RAAL requisite audio SR1a Review: HOLY MOLY! Buy this now!

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by purr1n, Jul 12, 2019.

  1. archer88

    archer88 Friend

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    This is awesome if it maintains the sonic fidelity of the amp as claimed. Can't wait to try DHT amps with the SR1a.
     
  2. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    Considering what those headphones are, that would be cool, yes :)
     
  3. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Anyone know what the step-down ratio is? 'Cuz if it's close then we can frankenstein this but with a switch or something that lets you reverse how the transformers are wired up, then add in a bias power supply, so now it can do both ribbons and electrostats. Blah blah outside optimal range whatever, I'm just tired of having three different boxes to run headphones (one reason why I'm selling my SR1a & HSA-1b).
     
  4. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    That's interesting. Are there any extra reasons why are you letting go this setup?
     
  5. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    I kinda wonder if it’s like this

    http://diy.ecpaudio.com/2010/08/the-caged-frog-pentode-based.html?m=1
     
  6. deafenears

    deafenears Almost "Made"

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  7. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Why do I need this new interface if I've always only used speaker amps?
     
  8. deafenears

    deafenears Almost "Made"

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    I wouldn't say "need", probably more of a "want".

    RAAL-Requisite needed to design a new for the new circumaural (CR1a) removing the built in open-baffle compensation of the current/older interface box. It also opens up the market reducing the level of entry for those only with headphone amps.

    But to answer your question, I think reduced efficiency meaning that if you have a class A/B speaker amp, it'll more than likely stay in class A biasing for longer. Also reducing the number of resistors in series, which you would think would improve sound quality (or more reduce degradation of sound quality). Of course, only way to find out is to have both and compare for yourself.
     
  9. nishan99

    nishan99 Friend

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    More power is always good :) .
     
  10. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    I'm already into the realm of stupid using speaker amps to drive my HE-6.
    I got the RAAL because I really just wanted to hear something different. It was good, but I still prefer my HE-6 and I can't justify having yet another dedicated system just for a ribbon headphone. At least with my HE-6 setup I can use the amp for normal speakers. The HSA-1b is great, and I would maybe have kept it if I had high efficiency speakers, but if I'm going back into speakers it'll probably be ATC's which are either low sensitivity or active.
     
  11. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    All good, you're not the only one ;)

    And thanks for explaining your situation with those Raals. I imagined that it had to do with utilities rather than sound, these are great cans after all. But it's understandable that a dedicated setup just for that one product isn't ideal to everyone.
     
  12. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Next up, maybe iFi would consider an iESL2 that lets you switch which way the transformer is wired so it's a step-up for electrostats, and a step-down for ribbons... a man can dream right?
     
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  13. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I'm going to see if we can get some of thees RAAL toys for loaners. :)
     
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  14. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    To be fair, we've been asked about iESL a lot recently and I'm not sure why. The same is with our also discontinued micro iUSB3.0. But hey, it's good that you folks are vocal about that, because what you want to see actually has some impact on what we make. Who knows, right ;) ?
     
  15. deafenears

    deafenears Almost "Made"

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    Probably cause of the positive review or mentions from both Marv and Torq, at least that's how it was for me. Before then, I never really heard much about the iESLs. Plus, perhaps more and more estats of late with Audeze getting into the game too? So now we have STAX, HiFiMAN, Audeze, Koss, and I'm sure a few others I've missed.
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Slightly off topic... It's my fault. I've been a butthead. I running x2 Tyr into the iESL into one of my favorite stats, the ESP950.

    [​IMG]

    I noted that iESL is still in stock a few places. I think the reason it didn't take off is because Head-Case did a hatchet job on it, with some folks there making extremely dubious claims hinting that the design is defective, sub-optimal, or that it will kill you. The typical BS (no one other than Kevin Gilmore or Spritzer can design a proper energizer, amp, transformer for stats). I'm finding the iESL to be rather fantastic that is scaling very very well with better amplification. The last time I heard the ESP950 sound so good was from a DIY T2. Yeah no shit. The iESL is that good. No one will believe me. I don't care. I've set this up for bassheads who are used to nice SET amps + traditional dynamics, and even the like this setup for what it does.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2022
  17. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    Yes, come to think of it new estats from i.e. Audeze had to factor in.

    I know what you mean, we've seen these comments but we keep away from that sort of content and don't feel the urge to defend our stuff. It defends itself quite nicely :)

    Thanks! Transparency was one of our primary goals with iESL, we wanted to make it as transparent as possible to leave room for amps it connects to. From your post I gather that we did good, so thank you again :)
     
  18. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I should try to get my hands on the Audeze stat and try it out from the iESL.
     
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  19. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    You should indeed :D
     
  20. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Brief impressions of the RAAL SR-1a

    [​IMG]

    Thank you to @Tchoupitoulas for letting me borrow his SR-1a to audition for a week. :bow:

    Gear: Pi2aes with NoiseNuke -> Yggdrasil A2/og -> HSA-1b -> SR-1a

    Music: Classical, acoustic guitar and solo piano (all very well recorded), folk, folk rock, rock, jazz

    The Good
    Incredibly resolving, probably the most resolving transducer i’ve ever heard, but not that far ahead of my modded LCD-R or LCD-5. Detail is mostly just presented very differently, it’s thrown at you with incredible force so detail is at the forefront, in front of the actual tone of the instrument

    Very airy and open presentation which is quite magical, especially for acoustic music

    The Bad
    The way detail is pushed to the forefront of the sound is very fatiguing for me and unnatural. I feel like I am analyzing details not listening to music. Naturally, in music, some details are louder and some are softer and buried deeper in the mix. There is a variation and levels of detail. Some are buried deeper. it’s as if the SR-1a makes all detail exactly the same loudness. I could come up with some photography analogy, there are filters or sharpeners that would do something similar to an image. All details are not supposed to be equal loudness, there is supposed to be the fundamental tone, covered with varying levels of detail, some very faint. The SR-1a detail portrayal is all the same, sort of flattened if you will, while other resolving headphones have a depth to the detail retrieval.

    There is a feeling of pressure build up in my ears that is uncomfortable, as if the drivers are pushing huge volumes of air into my ears in an unnatural way. It hurts my brain.

    The leading edges of notes and attacks are super sharp which is part of the reason detail is presented the way it is. But a lot of notes and instruments are way way sharper than they should be naturally. Talk about turning the sharpening ALL THE WAY UP on an image. You can kind of get into it because it makes them so resolving, but I can’t listen to most music with these headphones, its’ too unnatural. There is a natural softness to the tone of some instruments, not everything is razor f'ing sharp. The only thing that works for me is classical, solo piano and solo acoustic guitar. Everything else sounds very unnatural.

    There is a lack of bass that makes the presentation kind of lean. I would say that most of the midrange is flat and the treble is a bit elevated (all cymbal/ treble percussive work is too loud in the mix for example), and then they start rolling off in the lower midrange and bass and lack bass extension as well. This causes a pretty thin sound that is also unnatural.

    I hear a lot of resonance that I suspect is reflecting off the wings and around the driver itself, manifesting in the form of howling, screeching sounds on top of notes like vocals for example, which are intolerable to me.

    Final Thoughts:
    A very interesting headphone, but I can’t even listen to them anymore. I seem to have had a reaction to their presentation of sound and have been feeling really terrible ever since listening to them for only maybe 4 hours. This has lasted a few days, the first day after listening to them, I could not handle any music except for a bit of time with iems to reduce the feeling of sound wave force on my eardrums (I’m guessing). These are super good at two things: detail retrieval, soundstage and sense of air. They are IMO bad at everything else in the realm of musical reproduction (which is a lot) and I would honestly rather listen to the $200 Timeless 7hz iem than these. They are a way more well rounded headphone IMO.

    If all the "bads" above don’t bother you and you prioritize detail retrieval above all else, then these are worth looking into. If you value tonality, bass response, natural timbre reproduction, etc, I don’t think these are worth even trying to audition.

    Disclaimer: If this review offends you, remember it is only one person’s opinion and take some deep breaths and then remember that you are not your gear and what I think of the gear you own does not reflect on you, or what I think of you as a person. Breath. Breath.
     
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