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I don't think so! - Raal SR1B
I owe Danny McKinney and David Laubacher from RAAL prop an apology.
I missed out on trying out their products at last year's High-End Munich, and also at the subsequent CanJam in London. Okay, I was in the hotel room on the second day of the trade fair with a 40-degree fever, but still—shame on me.
Thanks to a very interested customer, I have finally ordered a demo set from RAAL, consisting of your top headphones SR1b, the new "smaller" model CA-1a and her HSA-1b headphone amplifier, which was specially developed for your headphones.
Although, headphones is not quite right - yes, those things They sit on the head, but technically they're actually mini ribbon speakers that you wear like headphones. Head-mounted speakers, so to speak. RAAL themselves refer to them as "earspeakers."
Yesterday, our doorbell rang and a somewhat worn-out-looking UPS courier was standing there with a handcart and two huge boxes.
The contents consisted of two cardboard boxes and a hard-shell suitcase so large that it could barely pass as hand luggage on an airplane - but not in terms of weight! 😅
After packaging the Spirit Torino Valkyria Certainly the most impressive packaging I've ever seen...
The case contained the SR1b and the HSA-1b amp, the boxes the CA-1a and the corresponding interface, which allows the "earspeakers" to be connected to conventional (very powerful) amplifiers.
I am deliberately not saying headphone amplifier here, because most devices might not be powerful enough - the RAAL "Earspeakers" can be operated directly on an integrated amplifier (with interface) like normal speakers. 
Image: TI-1b interface for connection to normal (headphone) amplifiers.
But first let’s look at what’s in the suitcase:
Safely embedded in foam we find the HSA-1b amp, the SR1b "Earspeaker" and RAAL's "STAR-8" Premium silver cable.
Upon unpacking, the outstanding build quality and feel immediately strike you – and how light the SR1b actually are. I had imagined them to be much heavier! This is because, of course, these don't use conventional drivers with neodymium magnets, but RAAL's True Ribbon Baffle drivers, which are themselves very light. In addition, the chassis is made of carbon, which reduces weight and ensures robustness and rigidity.
Somehow these things look futuristic and a bit crazy – and also uncomfortable...
Fortunately, this is not the case, because the low weight The well-designed headband or headbands ensure a very comfortable fit.
Headbands? So more than one?
Yes, exactly, because one headband sits on top of the head as usual and a second one at the back of the head with the task of adjusting the position of the SR1b in vertical and horizontal direction to be able to adapt.
As already mentioned, the SR1a are not conventional headphones, but rather headphone speakers. And as is usual with speakers, the "position"—or in this case, the position relative to the ears—is extremely important for the sound experience.
There is another adjustment option: A hinge ensures that the ear speakers can be angled relative to the ears - just like you angle floor-standing speakers relative to the listening position.
And just like their larger counterparts, this changes the focus, soundstage, and frequency response of the SR1b. So there's a lot to tinker with, as it allows you to tailor the sound to your own needs – something no normal headphones can do!
Trying is better than studying
Of course, I read a lot of reviews and watched YouTube videos beforehand to figure out how to properly "put on" the SR1s. But it's not that bad! So I just put them on and started listening to music right away without adjusting anything.
I can't believe it!
Okay, you shouldn't always listen to what others say, but rather form your own opinion. Because, "warned" by the reviews and videos, I already had a very clear idea of what to expect: great details, a large soundstage, but due to the design, little mid-bass, let alone sub-bass. At least that's what YouTuber "Resolve," who tested the SR1, reports.
But what I hear from the SR1s is miles away from that description! Coincidentally, I was just playing a track on Roon with plenty of bass, and the SR1s reproduced this bass so impressively that I was immediately reminded of the Empire Ears Odin.
Anyone familiar with the Odin knows that these IEMs have arguably some of the best bass reproduction available. Fast, punchy, controlled, and very, very deep when necessary.
And the SR1s deliver exactly that—and perhaps even a bit better in terms of bass speed. Only with some poorly recorded hip-hop tracks with heavily exaggerated bass did the SR1s reach their limits, but I suspect very few customers would buy these "earspeakers" specifically for hip-hop.
So how does it sound?
I suspect that the problem with "Resolve" was the Schiit amp used, because the SR1 is an absolute blast with RAAL's own HSA-1b amp!
The sound is extremely spatial, almost three-dimensional, the presence of voices is intimate yet haunting, the treble has details I've never heard before - without it being tiring - and the bass, as already mentioned, is fast, crisp and goes deep.
There are many really good products on the market - and then there are those few very special products that make the hair on your arms stand on end and give you goosebumps.
One such product is the RAAL SR1 combined with the in-house HSA-1b amp. I'm sitting late in a dark office, listening to music at the highest level, and I'm simply happy! 😊
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