[Jason Stoddard]

@Jason Stoddard - I know Weldenheim is in its earlt prototype stages but I am curious to know your goal for this amp/driver, do you envision that this will better drive the Raal over Aegir/Vidar/Ragnarok? Since its a product specifically for the Raal.

It's way too early to tell.

I'd look at this as two questions:

1. Can we make the support gear for a ribbon headphone less bulky and complex, enabling pros to use them for their stated goal: portable mastering?
2. Can we make a direct drive amp sound better than a speaker amp through an interface box?

I think we can definitely make a more portable product. I don't know about if we can make it sound better. Like I said, it just got stable enough to listen to on Monday, and it still has significant bottlenecks in all aspects of the design. We'll see how it comes out.

I really like this challenge, because it's playing with stuff we don't normally play with in engineering. It's almost literally the inverse of a stat amp, huge current and low voltage vs huge voltage and low current. Keto diet vs vegan low-fat.

 

[Robert Padgett]

Hey guys,

--clip--

USPS: They woke up! Someone must have inserted a foot in their ass, because we’re now getting picked up. A hearty thank you to everyone who responded, especially to those who suggested we contact our congressperson. I believe that, in conjunction with links to the chapter, turned the tide. So there’s no immediate threat of us losing USPS.


Anyway, that’s where we are. Hopefully I’ll have a new chapter soon. There are some, ahhhhhh…interesting things coming!

All the best,
Jason

I am glad you got through to the Postal service, albeit with sharpened teeth from a politician in the posterior. Most postal management need stimulus to move, and the union made them quit using cattle prods in the Mail Service Center...

 

[Ableza]

It's way too early to tell.

I'd look at this as two questions:

1. Can we make the support gear for a ribbon headphone less bulky and complex, enabling pros to use them for their stated goal: portable mastering?
2. Can we make a direct drive amp sound better than a speaker amp through an interface box?

I think we can definitely make a more portable product. I don't know about if we can make it sound better. Like I said, it just got stable enough to listen to on Monday, and it still has significant bottlenecks in all aspects of the design. We'll see how it comes out.

I really like this challenge, because it's playing with stuff we don't normally play with in engineering. It's almost literally the inverse of a stat amp, huge current and low voltage vs huge voltage and low current. Keto diet vs vegan low-fat.

Interesting, so does the RAAL present the typical very low impedance of a ribbon diaphragm or do they employ a matching transformer to give the amp a load it can drive? I'm guessing there is no transformer so that's the challenge. Duh. I should do some research.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Interesting, so does the RAAL present the typical very low impedance of a ribbon diaphragm or do they employ a matching transformer to give the amp a load it can drive? I'm guessing there is no transformer so that's the challenge. Duh. I should do some research.

It’s a stated 0.2 ohm load. Plus there’s some open baffle compensation going on, so yeah...challenging. It’s sold with a resistor/inductor interface box that’s intended to connect to a speaker amplifier.

 

[Ableza]

It would be interesting to know if the interface box is just for loading the amp or if it employs filter networks. IIRC ribbon diaphragms can have some severe resonance issues especially at lower frequencies. When ESS tried to make their full-range Heil, it was a nightmare of notch filters...

 

[dieslemat]

@Ableza - the moment I heard the Raal, I put all my headphone gear for sale. Firstly, to fund for it and secondly, I know that once I got the Raal I wouldn’t “waste” my time on my other headphones. Not an exaggeration. Not hyping it.

 

[bcowen]

I like to have some fun in engineering...we're see where it goes.

I also wouldn't be surprised if ribbon headphones became something of a thing.

Again, we'll see.

What we (me?) really need is a 300B HP amp. The king daddy master of the triode universe. Don't get me wrong -- I love my Lyr 3. But 300B's for output tubes make me drool (and that's gross). I'd really love to have a Schiit version rather than some "not exactly" competitors attempt.

 

[Derrick Swart]

This RAAL is also a toaster? Like in: toast your br(h)ead in the morning

 

[FLTWS]

What we (me?) really need is a 300B HP amp. The king daddy master of the triode universe. Don't get me wrong -- I love my Lyr 3. But 300B's for output tubes make me drool (and that's gross). I'd really love to have a Schiit version rather than some "not exactly" competitors attempt.

That's the only thing that would interest me in another hp amp, 300B's.

 

[Paladin79]

What we (me?) really need is a 300B HP amp. The king daddy master of the triode universe. Don't get me wrong -- I love my Lyr 3. But 300B's for output tubes make me drool (and that's gross). I'd really love to have a Schiit version rather than some "not exactly" competitors attempt.

That's the only thing that would interest me in another hp amp, 300B's.

Bottlehead builds a 300B preamp so a headphone amp would not be impossible. If that were to happen I am sure @bcowen would offer me a couple of the Western Electrics he has hoarded, um squirreled away in his vast tube hoard out of the goodness of his heart. I would be all set then.

I could envision Mr. Cowen parting with his first born easier than one of those tubes though.

 

[Odin412]

What we (me?) really need is a 300B HP amp. The king daddy master of the triode universe. Don't get me wrong -- I love my Lyr 3. But 300B's for output tubes make me drool (and that's gross). I'd really love to have a Schiit version rather than some "not exactly" competitors attempt.

Amen to that!

 

[Jason Stoddard]

What we (me?) really need is a 300B HP amp. The king daddy master of the triode universe. Don't get me wrong -- I love my Lyr 3. But 300B's for output tubes make me drool (and that's gross). I'd really love to have a Schiit version rather than some "not exactly" competitors attempt.

Why 300Bs?

Genuinely curious, because 6AS7s would be better OTL outputs, I believe.

Now, if we're talking about a transformer-coupled amp, that's something we have no expertise in...

 

[KoshNaranek]

Why 300Bs?

Genuinely curious, because 6AS7s would be better OTL outputs, I believe.

Now, if we're talking about a transformer-coupled amp, that's something we have no expertise in...

I am sure that letting such a small thing as 'not having any experience' would not stop you from giving it a TRY.

 

[PioBeer]

How do the Raal compare to the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC Headphone? Currently that one is the Audiophiliac's reference headphone by far. Anyone whose tried both care to compare?

 

[AndreYew]

Too Many Manuals: I recently bought a $2000 Wacom Cintiq Pro which has like 6 pictograms and a link to download the manual on their site. I wonder if we should be doing the same thing. Doing like 6 product manuals has broken my brain.

I detest pictographic manuals! I love your manuals because they express the personality of the company so well.

Glad to hear the other problems have been or are about to be resolved!