Best sounding headphones you have owned?

Let me first say I am not a huge fan of headphones because I dislike the in your head soundstage. However, I love the RAAL SR1a because it does not sound like headphones. The only traditional headphone that I liked was the RAAL CA-1a. It is saved by the RAAL ribbon. Otherwise, the sound is pretty much in your head. I am selling the CA-1a to raise some cash not because I do not listen to it.

The SR1a is unlike traditional headphones. That is why they are called earphones. It is like having a 2-channel speaker hanging next to your ear. You end up looking like Princess Leia with the SR1a on your head.

A lot of folks who use the SR1a use it for Classical music because the sound stage is projected out of the headspace, and you can visualize the source of the instruments in a similar way as 2-channel.

I know people who have contacted me saying they sold their Magico speakers and went all in with the SR1a. I can see that. No 2-channel speaker I had owned in the past could beat my SR1a at 2-CHANNEL. That is until I got the Yamaha NS5000 speakers with a CODA #16 amp. That beats the best setup of the SR1a I have had. It is not easy to beat the SR1a even with 2-channel gear. With headphones, for my ears, it is not even a contest.

Best place to learn about the RAAL. Alex and Danny from RAAL and Requiste Audio help out with questions.

Raal Ribbon Headphones - SRH1A | Page 483 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

yyzsantabarbara soundqcar

Thanks...

Your impressions help me a lot to understand ...

I dislike headphone...

The only one i enjoy is my modified AKG K340 with which i had all characteristics i dream of...

My question was motivated by the fact that my AKG K340 is old ...

If i lost it tomorrow i buy what ?

My soundfield is out of the head speaker like and any other characteristics is there too...

What can i do if i lost it ?

i am afraid to buy anything else , but your two impressions  give me the assurance that i could buy something rivallling my experience ...

Thanks a lot...

you described what i did not read in other reviews so clearly ... The Raal is my only other headphone solution....

Good day, I have some Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX. I have some Hifiman Sundara. I prefer the Sundara. I had seen a number of comparisons that said they were the same. They are not, not even close.

it is true ONLY if you compared with headphones where the sound STAY in the head...Most headphones ( But not mine )

And most speakers/room are not acoustically optimal, even if yours is by the way... 😁

And if you have a TOP speakers/room anyway have you heard all headphones ?

If i add the BACCH filters i will rival your speakers/room if i did not rival already it with a 100 bucks headphone ( AKG K340 ) ...Not bad ...

By the way the bass is so good i felt it with my feet (bones conduction ) .

Perhaps you go too far here about ALL headphones...

In truth it is up to budget and creativity...

All speakers/room are not equals nor all headphones...

The only factor that rules audio is acoustics not gear choice claimed as  the only meaningful choice for all...

We dont need a pope ... 😊

No offense… best headphones are …. speakers. Listening to headphones is pleasurable and enjoyable, to the extent of jerking off. Compared to actually having sex (speakers). So sorry

I have several Sennheiser Grado Audio Technica and Sony (used to have Stax as well) and EQed they all sound nice but each a little different

I needed to replace a pair of ancient Klipsch earbuds that were showing their age. Picked up a pair of Truthear Crinacle Zeros Red buds recently and gotta say these things are top notch even without EQ. Crystal clear and balanced top to bottom and very affordable. Perfect for just taking in the details of whatever happens to be there in each recording even simply straight off a smart phone.

And if you have a TOP speakers/room anyway have you heard all headphones ?

Yes. Pretty much. By ownership over decades and headphones meetups. Including those (you will never be able to afford). And also pretty much every single highly rated headphones amps. Because? Life… and convenience. Headphones are way more convenient and cheaper than speakers. So …. To answer your question. YES

The only factor that rules audio is acoustics not gear choice

Pretty much irrelevant with headphones. Room excluded. So other than little mods on the caps (Believe me I have tried them all), not much left. And EQ? 🤯🤯🤯😂😂

You cannot had listen mine...

The AKG K340 and even if you did, they must be optimized and it takes me 6 months to do it rightfully with 6 modifications...

Anyway, the ratio price ( 100 bucks used) sound quality beat anything and perhaps your own system...But only seeing an image i am pretty sure your system beat headphones...But not all , give me the BACCH filters and i will stay with them ....

by the way the reason why the AKG K340 beat all headphones i had listened to is precisely the acoustic patent of the designer the two hybrid cells , dynamical and electroacoustic are distributed along the same axis in a dual acoustic chamber with 5 passive tuned resonators...And my own modifications are acoustics too ...Remember that the shell of an headphone is a room...😊 Even if most headphone designer ignore this because of cost and profit even high end one ...

Kennerton representative when i ask him why they do not design an hybrid as the K340 answer to me: it is too hard to do with too much cost in research... Thats say something ...

You go too fast to your conclusion...

And even if you are right i am not too far behind you for a ridiculous price...

Eq. is an acoustic controls i used it with my headphone optimization , I dont use it as a toy for each songs...

By the way i always disliked all headphones... Till i was in the obligation selling my house to use one before setting my small speakers right ...Now i love headphones at least mine ...And remember it is recording dependant, but the K340 is able to reproduce the acoustic atmosphere of the recording ...The sound of many albums is out of my head speaker like so much i keep my eyes open to "see" the musicians... I only need the BACCH filters as upgrade to refine that...

Anyway at 100 bucks i am envious of no one... Even of the headphone you claimed i could never afford...😊

With your budget you could not do what i did even with a pair Of K340... They are not ready out of the box... We must learn how to use them... An astute headphone critic of stereophile  do a negative review bec ause he did not understand what they are and how to optimize them... It is the most complex headphone designed...

only factor that rules audio is acoustics not gear choice

Pretty much irrelevant with headphones. Room excluded. So other than little mods on the caps (Believe me I have tried them all), not much left. And EQ? 🤯🤯🤯😂😂

@thyname I see you commenting as an expert on phones, and also stating you have Meze Elite. As someone who at one time owned the top end Meze, I find your comments about your expertise interesting.

For the rest of you. Some interesting things are happening in the world of RAAL. To prepare I bought back the RAAL VM-1a amp (getting it again on Saturday) that I sold last year. I also sold my RAAL SR1a earphones yesterday.

This Saturday, I am going to do a comparison of the RAAL VM-1a with the RAAL CA-1a headphone and the following gear:

• RAAL VM-1a amp | Schitt Yggi+ LIM DAC
• modded PeachTree GAN1
• Schit Mjolnir preamp | Schitt Aegir amp | Schitt Yggi+ LIM DAC
• Holo Serene preamp | CODA #16 amp | Schitt Yggi+ LIM DAC

It will be interesting to see if the low-cost solutions can reach near the VM-1a level. When I did a similar test with my old VM-1a the low-cost gear came close. My new low-cost gear is even better.

@yyzsantabarbara Why did you sell your SR1a ‘phones?

@soix New ones coming out soon. It is being discussed on Head-fi. The new one is a mix of the CA-1a and SR1a. There are 3 ribbons instead of 1. I will also be selling my CA-1a but that will be after the new one is released. I need a phone until then.

@yyzsantabarbara :

Sorry my post came out harsh. I honestly don’t read the Mahgister’s long rumblings, but I understand he slammed me big time his usual polite passive aggressive canadian way. Oh well…

I am not an expert on headphones but I have owned many in my two forays in them in the past twenty years, so I have a good understanding how they work FOR ME. And me only.

Bottom line: last year I built the best headphones system money can buy. Second attempt to headphones since several years ago when my kids were born and were little and I had no choice. I found myself almost always going downstairs to listening to my speakers, rather than staying upstairs listening to my headphones, over many months. As simple as that. My listening time is limited as I work for a living. So here is that

Contrary to you i read someone post BEFORE infering FALSE claim about it...

i dont slammed you body...😁 I just make the remark that you dont have listen to my modified headphone the K340 , claiming as you did you listened to all if not most TOP one even those as you said i " could never able to afford" which is as formulated such a bit insulting...

Secondly i said that AS YOURSELF , i disliked headphones and prefer speakers...If you had read my post before claiming i slammed you you would have understand that some headphones as the RAAL or my K340 differ vastly from other headphones......

The one pratronizing other here is you...I dont claim anything save to correct your claim about listening all headphones set up... This is false because it is impossible...

As you i prefer speakers...

But my K340 modified and optimized with his dual acoustic chamber with 5 passively tuned resonators resemble nothing you had listened too dude😊 ...

And i correct you mistaking claim that headphone dont have their own room shell acoustic because it is one of the main attribute which make the K340 unique...

Read before patronizing me about what i could or could not afford and before claiming you know it all ... You dont...

This is my "mumblings" here as you said ... Other will read my answer and make their opinion...

I give argument not patronizing veiled insult and pretentious universal claim valid for everyone...

And dont insult me about what i could or not afford, and about my " mumblings", and about the fact that you never dare to read my post but you answer them in your american active  patronizing discourteous way,..

Sorry my post came out harsh. I honestly don’t read the Mahgister’s long rumblings, but I understand he slammed me big time his usual polite passive aggressive canadian way. Oh well

Let me first say I am not a huge fan of headphones because I dislike the in your head soundstage. However, I love the RAAL SR1a because it does not sound like headphones. The only traditional headphone that I liked was the RAAL CA-1a.

it is the precise reason why the RAAL is the only headphone i am interested to ... I will compare it to my K340 optimized...

Out of the head impression is mandatory for me if i want to appreciate headphone...

It is the reason why i am also interested by the BACCH filters ...

I must add that my K340 produce deep bass listening organ for example that i felt with my body and are speaker like or at least completely different from headphone bass inside the head only...

Focal Utopia 2018/2019.  That's easy.  Sound great, very comfortable and great soundstage and range.  The best I have ever had, by far.

What headphone own natural timbre and own a deep bass clean and with no leak in the mids and more importantly an "out of the head" speaker like impression with great hall recordings or church one for example ?

I enjoy that only with my Akg K340 , none of the others headphones i had listend too ...

I dislike almost all headphones...

I apologize to repeat myself  wanting to be clear...

If someone know which headphone did the same please give me his name ...