It works and how! - Raal SR1B + existing headphone amplifiers

After our last post about the RAAL SR1b and the dedicated headphone amplifier HSA-1b, I wondered how the SR1b would work with a "normal" headphone amplifier...

...and actually, that doesn't work at all, because the SR1b has a resistance of 0.1 ohms – much less than conventional headphones – and therefore requires a whopping 40W of power per channel – no "normal" headphone amplifier can handle that!

RAAL were aware of the problem, because not every potential buyer or interested party wants to replace their existing headphone amplifier just to buy new headphones.

Fortunately, they had a simple but brilliant idea: They designed a "small box" which quickly took advantage of the very low resistance of the SR1b (or CA-1a) into somewhat more manageable regions – 16 and 32 ohms are available. – And now it works with the existing head amp!

So far so good - right?

After auditioning the SR1b and CA-1a with the in-house HSA-1b amp, built specifically for these headphones (or headphone speakers), I had serious doubts about how well they would play with a "conventional" head amp.

Yesterday, the moment finally arrived: I was once again invited to my colleague Thomas P.'s "man cave" to, as he so aptly puts it, "nerd out" a bit. That is, to share the latest hi-fi achievements and insights. 😅

Fortunately, Thomas has the great Ferrum OOR including Hypsos Power Supply as well as the also very good Burson Conductor 3XR at home. The perfect laboratory setup for a test with the SR1b + Interface.

Image: Ferrum OOR

Image: Burson Conductor 3XR

So how does it sound?

Thomas and I were skeptical about how two very, very good, yet significantly cheaper headphone amplifiers would fare against a device that was not only twice as expensive, but was also built specifically for the SR1b and CA-1a...

...and after the first bars of Patricia Barber's "Regular Pleasures" it became clear: It works - and how!

The RAAL SR1b performed the way I know and love it: with a large soundstage and incredible airiness and three-dimensionality. Nothing was missing here – all thanks to this "little box" from RAAL.

Yes, of course, RAAL's HSA-1a amp brought out a bit more verve and punch from the SR1b, which is to be expected given the effort and price. More bass, more air, and more compelling vocals characterize this dream combination.

But: It must be clearly stated that the SR1b plays in the top league even with a "normal" headphone amplifier and easily held its own against a Hifiman Susvara (Thomas' headphones) - even surpassing it in terms of soundstage and airiness.

Small reminder: The Susvara is at 6000 CHF about twice as expensive as the SR1b from RAAL - So almost a "bargain" in comparison!

In general, the SR1b is hard to beat in terms of soundstage, detail, and three-dimensionality—at least, I personally haven't heard any headphones that come close to this or even surpass the SR1b.

(No, I've never heard the Shangri-La from Hifiman or the Sennheiser Orpheus, each costing CHF 50,000, but their prices are beyond belief!)

What remains from this "Nerd Day" is the realization that if you're interested in the RAAL SR1b or CA-1a headphones, you can buy them without hesitation, as long as the in-house headphone amplifier delivers at least 2 watts per channel and is of good quality!

And later, if you want a little more, you can try out the dedicated amps from RAAL yourself without obligation, to SR1b or CA-1a really to the fullest. 🙌😉

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleague Thomas, who not only makes his "mancave" available for testing purposes, but who also opens my eyes to new things with little tips, tricks, and recommendations.

THANK YOU Thomas! 🙏😊

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