Raal Immanis top of the line headphones
Not sure how many here are using really high end headphone systems. But has anyone tried, or is planning to try, the new Raal Immanis? I am a huge fan of their CA-1a headphones and find them to be an amazing value for the price compared to things like the top Hifiman headphones which don't do much for me.
That said the Immanis is almost $10K which feels pretty crazy for a headphone. I love headphones because they take away the room acoustics with all the flaws involved, but also because they allow people to get a killer full range system for a much lower price than going with speakers. But when a headphone costs $10K that benefit is no longer in play. I certainly can afford an Immanis but not sure it makes sense to do so. Just curious if anyone else has tried them or has any thoughts.
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? |
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.
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@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. |
