Best sounding headphones you have owned?

I posted earlier in this thread about the RAAL SR1a and the VM-1a tube amp as being the very best I have heard. That is still the case, but I was flipping a coin this weekend as to whether to sell the VM-1a tube amp. I am not selling it.

The reason being that I burrowed the RAAL Tl-1b box ($800). I plugged that into my CODA #16 amp and wow, it was ALMOST as good as my $7K VM-1a amp. In the past, nothing came close to the SR1a and VM-1a combo. However, now for 2-channel people with great amps, you have a solution to drive the SR1a.

I am getting a Peachtree GAN400 amp this week on a home trial and I will use it for both 2-channel with my office Magnepan LRS+ and the RAAL SR1a via the Tl-1b interface box. I think it will also be excellent.

Another great thing wit this Tl-1b box is that I am able to use a 25-foot cable from the amp to the TL-1b and then use the expensive RAAL Star 8 headphone cable to the SR1a. I am able to listen in my guest bedroom while connected to the 2-channel system in my office. The long cable does not degrade the sound.

BTW - a few years ago there was a thread on the BACCH system. I posted something about getting that system setup for about $5K if you are able to install the software yourself on a MacMini.

I went to CANJAM 2022 in NYC and listened to ALL of the TOTL headphones and ended up buying the RAAL SR1b with their VM-1a Tube amp, For me the only other headphone even remotely close was the Abyss AB-1266

Try to compare your impression of the Raal  with other headphones you listened too , qwhat are the differences... It is not simple to put in words...   What past headphone3s you owned and the RAAL beat and why ?

Thanks for your time...

I went to CANJAM 2022 in NYC and listened to ALL of the TOTL headphones and ended up buying the RAAL SR1b with their VM-1a Tube amp, For me the only other headphone even remotely close was the Abyss AB-1266

The Hifiman HE1000v2s are the best sounding phones I have ever used/owned and they were not the most expensive ones either, once you put them on you just listen to music. They are fairly easy to drive, drove mine with a Dennis Had Inspire tube headphone amp as well as other tube amps in the same league as it, my draw back with the HE1000v2s are they did not weather well, the tan leather head band got limp and stained quickly as well as other issues with build came up so I moved on as I did not or could not spend $3,000.00 again on a headphone with a short life span. I have settled in with the Hifiman Edition Xv2s and my original planners Audeze LCD2s which are both best buys in my opinion. Enjoy the music

Susvara # 1

AB 1266 # 2