interestingly, I had removed the strap that fits on the back of my head simply for ease of use…putting them on and taking them off but I found that they were sliding around my head when I would lean forward so I decided to put the strap back on…interestingly I find that when the strap is on it forces the placement of the HP to be somewhat different on my head and as a result on the angle from my ears and to my astonishment it really changes the sound signature…I knew opening or closing them would do so but I didnt realize how different they sound simply wearing the strap…a lot of the sibilance I was experiencing on certain songs has been tamed with my wearing them with the strap…I am not entirely sure why but I find it very interesting and at least for the time being an improvement
Just showing off guys, after almost a month, I’m exceptionally happy. Devialet never failed to deliver top SQ. See setup in photos (excuse my lack of artsy skills in taking photos).
SR1a great choice, thank you all for your reviews which convinced me!
placement/alignment of these is fairly important! I tend to use the strap as well as it helps keep them more aligned with my ears for “my” optimal listening preference… though when in a hurry I just flip the strap to the top of the ZMF Co-Pilot pad for quick use 
With my HSA-1a now on its way to its new owner … so begins the wait for the HSA-1b and a Chord Ultima 5 (already auditioned, but I need it in black w/ chrome legs) … hopefully both arriving before my address changes!
Yep, “17923 North Pacific Ocean” will be very hard for the deliveryman to find.
I’m glad you have found a good combo with the Devialet, I looked up the specs on that thing and it is a beast.
Figured I would send an updated setup photo too.
Had a red LED from a bike helmet available to add needed “dramatic effect”.
After installing the co-pilot I find one of my Woo stand works nicely with it.
With the co-pilot installed the bottom of the wings don’t crush against each other.
Sidebar; When I first got my SR1a I had to bend out the aluminum head band part a bit to get it snug without too much pressure. Since putting the co-pilot over the stock leather headband it pushed the wings out so far I had to bend the aluminum back in LOL! It’s always something!
Hey everyone, had a recent interesting experience using the SR1a with the “IRIS Listen Well” app.
From what the website for the app says it is using a DSP algorithm to do some kind of “phase-alignment” that allows more detail to be readily heard to make critical listening easier.
You can load up 50 tracks for free from your Apple/Android device and toggle the DSP on/off and adjust the intensity of the effect. It asks you to buy their headphones to extend the trial but wanted to expose others to a cool experience with the app.
I personally thought it worked pretty well with the RAAL and allowed details to come through at much lower listening levels or with the baffles opened out farther. At high volumes I did hear some slight distortion, possibly compression artifacts?
Not trying to give any endorsement other than it was an interesting experienence with the Sr1a.
Does anyone have impressions of the Magnepan Mini Maggie ribbon near-field desktop speakers (and able to offer a comparison) ? They and the MySpheres seem to be the closest alternatives to the SR1a.
https://www.magnepan.com/model_mini_maggie
I believe @pennstac is also a Magnepan enthusiast.
These are very cool, but I’m not sure why the comparison here would be any different than comparing the SR1a to any other near field monitor.
Thanks. I’m interested in the ribbon vs ribbon performance/presentation.
back on that sweet Dual Vidar in mono block with the RAAL SR1A and damn… I missed these…now I am wanting that Freya + even more… why won’t they make it in black!!! WHYYYYY!!!
I’ve had the SR1a for exactly 1Y4Mo and have been using them for an average 20-30hrs/week before the pandemic and 40-60hrs/week since March. The usage on the last few months beat up the “foam” (they’re more like velvety leather) pads, so I decided to replace them with new pads. I ordered them and to my surprise the new pads are actually foam pads which makes them significantly more comfortable when combined with the ZMF Co-pilot pads. I highly recommend the new foam pads ($100) to all SR1a early adopters that might have the original leather-kind of pads to boost the comfort on them. I think that the new pads might also reduce some of the issues related to pressure on the temples that some users reported.
Here’s a picture of the new pads installed and the old pads sitting next to them.
Bookmarking! I will pick these up in the next couple weeks! Very cool!
Voting with your ears!? Quite the endorsement given the arsenal at your disposal.
LOL. The SR1a gets the bulk of the listening time during the day on week days and I use other cans at night and weekends - Susvara for late night listening sessions, 1266 TC also for late night but engaging listening sessions at low volumes, VC and Stellia for when the Missus is around to avoid disturbing her and Utopia get some random time throughout the week.
All in All I average around 8-12hrs/day while working from home and before going to bed.
Nice. Glad to hear none at risk of going dormant 
Greetings! I am currently looking for reference mixing headphones as I’m upgrading my listening setup before the next round of recordings. I’m currently comparing the sr1a with Jotunheim R and HEDD Heddphones against my monitors (Neumann KH120a) in a semi-treated room (5 2inch acoustimac panels for reflections, no bass traps). While currently I’m in a detached home, I will soon be moving back to NYC, where I will be able to check mixes on my monitors for short periods, but will need to do the bulk in headphones because of apartment living. I will likely upgrade my monitors (likely ATC scm20 asl), and GIK bass traps are on the way to my new place already.
My current setup is iMac to Focusrite 6i6 rev 1 interface (will upgrade that soon), using Logic Pro X with Can Opener for crossfeed to get cans to sound as close as possible to monitors, set to mix engineer, flat setting. Audio out from DAC to Jotunheim to sr1a, headphone out (a little more power) from DAC to JBS Atom to HEDD.
Which headphone to keep? Currently I’m trying to switch off between HEDD, sr1a, and monitors, switching Can Opener on and off whenever I switch from headphone to monitor. I have to admit that it confuses my ears a bit during the jump between, as switching Can Opener while switching monitor routing and putting headphone on/off all at the same time makes a/b comparison difficult.
To my surprise, right now the HEDD sounds closer to my monitors?! Am I doing something wrong? This goes against what I’ve read is supposed to happen, but I admit I’m not a headphone expert, I’ve never used headphones for reference purposes before, only tracking, and for all the known reasons why more traditional headphones, pre-software adjusments, have been considered less than ideal for mixing in the past.
That’s why I’m wondering if perhaps I’m adjusting the sr1a incorrectly. Right now from what I can tell, whether the sr1a has its wings fully pressed up against my ears, or slightly wider, freq spectrum and width sound closer on the HEDD than the sr1a. The sr1a also sounds a bit flatter in terms of soundstage, though it widens if I pull the ribbon wings out slightly, it gets harsher, and its already harsh in comparison to the HEDD.
In fact, I find my ears feel a bit stressed after listening to them due to the harshness of the treble, and though I realize eq can roll that off, I’ve read that adjustment has a big impact on the treble too. I realize that hurt ears mean turn the volume down, but I’m not perceiving them as loud, and comparable levels on the Hedd feel just fine.
Then again, also read the sr1a can be like an NS10 in headphone form, and in terms of mixing, I could see that being the case. My Neumann are supposed to be on the dry and revealing side, the sr1a seem even more so. I could see that improving my mixes,
I’ve looked at the prelim owner’s manual online, and tried to adjust it as directed, with the ear pads basically pressed against my ears, ribbons adjusted approx horizontal and ears at center height. I’ve read that there was a video on Raal/requisite youtube channel for adjustments, but I don’t see one anymore.
I’m used to mixing in monitors, so this is quite new to me. I can’t afford to keep both if I’m to continue upgrading the rest of my system. Any thoughts? From what I’ve read, as great as the HEDD is, the sr1a should be exactly what I’m looking for. Curious what people think.
As I wanted to evaluate such upgrade (From Heddphone to SR1a) I have also great interest in the answers to your questions…
I don’t have the opportunity to do such test by myself, but I was expecting such upgrade would have been more evident.
Going from my Z7M2 and Ultrasone Ed15 to the really good Heddphone, it was an immediate feeling of a real step forward, though I had to buy the Heddphone, but also a new enough powered amp (THX887) and a new DAC (SMSL 500) to make a really valuable/enjoyable complete step.
By reading the web comments (not only here), I was thinking the SR1A should be like a natural evolution to go through, but, for such price, I expect a real clear step forward in sound quality.