[normie610]

Having a blast tonight listening to this album on CA-1a. Such an expansive soundstage, plenty of air and separation with very clear and full bodied notes (not as weighty as Valkyria but still very very good). There’s this sense of ease and naturalness that perhaps only ribbon drivers can produce. Pretty sure that the upcoming Immanis will be at the summit of headfi.

 

[Lucikun]

How do these complement the Diana TC’s? Does it make sense to have both?

 

[FiGuY1017]

Everytime I think about selling these I listen to them and stop myself because there is literally nothing within it's price range I could match it's sq with, and I'm not looking at the new generation until I get a raise or two loI'll just have to avoid those threads so I don't hear how my Sus and Ca1a get crushed . But seriously the new generation Raals aren't meant to compete with Susvara, TC Lcd5 etc if so they'd be redundant because the ca1a already play in that league, the new kids are world beaters, smashing giants like He1's, Sr's, Amperio etc

 

[Hiker816]

But seriously the new generation Raals aren't meant to compete with Susvara, TC Lcd5 etc if so they'd be redundant because the ca1a already play in that league, the new kids are world beaters, smashing giants like He1's, Sr's, Amperio etc

Couldn't agree more. In fact, when properly amped, I think the CA1a and SR1a play in the same league as the Valkyria.

 

[jlbrach]

the CA and SR are special and wonderful but to me the SR is the star

 

[Buckie]

I must add this for posterity.
The reason I chose the CA-1a (and soon the SR as well) was because they are truly open. Apart from those two there's just the Mysphere that I know of (and its AKG inspiration). I simply cannot stand the sound of pads, even in the open-back headphones, and that audible reverberation coming from the sides of the pads immediately suggests to the brain that you have "put headphones on". None of that with the Requisites. That is the reason for that "floating inside the soundfield" sensation that many have shared – simply because you don't hear sound bumping off the walls. For someone like me who swears by the studio monitor sound there's simply no other alternative. Every other headphone that I have tried has that audible reverb/decay, including Dan Clark, Abyss, Audeze, all of them. So I find it quite sad that all-around pads in the 1995 is the evolution we've got and at the same time I'm very grateful to the team that brought us the true audio marvels that the CA and the SR are.

There are of course IEMs and they're a different story in some ways, but as far as full-sized headphones go, the original RAALs are the only choice if you don't want to listen to your headphones, but want to listen to the actual sound instead.

 

[nfandi]

I must add this for posterity.
The reason I chose the CA-1a (and soon the SR as well) was because they are truly open. Apart from those two there's just the Mysphere that I know of (and its AKG inspiration). I simply cannot stand the sound of pads, even in the open-back headphones, and that audible reverberation coming from the sides of the pads immediately suggests to the brain that you have "put headphones on". None of that with the Requisites. That is the reason for that "floating inside the soundfield" sensation that many have shared – simply because you don't hear sound bumping off the walls. For someone like me who swears by the studio monitor sound there's simply no other alternative. Every other headphone that I have tried has that audible reverb/decay, including Dan Clark, Abyss, Audeze, all of them. So I find it quite sad that all-around pads in the 1995 is the evolution we've got and at the same time I'm very grateful to the team that brought us the true audio marvels that the CA and the SR are.

There are of course IEMs and they're a different story in some ways, but as far as full-sized headphones go, the original RAALs are the only choice if you don't want to listen to your headphones, but want to listen to the actual sound instead.

Can I ask if this sadness is as a result of extensive listening to both Magna and Immanis?

 

[Buckie]

Can I ask if this sadness is as a result of extensive listening to both Magna and Immanis?

You can ask and I can answer. I haven't listened to either yet, it's just that they follow the same physical principle in general construction as every other open-back headphone. No magic, just physics, at least that's what I presume.

 

[nfandi]

You can ask and I can answer. I haven't listened to either yet, it's just that they follow the same physical principle in general construction as every other open-back headphone. No magic, just physics, at least that's what I presume.

Try page 47 of the Raal 1995 Sponsor thread. Initial comments about Magna and Immanis by MokhaMark. Mark used to play violin in orchestras so knows what real instruments sound like in real spaces.

 

[Buckie]

Try page 47 of the Raal 1995 Sponsor thread. Initial comments about Magna and Immanis by MokhaMark. Mark used to play violin in orchestras so knows what real instruments sound like in real spaces.

Well, they seem to confirm my view. Specifically, "richer in body, significantly more bass and mid-range body... expansive, concert hall like sound". And on the the SR: "I find it less fatiguing, and lighter on the head." So basically it's the kind of sound one might expect from an absolutely stellar ribbon driver (I won't argue the driver itself is better than either the CA or the SR) coupled with a closed pad geometry. I have witnessed the same group of effects in other headphones. It's also quite easy to replicate on the CA to a degree, just put on deep closed pads and it gets all those qualities. For me the problem is that those qualities are caused by reverberation distortion, not by a headphone being "better" or truer to source. It's also fair to say that the majority of headphone listeners actually value precisely those qualities, so from a business×sound point of view, RAAL made the right choice.

Much like Microsoft made the right choice when it killed Windows Phone leaving us permanently in the duopoly hell.

 

[nfandi]

Well, they seem to confirm my view. Specifically, "richer in body, significantly more bass and mid-range body... expansive, concert hall like sound". And on the the SR: "I find it less fatiguing, and lighter on the head." So basically it's the kind of sound one might expect from an absolutely stellar ribbon driver (I won't argue the driver itself is better than either the CA or the SR) coupled with a closed pad geometry. I have witnessed the same group of effects in other headphones. It's also quite easy to replicate on the CA to a degree, just put on deep closed pads and it gets all those qualities. For me the problem is that those qualities are caused by reverberation distortion, not by a headphone being "better" or truer to source. It's also fair to say that the majority of headphone listeners actually value precisely those qualities, so from a business×sound point of view, RAAL made the right choice.

Much like Microsoft made the right choice when it killed Windows Phone leaving us permanently in the duopoly hell.

So you still have no reason to be sad. You already have the best value true-ribbon headphones ever made. You’re getting the SR soon which is more magical than the CA but more limited in terms of genres with which it sounds the best. The SR will be the second best value true-ribbon headphone ever made. And neither of them possess those horrible attributes that give you problems. Once Immanis and Magna are fully available you might be able to hear them and confirm or otherwise your current concerns. Either way you can’t lose, you’ll already own 2 of the best value phones ever made. And then hopefully in maybe 2 years Alex will give us the SR2 open-baffle update and you might not be so sad anymore.

 

[Buckie]

So you still have no reason to be sad. You already have the best value true-ribbon headphones ever made. You’re getting the SR soon which is more magical than the CA but more limited in terms of genres with which it sounds the best. The SR will be the second best value true-ribbon headphone ever made. And neither of them possess those horrible attributes that give you problems. Once Immanis and Magna are fully available you might be able to hear them and confirm or otherwise your current concerns. Either way you can’t lose, you’ll already own 2 of the best value phones ever made. And then hopefully in maybe 2 years Alex will give us the SR2 open-baffle update and you might not be so sad anymore.

As you can tell, my sadness comes from unique, one-of-a-kind things taken away from us. It's pointless to speculate about some distant future, what we have now is that both the SR and the CA are discontinued. RAAL giveth and RAAL taketh away...

 

[nfandi]

As you can tell, my sadness comes from unique, one-of-a-kind things taken away from us. It's pointless to speculate about some distant future, what we have now is that both the SR and the CA are discontinued. RAAL giveth and RAAL taketh away...

Where did you hear or read that? I’ve seen or heard nothing to that extent. The Raal-Requisite web-site is still up and running and Danny can still supply what you need from that range. I’d very much agree that all of Alex’s efforts will be on getting Magna and Immanis out to customers and may mean a period where none of the RR stuff is manufactured, but the new stuff might trigger new interest in the much lower priced SR and CA. It would be foolish to discontinue the SR and CA right now.

 

[jlbrach]

the SR is the unique offering and I highly doubt it will be discontinued...listening to it right now with a big smile on my face

 

[yates7592]

Is anyone able to comment on comparisons with HD800/800S and whether CA-1A is an upgrade?