Raal Immanis top of the line headphones

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.

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.

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.

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.