Raal Immanis top of the line headphones

I had a 2-channel system in various configurations for over 35 years and recently sold all components for various reasons.  IMO, the only headphone I have heard that gives a reasonable approximation of a live musical event in a performing space in similar fashion to loudspeakers is the RAAL SR-1a/b.  All other phones have their charms but making me feel that I am listening to live music in a performing space and not just inside my head is not one of them.  Yes, the SR-1a/b doesn't have a lot of bass weight or bass dynamics but who cares?  Once I heard these I didn't care about the bass.  Most phones have way way way too much bass anyway.

The Immanis won over the Magna. The VM-1a is packed and ready to ship. I am also selling my CA-1a phone since I will have the Immanis and do not like to collect gear.

Today I have the RAAL Immanis and the Magna in the house for an audition. I will be selling my RAAL VM-1a tube headphone amp that is phenomenal with the Magna | Immanis | CA-1a | SR1a to raise cash for the Magna or Immanis. I will also be selling the CA-1a.

I plan to go with the lesser sonically Schitt Aegir amp with the TI-1b since I would prefer to have the best phone over the best amp.

I agree we are all a little nuts in a way. We could all just buy a bluetooth speaker and stream spotify and still connect with the music on some level. Good music is good music. Even if you listen out of a tin can with a string connected, you can still be moved by a musical performance.

That said, I think anyone hanging around this website is looking for something better than that. How much better is a matter of taste and we all draw the line somewhere. Your line might be in a different place than mine, but I guarantee most people out there would think we are both crazy for spending more than $40 on an amazon bluetooth speaker or $20 on some earbuds. 

@yyzsantabarbara is obviously a big fan of Raal but the point being made is a very good one - some people don't have the best room for a speaker setup, so headphones become a very compelling option. I have enjoyed some Grado headphones in my day such as the old PS500 and RS1. Others I didn't like so much but none have been as enjoyable to me as my Raal headphones. And that's perfectly ok.

Sounds like ignorance is bliss, even for the pros.

The guys making the RAAL gear are also musicians, actually well-regarded ones and what I have observed from them is that they know a thing or two about sound.

I have owned a Grado and gave it away because it sounded terrible. It cost $75 back in the day so maybe it was not their best. I owned a Sennheiser before and could not listen to it (fatigue).

Listen to my $1350 RAAL CA-1a headphone, the ’worst’ one they sell. Then compare it to your Grado. Someone in NY is selling a SR1a earphone for $1650 (USAM), that is better than my CA-1a. I have owned the SR1a but sold it after hearing the Immanis.

One thing to understand about me is that I DO NOT think a higher price means a better audio result. Definitely not with my DAC, speakers, XLR’s, and to a lesser extent my speaker cables. However, when it comes to the Immanis it is so much better than the other RAALs.

The Immanis is actually starting to annoy other TOTL phone owners because new owners are starting to ditch their TOTL phones or say that the Immanis is the best out there.

You can read all of this here.

Raal Ribbon Headphones - SRH1A | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

RAAL 1995 headphones, Magna and Immanis | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

I am giving you a hard time on this for calling people looking for the best crazy. What is crazy is the lack of informed comments. If you want to hear for yourself what I am talking about, give Danny at RAAL a call and ask him to send you the demo Immanis to your house. If you are in Denver, there is a huge fan-initiated audio get together in Nov or Dec with likely ALL the very best phone gear. This is the second one, the first was in Spring 2024 and people bought their best gear and had a listen. This was initiated by fans who wanted to hear the Immanis and Magna because of all the gushing reviews by early adopters (including musicians).

BTW - On my ROON stats it shows I have listened to music for 194 hours and 44 minutes in the last 4 weeks. That does not include the 3 hours daily from M-F (9AM - 12PM) listening to KCRW radio and occasional late-night KCRW listening. My audio system is an integral part of me making money. I could not do any of that with some lesser quality gear.

Everyone lives life as they want and can afford to but what is the real difference between the very top and the lesser one. The goal is listening to music.. I am sure you can hear what the 2nd violins are doing on either of them.. I use  Grado because to me they sound like what music sounds like…I am a pro musian

@stringreen How are we (or they) nuts? Spending too much on the phones?

One thing to consider is that a lot of people with a TOTL phone do not have a 2-channel system. I know 2 people who sold a Magico based system to go with the RAAL SR1a earphone, which is not even at the same performance tier as the Immanis.

I am now in a room where 2-channel speakers do not work. I have 10 computer monitors and many computers in a small space. So, I am using a $170 Audioengine speaker desktop speaker (it sucks). An Immanis for me is not nuts it is a way to get the very best possible sound in a crappy room.

You people are nuts

Good stuff thank you for posting!

Live Stream With Danny from Raal discussing their new headphones the Imminas and Magna!!! (youtube.com)

@yyzsantabarbara Thank you for those detailed impressions, very helpful. Obviously I will want to demo them both before making a decision. But it really seems like the Magna might be the better fit for my tastes. Looking forward to hearing both as soon as possible though. 

I tried both with the same gear and on the same day. The Magna is punchier and maybe a bit smaller sounding. It really hits hard. The Immains is a bit less on the punchy side (more than the CA-1a) but the soundstage is bigger, and really drew me in. Infact, after 1 or 2 listens on the Magna I wanted to go back to the Immanis.

Saying all of that, Danny M at RAAL who has genius level hearing told me that he liked the Magna more. For me the Immanis was an easy choice.

The Immanis is sonically closer to the SR1a and the Magna was more like a CA-1a on steroids. You cannot go wrong with either.

We listened to the 2 phones using my RAAL VM-1a tube amp that I think is even better than the stock version (different tube). A RME DAC and a direct computer connection to the DAC was used. Even with this inferior streaming setup it was some of the best sounds I have ever heard.

BTW - I just sold my office LRS+ speakers. This gets me 1 step closer to the Immanis. Though I lost my office space I will end up with better sound.

I never quite connected with the SR-1a. Not sure why, maybe I didn't get the adjustments right or something. The CA-1a blows me away though. After owning so many headphones from Hifiman, Audeze, Focal, and Sennheiser, some of which I liked and some not so much, the CA-1a just scratches the itch like no other. Which is why I'm intrigued by the Immanis.

Very curious why there seems to be much less interest in the Magna. Maybe people just figure if they are going high end anyway, they should just go all the way? I just wonder if Magnus is similar but lesser than the Immanis, or if it has a distinct signature that sets it apart. @yyzsantabarbara were you able to try both or just the Immanis?

My last post turned out to be rather prophetic. I just spoke with my wife and we need to turn my current office into a bedroom for my kid. That means my lovely office system is going to be sold off. My new office space is not good for 2-channel

Here comes the Immanis to the rescue.

@jasonbourne71 I am sure you have never heard any of the gear I mentioned but yet you have an expert opinion on this gear.

For some people, especially the SR1a., the savings were massive buying a $5k earphone. One guy who contacted me about the RAAL ended up selling their Magico based system and went with only the SR1a. The SR1a is very much like 2-channel. The Immanis and Magna are not like that.

There are different levels of gear for different budgets and tastes. The RAAL gear is at the uber level of headphones. Maybe the best, but I am biased.

The earlier RAAL phones were like $5K. Quite expensive IMO! I fail to see how doubling the price is justified? This is an example of why the general population thinks audiophiles are crazy!

I too am an audio junkie! I only stopped when I ran out of money. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

This is a good example of GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The shiny new toy always gives greater joy than the old battered toy! This is why audiophiles should get married so their wives can control their spending!

I also heard from Danny that Stereophile and TAS will be reviewing the 2 RAAL 1995 phones (or maybe just 1 of the phones).

Audiogon Discussion Forum (check out this thread).

I have been waiting until I got a new job before I even thought about the Immanis. Since I start on Monday I am now thinking about the Immanis, I also have the CA-1a and sold the SR1a.

The Immanis and Magna are incredible and rival great 2-channel systems. I demoed a $65k speaker and a $100k amp in Aug. I loved it but I was thinking it is not as clean, detailed and engaging as the Immanis with the VM-1a.

The price of the Immanis may not be $10k depending on the gear you already have, I have a few things that work well with the Immanis, such as the Star8 cable, the TI-1b, the VM-1a, So I can get the ’naked’ version.

The Immanis is substantially better than the CA-1a. Though the CA-1a is so good that if I had not heard the Immanis I would not be looking for a new phone. I only sold the SR1a after I heard the Immanis to raise some cash, that was a mistake.

I am friends with Danny M from RAAL and I heard the gear at his place.

TONS of info & reviews on head-fi.org...