Sound – Intro
Before we go into how the SR-1b sounds, I quickly want to address 3 very important things to take into account to get the very best sound.
1. The choice of your amplifier.
While the SR-1b will work with any headphone amplifier, it will not perform at the best level unless you hook it up to a really good one. Good here being powerful as well as offering good synergy. The SR-1b because of its design and specs is a very picky headphone, luckily I have a lot of options available. So if you’re interested in getting the SR-1b, make sure to try it on multiple amps, to see how it performs with your amp (s) you already have.
Raal is recommending to use an amplifier delivering 2W@16Ω or 2W@32Ω minimum.
2. The position on your head
Make sure the AR-1B is correctly set up for your head. Modifying the position isn’t as easy as with regular headbands and headphones, but all you need to do is disconnect both of the headbands, and adjust them to the best fit your head. It takes 5 minutes tops, but it’s important to get the best performance.
3. The angle of the speakers
The SR-1b allows you to rotate both ear cups (with the ribbon inside) closer or further away from your ear. The closer you get, the more volume and bass you will perceive. How you prefer your music to sound, will determine how far away or close you will set the speakers. In my case they are fairly close against my ears, but there’s nothing touching my head on the side.
Sound – Setup
The very best headphone amp I have found for the SR-1b is the now discontinued VM-1a amplifier. That said the new SAEQ comes close but I don’t have that available here. In my office, the very best synergy using the TI-1b interface with is the Feliks Audio Envy 300b tube amplifier, and that in balanced mode with the impedance set to “mid”. This amp outs out around 8W and the volume goes up to about 9 o’clock at most in this case. My favorite solid state amplifier for the SR-1b is the Ferrum OOR, also in fully balanced mode.
I have used a multitude of DACs with both of these setups, but mostly the Musician Audio Aquarius and EarMen Tradutto. Both in balanced mode, with my laptop streaming from my local library and Tidal (using ROON). Unless specifically mentioned, these 2 setups are the setups used to assess the SR-1b’s general sound, and mostly the Envy. I will get further into the OOR pairing in the Synergy section.
Sound – General
The ribbon sound is more like the sound of electrostat headphones, but not quite. Here you basically have 2 speakers hovering next to your ears, so it’s more sound that is around you, where with normal headphones, the sound gets pushed to your ears. As a result you get a very open, immersive sound that is more speaker-like.
The tuning of the SR-1b is neutral, but natural and very musical. The Raal has one of the best sound stages on the market and that goes both for the width as well as the depth. The layering from top to bottom is also exemplary.
Body-wise the SR-1b is more neutral but this can be tuned (including the bass) by plugging it in to a different amplifier. The Sr-1b never sounds light weighted and it’s a realistic rendering. The SR-1b is one of the best performing technical headphones on the market, there’s no doubt about that. The level of accuracy (resolution and precision) is astonishing and the delivery at all times is highly dynamic. You will experience note extension, note decay and separation like you have never done before. The ribbon drivers also display excellent speed all over the spectrum, and the SR-1b has excellent PRaT, no matter what music you throw at it and how difficult passages it holds.
From bass trough the mids and all the way up to the treble, you get a spacious, clean and airy presentation that comes to you with the very best clarity and the most impressive dynamics. The same goes for the liveliness and energy. It’s everywhere but it’s never too much. It’s simply the very best, but always in a natural way. I think it’s clear and safe to say that the Raal Requisite SR-1b is one of the best technical performers out there. It’s super impressive with everything it does, but it doesn’t stop there. Often when you have the very best technicalities, the naturalness and musicality stay a bit behind, but this isn’t the case here. Next to naturalness, precision and technical supremacy, musicality is what the Raal SR-1b is all about.
Is this the perfect headphone then I hear you ask? Well if you ask me, it’s scarily close to take that title. I’m not just saying that because I like it so much, I am confident that any experienced listener who has had the pleasure to spend time with this headphone hooked up to a good amplifier (in a silent environment), agrees with me. Let us know in the comments section if you see things differently.
Sound – Classics
The lower frequencies are neutral when it comes to body, and presence. This can be increased depending on the amplifier used. Bass is always tight and fast, the delivery comes with a good punch. While the quantity isn’t the highest, the quality is at a top level: depth, resolution, layering, precision, you name it and the SR-1b delivers. Raal’s ribbon drivers are always perfectly in control.
With the OOR and Envy amplifiers hooked up to the TI-1b interface, you do get more bass presence, something I certainly appreciate. But even than bass is still neutrally present in a natural and realistic way. I don’t think the SR-1b is for heavy bass lovers, but for any high-end listener, I do feel there’s more than enough, it’s never disappointed me in away way. Au contraire, it’s surprised me with its punch and sub rumble.
The mid-section is spacious and airy and the vocals perfectly blend in and connect. Vocals are natural, never aggressive and they don’t draw all the attention to them. Like the bass, the mids have a neutral to good amount of body and the depth, layering, resolution and precision here is impressive. The mids never sound dry or boring and the SR-1b perfectly mixes a technical performance with a lively, dynamic, and musical presentation
On the top-end you get great energy, space and resolution. This is top quality treble with an impressive dynamic character. Like with the mids and bass, treble is on a high technical level with lots of detail, decay and precision. For non-trained ears or fans of dark tuned headphones, this section might be challenging, but to me it’s sublime.
Sound – Synergy
Auris Audio Headonia
Auris Audio at the moment isn’t offering this amplifier anymore, but a new 300b version is on its way. The 2A3 Headonia delivers max 3W, and that only is just enough for the SR-1b. Note that the Headonia only offers SE inputs.
The volume here goes up all the way to 12 o’clock on the dial and you get a full but softer sounding SR-1b. The energy, speed and power level here are less present, but you do get a nice spacious, airy and natural sound. The sound stage is good but it’s the layering which is more Impressive.
Overall you really notice the tube softness from top highs to lows. Bass impact is on the lighter side but the quality is there with excellent sub rumble. The bass tightness and speed are particularly impressive in this combo. The mids and treble section, besides soft are spacious and natural and really easy to listen to. The vocals are soft and easy on the ear. The top section in this section is very soft and smooth and for me personally there’s some excitement, liveliness and sharpness missing. The Headonia is one of the best technical performing amps in general, but with the SR-1b this is not the case.
All-in-all the combo is OK, but the SR-1b does sound better with my to-go-to amplifier for the Raal, the Envy.
The part on sound continues on the next page. Click here or use the jumps below.
Page 2: Sound Intro, Sound Setup, Sound General, Sound Classics, Sound Synergy Pt. 1
Page 3: Sound Synergy Pt. 2, Conclusion, Summary
Page 4: Technical specifications
Mr Craig Pollock
Great Review! I came down to CanJam london 2023 specifically fo hear these headphones and i was very impressed ( listened on the RME ADI-2 DAC fs too, which i have) but it was just too noisy in the Hall to really appreciate them.
The CA-1a offered more protection from ambient sound and sounded excellent even with the general CanJam hubbub enveloping me . Danny McKinney was really helpful and we talked music and recording music (Danny used to build mixing desks) and for the type of music i liked (live Jazz, small Jazz combo’s) he suggested the SR-1b would be the best fit. So I’m going to book an appointment with Hifonix to listen to them in a much quieter environment and hopefully hear them on the Cayin HA300 which is on my List and it may have to wait another year if i go for the Raals first.
I am hoping for good things with the Cayin HA 300 especially when you give the HA 3 the thumbs up even if its a bit underpowered with the Raal’s.
Lieven
Thank you! Insider info, I recommend to hold off that purchase for a few weeks
SR-1b and CA-1 are both awesome though
OffRamp
Another fine review.
Here’s where I am, second headphone rig setup.
I like flexibility and the first rig has three amps connected to it.
The second rig has N8II, Denafrips Venus II, for the I2S input. [ I know you feel me ].
Because of money Woo Audio WES amp, cause I purchased the Stax limited editions on impulse. (I really wanted a Blue Hawaii) after research. Too late tho. I can still run another amp into this setup like the first. No more solid state amps it will be tube. That I haven’t decide yet. The third amp setup for this headphone? You make a convincing argument for the topic headphone.
339 on first rig still too good once those tubes get hot… you make reading around expensive.
Still in the background
Still reading around