Let's talk about headphones. Top 3?

One of the issues with headphones I found (see my first post) was that you don't know you don't have enough power (current) until you do. Then you realize their potential. I have owned at least a dozen head amps... and I spent a lot of time looking for high powered amps since I had a couple pair that needed high power. Then I finally got a tremendously powerful, natural sounding tube amp (Woo WA5) and experienced a huge jump in performance of all my top level (and not top level) headphones... finally realizing their capability.  

I have had great success with the RAAL Requisite SR1A headphones.  It is the only headphone which I can use for many hours at a time because it does not touch my ears.  Normal headphones cause my ears to get hot after an hour or so.  This does not happen with the SR1A.

It also images better than many headphones since you are basically listening to "ear field speakers" with a single ribbon driver hanging beside each ear.  The experience is similar to being on the stage among the performers as the performance is in front and to the sides of your head.  I have never felt like the music originated in my head as many headphones present.

The sound is so pure, detailed, and enveloping that I prefer it to any speakers which I have owned and heard costing up to $30k.  It is so good that I am seriously considering selling my speakers which retail for $19k and only using the SR1A's.  I drive them with my speaker amp which with the impedance matching box sounds better to me sounds better than the $7k tube headphone amp which I recently sold.

I also use REL Carbon Special subs which blend very well with these phones since they are essentially near field speakers.  I have been using the SR1A's for over 3 years and am still astounded at how wonderful the RAAL Requisite SR1A's sound every time that I listen.

There is a used pair for sale under $2k.

Thanks for this interesting experience story...

I underline the part that strike me...

I use the AKG K340, i do not claim they rival the Raal, but they are not far from them i can assure you because i could have written the same ...

And the deep bass move my body ....

They dont have a soundstage of their own like most headphones, they gave a soundstage recreating what is in the recording itself ...

I wish you a very great new year ....

I have had great success with the RAAL Requisite SR1A headphones.  It is the only headphone which I can use for many hours at a time because it does not touch my ears.  Normal headphones cause my ears to get hot after an hour or so.  This does not happen with the SR1A.

It also images better than many headphones since you are basically listening to "ear field speakers" with a single ribbon driver hanging beside each ear.  The experience is similar to being on the stage among the performers as the performance is in front and to the sides of your head.  I have never felt like the music originated in my head as many headphones present.

The sound is so pure, detailed, and enveloping that I prefer it to any speakers which I have owned and heard costing up to $30k.  It is so good that I am seriously considering selling my speakers which retail for $19k and only using the SR1A's.  I drive them with my speaker amp which with the impedance matching box sounds better to me sounds better than the $7k tube headphone amp which I recently sold.

I also use REL Carbon Special subs which blend very well with these phones since they are essentially near field speakers.  I have been using the SR1A's for over 3 years and am still astounded at how wonderful the RAAL Requisite SR1A's sound every time that I listen.

There is a used pair for sale under $2k.

 

 

 

A long time ago - Yamaha ATH 7

now - HiFiman Sundara Closed Back