Thank you!
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Since it’s been “that” sort of day, I have been switching back and forth between the stock RAAL-requisite cables and my own, custom, 0.1Ω build. I still prefer my own cable design (the stock one is more flexible).
I should measure both (even though I’ve done multiple assisted-blind comparisons).
Not that this would do much good - I still can’t figure out how to make them cost-effectively for anyone else.
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I’m interested in a custom cable, but I don’t think I have the skill or equipment to do one for a proper RAAL replacement yet.
Oh, you could build one easily if you can put together any other 4-pin XLR to dual 3.5mm TRS cable.
You can meet the impedance requirement simply by using sufficiently large gauge wire and paying attention to your solder joints. If you stay at 6 feet or less and use 24 gauge wire you should be fine. 22 gauge would give you extra margin for error.
Where it gets more interesting is when you want to do something lower-impedance than the stock cable, and do multi-conductor runs to gain other electrical properties beyond just low impedance, while still remaining flexible enough to not disturb the headphones when you move your head AND verifying the end-result.
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I’ll have to schedule a time with you one of these days to build cables together lol, I think I would learn a lot…if you were ok with me taking up your time doing said task.
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We can certainly do that.
In the interests of preserving your sanity, we’ll start with something that doesn’t require turning multiple discrete conductors into a complex, spacing-sensitive, geometry.
Just shrouding the cables will likely give you fits of frustration, initially! 
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Fair enough! I look forward to shrouding blisters and soldering burns lol I’ll pm you for time frames and also give the wife a heads up =)
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In the Mysphere thread we were talking about the possibility of a Schiit “Weldenheim” direct drive amp for SR1a…it appears it may very well be a reality and not too far off either. (external link)
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I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one of those to give it a proper run.
I’m still of the opinion that the SR1a, even with just a single Vidar driving it, is such a transformative listen, it renders most of the other flagship cans redundant for general critical listing. There may be better options for specific traits, if you’re not willing to use any EQ (e.g. the TOTL flagships will have high bass levels out of the box), but if you can … then the only real barrier vs. similarly priced (and more expensive) options is the need for a speaker amp.
If that requirement effectively goes away, even if the “Weldenheim” is $1,400 (about the same price as dual Vidars, though much smaller and cheaper to move/install/ship), it’d open up a much bigger market for these things.
Hell, as long as it sounds at least as good as a single Vidar then I’ll be installing one in my office the minute they’re available.
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I’ve been following Jason’s thread on head-fi regarding the Jotunheim R, or Weldenheim(sp?).
They are announcing two new refreshes to products this upcoming week with a couple of new products coming soon.
Some of the new products are related to gaming, should be interesting… I wonder if Schiit will ever come around to the greatness of the color purple…
lol
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Man I have really been trying to downsize and cut back on so much gear. But the way you guys talk about these headphones makes it sound like I really need to have them. I’ll probably still pick up my own Verite first, but after that I might have to start saving for one of these. In the meantime, being that I live in socal I should hopefully be able to audition these in person in the near future.
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The arrival of the SR1a made it very easy to let a whole bunch of other headphones go (and I’m not done yet). They are so much better, across the board, than most (not all … some they only beat in 90% of what they can do …) headphones that they both the catalyst and the facilitator for a major downsizing and an extensive system re-think.
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Out of curiosity, which are the ones SR1a can not beat??
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Closed-back cans, primarily; and only then if you NEED the isolation they provide, since the SR1a offer no isolation at all.
Honestly, I would put the the SR1a above every other headphone I’ve heard. For me, it’s just a question of whether they beat a specific headphone in absolutely every category at the same time, or whether they’re just better overall, but not necessarily in every single category.
For example, vs. the SR1a I cannot think of a reason to ever listen to my HD800S again (excepting that they’ll run without a speaker amp). But put the SR1a up against the Abyss, and the Abyss will out do them in the bass/sub-bass regions no matter what you do (though you can get very close with appropriate EQ on the SR1a, and bass-texture is still better with the SR1a) - even if the SR1a best them literally everywhere else (and thus are a better overall headphone, at least for me).
Right now, at home, my listening time is pretty much split between the SR1a and the Vérité, despite having most of the flagship cans at arms-length.
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Thanks! Assuming Utopia fall in the same group as HD800S and Abyss.
Well, the HD800S and Abyss are in different groups vs. the SR1a.
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The HD800S is in the “SR1a does everything better” group.
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The Abyss are in the “SR1a does >90% of everything better” group.
The former doesn’t have a lot of reason to stick around (excepting for use with normal amps), where the differential 10% means the latter group might have, depending on personal preferences (e.g. I’m in an particularly bass-happy mood).
Utopia is something of a special case. The SR1a beats them, but the Utopia are a slightly more technically capable headphone than the Vérité. So, they have a place both when their particular technicalities are important and I am running conventional sources. We’ll see how that pans out when my MySphere 3.2 show up … as I didn’t spend as much time as I could have comparing those directly to the Utopia.
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Thanks again! Will be very interesting to read your opinions of MySphere and how they compare to SR1a.
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For me, the only reason I’m keeping the HD800(SDR mod) is for pairing with my Bottlehead Crack+SB, which to be fair the Verite and Aeolus fill this gap. So I guess the HD800 could be on the short list, along with my Focal Clears, which the Verite and Aeolus trump. That leaves the closed backs which…with the release of the Verite closed…could be on short notice as well.
The fact that I can power my ZMF cans with my Cayin N6ii also has me short listing my below 300ohm cans as well.
Things I’m definitely keeping as of right now:
SR1a lol
ZMF Verite
ZMF Aeolus (I’ll be selling my Ziricote model here soon as I’ve ordered the Blackwood model)
Campfire Audio Cascade
Focal Elegia
Vokyl Erupts
M1060c (open back mod) the custom open back is special to me for the customized cover…might gift to my brother eventually as it also has special significance to him (relates to our Dad)
Things on the chopping block:
Sennheiser PC37X (Vokyl Erupt replacing them potentially)
Audeze Mobius (I just never use them, they are super cool though, so maybe I keep…)
HD800(SDR mod) I love these even though they don’t get much use…
TH-x00 Purple Hearts with cable removable mod, another pair I love but they get almost zero play time.
Focal Clear, Aeolus has replaced these…I just don’t use them
Incoming gear:
Audeze LCD-GX, I really liked these at CanJam SoCal this year we will see if they disrupt the Vokyl Erupts, but they might be my gaming PC go to due to amp requirements unlike the Vokyl.
ZMF Aeolus Blackwood copper everything lol replacing the Aeolus Ziricote
ZMF Verite closed: these could end up replacing the Elegia…but I would rather have a $800 headphone at work over a $2400 one lol…even though I have a lock up space for them.
CA Andromeda Gold…because reasons…also might switch to IEMs at work…but “ouch”
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ZMF is a brand I tend to not look at and not for a specific reason ( I don’t even have a reason), maybe is not that common or is pre order…really don’t know, but now I see how they can dethrone a Sennheiser and a Focal, which I truly tend to look for and trust all the time.
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