Danacable Lazuli RAAL vs RAAL Silver for the SR1a
(As the RAAL Silver is a RAAL product but is not offered as a purchase option with the SR1a I will consider it an after-market option.)
There have not been many after-market cables available for the RAAL SR1a. Probably because you can’t just soldier connects on both ends of a piece of cabling and expect it to work optimally. The load the SR1a presents to the driving amplifier is almost a dead short at 0.2 Ohms “with” the stock cabling, so this needs to be addressed when designing an HP cable for the SR1a and that means a cable with extremely low resistance.
For use with conventional power amplifiers the SR1a comes with an interface box that shows the amp an approximate 5.6 ohm load to isolate and protect the amp. At present there are only two direct drive amps that I’m aware of for the SR1a; the Schiit JOT R and RAAL’s own HSA-1b. I purchased the RAAL Silver the same day it was released and it didn’t take long for me to determine that I much preferred it over the “stock” copper cable so I did not include it or two other aftermarket cables I tried before release of the Silver.
Danacables are sold in 2 meter and 3 meter lengths standard, custom lengths on request. I own a number of Danacable products especially HP cables and in general I characterize them as giving a full-bodied sound with smooth highs, great presence in the midrange, and bass that is robust.
The RAAL Silver is an all silver wire design and the Danacable Lazuli RAAL is all copper wire design.
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The following is taken from the Danacable website;
Refund Policy: The products with standard lengths and connectors that are specified on our product pages come with our 30-day money back guarantee. If you return the product within the 30-day period, you pay shipping both ways and any transaction processing fee on the refund. Cables of non-standard lengths and connectors are made on order and, therefore, non-cancellable.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak’s impact on international shipping, we have suspended online orders for addresses outside of the US.
Contact us at gingko@gingkoaudio.com for an estimate of delivery time and shipping cost.
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Danacables are a little weightier per length than just about any other brand I’m familiar with, and this gives them a more substantial feel in use. With close to comparable 7 foot lengths each, the RAAL Silver weighs in at 4.5 ounces and the Lazuli RAAL at 5.7 ounces, a negligible difference and that includes the connectors at both ends for each. So while the Lazuli RAAL has a thicker visual appearance (oval vs round) it is still lightweight, flexible and comfortable in use.
Here’s some additional info from the Danacable website as of 9/15/21 on the Lazuli RAAL cable;
This new Lazuli cable has a unique all-copper construction that consists of 640 individual strands of two different gauges of OFC (oxygen free copper) Litz wires. It has a very low impedance, a must for good damping with a low-impedance driver like the RAAL.
With its minimal weight and super flexibility the Lazuli RAAL provides a non-intrusive wearing experience with unmatched sound quality.
For a limited time from September 15 to September 30, 2021, we offer US$ 150.00 off the retail price.
THE EQUIPMENT (All of it purchased and owned by me.)
Both cables have plenty of play-time on them, over 50 hours on the Lazuli RAAL, and several hundred on the RAAL Silver. I used the Schiit JOT R, RAAL/Requisite HSA-1b and my PrimaLuna EVO 400 off its 4 ohm taps in triode mode with EL-34’s (my preferred power tube sound) and thru the interface for amplification. (One of the things I came away with from this comparison testing was a new appreciation for a well warmed up JOT R, especially with the Lazuli RAAL).
The CD transport was either the NuPrime CDT8 (on my upstairs rig) or Emotiva ERC3 (downstairs rig) using their AES outputs each into Schiit Yggdrasil 2’s. For digital connections I use DH Labs D-110 and for analog connections I use Mogami 2549 microphone cable with either Neutrik NF2C-B/2 RCA Professional Connectors for SE connections on all 3 amps and Neutrik XLR’s for balanced connections on the JOT R and HSA-1b.
THE MUSIC
I listened to my usual demo tracks from Chesky, Sheffield, Reference Recordings, etc., as well as the standard issue suspects (DG, EMI, Decca, Philips, etc.) because of familiarity. A list of my demo material can be found at the end of this review. To simplify the process I burned 8 CD’s of the excerpted material I use. My genre preference is for mostly classical / orchestral with some jazz, some classic rock/some metal, and film soundtracks. I do not listen to pop, folk, hip-hop, rap, or electronica and so would not venture comment on how this headphone serves those genres with these cabling options.
I’m commenting primarily on the Chesky disc selections because I find the minimal number of mics and smaller ensemble sizes make for excellent SQ that helps me to distinguish differences, if I hear them, more readily than with multi-mic’d 100 plus piece orchestral recordings. My comments extend to all the music I listened to from grand opera to solo piano to rock and metal. I also suspect the majority of listeners’ here will be able to identify more readily with the music on this Chesky disc and my comments than if I were referencing Shchedrin’s Piano Concerto #2 on the Hyperion label. And while I do enjoy listening to say, Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”, or Quiet Riot’s “Bang Your Head”, or Steely Dan’s “Don’t Take Me Alive”, at times, I wouldn’t know where to start or how to compare them as my live experiences are almost all just acoustic instruments (and having played violin and piano in my youth). But as music goes, it’s all good stuff!
I also want to note that I had a prototype version of the Lazuli RAAL for several weeks to break in and listen to. I then went away for a week+ of vacation and upon returning was able to revisit the comparison over several days to re-confirm my initial listening impressions. I found the second listening sessions most productive after not doing any listening while away. This prototype design remains unchanged and is the finished product offering on the Danacable website.
THE LISTENING COMPARISONS
The purpose of any audio cable is to carry an unaltered signal from source to destination, in this case the amp to the headphone. Aspects of bass output, warmth or coolness, transient capabilities, sound stage and imaging, etc., as captured by the recording should be determined by the amp and the transducer and not the cable, but that would be in a perfect world. Cables can’t correct for any sound anomalies but may just alter the sound in very subtle ways to better suit an individual’s preferences.
In theory, we shouldn’t be discussing the sound of the equipment at all but instead the sound of the recording, but the inter – relationship of all the hardware including the cables usually have some impact, to a greater or lesser extent, that can affect the end sound. Sometimes we notice differences, sometimes we don’t. It depends on the amount of its affect and our ability to perceive it. That’s the challenge with subjective impressions regarding the sound of any piece of the equipment chain and especially with cables which shouldn’t have any sound of their own and that may measure the same. Add in personal preferences in sound and varying genre preferences in music and we can be all over the place in terms of agreement / disagreement on what we hear, or don’t, from one listener to the next with any piece of audio equipment!
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SIDEBAR: And now for an oddity I cannot explain.
3 amps; JOT R, PrimaLuna EVO 400, HSA-1b. Using the same test tone on all 3 amps and switching between the two cables at a variety of listening levels I found for example:
JOT R Balanced Mode with Balanced input:
Lazuli RAAL 57.7db / RAAL Silver 55.7db
EVO 400 SE Mode with SE input:
Lazuli RAAL 57.8db / RAAL Silver 57.8db
HSA-1b Balanced Mode with Balanced Input:
Lazuli RAAL 57.5db / RAAL Silver 57.5db
I ran through this procedure a dozen times and over different days and at different volume levels on each cable/amp combo with the same results. This forced me to make arrows out of yellow sticky pads to mark the locations on the JOT R face plate where output level for a given input level was the same and having to change the volume control for whichever cable I was using. I do not remember ever running into a situation like this before. And 2 db is very noticeable to me, I picked up the difference immediately when listening and that’s why I went through so many measurements. Why it happens only with my JOT R, I have no idea.
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THE SOUND
(Note the overlapping frequencies assigned to each range in the chart at the end of my write up. There are no sharp cutoffs of the various ranges and this seems most appropriate to me when discussing the sound. Also, the differences I put forth in what follow are “not” large at all and it took many hours of listening to come to “my” conclusions.)
BASS/MIDBASS
It’s no secret that the SR1a does not produce a prodigious quantity of “BIG” bass at the very bottom end and that angling of the dipole wings will make a difference, but not a commanding one to my ears. I have no qualms about using boost below 100 Hz (and some cut at 2 KHz). I like Schiit’s various Loki designs that hinge at 20 so I don’t have to overdo frequencies below say 60 Hz. That being said the need for EQ varies significantly from one recording to the next (and probably from genre to genre to satisfy personal preferences). And my primary genre niche is late romantic symphonies and 20th century works (with a dash of late romantic and 20th century opera thrown in) for full blown orchestral forces. I’ve attended too many live classical concerts over too many decades and can say with complete conviction that generation of bass frequencies at volume in a concert hall is completely different from what can be generated inside any headphone ear cup cavity (or wing in this case) or any in room speaker that I’ve ever heard over those decades. There is a sense of “power” in live bass propagation that can’t be duplicated with canned reproduction solutions.
Getting back to the need for EQ, Chesky (along with Sheffield, Reference Recordings, Decca and a few others) make some of the best recordings I’ve heard from just about any label. But even when listening to Chesky’s “Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc” I still prefer a touch of EQ on the bottom end on some tracks with the SR1a. The quickest tell for me is the singular large tympani strike that closes “Ben’s Farm in Vermont”. On the Sr1a it strikes me as a little anemic, it needs more weight behind it. It’s the same with the track “War” and some of its many percussion instruments (yet the drum set sounds fine). The double bass that opens “Las Perlas de Tu Boca” sounds fine as is to me, as does the bass guitar and drum set on “Rock and Roll”. The tuba and drum set on “When the Saints Go Marching In” sound right as well, no need to augment the bass frequencies but I find a modest bump up at 20 Hz is always satisfying with all of the tracks and will not muddy up higher frequencies. But those choices are also my personal preferences and I should also point out that I do not use EQ with any of my other phones, the 1266Phi, Susvara, HD800 OG and S.
So, how do these two cables compare in the lower regions?
The Lazuli RAAL imparts a little more weight and warmth from the very bottom up into the midrange and while it does not replace the need for EQ to satisfy my personal preference on all tracks that I feel need it, it’s effect on tracks that I don’t feel need help is not that intrusive or overdone. I don’t think either cable will satisfy the “moar bass” crowd, they are not equalizers, but I prefer what the Lazuli RAAL does in this area.
MIDRANGE
The reproduction of the midrange, where so much of what we hear resides, is the glory of the SR1a. I find the RAAL Silver a little cooler sounding, the Lazuli RAAL a little warmer, richer, sounding. I personally do prefer an approximately 3 to 5 db cut at 2 KHz with the SR1a. Most often this area has a bit more energy than I like with many recordings. The Lazuli RAAL makes for a more relaxing listen and at the same time more of a sense of “there-ness” to voices and instruments where the RAAL Silver is maybe more transparent but a bit less ”there”. (Terrible, but I have a tough time conveying how I hear the two.) The Lazuli RAAL gives a bit of roundness to voices and instruments in the mids and in general suits the way I like hearing my music. I also want to note that when I play with EQ in the midrange area it can have an effect on sound stage an imaging. While both cables sound fine I personally give the edge to the Lazuli RAAL for my listening preference.
HIGHS
This is another area where opinions differ regarding the desirability of the high frequency energy the SR1a can deliver. All the equipment before the SR1a can have a pronounced effect on how one perceives the highs, and none more so than the source material. There very well may be harmonics above say 9 to 10K Hz that I just can’t hear anymore but my take is the SR1a’s highs faithfully reproduce all that comes before it in the chain. With lesser quality source material or intervening hardware that may emphasize high frequency energy the Lazuli RAAL will deliver a smoother top end with more recordings that have what I have always felt had “hot” or “steel-y” sounding high ends, than the RAAL Silver. Not by a huge margin, but sometimes, just enough to satisfy me. Especially with my 60’s era Columbia’s, and 70’s and 80’s DG recordings. Again, the Lazuli RAAL gives me greater enjoyment with those types of recordings. Again, edge to the Lazuli RAAL.
IMAGING
Both cables set a wide, stable sound stage (again, recording SQ dependent). The Lazuli RAAL on several occasions gave a slightly tighter outline to those images but that was not consistent from recording to recording. Most of the music tracks on the Chesky disc will do the job of telling what’s where in specificity.
SOUNDSTAGE
This is the one area where I had a preference for the RAAL Silver. The distance between the front of the stage and the rear wall was deeper and better layered than with the Lazuli RAAL. With the Chesky disc the difference was notable on many tracks; the drum set on “When the Saints Go Marching In”, the vocalist and drum set on “Rock and Roll”, the various instrument locations on “Ben’s Farm in Vermont” and “War”, the various vocalists and particularly the brass in the back on “Wa, Wa. Wa”, the capture of the acoustic space on “Whip-Poor-Will”.
A final note on imaging and sound stage. Generally, a single stereo pair of mics as used by Chesky and Sheffield uses, as well as older, classic “RCA Living Stereo” used, and the old “Mercury Living Presence” series (which also included a center channel mic) always give me the best in those two parameters. The microphones and their positioning become your ears. Two is the number of ears we have so… With the coming of multiple mic recordings from 1 to 3 or 4 in recording studios, to possibly a dozen or so in the concert hall suspended over the orchestra and the chance for subsequent bleed over of sound from adjacent mics it’s kind of miraculous to get any semblance of imaging and the sound space. Multi-mic’ing also opens the door to possible phase differences that could have an impact. Then consider recordings made in studios where after fact added “production value” stuff may be added in, plus modern miracles of electronic wizardry like “auto-tune” and well… Simpler should be better. But I’m certain there are many technical reasons why just a simple two-mic set up may not get all the balances right for all instruments, especially with larger ensembles, so…
SUMMARY
My take on the SR1a is that it is about the most pure sound I have heard from any headphone including my 1266 Phi and Susvara (but they have their own particular advantages when listening), and all the others I’ve owned over the past 6 years (and I have only auditioned one electrostatic design in the past 6 years but did own Stax TOTL in the 80’s). It’s response to attack and decay characteristics reveals the finest of details with instruments and voices providing a level of clarity coming closer to what I experience live in the concert hall or jazz club. Sure, the SR1a has its shortcomings, especially with propagating the deepest bass and the sense of air those deepest notes can generate. And for some the high frequency energy may be too much. We all have our likes and dislikes.
And, this cable comparison could simply break down into the sound of silver versus the sound of copper, if we can perceive any difference between the two metals in use. While I have a decided preference overall for the Lazuli RAAL I will be keeping the Silver RAAL. Especially given the expected introduction of RAAL’s circumaural design hopefully in 2022 if not sooner.
Again all of the above sonic characteristics aren’t / shouldn’t be about what any cable adds or subtracts but about what it lets through intact all the way back to the recording location / studio. Sometimes we like what we hear, sometimes we don’t but that shouldn’t be as a result of what the headphone cable, (or any cable for that matter), is doing to the sound. It should be up to the source and the transducer. (Again, in a perfect world). It’s also impossible in most cases to know what the sound of the original recording was unless you made it yourself or attended the recording sessions. And taking into consideration the less than absolute nature of aural perception and remembrance further complicates the process of evaluation.
The hyper revealing nature of the SR1a can point out issues elsewhere in that chain and a cable might have an impact on the sound in such a manner that agrees with the listener, or doesn’t.
Both the RAAL Silver and the Lazuli RAAL are much more enjoyable to listen through than the stock or 2 other cables I have tried with the RAAL. And, there is no obvious day/night difference between the two to my ears, it took many hours of listening for me to come to my conclusions in conjunction with my preferences.
The Lazuli RAAL’s design takes into account the unusual feeding requirements of the SR1a and delivers a sound I find correct, “musical” and enjoyable to listen to. Danacable’s refund policies take most of pain out of the buy and try. Come to think of it, how many after-market cable brands allow for this?
The Lazuli RAAL provides one more option in a very small group of options for those looking to use a headphone cable other than the stock cable the SR1a comes with.
The bottom line for me? I purchased the prototype/demo.
FLTWS Sept. 2021
My Current Demo List for Evaluating Equipment 2021 (all on CD).
This is the list from my 8 CD compilation:
Chesky’s Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc JD361: Track numbers: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, & 13 in particular. Don’t miss trying the test tracks for imaging, sound stage, compression, and bass, either. Note: as it is a compilation from a dozen different albums I find myself needing to adjust volume on many tracks to hit the sweet spot loudness-wise. This CD is indispensable for my evaluations of gear. The smaller size ensemble’s and recorded SQ make it so.
The Sheffield/XLO Test & Burn in CD: 10041-2-T Many useful tracks to evaluate sound.
The Missing Linc Vol. 2: Sheffield CDS10
Shostakovich / Shchedrin: Piano Concertos on Hyperion CDA 67425 (2003)
Shchedrin: “Carmen Suite” / Pletnev DG471136 (2001)
Gregorian Chants: Teldec 4509-96036-2 (1966 / the CD was issued 1994))
Purcell: Dido & Aeneas: Davis & ASMF: Philips 422 485-2 (1970) /
Remastered 2015 on Pentatone PTC 5186 230
Debussy: Afternoon of a Faun:
Sheffield CD24 (1985)
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 1: Sheffield CD7/8 (1978)
Wagner: Siegfried’s Funeral March: Sheffield CD7/8 (1978)
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliette (ballet): Act 2 Finale: Sheffield CD 7/8 (1978)
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliette (ballet): Act 3 Introduction: Sheffield CD 7/8 (1978)
Antidotum Tarantulae: (10th Century ? Anonymous): Harmonia Munde HMC 90379 CD (AAD), 1977
Vivaldi: 4 Seasons: “Summer”, “Presto”: Comparison of 2 recordings of same movement, different chamber groups, conductors, labels, recording venues, and different period instruments. Interesting contrasts in tonal qualities and imaging/sound stage.
Archive 400-045 CD: Trevor Pinnock, recorded 1982, DDD (?) 3:00 (timing)
Chesky CD78 CD: Igor Kipnis, recorded 1992, DDD, 3:02 (timing)
Bach: Goldberg Variations: Variations 31 & 32: “Quod Libet” & “Aria Da Capo”:
Comparison of 2 recordings of same 2 variations by 2 different pianists in different recording venues.
Sony S3K 87703 CD: Glenn Gould, recorded 1955, Re-mastered 2002, ADD, 0:48 & 2:11 (timing)
VAI 1029 (Live) CD: Rosalyn Turek, recorded 1988, AAD (yes!), 1:47 & 2:57 (timing) Turek makes a repeat and is generally, overall, slower than Gould. Well, everybody else that ever recorded this was slower than Gould. It was recorded live somewhere in South America (?).
Beethoven: “Presto” movement from Opus 131 String Quartet:
Comparison of 2 recordings of same string quartet movement by 2 different groups on 2 different labels in different recording venues.
DG 447-080 CD: Emerson Quartet, recorded 1994, DDD, 4:33 (timing) Lightening Quick!
Telarc 80425 CD: Cleveland Quartet, recorded 1995, DDD, 5:20 (timing)
Beethoven: Violin Sonata #9 “Kreutzer”, 3rd movement “Presto” London CD 421-453 (recorded 1973)
Brahms Intermezzo Opus 118 #2 (for piano), London CD 417-599 (recorded 1971)
Erik Satie: Gnossienne #1 & Gymnopedie #1, Harmonia Mundi HMC902017.18 (recorded 2009)
Kreisler: Praeludium & Allegro for Violin and Piano: London 444-409 (recorded 1996)
Sibelius: Symphony #7: DG 457-748 (recorded 1968)
Prokofiev: Symphony #5: Telarc SACD 60683 (recorded 2007)
Bartok: Music for Strings Percussion & Celeste; 3rd Mvmt “Adagio”: Comparison of 2:
Neville Marriner & ASMF (Rec. 1970) on Decca 448577-2
Fritz Reiner & CSO (Rec. 1955) on RCA Living Stereo Hybrid SACD 82876-6 1390-2
Respighi: Ancient dances & Airs, Suite #3 for Strings; Final section, “Passacaglia”: Antal Dorati & Philharmonia Hungarica (Rec. 1958) on Mercury Living Presence 434-304-2
Rafe Vaughn-Williams: Symphony #7 “Antarctica”, 3rd Mvmt “Landscape”, Bernard Haitink & London Philharmonic (Rec. 1985) EMI CDC7 47516-2
Rachmaninov (or “off” if you like): Symphonic Dances, 3rd Mvmt Finale “”Lento assai: Allegro Vivace”, Donald Johanos / Dallas Sym. O: (Rec. 1991 - AAD on all tube electronics) Analogue Prod. AACD 006
Mahler: Symphony #2 “Resurrection” Gilbert Kaplan & Vienna Philharmonic Orch. & Chorus, Latonia Moore: Sop. / Nadja Michael: Mezzo-Sop. (Rec. 2002) SACD/CD, DG 474-594-2
Puccini: Tosca: Philips 412 885-2 (1976) Davis and the R.O.H Covent Garden, end of Act 1
Puccini: Orchestral Works, “Crisantemi”, Riccardo Chailly & Radio-Symphony Orch. of Berlin, Decca 410-007-2, (Rec. 1982)
Schoenberg: “Verklarte Nacht” (Transfigured Night) Opus 4 for string orchestra, Riccardo Chailly & Radio-Symphony Orch. of Berlin, Decca 421-182-2, (Rec. 1987)
Arrigo Boito: “Prologue” to “Mephistophele”, Robert Shaw & Atlanta S.O. & Chorus with John Cheek (Bass), Telarc CD-80109-2 (Rec. 1979)
Swedish Orch. Favorites Vol 2 P.Sundkvist & Swedish Chamber Orch. on Naxos 8.553715, (Rec. 1995)
Billy Joel: “Fantasies & Delusions, Music for Solo Piano”, “Dublinesque Air”
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade: Final Movement: Comparison of 3 different recordings
Fritz Reiner & Chicago S.O.: RCA Living Stereo Hybrid SACD 82876-66377-2 (Originally recorded 1960
and re-issued at least a half dozen times in CD format. Latest remastering 2005 (or before) from the
original 3 track analog tapes)
Charles Mackerras & London S.O.: Telarc CD-80208 Recorded 1990
Robert Spano & Atlanta S.O.: Telarc CD-80568 Recorded 2000
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky:
Telarc CD-80143 Recorded 1986
Shostakovich: Sym. #5 - 1st Mvmt:
Maazel / Cleveland SO Telarc CD-SACD-60561 (1981)
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (version of 1910):
Eric Leinsdorf and The Los Angeles Philharmonic: Sheffield Lab CD-24 Recorded 1985 at MGM/UA Studio’s Culver City, California. Using all tubed electronics just as in their Wagner and Prokofiev discs from mic to tape recorder.
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (version of 1947): Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic: DG 00289-477-6198. Recorded “Live” at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California in 2006.
Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks Live;
Featuring the Lickettes: “Where’s the Money?” (Just Plain Fun)
Ten Years After: “Bad Scene” (I do love’s me some good metal guitar pick’n.)
David Crosby: “Cowboy Movie” (It’s David Crosby for cryin’ out loud; Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, CSNY)
Chris Isaak: “Wicked Game” (Rock-a Billy meets Country Fusion at its best)
Stanley Clarke: “School Days” (Classic guitar work)
I’m also a “
Steely Dan” fan. Their recordings are well done and I like their musical style.
