RAAL 1995 Immanis
May 10, 2024 at 6:22 PM Post #286 of 295
People can keep calling it a hype train.. but... there are simply too many very well experienced, long time users (that mind you, are generally skeptical and more honest to begin with because of said experience), that keep typing the same things and having the same experiences. And for me personally, there are quite a few people in which my listening preferences align with that are all coming away with very positive feedback.

The very real caveat is that we're all doing so in meet conditions, so I do expect my POV to shift maybe a bit in some ways after receiving them. But no one is forcing anyone to buy anything and if you're super happy with what you have, stick with it. It's a more analytical headphone (but with seemingly better tone than other stats/ribbons--this is where I need in home time), so some may not like it, but that's to be expected of ribbons and stats and resolution is kind of the point.

This rings with me. I heard them at NYC but I wasn't blown away but that's comparing them to my SGL SR. They passed the test for a home audition. Some will love them and some will sell them. The story is yet to be told.

Yup, same here. I wasn't completely blown away either, just walked away feeling like they were up there in terms of a high end TOTL. It'll be very interesting comparing them both in house.

I can't tell you how many times this simple truth has slapped me upside the head and I still find myself ignoring it. There is just no substitute for your ears and your system...

I was lucky enough to get a private demo of the Immanis. The basic "ooohs and ahhhs" were there, but my jaw didn't hit the floor until I actually got them in my system - holy crap! They are basically upgraded Hifiman Susvaras. Pairing them with a colder "Hi-Fi" DAC like a Chord DAVE should help offset some of the susvar-iness and offer a more balanced experience. I'd be very interested in hearing your impressions vs the SGL SR.
 
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May 10, 2024 at 6:26 PM Post #287 of 295
Cross posting from the sponsor Immanis/Magna thread.

Here are my initial impressions of the Immanis. Take these all with a truckload of salt, as they’re based on 3 hours of listening / burn-in, and I am going only from memory when comparing to other equipment (no direct A/B’ing yet). Not only is it possible my impressions will change over the next couple weeks, but I think that’s likely based on my experiences with my other HPs.

I also listened to a pretty circumscribed range of music so far: instrumental progressive metal and rock, and acoustic guitar—Night Verses, Syncatto, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and one Dream Theater track. And I’ve only listened on the VM1a, and only on Pentode mode, thus far.


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Though I plan to try the other modes on the VM1a, and to try driving the Immanis with other amps, including testing out various setting on those other amps, I haven’t had a chance to do any of that yet. Ditto on more diverse music genres. Have not tried any EQ.

Other caveats: I have no connection to RAAL, and paid the same price as everyone else for my gear. I am a huge RAAL fanboy, though, and already knew I loved the ribbon sound signature. Also, I listen at really low volume compared to everyone else. More on that below. Finally, I listen to music to be energized, not to relax. That inevitably colors my impressions.

SQ Impressions

Staging: Staging is not as big as the Senn HD800S, but is noticeably larger than anything else I’ve heard. With the Immanis, rather than causing a loss of definition, it almost seems to increase it. Imaging and instrument separation are simply ridiculous. Every instrument is distinct, and very easy to place precisely in space. The CA1a and SR1a also image very well, but the instruments seem a little more 3-D on the Immanis. Though instruments seem farther away than on some other HPs (and MUCH farther away than on the Valkyria, on which every instrument feels so close you can reach out and touch it), nothing seems to get lost in that distance. The Immanis is insanely holographic, with amazing layering.

Dynamics: After reading that the Immanis is not as punchy as the Magna, I’ve been worried if I ordered the wrong one. I haven’t yet heard the Magna, but hope to this weekend (thanks to @MokhaMark ). Compared to the CA1a, I would say the Immanis is quite close. But, it requires a higher volume than the CA1a to really come alive. With the CA1a, my preferred listening volume is around 63 dBs (told you I listen quiet—I’m weird). Dynamics are great on the CA1a at that volume. With the Immanis, dynamics are lackluster at that level. If I keep the attenuator at the same setting on the VM1a for both the Immanis and CA1a, that puts the Immanis at 67-68 dBs compared to CA1a at around 63. At that 67-68, the Immanis dynamics are pretty impressive. That’s a bit higher volume than I would prefer, but I suspect nearly everyone else listens a lot louder, so I can’t imagine this would be a problem for many people.

Dynamic range: Dynamic range is simply phenomenal on the Immanis. It extends forever at both ends.

Timbre: The Immanis’ timbre is exceptional. Drums and guitar plucks--just spot on. It competes with the Valkyria here (can’t say yet which is ahead). Speaking of timbre, I listened to a track from Dream Theater’s 1992 album Images and Words. I love this album, but it’s so lacking in dynamic range and compressed that it always sounds disappointing on a good kit. The dynamic range sounds every bit as lacking on the Immanis. But, the guitar plucks and vocals seem to have more texture than I recall hearing before. Maybe that album has a bit more information hidden in it than I realized, and it just needed the Immanis to bring it out. (But that’s not to say the recording is good—it is still frustrating to think of how great it could have been with better mastering and production).

Resolution: The Immanis seems every bit as resolving as the CA1a and SR1a. Which is to say, excellent. To my ears, the DCA Stealth is also remarkably resolving (and is always resolving no matter what amp is used). I will need more time to assess how the Immanis and Stealth resolving ability compare. Both are amazing, though.

Bass: The subbass extends noticeably lower than on any other HP I have heard, with the possible exception of the 1266 TC. The extension is not subtle, but neither is it distracting. The Immanis bass is simultaneously deep and rich, yet extremely precise and controlled, and with amazing texture. The Valkyria is substantially fuller in the mid-bass with similarly great texture, but the Immanis crushes the Valk on extension into the lower regions. The 1266 competes on extension and richness, but I would give the nod to the Immanis on the other categories. From memory, the 1266 also has a bit more slam and overall bass quantity. But, the 1266 has a very U-shaped FR curve, while the Immanis sounds much flatter to me. (Has anyone seen a FR graph for the Immanis yet?) That makes me wonder: if the 1266 were fuller in the midrange, would its bass still seem to have as much slam and quantity? And conversely, if the Immanis were more U-shaped, would it still seem to have less? I don’t know. What I can say, though, is that if you value bass extension and texture as much as slam and quantity, I can’t imagine you being disappointed with the bass on the Immanis.

Comparison to Senn HE1: I heard the HE1 for about 10 minutes at CanJam, though in Sennheiser’s separate room so the noise was more manageable. That’s obviously not enough for a legit assessment, so lots of salt with this one. I thought the HE1 had absolutely incredible technicalities. Its tuning struck me as safe, though. It tried so hard to be polite and diplomatic that I think it fell too far over that line for my preferences. The Immanis has similar technical prowess but seems to strike a better balance between polite and wild to my ears. It clearly does not take the risks the SR1a, and to a lesser extent the CA1a, did, but it seems to let loose more than the HE1. I could easily see people having different opinions on this. But if you are thinking about an HE1, I think you owe it to yourself to audition the Immanis before pulling the trigger.

Non-SQ Impressions

Weight: The Immanis is on the heavy side, but I’d never know it if no one told me. Not only does it feel of average weight on the head, but it feels of average weight in the hands. (Admittedly, I have some real porkers in my stable with the Abyss 1266 TC and Valkyria, though).

Fit: I don’t have a particularly big head, and am usually about 1/3 of the way up from the smallest fit setting on most HPs. I am slightly over the mid-point toward the largest setting on the Immanis, though. Those with big noggins might find themselves maxing out the adjustment range. (@littlej0e , are you bumping against the end of the adjustment range?) I think I recall hearing about this before, though, and that Aleks was looking at a tweak. Overall comfort seems great, though.

Quality of Materials: The Immanis is beautiful. It looks great in photos, but even better in person. The grill is classy, and the ribbons viewed from the inside just look incredibly high-end (can’t think of a better way to describe it). The pads in particular look and feel more luxurious than any I’ve seen before.


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Case: The aluminum case is very nice. I like the monochrome embossed branding. It’s prominent enough to reflect that RAAL is proud of its work, but not ostentatious. The case appears identical to the Audeze aluminum case, except for the inside, embossing, and color. That’s a good thing—the Audeze case is fantastic. My RAAL case locks, but did not come with any keys. The Audeze keys work on it, though.
Fantastic review, thanks for sharing! :)
 
May 10, 2024 at 7:46 PM Post #288 of 295
May 13, 2024 at 5:41 AM Post #289 of 295
Headphone.Shop in Heidelberg will have one for demo. Euro pricing has already been discussed on the SR1a thread. Different pricing will reflect Immanis full-set including new star8 cable and ‘naked’ with just the case. I’m sure Aleks will be along soon to give all the relevant updates.
I think it would be nice to give a discount to SR1a customers or a trade in deal like Hifiman has offered in the past.
 
May 13, 2024 at 8:25 AM Post #290 of 295
a trade in deal like Hifiman has offered in the past
Didn't hifiman offer that the once, after they had released the v2 of the HE1k so soon after the first version (and much to the ire and dismay of their v1 customers)?

I'm not sure it would make financial sense for Raal to do this as a routine deal. No other manufacturer does it, as far as I'm aware.
 
May 13, 2024 at 8:35 AM Post #291 of 295
Didn't hifiman offer that the once, after they had released the v2 of the HE1k so soon after the first version (and much to the ire and dismay of their v1 customers)?

I'm not sure it would make financial sense for Raal to do this as a routine deal. No other manufacturer does it, as far as I'm aware.
Hifiman does this for a very specific reason though.

Producing in China has some unique challenges. They regulate Ressources, like all forms of metal, very hard. Therefore it often happens that the magnets they use (or other parts) are suddenly no longer available and they have to switch to different ones, with a revision, like V2, V3 etc.

With the trade in, they can stock up on "old" versions for warranty claims, as they are no longer able to produce the old Version.
 
May 13, 2024 at 11:45 AM Post #292 of 295
@Hiker816 @MokhaMark

Would you guys be interested in borrowing my MiniDSP EARS so you can measure Magna vs Immanis?
I think everyone would love to see how they compare. Of course EARS doesn't give the best absolute measurement but it would be great to figure out the relative differences between them like does Magna have more mid bass, does Immanis have more sub bass, etc.

You would just need a PC and the free REW software.
 
May 13, 2024 at 11:53 AM Post #293 of 295
@Hiker816 @MokhaMark

Would you guys be interested in borrowing my MiniDSP EARS so you can measure Magna vs Immanis?
I think everyone would love to see how they compare. Of course EARS doesn't give the best absolute measurement but it would be great to figure out the relative differences between them like does Magna have more mid bass, does Immanis have more sub bass, etc.

You would just need a PC and the free REW software.
Cool.

Just do it.
 
May 13, 2024 at 1:30 PM Post #294 of 295
@Hiker816 @MokhaMark

Would you guys be interested in borrowing my MiniDSP EARS so you can measure Magna vs Immanis?
I think everyone would love to see how they compare. Of course EARS doesn't give the best absolute measurement but it would be great to figure out the relative differences between them like does Magna have more mid bass, does Immanis have more sub bass, etc.

You would just need a PC and the free REW software.
Hi @gammi

Thank you for the kind offer, I will DM you.
 
May 13, 2024 at 3:06 PM Post #295 of 295

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