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

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

  1. Collusion

    Collusion Friend

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    Paging HSA-1b owners. How silent is your unit with the SR1a's? I have a faint crackling type of noise on my unit's left channel. Faint enough to be completely harmless during music playback. My listening room has about 34dB of background noise and when nothing is playing, I can hear the noise with little effort.
     
  2. spartacus

    spartacus New

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    I hear nothing of the sort and imagine if others did they would make it known
     
  3. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Does the crackling persist if you flip the input switch?

    edit: separate question for you guys that have the HSA-1b though... how does it fare with dynamics or planar headphones from the regular output?
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2021
  4. Collusion

    Collusion Friend

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    Yes, I've isolated the problem to my HSA-1b unit.

    As for your second question: absolutely fantastically. I've listened to ZMF Verite C's and Sennheiser HD800's (non modded) via the HSA-1b. Think of SPL Phonitor level technicalities with added romanticism.

    Quad ERA-1 planars work well too, though they don't really make any justice for the amp.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2021
  5. defiant00

    defiant00 New

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    I know I'm a bit late to this, but these are still my absolute favorite after owning them for about a year. Definitely the most detailed cans I've heard, yet still somehow being fun and musical instead of analytical.
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2021
  6. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, but in the ideal setting of SR1a (bent 30-45 degrees outward, slightly touching my ears for a good compromise between body and soundstage), what is the ideal EQ for the most linear response without fatigue in the treble region?

    I don't know if there is a universally accepted frequency response chart for SR1a, but it seems that the response drops in the sub-bass region, while it is mostly linear throughout bass and mids but becomes bright in the treble.

    FWIW, I have a Lokius. I prefer to use Lokius over parametric EQ in the digital domain.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2021
  7. 3X0

    3X0 Friend

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    I find one or two low-shelfs centered at 40-80Hz to be most beneficial, with a high pass at 20-35 to clean up the low end. The amount would have to be to taste as the perceived frequency response does vary quite a bit with angling. Tweaking the low end in this way adds enough body that you don't have to raise the volume to the point where the treble would be too bothersome. You could also go the @zerodeefex route and just add dual 18s for the lows.

    I do wonder whether there are additional opportunities for peak filters for the FR north of 1KHz, but I haven't found any particularly necessary IME.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2021
  8. Failed Engineer

    Failed Engineer Friend

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    Is there a good guide on how to wear these? I just bought a HSA-1b and a friend is lending me the sr1a's so I'm trying them out.

    The HSA-1b is a very good amplifier for high efficiency orthos but I slightly prefer the 3F. I don't have any low sensitivity ones like Abyss or Susvara that the 3F wasn't designed for and some say the HSA-1b work well for. The HSA-1b is no match for the 3F for dynamic headphones but still gives fair performance considering it's its tertiary utility (after RAAL direct drive and ortho amp).
     
  9. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    Be prepared to spend time messing about. The SR1a needs fiddling to get to the position you think sounds the best. Play with positioning more forwards/backwards, angle of the driver to ear, etc.

    For reference I spent 2-3 listening sessions adjusting settings until I settled on head placement and the driver angle.
     
  10. foo_me

    foo_me Friend

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    When I owned them, I had lots of issues with it moving around my head unless I was completely still. It felt comfortable for me but it was really annoying that it wouldn't stay still without shifting. I ended up wearing a hat whenever I listened to them. That kept the SR1a reasonably in place.
     
  11. wupwise

    wupwise New

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    I am not claiming these measurements are universally accepted, but there are measurements by crinacle and oratory1990 for the SR1a. You might find them useful as a starting point for your own EQ.
    https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/Au...ag-7_harman_over-ear_2018/RAAL-requisite SR1a
    https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/Au...1990/harman_over-ear_2018/RAAL-requisite SR1a
     
  12. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    ^ Those are dumb EQ settings.
    1. Adding 6.5db boost at 31Hz is a seriously dumbass thing to do with transducers that cannot reproduce bass that low in the first place. All this does is result in massive distortion - everywhere. If anything, cut here at 31Hz, so the driver doesn't have to work so hard, to make everything else sound better.
    2. Adding 7.7db boost at 16kHz is also another bad move. It's dumb if the transducer cannot reproduce frequencies that high and dumb if the measurement is not reliable (as they tend to be above 12kHz or so). This is like asking a baritone to sing soprano by singing high notes last range louder.
    3. Those EQ settings are based on the Harmon target which sounds like ass and is almost universally despised on SBAF: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/harman-curve-poll-public.10130/
    For SR1a, just drop the 4th and 5th knobs on the Lokius. Turn about a quarter way counterclockwise at 9:00 position. Adjust as you see fit depending upon the angle of the SR1A flaps. Experiment. Not that many knobs. Do it by ear to what sounds right to you. This is why we have physical hardware EQ. Easy to play with and get great results with immediate feedback and without the neurosis. Use right brain, not left brain.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 15, 2022
  13. pavi

    pavi Almost "Made"

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    this kind of common-sense is so refreshing
     
  14. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    To add, surgical EQ with 10 parametric bands, many of them high Q is also stupid when it comes to headphones where the tiniest of placement shifts or individual differences in pinna and concha will alter the frequency response. Our heads are not GRAS HATS or will individuals placements be the same as the folks measuring the headphones. For example, I prefer to place headphones low and forward and I know many others here do similarly.

    Common sense / real-life experience > academic study / measurbating

    Study and measuring are good things, but they can also be bad things when they become a thing in themselves and cause us to lose the sight of the overall picture.
     
  15. Elmer Danilovich

    Elmer Danilovich MOT:Earmen, HeadAmp, Bricasti; AKA:MShenay

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    vm1aCropped.jpeg
    It'll be at the HeadAmp table this weekend if you'd like to hear it, don't have more details just yet but I'll update this post when I do.
     
  16. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Interesting that they've gone with ribbon output only. I wonder if it has a transformer coupled output to manage the current requirements.
     
  17. Elmer Danilovich

    Elmer Danilovich MOT:Earmen, HeadAmp, Bricasti; AKA:MShenay

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    Priced should be $6500, it has options to operate in Ultra-Linear, Triode or Pentode modes with a micro-processor that checks through bias parameters, assuring all tubes are in balance

    Well they have the PDT-1A for dynamic and planar magnetic-headphones so is purpose built for their two ribbon products

    vm1a_top_crop.jpg

    HeadAmp has it up for pre-order now as well too.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2022
  18. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    Nice price gouging.
     
  19. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    Looks dope though :)
     
  20. Soups

    Soups Sadomasochistic cat

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    Just learned about this today - the Raal TI-1a - a new amp interface that allows you to power their ribbon headphones with decently powerful headphone amplifiers (not just speaker amps). Danny from Raal mentioned that this will also be compatible with their upcoming circumaurals.

    Link - https://raalrequisite.com/product/ti-1a-ribbon-amp-interface/

    I hope to get one of these in a few weeks. Looking forward to trying with the Tyrs, which are advertised to stay handily in Class A range via this interface!
     
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