Raal 1995 Magna and Immanis

I got to hear one of the two new high-end releases from Raal recently and thought it might be worth creating a thread for them even though I doubt many here will be in the market for them. I'll post my impressions below but will introduce the two new releases here first.

The Magna (which I heard) and the Immanis are released under Aleksandar Radisavljevic's new brand, "Raal 1995," in place of Raal Requisite, which released the SR1a and the CA-1a. Raal 1995 still partners with Danny McKinney of Requisite Audio, in this case to sell the new headphones.

Both are circum-aural, ribbon headphones. The Magna has two ribbon drivers. The Immanis has three. Both are easier to drive than the SR1a and can be used with moderately powerful headphone amps. They're now sold with a transformer interface that doubles as a headphone stand. The old TI-1a/b/c transformer interfaces work fine for driving them, as do the direct-drive amps like the Schiit Jot A/R and the Raal Requisitie HSA 1b (which is actually made by SAEQ; the latest version is the HSA 1c).

Both have been on the market for 6 months or so now. They are marriage-dissolvingly expensive.

What follows in the rest of this post are details provided by Raal's owner, Aleksandar, about them both, copy-pasted from head-fi. I'll post my own impressions of the Magna below this.

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Initial information from @Aleksandar R.: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-1995-headphones-magna-and-immanis.971610/post-17954057


There are two models of RAAL 1995 headphones, Magna (R² driver) and Immanis (R³ driver).

They are both Circum-aural, Open-Back, Vented Front Chamber headphones.

In short, Magna is the original next-gen ribbon headphone that will showcase the new level of performance, not just in comparison to RAAL-requisite headphones, but compared to all other technologies. A proper TOTL headphone, no ifs no buts, if I may say so.
Immanis adds more of everything to that, showing that limits can be pushed even further...

New level of performance comes with the new look, that is there to emphasize the refinements in sound quality.

Under the hood, everything is new. This is the next generation or ribbon drivers that in certain areas parted ways with the old, but inherited the best features of the previous ones.
We now have our new R² and R³ drivers that exploit a new idea that small differences in ribbon segments are beneficial. We tune the segments slightly differently, so they can't repeat errors in the same way. We call it complimentary tuning.

Being a True-Ribbon technology, they need ancillary components to work (similar to e-stats that need polarizing voltage provider and high-voltage swing).

They are a "system" formed by a Headphone driver, an impedance converting transformer and the cable that connects them together and their requirements and specifications are closely tied together.

Alternatively, the "system" can be broken apart and headphone drivers can be driven directly, without the need for impedance conversion, by specially made amplifiers for ribbon headphones (HSA and VM), in which case, headphone cable specs are far less stringent.

Here are the (preliminary) specs:






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Here's the info for landing you in debtors' prison:

 

Raal 1995 Magna Impressions

I’d like to thank a very generous friend for kindly lending me his Magna for a couple of weeks. It’s a real treat to hear these excellent headphones and to do so in my own system. These are outstanding headphones, easily among the best I’ve heard. I’ve not heard the Immanis yet, but from a technical standpoint, the Magna is the most impressive headphone I’ve heard outside of very expensive estat systems.


Preferences and caveats
I’m in my late 40s and can’t hear much above 14 kHz. I favor a mid-forward presentation but don’t really prioritize vocals. I’m sensitive to too much emphasis in the upper-mids and lower-treble as well as fussier than most about wanting headphones to be free of congestion, veil, and a closed-in headstage. Excess warmth bothers me as does a lack of treble air. I lean more towards the HD 600 than the 650.

My preferred headphones are a pair of RD-4z, or rhythmdevils audio modded LCD-4z, which are tuned to being less dark and closer to neutral, with a mid-forward presentation as well as better resolution, staging and more openness than the stock model. I also have an LCD-R and SR1a. I used to own the CA-1a.


Setup
Mac Mini with Roon with Qobuz and FLAC/ALAC files via USB -> Rockna Wavedream Edition SE -> HSA 1b, Jot A, and, with the TI-1b interface, DNA Stratus and Schiit Mjolnir 3.

I’d had high hopes for the Stratus pairing with the Magna but it’s not to be, alas. It makes for a flat presentation, one that lacks depth, and the pairing has a slow, dull, lethargic sound. The Mjolnir 3 works adequately but doesn’t do much that’s special and holds back the Magna’s potential. It does provide some nice warmth and richness, though.

The Jot A is excellent as an affordable way to drive the Magna. It’s not the most refined presentation but it shows off the Magna’s remarkable strengths.

The impressions below are from the HSA 1b, which makes for the best pairing with the Magna among my amps. The Wavedream is excellent for resolution and fast transients, and is broadly neutral but with a slightly mellow presentation; the HSA 1b doesn’t add much warmth from the ribbon output. If I were to build a system around the Magna, I think I’d like something a bit more lush, warm, and wetter than the HSA 1b. An amp that could marry the tonality of the Mjolnir 3 with the technical abilities of the HSA 1b, for driving ribbon headphones, could be outstanding.

Spoiler: Quick off-topic: MJ3 vs HSA 1b for Magna

The MJ3…

• Has a bit more richness and fullness to the sound thanks to its greater mid-bass emphasis and lower-mid warmth
• is less resolving
• has vocals be much less forward and spread out further to the sides of the staging
• they’re not as front and above-center
• has some treble roll off; I’m not hearing cymbals quite as well
• is not quite as open
• has poorer separation

The HSA 1b…

• is more impactful and has more sub-bass depth but has less slam
• the MJ3 has greater bass strength and more mid-bass punch
• is cleaner, more pristine
• MJ3 is more colored, grainier, more romantic
• is more aggressive
• is more technically accomplished, e.g. resolving

Design and Build Quality
The Magna’s perfectly comfy for me. It’s light. The cups are smaller than I’d expected from seeing photos but the inside space of the pads is large enough to accommodate my ears (which aren’t the smallest).

The headphones are nicely made but they should be handled with care. They’re more like delicate precision instruments than rugged plastic studio headphones. I fear the grills could dent easily and the wood may be fragile, as with any other wooden headphones. More worryingly, the gimbals connect weakly to the cups, which is a cause for concern: the gimbals can pop out if pulled outwards, which could scratch the cups or allow them to fall off. Exercise caution. I’m glad I was forewarned about this. You need to pick them up with care, especially if lifting them out of the case.

The Star-8 cable retains its kinks and twists after having been coiled up. Otherwise, it’s perfectly serviceable. More importantly, of course, it does sound good. I appreciate the improvement over my stock cable for the SR1a.

They come with a 5-year transferable warranty.



General Impressions
The sound of the Magna is immediately recognizable to those who’ve heard the SR1a and the CA-1a as sharing a Raal house sound. Its most conspicuous characteristics are its pristine clarity and transparency, its speed and responsiveness, its studio neutral tuning with a tonal density that’s on the lighter side, its impressive percussiveness, and its incredible resolution. Other headphones sound dull, muddy, or grainy by comparison, even those I wouldn’t otherwise describe in those terms.

These aren’t lush or romantic headphones, although a chain that leans in that direction would help. The Magna’s fast and impactful, exciting and energetic. These headphones demand your attention. They’re not ideal for slippers, pipes, and drowsily lolling about in a comfy recliner.


Technicalities
I’ll get to the tuning in a minute but the Magna is arguably most impressive for some of its other qualities. For one thing, I’m guessing there’s very low distortion; it’s way too easy to crank up the volume, and the presentation is very clean and clear. For another, there’s no sense of overdamping, no congestion, no stuffiness, no compression. It provides a very open sound, one in which there’s no isolation from the outside.

The staging isn’t spacious. It’s not narrow or constricted, though, either. It’s more open and spacious than the Utopia and probably on a par with the Caldera.

The presentation comes across as more intimate when listening to vocals, which are presented in quite a pronounced, up-front manner. They’re too up-front for me, making the experience uncomfortably like sitting in the front row of a cinema. There’s not a great amount of depth to the presentation generally, but with instrumental music the staging is deeper.

Overall, the Magna doesn’t provide a holographic or 3D presentation. There’s a good lateral spread and a solid center image, with vocals just above front and center. The height is good, too. But, again, there’s not much depth with vocals; I wonder if the right kind of tube amp could offset this and make for a more well-rounded staging.

The Magna is class leading when it comes to layering, separation, and imaging, all of which are truly remarkable. Despite the modestly sized headstage, the Magna allows for a great deal of space and air around instruments. The excellent air and space around instruments contribute to the sense that the presentation is nicely open, even without there being the biggest soundstage, and there’s no compression or congestion to the sound. The imaging and spatial presentation make it easier to follow individual instruments. This adds to the perception that the Magna has extraordinary resolving abilities. I’ve yet to hear better headphones when it comes to complex passages of music.

Another outstanding quality of the Magna is its impact and punchiness. If you love drums, these could be your perfect headphones. The percussiveness is just astonishing, and the speed of the drivers helps let the distinctiveness of individual drums—and specific hits on them—stand out more clearly than I’ve heard with other headphones. The distinctive sounds of specific drum strikes come through spectacularly well, as when drumsticks strike skins in different places.

While the percussiveness of the Magna applies almost all the way through the frequency spectrum, it doesn’t translate so well into the bass regions. The bass slam isn’t like that of the Abyss 1266, but that’s because the Magna’s bass isn’t the most powerful to begin with.

Macrodynamic contrast is exceptionally good and is quite probably the best I’ve heard for classical music. It’s simply incredible. Micro-dynamics are also outstanding.

Transients are also exhilarating, tremendously snappy, much as you’d expect if you’ve heard the SR1a and the CA-1a. The Magna is fast. You know how people describe certain amps as having a great deal of grip and control over the drivers of transducers? It’s like these headphones are inherently like this – grippy and highly responsive. The Magna lacks the aggressive edge of the SR1a, which can be too sharp at times. The Magna makes for an exciting but easier listen, then, one that also has a final quality that’s worth highlighting: these are much smoother, more refined headphones than the SR1a and the CA-1a. I don’t have the latter on hand to compare directly but I do have the SR1a and it sounds more aggressive and jagged than the Magna.


Tuning
The Magna’s tuning is great, broadly neutral and mid-centric but with a slight rise in the vocal region. The mids are nice and even, apart from this forwardness in the upper-mid through lower treble regions. This emphasis makes vocals stand out conspicuously, too much so at times (for me, at least). It’s like you can see Jeff Buckley’s epiglottis when he sings Hallelujah. To be clear, we’re not talking about LCD-5 levels of excessive forwardness. But there’s still some emphasis, which is mildly intrusive and tiring over time (again, for me, and I’m susceptible to this). I suspect the forwardness contributes to a sense of clarity in the sound. And if vocals are a priority for you, then the Magna could be ideal.

The detail combined with this forwardness make vocals stand out gloriously. There’s a purity of tone and sweetness with female voices that’s just lovely. The separation and imaging also make it so the distinction between lead and backing vocals is clear and distinct, at least with female voices. And if you like choirs and massed voices, the Magna excels in letting you discern and follow individual singers, at least so far as the recording makes this possible.

The treble rises with a bit of forwardness still in the presence region – hence the sense of clarity that shines through – and the higher frequencies have a lovely clear sparkle. The treble extends a good long way (as far as my old ears can tell, anyway). The treble is free of nasties – I detect no annoying peaks – and its extension allows for plenty of air. It’s also exceptionally good for hearing the clean, distinct overtones of an acoustic guitar. You can sense the movement of distinct reverberations as they intersect with each other and fade in and out.

The bass is superb. It’s taught. It’s fast. It’s well defined and textured and has incredibly good pitch differentiation, but it’s neither emphasized nor boomy or bloomy. It doesn’t intrude when the music lacks bass content, as with orchestral classical music. The bass can be unobtrusive, then. But it does have depth and some oomph when called for. (I should note that my DAC, the Wavedream, isn’t the bassiest, unlike the good Moffat-bass of my old Yggdrasil A2). Additionally, there’s not a lot of fulsomeness to the mid-bass. There’s some punch, but not much tonal richness. The sub-bass, however, extends deeply. It provides a satisfying and readily apparent rumble. But it’s not weighty. If you like electronic music, the bass is highly responsive and will keep up with fast beats. But it lacks heft and slam and, as such, could be disappointing for some.

The Magna has a light tonality, one that owes a good deal to the vocal forwardness and a corresponding lack of low-end heft, which also includes a lack of thickness or weight in the lower mids. These are not rich, romantic, euphonic headphones; they’re more HD 800 than 650, more 1266 than LCD-4, at least from my chain. I should note my old 1266 Phi with CC pads also sounded a bit thin from the HSA 1b’s ribbon output (and from many other amps); only with a beefy 300b tube amp did the 1266’s sound come across as tonally richer and denser, and the same tendency may be true for the Magna, too.



Timbre
Generally, the timbre of instruments is excellent. The Magna gets close to pulling off the neat trick of being smooth while still conveying lots of strong textures. Some instruments sound clean and pure and sweet, as they’re supposed to; others have lots of grit and tactile roughness, again as they should. Almost every instrument sounds realistic and satisfying.

The Magna is one of the best headphones I’ve heard for pianos. It covers the full spectrum pretty well and does so pretty evenly, although there’s a weird way in which some higher-frequency notes can sometimes seem to rise higher in the soundstage, as though stacking vertically on top of others (e.g. Kovacevich playing Schubert’s piano sonatas). The piano from a Magna is also very percussive. The SR1a, the best headphone I’ve heard for pianos, is better at conveying the sound of a grand piano’s body; alas, the Magna sounds only like an upright piano. The Magna does sound a bit richer and sweeter, though, thanks to the better low end and the smoother treble.

I love electric guitars with the Magna. There’s a pleasingly sharp bite to them. They also have lots of growl and crunch and grit with them, when called for, and are great for poorly recorded, distorted, screaming, wailing, shrieking alternative rock songs (Sonic Youth, for instance). Beyond bite, stringed instruments have a wonderfully tactile, reverberant quality. But they can be too smooth at times, at least when compared to the SR1a, which have a roughness that helps with violins and violas, in particular (take, for instance, the Fitzwilliam Quartet’s Shostakovich’s string quartets). The same smoothness applies to brass instruments. I’ve not heard the trumpet sound quite so pleasing before – it’s not as piercing as it can be in real life (e.g. Miles Davis, Ascenseur pour L’Échafaud).

I tend to find that headphones have a hard time reproducing cymbals accurately. The speed of the transient attacks really helps the Magna: you can get a good shimmering sound, and brushstrokes sound almost perfect instead of coming across as a mushy mess, as they so often do on other transducers (Cannonball Adderley’s Autumn Leaves). There’s a convincing metallic tang to cymbals. They clash and crash properly. They can get a bit tizzy and piercing, though, on a very small number of recordings.



Comparison of the Magna with the SR1a
I listened to both from the HSA 1b and using the Star-8 cable, with the SR1a’s wings at 60 degrees for classical music and other genres with only acoustic instruments (folk, jazz) and at 45 degrees for rock and electronic music (I didn’t bother comparing tracks with much deep bass content).

The technicalities and tuning aren’t all that dissimilar. The most obvious differences, as you’d expect, are the wider and more open staging of the SR1a and the greater low-end presence of the Magna, which also contributes to it having a warmer sound. The Magna also has a smoother, more refined tonality. The SR1a has rougher edges and is a bit more aggressive. Where the SR1a can be intense, if not relentless, the Magna is mellower and less exhilarating.

Tonality:

• The SR1a sounds thinner, lacking as it does the bass emphasis
  • The Magna is fuller-sounding, more substantial (thanks to the bass and the corresponding warmth)
• Vocals are a bit richer from the Magna
  • From the SR1a, they’re a bit chestier or reedier
  • The SR1a also suffers from more sibilance
    • And when it doesn’t suffer from more sibilance, vocals can be rougher and harsher
  • The Magna’s vocals are sweeter, especially female vocals, which can also sound more ethereal (when sung this way in the recording, e.g. Marissa Nadler’s album Strangers)
    • If you like smooth and sultry divas sitting on your lap, go with the Magna
• There’s more bite to stringed instruments with the SR1a
  • Reverberations sound sharper and stand out in stronger relief; you can get almost a tangible sense of a bow scraping across the strings
• The Magna is sweeter and smoother
  • I can’t say which is more “accurate,” but both are pleasing in their own distinctive ways
• The treble has more edge and irritation with the SR1a
  • Tambourines can be overly forward, as on the Mamas and the Papas’ Dream a Little Dream of Me. The same can be said with cymbals

Technicalities:

• The SR1a obviously has a wider soundstage, one that projects sounds well beyond one’s head
  • But it also does depth differentiation better (i.e. letting you discern instruments that are nearer or further away from you)
    • The Magna is quite poor at this, generally speaking, and especially in this comparison
• The distinction of lead and backing vocals is much clearer from the SR1a
• And the SR1a has more height to the staging
  • This is advantageous in the placement of lead vocals, which tend to rise higher above the instruments and therefore aren’t placed so directly and intrusively in front of you
• The SR1a is better for orchestral works and opera
  • Operas, in particular, are way better with the SR1a because you can hear the placement of singers on the stage (and off in the wings, too!), and you can follow them as they move around the stage (e.g. Solti’s Walküre)
• The Magna is better for small, intimate club-settings, as with jazz
• Imaging and resolution are together better on the Magna
  • The SR1a can present more of a sheen or haze with some instruments, which is only really noticeably by comparison
• It’s hard to tell but I suspect the Magna takes the lead in resolution
  • You can hear greater complexity in the guitar’s finger-picking passages in Led Zep’s Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, for instance

The two presentations are different enough, and with each having its own set of distinct advantages, that having one wouldn’t mean the other would be redundant. I can see people wanting to have both of them: I’d take the SR1a over the Magna for classical music and the Magna over the SR1a for most other genres.


Some other general, vague and not very helpful comparisons
Since these are from memory, I’m just going to talk about them in broad strokes, as a loose frame of reference, given the fallibility of auditory recollection. I’d rate my confidence in the following as not being especially high…

Original Utopia: not as punchy; less upper-mid/lower-treble emphasis; similar tonality otherwise; smaller stage but great imaging, just not quite as great as the separation and layering of the Magna

Original Susvara (heard from the my HSA 1b from the same ribbon output but different DAC): warmer, weightier tonality, richer in the bass; more recessed in mids; similar staging, perhaps wider, but it does have more height relative to width and depth; treble is similarly well extended and clear, but the Susvara’s treble is sweeter, with more of a honeyed glow vs the Magna, which is closer to being crystal clear.

Susvara Unveiled (heard only briefly in Audio46, not in my own chain, so the following is even more tentative and uncertain): a richer, warmer sound than Magna; similar presentation of vocals, more forward than OG and closer to being bothersome for me, so more like the Magna; Magna has a lighter tonality, is faster, more open-sounding, more impactful. I’d need to A/B the two re. resolution.

1266 Phi with CC pads: more speaker-like presentation; more sub-bass rumble; more slam; more recessed mids, especially in vocal region; similarly thin tonality; tizzier treble on the Abyss; Magna is more percussive, perhaps, I’d need to compare them directly; Magna is more resolving.

CA-1a: the Magna is a more refined, smoother, resolving, percussive sibling to the CA-1a. Where the CA-1a was a bit brighter in the treble with the open pads, the Magna has more emphasis in the upper mids and lower treble. I’d say they have a similar stage size, although I’d need to compare them directly to be sure.



Conclusions
The Magna are outstanding headphones, easily among the best I’ve heard. They’d be hard to beat when it comes to resolution, punchiness, clarity, speed, imaging, layering, and separation, as well as openness and air, although they have only an average soundstage. The tuning is excellent – studio neutral but with excellent, tight bass. The bass isn’t the richest or thickest but it does extend down deeply. The treble is exceptionally good: smooth and well extended and clear. The mids are outstanding, especially in the upper mids, which do indeed stand out – if a bit too much for my taste. But if you’re not as sensitive to these frequencies as me, and vocals are a priority for you, the Magna should offer you something special.

Beyond music with a focus on singers, the Magna are also great for well recorded rock music. I found myself gravitating towards classic albums from the late 70s. I’d also recommend the Magna for small-venue jazz recordings.

The Magna are more refined than the SR1a and are mellower and possibly more resolving. They lack the staging depth and width of the SR1a, obviously, but have more bass and, as a result, more warmth.

The cost is preposterous, of course, and prohibitively expensive. Even so, and to offer a general comparison with other high-end gear, the Magna sound as impressive as any headphones I’ve heard. I prefer the Magna to the Utopia and other similarly priced headphones, and the Magna competes with the 1266s and Susvaras and Staxes of the world and surpasses them in many ways. I’d argue, by contrast, that the CA-1a offers good value for money, given its many qualities. I didn’t compare the CA-1a with the Magna but diminishing returns kick in very quickly and very hard.

FWIW, the Magna isn’t quite for me. I’m happy with the RD-4z. Each time it was a pleasure to return to the 4z after listening to the Magna. Ultimately, in place of the Magna I’d prefer something with a wider, more spacious stage, with a bit more weight in the bass, more warmth in the lower mids, and a bit more of a recession in the upper mids. But, cost aside, I have little trouble in appreciating the qualities of the Magna, and it really has been a privilege to get to hear these very impressive headphones. I owe their generous owner a great deal of gratitude. I can see why he loves them so much.

 

@Tchoupitoulas

Original Susvara (heard from the my HSA 1b from the same ribbon output but different DAC): warmer, weightier tonality, richer in the bass; more recessed in mids; similar staging, perhaps wider, but it does have more height relative to width and depth; treble is similarly well extended and clear, but the Susvara’s treble is sweeter, with more of a honeyed glow vs the Magna, which is closer to being crystal clear.
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I read your comparison notes of Magna against Susvara (OG). Do you think that the midrange recession in the Magna is very noticeable compared to Susvara OG? Also have you heard the bigger brother Immanis by chance?

 

I'm a bit confused - it's the Susvara that has the more recessed mids.

Edit: sorry for the brief reply above, I was rushing to a meeting. I missed the question about hearing the Immanis - alas, no I've not. At least not yet. I hope to do so at CanJam in a couple of weeks' time.

 

I missed this review when it was originally posted, so here’s my late reply.

I heard the Immanis in March last year at the World of Headphones in Heidelberg and was similarly impressed. Somehow, they made me tap my feet like nothing else I ever heard. Possibly because I’m a drums enthusiast, and I really liked what @Tchoupitoulas described as percussiveness. I also loved the incredible detail and instrument separation, but what really won me over was the fun I had while listening.

On the negative side, there was too much treble for my taste. Never painful (and I’m sensitive there), but just too much to really sound natural to my ears, too splashy and bright.

Still, if they were a third or maybe even half the price, I’d try to get more listening time and wonder if I should save for these. At those price levels, though, I’m out.

They were driven by a Feliks Envy at the show.

Disclaimer: This was meet conditions (good conditions, though, not loud around), and only some 15 minutes or so listening time, so I can’t be sure how valid these impressions really are.

 

OT but it would be nice to have a SR-X9000 review (living vicariously)…and if you’re needing to run it through special $$$“carbonated” energizers. Please.

 

Very nice review!!

 

Heard both last year when we had a local meet and Danny brought both pairs to hear through his Feliks Envy, I remember I was liking the Immanis more than the Magna which seemed little too fatiguing for me. Would be interested in trying it again with a different amp as folks were bringing it around to try on different setups and getting pretty different results.

One thing I have noticed at both working TSAV and then headphones.com, Raal headphones always did seem harder to sell online vs in person. Doing the demos of the SR1a in the past was equal parts fun and cumbersome having to do the different setup steps be it the transformer box, headband adjustment, etc. Magna and Immanis does feel a lot better in contrast and as an enthusiast I do like trying the headphones on different sources.

They are certainly unique sounding but man does that price point hurt me. I would rather go deal with Raal Immanis than having a big ole Stax X9000 setup personally speaking but the cost to get a good Stax setup seems relatively affordable in comparison. Think the Raal team is doing cool work, if they could find a way to have their headphones to go down in price and use more of a standard headband, think I would be sold.

 

I just had the chance to hear these at CanJam. and honestly really enjoyed them. I would have to listen for much longer to give any definitive thoughts, but they are quite nice.

 

They're called the stax mafia for a reason...