[RickyV]

Hi RickyV,

Hopefully, by mid-November we'll have dealers covered. Until then, 3 units will be available though our direct sales in about 3 weeks.
the price will be >/=$5500.

How is it going, pretty busy I guess. Are you still on track with the VM1-a for mid-November?

 

[musicman59]

If one needs to use two different external amps to drive different headphones from DAVE/Mscaler, is there a way to get a high quality y splitter for the RCA cables so you don’t have to unplug and plug in to the different amps when switching between headphones. More specifically DAVE/Mscaler to Bakoon to Susvara vs DAVE/Mscaler to HSA-1b to RAAL SR1a.

I used these in my Bricasti M1SE with good results.
https://www.thecableco.com/hard-rca-splitter.html

 

[Sajid Amit]

In case you missed it

 

[FLTWS]

Aside from the PDA-1a, I've got all the other pieces.

 

[WaveTheory]

My review of the HSA-1b amp is now up:



Does Head-Fi not have a dedicated thread for this amp? I couldn't find one in a search.

 

[grohl511]

Is there anyone who have compared ‘premium ribbon’ cable and ‘studio reference’ cable from Raal?
I tried silver cable Raal released first, which now they call as ‘studio reference’, and I loved it.
About to buying it, but I found that Raal released another cable with same price, so i am very confused which one i have to buy.

 

[FLTWS]

Is there anyone who have compared ‘premium ribbon’ cable and ‘studio reference’ cable from Raal?
I tried silver cable Raal released first, which now they call as ‘studio reference’, and I loved it.
About to buying it, but I found that Raal released another cable with same price, so i am very confused which one i have to buy.

I have all 3 (and the stock makes 4).

I bought the "Studio Reference" SR728 Silver the day it was released back in February and found it much to my liking over the "Stock" cable that came with my SR1a and have never gone back to the "Stock".

I purchased both the "Deluxe" Copper/Silver and "Premium" Pure Silver Star 67 late September.

I purchased the "Deluxe" Copper/Silver as it was recommended for the JOT R (and comes in a specific length of 8 feet only to match the JOT R's sound signature presumably). Using the "Deluxe" with the JOT R, as well as my HSA-1b and PrimaLuna EVO 400 has been so satisfying I haven't even got round to the "Premium" Pure Silver Star 67 yet. In time I will.

Given the identical pricing on the "Studio Reference" SR728 Silver and the "Premium" Pure Silver Star 67 I would think that with the "Premium", being RAAL's most recent release, is their latest thoughts on what makes for a very good combination with the SR1a. I would be inclined to go with the "Premium" if my only other option was the "Stock".

I suspect that the difference between the "Studio Reference" and the "Premium" will not be day and night. Cables in particular are never like that to my ears unless there would be a drastic mismatch between the electrical output characteristics of the amp and the input characteristics of the the HP. And with the SR1a that match is critical because of the very low impedance of the ribbon design and must be paid attention to. I do think the cable that connects the amp to the transducer is the most important in the chain of boxes and cables and the quality of the metal and other parts of the cable and its construction are important. Still, it can take many hours of listening evaluation to discern very small differences, if any, and then it boils downs to personal preferences which can be all over the place from one listener to the next.

I look forward to trying all 3 with the VM-1a when it gets released. It's possible that one of the 3 might be a "best" match for any given one of my 4 amps (to my way of hearing it) with the SR1a.

While the HP cable is important, the sound I hear is primarily about the transducer type and the execution of the headphone design. The cable can make for subtle enhancement of the sound to suit the listener's preferences, if they want to go to those lengths to zero in on "their" sound.

 

[FLTWS]

And on the subject of the VM-1a, I haven't seen a "full frontal" (or backend) picture or diagram of the VM-1a so reading the controls and what they do is dificult. In noting the 2 male XLR outputs on the front, wouldn't operating 2 SR1a's simultaneously create some sort of echoing effect given the dipole radiating characteristics effecting both listeners? Might even using 1 SR1a and 1 CR1a have some sort of interference effect, if that can even be done given that the electrical characteristics of the SR1a vs CR1a might be different enough to preclude using one of each?

 

[FLTWS]

My review of the HSA-1b amp is now up:



Does Head-Fi not have a dedicated thread for this amp? I couldn't find one in a search.

I think all things RAAL fall under the thread. I kinda like it that way, personally.
A very simple search should allow one to zero in on posts specific to any individual product RAAL makes.

 

[grohl511]

I have all 3 (and the stock makes 4).

I bought the "Studio Reference" SR728 Silver the day it was released back in February and found it much to my liking over the "Stock" cable that came with my SR1a and have never gone back to the "Stock".

I purchased both the "Deluxe" Copper/Silver and "Premium" Pure Silver Star 67 late September.

I purchased the "Deluxe" Copper/Silver as it was recommended for the JOT R (and comes in a specific length of 8 feet only to match the JOT R's sound signature presumably). Using the "Deluxe" with the JOT R, as well as my HSA-1b and PrimaLuna EVO 400 has been so satisfying I haven't even got round to the "Premium" Pure Silver Star 67 yet. In time I will.

Given the identical pricing on the "Studio Reference" SR728 Silver and the "Premium" Pure Silver Star 67 I would think that with the "Premium", being RAAL's most recent release, is their latest thoughts on what makes for a very good combination with the SR1a. I would be inclined to go with the "Premium" if my only other option was the "Stock".

I suspect that the difference between the "Studio Reference" and the "Premium" will not be day and night. Cables in particular are never like that to my ears unless there would be a drastic mismatch between the electrical output characteristics of the amp and the input characteristics of the the HP. And with the SR1a that match is critical because of the very low impedance of the ribbon design and must be paid attention to. I do think the cable that connects the amp to the transducer is the most important in the chain of boxes and cables and the quality of the metal and other parts of the cable and its construction are important. Still, it can take many hours of listening evaluation to discern very small differences, if any, and then it boils downs to personal preferences which can be all over the place from one listener to the next.

I look forward to trying all 3 with the VM-1a when it gets released. It's possible that one of the 3 might be a "best" match for any given one of my 4 amps (to my way of hearing it) with the SR1a.

While the HP cable is important, the sound I hear is primarily about the transducer type and the execution of the headphone design. The cable can make for subtle enhancement of the sound to suit the listener's preferences, if they want to go to those lengths to zero in on "their" sound.

Thanks for your kind explanation. I think I will go for "Premium" after reading your comments.

 

[FLTWS]

In a PM with another poster on this thread the subject was the cable versus EQ with regards to the bass end. Which way to go? I thought I would paraphrase myself FWIW.

I think you get a much bigger bang for your buck with a lot more options to tune frequency response at various points with something like an analog Loki+ or digital EQ if your source is PC-like.

First, no cable is going to give you the ability to tune the bass to your liking or bypass it completely if the recorded quality of the source material justifies doing so. Second, no cable will provide an increase / improvement in bass in more than very subtle ways "compared to" analog or digital EQ, and those cables that might provide that "subtle" increase / improvement to the bass will cost you dearly. Third, I find analog EQ done right, like Loki+ (and I suspect digital EQ as well) make little or no negative impact on the sound, unless of course, you crank the knobs / sliders, whatever, beyond the linear capabilities of the driver in use. Fourth, if you've never experimented with a good analog or digital EQ device / app, you'll most likely have fun and enjoy playing with it and learn something for your personal preferences at the same time and carry forward the knowledge you've gained.

Personally, I look to an optional or aftermarket cable to provide better transparency up and down the frequency spectrum. That "may" lead to improvements, per my preferences, in soundstaging, imaging, etc. If it also enhances some other aspects that is a plus.

Lastly, everyone's idea of the correct bass presentation is going to vary, there are no absolutes here except for the individual listener's preferences. And these ribbons cannot displace air like a conventional driver or planar magnetic, but with a bit of EQ they can satisfy me with the music genres I listen to. But maybe not yours coupled with your preferences.

I find my self using the 20Hz control most of the time with the SR1a (I don't feel EQ is needed with my other HPs) but have experimented with other hinge points with Loki+ and Lokius. If the bass end is really what you, like I, feel that's where you want a little more fullness/level/grunt with the SR1a, EQ is the way to go. And you'll save a lot of money and time evaluating different cables. Unless you, like I, enjoy doing that as well. Sometimes.

 

[6RS]

Hi everybody, i am intrigued by the November sales and I want to buy a Raal SR1a. I am really excited. Now, I haven‘t read this complete thread, so likely my questions have been covered. But I still hope that maybe I could get an answer.
I have Chord M Scaller, Hugo TT2 both with LPS that connect to Kinki EX M7. This setup should work well with the SR1a, right?
I also use a KEF Kf92 subwoofer.
Could this be combined with the SR1a? If I am minimizing distance between subwoofer and headphones.
Finally I wonder whether people have been trying to do DIY cables to improve over stock cable?

 

[FLTWS]

A PM from another poster here asked if I would give him my thoughts on the Studio Reference 728 Silver and the Premium Ribbon HP Pure Silver Star 67 for the SR1a. I figured I might as well post it here as well. In each of the photos below the 728 is above and the Star 67 below. As can be seen the SR728 is 2 runs inside one sheath and the Star 67 looks like 2 runs wound around each other. I have no way of knowing what is under the sheaths but the Star 67 looks like a double run of SR 728. But, I could be wrong and the materials and metal specifics could be different in the two cables.

I’ve actually been focused on the “Deluxe” which RAAL states is a best match for the JOT R the past 2 weeks until this past weekend when I received my adapter to run the Susvara off my PrimaLuna EV 400.

I wasn’t expecting much difference between the SR 728 and Star 67 but maybe I’m wrong for the second time today, LOL!

Alternating the two cables on my HSA-1b (using the balanced inputs from Yggdrasil 2 and cd’s as source) while leaving the volume control set to the same number I was surprised by the difference as I rotated the two cables. One of the nice things I like about 4 pin XLR connectors at the amp end is I can plug and unplug at the amp end with a barely heard “click” where with ¼ inch connectors I’ve experienced some fairly exciting “pops”. I use XLR connectors whenever I can and it’s not about balance versus SE as the differences to me are slight between the two circuit designs, I just prefer the more substantial feel of those XLR barrels and nice quiet click that comes thru the phones when I plug and unplug at the amp end. And I always disconnect from the amp before unplugging at the HP’s, we don’t want a possible short now do we?

Using my usual suspect Chesky, Sheffield, and Decca recordings:

What I heard was the SR 728 as a bit punchier, immediate and maybe more dynamic but the soundfield was not as deep as with the Star 67.

Both seemed equally wide. Imaging was the same.

The Star 67 was smoother and more laid back with better depth.

The SR 728 was a bolder sound, the Star 67 more relaxed.

There is one possible caveat; the milder sound of the Star 67 didn’t jump out as much giving the impression that the volume level was a hair lower than with the SR 728. I’m frying too many other fish at this time and will put the sound level meter to this thought when the VM-1a releases and I may pick up another SR1a and put both cables to the meter test to see if there is a volume level for given input level difference.

Also, I often feel that raising the volume level has a tendency to bring the musicians in closer to me and reduces the depth of the soundfield. Lowering the volume seems to do the opposite. That’s why I feel it is necessary to maintain equal volume levels when evaluating two components and I do consider cabling a part of the component chain especially with the SR1a and its 0.01 ohm impedance of the ribbons which requires the cable to be the load sufficient enough to keep the amp from shutting down or worse.

Both cables sound very good with the SR1a /HSA-1b combo and are much preferred by me over the stock cable it came with.

Is one better than the other? I don’t think so, their just different and it will be up to each listener who wants just one accessory cable to decide. I suspect more popular music genres which generally seem to be studio recordings will be fun with the SR 728 and large scale symphonic or chamber might work well with the Star 67 (or with both). And I note again I’ve spent more time with the “Deluxe” cable and the JOT R recently but have been using the SR 728 on both amps since that model was released.

Price-wise these cables are identical, and in the higher priced cable manufacturing sweepstakes competition these seem reasonably fair.

One final thought. Varying amounts of inductance, capacitance, and resistance of the respective cables might be the reasons for the difference in sound I hear. And the SR1a is very good at displaying differences. Time will tell me. Anyway, that’s my take on these two as of today. I don’t think you can go wrong either way.

 

[Catharus]

Howdy,

I’m a month into owning the SR1a and Jot R. Seriously fun.

I’ve read through this complete thread and there are some great ideas spread out. For me, the stand out tips have been:

• Mind your source chain
  • Chord TT2 and m-scaler are noticeably making a difference
  • Thick and shielded power cord for the Jot R increases ‘blackness’
  • Streamer with USB out sounds better than SPDIF
  • XLR into the Jot R is ‘cleaner’ than RCA.
• Experiment with head placement
  • I discounted this as it sounded great out of the box. But, centering vertically, increasing the distance in front of my ears, and minimizing "toe in" gave me even better soundstage in terms of depth and realism.
  • Using the rear leather strap is needed at it most extended position to stabilize my unique positioning.
• Place a pillow behind my head. I listen in a leather recliner so this was easy. All sounds, but especially bass, increase as I lean into the leather pillow.
• Adding subwoofer
  • Having a REL T5i fill in the lowest octave relaxed the sound in higher octaves and allows me to enjoy Kraftwerk songs to their fullest.
  • It is very easy to hook up a subwoofer to the Jot R via the passive pre-out. And it works in parallel to the headphone out.
• Test the convolution filters from accurate sound.ca. Relatively speaking, it’s a cheap way to sculpt the sound to my liking.
• Be careful with the volume. I easily listen to a higher volume than I intend. Not only is this potentially bad for my hearing but lowering the volume makes the singer more realistically sized.
  

Some bad things:

• I’m listening to these headphones only. My previous favorites are unused.
• Some of my favorite songs are hard to listen to due to recording mistakes I’ve not heard before. For example the whining on the left channel in Colter Wall’s "Codeine Dream".
• Circumaural headphones, even open ones, are uncomfortable compared to ear speakers.
• The steampunk look is an acquired taste. I have come to love the look. But I do get raised eyebrows from visitors.
• I do crave quiet around me more than ever to hear everything these ear speakers are capable of reproducing.
• They force/encourage me to buy recordings that otherwise can only be streamed outside Roon and therefore cannot use the convolution filters.

 

[Shahrose]

Had the wife listen to the SR1a and TC briefly.

Without giving any of my thoughts, she explained that the SR1a (+ subwoofer) sounds "more impressive, as if the sounds are actually in front of you or you're in the room where the musicians are" whereas the TC "sound more like typical headphones, just very good ones...a better version of the Arya, with more detail, better vocals and bass" (she uses the Aryas mainly, along with the KSC75, so it was her reference).

When asked which one she prefers, without hesitation, she pointed at the SR1a. "I don't want to stop listening to these, the Aryas suck now, and the TCs aren't worth THAT much money."

Looks like I married the right one