

 

[MacedonianHero]

Thru headphone output or ribbon output? Thanks.

The ribbon output is the same as the speaker output...so yes, through that output (using the amp's full power on tap via the adapter).

 

[jlbrach]

for an amp that on paper isnt all that powerful when used with traditionally HP's even out of the ribbon output it sure does a hell of a good job