[jlbrach]

yes, beware of bad recordings

 

[Tugbars]

Raal's are not full range headphones unfortunately. There is almost nothing going after 9khz and there is about 5% distortion in sub bass region. That distortion bleeds in to the low mids too. They are very shouty sounding headphones, that 2khz shout is very prominent and makes female vocals sound a bit odd. They don't sound more detailed in mids than 009S to my ears(in treble there isn't even a competition between estats and sr1a), especially if you EQ down all the shouty parts to make them sound pleasant again. They are quite good when it comes to reproducing vocal music(not because they have great tonality, the mid detail and mid dynamics of sr1a is quite good), however if you are into violin / cello solos and chamber music... No, SR1A's are not your thing. Raal's are not recommended for bass heavy music too. Note that, HSA-1b wasn't available in market when I had owned them. They may sound less shouty, distortion may be less with a proper direct drive amp. I really hope HSA-1b makes high treble sound a bit more alive too.

 

[paradoxper]

Raal's are not full range headphones unfortunately. There is almost nothing going after 9khz and there is about 5% distortion in sub bass region. That distortion bleeds in to the low mids too. They are very shouty sounding headphones, that 2khz shout is very prominent and makes female vocals sound a bit odd. They don't sound more detailed in mids than 009S to my ears(in treble there isn't even a competition between estats and sr1a), especially if you EQ down all the shouty parts to make them sound pleasant again. They are quite good when it comes to reproducing vocal music(not because they have great tonality, the mid detail and mid dynamics of sr1a is quite good), however if you are into violin / cello solos and chamber music... No, Raal's are not your thing. Raal's are not recommended for bass heavy music too. Note that, HSA-1b wasn't available in market when I had owned them. They may sound less shouty, distortion may be less with a proper direct drive amp. I really hope HSA-1b makes treble sound a bit more alive too.

That's crazy. The treble and especially mids from the SR1a bla bla "properly" amped has as good response with far fuller detail than the DIY T2/009. Sure, they can be shouty as they're simply the most revealing headphone on the planet. They also respond to EQ better than any headphone to help mitigate their inherent behavioral characteristics.

I'm curious to hear how my uberamp2 might scale the SR1a a bit more although I don't anticipate bridging the gap far enough as they are fundamentally limited in excursion and there-in ultimate bass response. However, we've been playing this game for years trying to fit one headphone into it checks all the boxes rather than pursuing complimentary ultimatums.

I still go for my TC much more than the SR1a. That bass response is just too real and unrivaled.

 

[JLoud]

I reach for the TC the most as well. But for certain music the SR1A is fabulous. Overall, the TC reigns supreme.

 

[Ciggavelli]

The Sr1as and TCs compliment each other well. You want to listen to hip-hop or electronica, use the TCs. If you want high resolution and detail, go with the SR1as.

I will say this though, the TCs work well with every genre. The SR1as don’t. Listening to bass heavy music on the SR1as is very disappointing. Yes, they do pretty much everything else really well. But, if you listen to rap, metal, electronic, you can’t have just the SR1as. With the TCs you can listen to any genre, any song, and be impressed with the sound.

If you can only choose 1 headphone, the TCs are the clear winner

 

[jlbrach]

I go back and forth....I think the TC is truly phenomenal but have been reaching for the sr1a more often of late....the susvara are terrific as well...the big 3 IMHO today and the sr1a are simply the most discerning detailed and spacious HP I have heard...for those who seek maximum bass stick with the TC...cannot go wrong either way

 

[Tugbars]

for binaural recordings, like David Chesky stuff SR1A's are fine.

 

[jlbrach]

they are fine for everything, they are phenomenal and I say that as one who loves my TC's

 

[vonBaron]

Lazuli Ultra arrived!
First hour of listen, better soundstage, resolution, better bass control, sound is more soft and pleasant compare to stock especially highs, sound more"wet".
Ultra is thick and quite heavy but very flexible, i have used DHC Piron and in terms of ergonomic i like Ultra more.
I was little affraid of hybrid cable for Abyss but it's great, bump SQ of my Phi!

 

[Roasty]

Lazuli Ultra arrived!
First hour of listen, better soundstage, resolution, better bass control, sound is more soft and pleasant compare to stock especially highs, sound more"wet".
Ultra is thick and quite heavy but very flexible, i have used DHC Piron and in terms of ergonomic i like Ultra more.
I was little affraid of hybrid cable for Abyss but it's great, bump SQ of my Phi!

Nice! What length did u get? Any difference with the mids?

 

[vonBaron]

2m, yes mids are more smooth now with better vocals

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Lazuli Ultra arrived!
First hour of listen, better soundstage, resolution, better bass control, sound is more soft and pleasant compare to stock especially highs, sound more"wet".
Ultra is thick and quite heavy but very flexible, i have used DHC Piron and in terms of ergonomic i like Ultra more.

Great you are having fun - as said, it is a great sounding cable. For me, the ergonomics were a no-go ...

I also have cable news: I am using the Superconductor cable for two days now. Unfortunately for my wallet, it sounds great and has the best synergy with the TC imaginable. And it is very flexible and light for a super high end cable.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

I tried to repair my ear pads which fell apart (and got disgustingly sticky) because of the runny glue. First I disassembled the pad - leather cover, foam polster, plastic ring attached to the polster (needs to be separated) and magnetic ring. I then cleaned it very thoroughly from the glue with isopropyl alcohol. It is important to remember shape and alignments.

After this, I tried to rebuild the pad using the smallest paper stapler I could find. I started with stapling the outer part of the leather liningto the plastic ring. That part was easy since I could move under the ring with the stapler. Attaching the inner leather lining was a lot trickier to staple. I had to remove and retry several times.

It took quite some time but I am quite pleased with the result so far. The height of the pad is the same as a proper pad. However, the surfaces are not perfectly aligned on top of the frame but it is better in real life than it looks.

I now need to think how to best attach the pad to the magnetic ring. I am thinking of 3M double sided tape.

 

[jlbrach]

Go for the 1266 Imo. I own the Diana V2 and Diana Phi, I used to own the 1266 Phi CC and I have a TC on the way - the Diana's have a pretty small soundstage (and I mean small by headphone standards, not small by 2ch standards). I personally really enjoy that but I don't think it's going to be your cup of tea.

Lazuli Ultra arrived!
First hour of listen, better soundstage, resolution, better bass control, sound is more soft and pleasant compare to stock especially highs, sound more"wet".
Ultra is thick and quite heavy but very flexible, i have used DHC Piron and in terms of ergonomic i like Ultra more.
I was little affraid of hybrid cable for Abyss but it's great, bump SQ of my Phi!

If one os going to spend that type of money on a cable I personally would suggest buying the abyss super conductor cable rather than the Lazuli ....

 

[vonBaron]

Find me SC cable in price of used Lazuli Ultra and i will buy it ASAP...