High-End Munich 2024 Recap Part 3
In this part of our trade fair report I would like to introduce you to our personal highlights of the High-End 2024 and both come from Eastern Europe!
RAAL 1995
Known for their high-resolution ribbon headphones SR-1b and CA-1a, RAAL are certainly no strangers to the high-end headphone sector. Now RAAL have gone one or two better and are presenting their new generation of headphones RAAL 1995.
The two new headphones are visually very different from the previous RAAL models, because they look more like classic headphones. The special feature here is that instead of one ribbon driver, two (Magna) or three drivers (Immanis) are used. Both models are circum-aural, open-back headphones with a ventilated front chamber.
We were able to test Magna and Immanis in detail and at our leisure at a side event, the Hifi Deluxe at the Marriott Hotel in Munich.
Magna and Immanis were there on SAEQ's Hyperion Ge headphone amplifier and the new SAEQ Armageddon as well as Viva Egoista and Riviera tube amplifiers and we "maltreated" them with all kinds of music from classical to jazz up to metal, pop and hip hop!
It is often the case that certain audiophile products sound good, especially with high-quality jazz and classical recordings, but are hardly suitable for other genres. None: Neither Immanis nor Magna allowed themselves to be disturbed by the material they were fed and confidently got every last bit of information out of the tracks!
And by bring it out, I mean this might be the best sound I've ever heard in my life, period. The resolution and spatiality gave me goosebumps and voices seemed so real, as if you were in the same room as the ensemble - absolutely stunning!
RAAL have also completely redesigned their Ribbon Current Interface, which allows the power-hungry headphones to be connected to normal headphone amplifiers.
The conveniently plain plastic housing, which was hidden behind some device, has given way to a cylindrical metal-wood-leather housing, which cleverly also serves as a headphone stand.
Rarely have we consciously given ourselves so much time to listen intensively to a product at a trade fair, but here we simply couldn't help it. The RAAL 1995 Magna and Immanis headphones sound like no other headphones I know of and I'm looking forward to receiving demo units for our showroom soon. I'm sure Manga and Immanis will blow many of our customers away!
SAEQ headphone amplifier & DAC
RAAL and SAEQ have a long-standing, close collaboration, because on the one hand both manufacturers are in Serbia and on the other hand their products sound so well together that it simply makes 100% sense to cooperate.
As already mentioned, SAEQ had the previous top model Hyperion Ge at the start as well as the new flagship called Armageddon.
The device in the black and gold housing looks as martial as the name and we were assured that the performance values of the Armageddon fully meet the requirements of an absolutely uncompromising, extremely powerful headphone amplifier.
Our listening session with Immanis confirmed this claim and put a permanent grin on our faces!
The SAEQ Armageddon is a force of nature and, in conjunction with the RAAL Magna or Immanis, a sound experience that is second to none and can easily keep up with or even surpass very good stereo systems!
Both RAAL Manga and Immanis as well as the new SAEQ Armageddon can soon be ordered from Audio Essence and of course tested!