[musicman59]

I am running a Bricasti M1SE with the HSA-1b and very happy with it. The M1SE has a little warmer signature compadre to the M3 and M21 matching better with the amplifier.

For the VM-1a I would probably go with the M3 or if budget allow it then even better with the M21.

 

[eskamobob1]

Alexandar from Raal says that the TI-1A needs a powerful amplifier for the Raal headphones to have a punchy bass.
That's why I was thinking about the OOR with a lot of power.

Og liquid gold is more powerful than oor, just hard to find. For tubes you can get something like a mogwai se or forge and those should work pretyy well. Gsx-mini also isn't a bad shout with its massive focus on microdetail

 

[Dietmar Görtz]

Any more experiences here which headphone amplifiers work very well with the TI-1a?

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

I personaly prefer warmer tilt with sr1a. In that same price range I would probabaly go og liquid gold or tube

I've not heard the OG Liquid Gold but I've got the Monoprice Liquid Gold X version that I've seen described as being fairly close in sound, at least with Audeze headphones. In spite of not being able to compare the two amps to verify if they sound similar, I'll post some impressions of the LAuX -> TI-1a -> SR1a soon. I'll also compare this amp with the Schiit Mjolnir 1, which is my only other ss amp with sufficient power.

 

[jlbrach]

I must say gotten the convolution plug in and now using the Tl-1a with my bakoon 13r has resulted in much more prominent bass...really caught me by surprise...my favorite HP gets better..only issue is both of these on their own require more volume so taken together I really do have to push the volume pot...the 13r with the Tl-1a isnt better than my hsa-1b it is just different...bigger soundstage and more bass...bit more tubelike presentation

 

[jlbrach]

question for anyone fortunate enough to get their hands on the new tube amp from raal...how does it differ from the hsa-1b ?..I know it is a tube amp but it also seems to have a high power mode that is twice as powerful as the 1b?..am I correct and how does it affect the sound and presentation?

 

[FLTWS]

I did see someone mention (I believe it was on this thread) that they preferred the sound of Triode and Ultralinear over Pentode. I hope to order mine (VM-1a) next week.
I have a variety of tube and SS and hybrid HP amps, I always feel tubes have the sound I prefer. It is possible to tune an SS design to have some tube like traits/characteristics, but they never really give me that full bodied "there-ness" I hear with tubes.

I'll definitely be comparing it to my HSA-1b down the road.

 

[jlbrach]

I notice the different settings triode etc seem to have different power outputs...why is that?

 

[FLTWS]

I believe it has to do with how the tube is operated in the circuit and that 3 way switch alters how.
Probably better answered by Alexsandar or Sage.

 

[cAsE sEnSiTiVe]

An output tube run in Triode operation is run less efficiently, and as a result puts out less overall power output, typically around half the output as opposed to running the tube flat out.

 

[FLTWS]

A quick search on the internet and,

 

[yyzSB]

For hard rock - Pentode
For acoustic and generally everything - Triode
Not sure about UltraLinear

 

[yyzSB]

BTW - a feather in the cap to RAAL. I just got a DM on A'gon from someone I do not know asking me about amps for the SR1a. He is selling his Magico speakers and REL sub to use only the SR1a.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

I notice the different settings triode etc seem to have different power outputs...why is that?

Different operational modes carry different efficiencies. The EL35 is a pentode so the best efficiency is when it works as a pentode. When you make it work as a triode, it will be able to deliver less power at the same PSU voltage and cathode bias because you're not using the control grids to extend the linear voltage swing, so you reach distortion sooner, which defines what is the available clean power.

 

[Aleksandar R.]

Danny and I had a brief talk about the CA-1a and their earpads...
We have posted the photos you all saw, about how they'll look, what the pads are going to be like, etc.
Immediately after that, there was a question of what the bass would be like with fully enclosed pads instead of having 3 gaps in it.
So, we have listened what you guys had to say and made a few updates to this.

1. We are deleting the front gap. There will be only top and bottom gap in the gapped pad. That is my update after having spent more time with the CA's.
2. There will be another, fully enclosed pad, no gaps.
3. Most importantly, we will be throwing in the extra pair of fully closed pads with the headphones, so they'll come with two sets of pads.

For the buyers at Chicago CanJam, it's not possible for me to send those in time, but they will be sent to the buyers after the show, for free.

So, this way, you won't be asking yourself how the headphones will sound with closed pads, you won't have to order another set after the purchase, wondering how they'll sound, then maybe even get disappointed after you get them...
We are not going to increase the price of headphones, this is just giving back to the community of all of you that helped shape our views and our products.
Thank you all!