Warwick Acoustics APERIO and BRAVURA
- Thread starter GoldenSound
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Small review Aperio vs HE1
Watched it, he doesn't even give a conclusion what he likes more. Honestly somewhat boring and predictable. I hope Goldensounds video will be better...
That seems so negative, but if someone actually wants to buy either one of them (or the Shangri-La), this video doesn't help a singular bit. It is not a review, hardly a comparison either. I understand that they don't have a lot of time, but this is hardly anything.
If you want to know more about the HE-1, Joshua Valour has the only video that i would call a "review" on youtube.
That seems so negative, but if someone actually wants to buy either one of them (or the Shangri-La), this video doesn't help a singular bit. It is not a review, hardly a comparison either. I understand that they don't have a lot of time, but this is hardly anything.
If you want to know more about the HE-1, Joshua Valour has the only video that i would call a "review" on youtube.
It’s a small preview I guess the real Aperio review will be out soon he said. Both systems are incredible for sure.
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I've heard Bravura, Aperio and HE-1. HE-1 gets my pick for most natural, correct sound, but it sounded more cool and etched than natural/organic, running off a laptop USB. The core sound of both Warwicks is very similar(very high quality), but both also suffer from sharpness that's a no go for me. I have not heard Shang Sr(or Jr) yet, but I would take a RAAL(CA-1a+VM-1a) over all of these. The comfort of HE-1 is also way better than the Warwicks. The RAAL is the most impressive and powerful sounding headphone system I've ever heard. It's a monster truck.
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Palyodgree
100+ Head-Fier
A source like a lap top would suck ,.
I enjoy the Bravura very much but I would admit that the Raal SR1a is getting more head time of late as it is a very impressive listening experience.
What is it that the Raal does so much better than all of these mega buck TOTL headphones? Can you put it into words?
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What amp? I don't think any come close to the VM-1a. Especially considering that you get SIX non-gimmick tunings PER RAAL headphone. That is an absurd value...
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It sounds very powerful. It handles the harsh treble intensity of Rob Zombie like there is no intensity, and just listenable smoothness. It has vivid, very dimensional imaging that made instruments in tracks(Ozzy) pop out and make all my hairs stand up like no other headphone at AXPONA or CanJam did. Nothing else was even close.
Susvara sounds very clean, clear, correct and pretty boring, similar to HE-1 and just like HE1000SE. Not a lot of meat on the bones. Nothing beats the Warwicks in technical performance, but they don't offer as good of an overall listening experience as the RAAL, unless you're an electronic genre freak. RAAL also just sounds different than anything else, which is extremely refreshing in this stale, old headphone world.
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Off the 8-ohm speaker taps of an Eddie Current Studio B tube amp via the TI-1c interface + the newest Mitch filters.
In addition to the response from @CT007 I’d summarize that, for me, the Raal headphones capture the hyper detail and speed of e-stats while (at least for the SR1a) presenting a very wide, speaker-like soundstage if the track calls for it. The Raal SR1a suffers for some from the same bass-light complaints as many e-stats. However, unlike many e-stats (Warwicks excluded) which require very expensive energizers like the Eksonic T2 or Aeras, BHSE, or Mjolnir Carbon to mitigate that default bass lean signature, the Raal’s base response can be fleshed out very nicely via much less expensive physical open baffle compensation amp input adapters and/or Roon compatible third party convolution filters.
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You prefer SR over CA? Or haven't heard the CA yet? The ear flap effect and general fit of the SR was too gimmicky for me, just like my MySphere experience.
Haven’t tried the CA yet so wanted to limit my comments to what I’ve heard and/or have personally owned.
Dynamo5561
100+ Head-Fier
I believe it is crucial to consider personal preferences and genres when discussing Bravura/SR1a/Aperio. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the SR1a. Its lack of bass extension limited the range of genres that could be enjoyed with it. Additionally, I feel that the "speaker-like presentation" is somewhat overhyped, as the soundstage it creates is not particularly expansive. In my opinion, the X9000 offers a larger soundstage. Also you need to keep the drivers near to your ear if you want to get a somehwat neutral response. When it comes to timbre, I find the Susvara to have a more accurate representation compared to the SR1a. In my view, the SR1a is best suited for acoustic music and vocals, making it a specialist headphone.
Regarding the CMA video, I was also disappointed by it. It seemed like the reviewer didn't want to say anything negative or favor one headphone over the other, possibly to avoid upsetting the sponsors. In my opinion, this approach is rather weak.
I had the opportunity to experience the Aperio at the High End in Munich, and it was the best headphone experience I've ever had in my life. I listened to it three times throughout the day. There was something unique about it that I hadn't heard in any other headphone, and it wasn't solely related to its frequency response. Everything sounded raw and direct. Admittedly, it lacked sub-bass extension, which is personally important to me, but the Aperio excelled in all other aspects to such an extent that it didn't bother me. In fact, it was so outstanding that I would say it surpasses headphones like the Susvara by a considerable margin. Other headphones felt like toys by comparison. I am considering getting a demo unit soon and possibly purchasing one if it can convince me in longer listening sessions.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the Shangri La Sr. at the show. Honestly, I didn't spend much time with it as the Aperio had a significant impact on me that day. However, I did notice some sibilance, which led me to stop listening further to the Shangri La Sr. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to listen to the HE-1, but hopefully, I'll have the opportunity at CanJam Germany in October.
Regarding the CMA video, I was also disappointed by it. It seemed like the reviewer didn't want to say anything negative or favor one headphone over the other, possibly to avoid upsetting the sponsors. In my opinion, this approach is rather weak.
I had the opportunity to experience the Aperio at the High End in Munich, and it was the best headphone experience I've ever had in my life. I listened to it three times throughout the day. There was something unique about it that I hadn't heard in any other headphone, and it wasn't solely related to its frequency response. Everything sounded raw and direct. Admittedly, it lacked sub-bass extension, which is personally important to me, but the Aperio excelled in all other aspects to such an extent that it didn't bother me. In fact, it was so outstanding that I would say it surpasses headphones like the Susvara by a considerable margin. Other headphones felt like toys by comparison. I am considering getting a demo unit soon and possibly purchasing one if it can convince me in longer listening sessions.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the Shangri La Sr. at the show. Honestly, I didn't spend much time with it as the Aperio had a significant impact on me that day. However, I did notice some sibilance, which led me to stop listening further to the Shangri La Sr. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to listen to the HE-1, but hopefully, I'll have the opportunity at CanJam Germany in October.
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