What headphone and amplifier for classical enthusiast

@rvpiano Are you near Los Angeles. If so CanJam is going on in Irvine this weekend. The headphone to check out at the show is the offering from RAAL.-Requisite 

RAAL is coming out with a new ribbon based headphones that are different than the SR1a. The SR1a are like speakers attached to your ears. The RAAL SR1a are great for people who do not like headphones and are 2 channel people. My RAAL SR1a setup is as good as my floor stander setup.  The new models are like 'normal' headphones. I heard the new one yesterday and I think I will buy it in the future for when I listen in bed. However, the SR1a is still the cream of the crop for me.

True Ribbon Headphones & Amplifiers | RAAL-requisite (raalrequisite.com)  The web site does not list the new products yet.

RAAL also has a new tube based headphone amp that is very interesting. I was not able to hear it yesterday but it does look pretty cool with all the tubes. I am considering the new headphone amp for my bedroom. The HSA-1b solid state headphone amp for the SR1a is excellent and is the other amp I am considering for the bedroom. 

For my office, I use the KRELL K-300i integrated amp for the RAAL SR1a. I have also used a CODA #8, Benchmark AHB2, LSA Voyager 350 GAN, and a D-Sonic M3a 800s. They were all good and the best was the KRELL.

CanJam 2021 - RAAL-Requisite (photo) 

Raal Ribbon Headphones - SRH1A | Page 302 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

@rvpiano I bought the SR1a for my AB2 monos (great amps BTW). The SR1a designer in Serbia loved the AHB2 and used them to design the headphone. I was warned that the AHB2 would not work well with the SR1a by some people in the USA. However, I decided to go with the designers preference. The sound was not that good with the AHB2. The SR1a is a bright headphone and the AHB2's neutrality did not help. So some fatigue was evident.

However, I made it a mission this year to get the AHB2 to sound great. I did so with a few options. The final and best sound I had from the AHB2 + SR1a  was with the following:

- SR1a
- Gustard X26 Pro DAC
- CODA 07x preamp (thinking of selling now)
- AHB2 mono
- AccurateSound.ca CONVOLUTION FILE running on ROON Core. This filter was created by Mitch Barnett specifically for the SR1a. 

Taking the RAAL-requisite SR1a Headphones To Another Level - Reviews - Audiophile Style

The most important factor for this magic was the Convolution filter. With the filter, the Benchmark DAC3B also worked as well as the Gustard. I did not try it with any other preamps, but  warmish preamp would suffice.

I now use the KRELL K-300i integrated amp WITHOUT the Convolution filter. However, the KRELL is a very warm, smooth, and powerful amp and works great 'naked' with the SR1a. The AHB2 setup I had was close to being the best but it did not have as full bass (which the SR1a does not over emphasize) as the KRELL.

Send me a DM if you want to discuss this further. The next CanJam event is going to be in NYC. The RAAL-Requisite booth in the linked photo will be in NYC.