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nevillekapadia

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  1. I wouldn't know either, but they did significant updates for their software recently. One of them was that you can choose to play it with an output of 88.2, 96, 176 or 192Khz.
  2. A really great video and so much of a learning curve as they cover so many topics.
  3. I haven't heard the SR-1A with the JotR amp, and I would say that is the entry level for the Raal Headphones. But I clearly did not come across those issues the reviewer mentions in the lower mids and bass using the Raal headphone amp. These headphones won't shake your solar plexus with a thump, as they don't have your ears covered in a tight fit. So don't go looking for it. But they do go down low enough in the bass registers and as they are so clean its a revelation. Its a different listening experience and you have to get used to it. There is no going back once you do.
  4. @The Attorney - no the cable did not come bundled, but it is a Euro 60/- cable that Grimm had developed. The model is TPR, and is disconitnued to be sold, replaced by a better series cable for analog purposes. Sorry to make it sound confusing. When it came to Digital, Grimm recommended the cheaper TPR cable. For Analog their new series is supposed to be great (less than Euro 300/meter). I am sure they have some of the TPR cable still there with them. In terms of restrictive that there is no USB or Optical output. You don't need it! As long as your Dac has AES/EBU and can play up to 24/192 files -you are done. I was a fervent DSD fan and so were Grimm. When I met them in Munich, they had just stopped making their DSD A/D converter. I even have the Playback Designs Pinot - quad DSD converter for my vinyl drops. As you know the Grimm converts everything to 176 or 192, or down samples higher resolution to that. The thought of that drove me crazy too. Why would I want to down convert higher resolution to 176 or 192. Till I HEARD what it did!. The Grimm FPGA card is where that magic happens. it removes all the flaws of USB or ethernet. It saves you a ton of money having Switches and clocks between a USB or ethernet feed to a dac. And removing all those flaws, I can comfortably say it does not even in the slightest bit degrade the sound down converting. It picks up the great qualities of having a lower noise floor, analog flow, detail transparency that I have heard in the Grimm. You can use the USB in/out if you want, and are super keen to satisfy yourself that down sampling is disastrous. I tried it, and there was no thinking required as the sound quality of the signal going through the FPGA card was better. If you do use the USB then all you have is a very expensive Nuc with a nice power supply and your better off getting a Roon Nucleus and battling the demons in USB and ethernet with switches and clocks. Hope the above explanation helps.
  5. The Grimm was my first server. Playback Designs MPS-5.
  6. I have had the Grimm for close to half a year and am floored by its performance, and am extremely satisfied with what it does. It sounds good straight out of the box, but over the months of listening it has just kept on improving. The noise floor is amazing low and hence the sound staging, transparency and detail that it pulls out 'consistently' from streaming Tidal and Qobuz is ever so pleasing as you hear all the notes. Even with changes occurring in Roon software, the presentation does not waver. It certainly surpasses my Playback Designs CD transport. The flow of it is close to an analog non-fatiguing style with all the micro and macro dynamics present. I would place it on par with some of the top servers that are out there. Most of all, it does NOT have the need for switches, re-clockers, platforms, etc. to deal with to improve the sound or change its presentation. The AES/EBU output with a Grimm digital cable is all one needs to go to the DAC. There is just no fatigue in listening to it on end for hours. It certainly for me is the last stop for the first step as a digital feed into a DAC. This is a must listen audition for anyone out there looking for the top performance player.
  7. It’s crazy times now, and family is spending more time at home! So this is clearly cutting into my listening time as my system is in the lounge room. And everyone may not be in the mood to listen to the wide choice of music I may play. So let me start with by saying that I have never been a headphone guy (use ordinary IEM’s for travel, which really isn’t happening). So the Raal SR-1A’s are my very first set of serious headphones I've purchased. And as the designer/manufacturer decided to make an amplifier to get the most out of it, I got that too (Raal HS-1A). This was sparked solely on reading the reviews and this thread, totally understanding why users are enjoying them and the product being sold out till next month! A few years back, I have traveled around the world visiting audiophiles homes on different continents. That experience was an eye & ear opener. More than that, this hobby is a great lifelong friendship builder. After all that learning, my main system off late has been (analog) active, and from 800Hz upwards I am using pure ribbons. So I have really enjoyed quite a decent level of transparency, coming out of my main speakers. But it is limited as there are no pure ribbons that have the capability to go down into the lower frequency ranges. One has to then go with planar, electrostatic, dynamic drivers. saying that, I have heard a few commercial speakers showcase a high level of transparency, but they are all close to six figures and upwards in spend. So being in admiration of pure ribbon’s transparency, the RAAL’s peaked my curiosity to hear how this transparency would sound like to 30Hz. I can very easily say that the descriptions used in the earlier threads by others is spot on, and saves me the writing. I have heard the combo only last evening, before it was invaded by my eldest son. It was fun to see his body language reactions, with the new notes and spatial cues he was hearing. So let me start with the part I didn’t like about these headphones and get that out of the way. I may be partially wrong as they are still new and need burn in. I also have to play around with the way I wear them. Their sound staging is not like normal speakers, and they do sound stage closer towards your head. Pulling them a bit forward on the temple, does make it better. Now the good part is that it is a great sonic reference, and easily shows off where the colouration is in your main system. Not sure if that’s a good part or not. Ha ha! I thought I was hearing all the notes, but clearly was surprised to find many more. Half way through my listening, I jumped off my listening seat as I seriously thought a painting behind me was scraping along the wall falling onto my head. The track was Drum Warfare by David Fesliyan. So the RAAL’s go down low, but the visceral impact from the main rig does have a different experience on this track. Even though these headphones are revelatory and super enjoyable and have a fabulous presentation, I wanted to point this out. Do remember this is my first foray into headphones. I agree when others say there is nothing like it (which I believe as I have heard Abyss, Hifi-Man, Sennheiser Orpheus, etc. at shows) they will keep thrilling you for long listening sessions, as they are super comfortable to wear. As I write this, the urge is there to have a listen to them once again! I really can’t say more! “Hopefully the Gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span, the hours listening to music”
  8. Pricing between the two would not be a fair comparison for sound quality. The Grimm holds its grounds.
  9. This was the feedback drawn by others when both units were in the same system, as I had to rely on reviews to make a choice which unit to pursue. Unfortunately I am left in a position not to be able to disclose this source, and it may seem vague or shrill to others in making such comments. But I leave that for users to audition and make up their minds.
  10. Accomplish at home. Just using one of the USB inputs, as it acts as an output too. Turn off the oversampling in the menu would let it deliver the song at its original recorded format.
  11. The Grimm can output USB if so desired, and you can defeat the up or down sampling on it to provide the native signal. I have a DAC with a USB input that upsamples everything to double DSD, but having trialled the Grimm 176.4 or 192 sampling via AES/EBU it will outshine the USB output due to it's FPGA card. Grimm were so entrenched in DSD earlier through their converters, that when they found out that 176.4 works better and required more stringent calculations to make it sound great, they pursued PCM.
  12. Reviewing is a commercial business, and so difficult to place direct comparison when one has revenue tied to it especially in these times. But I can say that for long listening sessions the Grimm will be more favourable.
  13. For over 12 years I had used a Dac directly into the power amps. But when I added a Concert Fidelity Tube pre-amp into the chain, I could listen in a relaxed manner to digital again and again! Bill, was only red book used for playback on these dac's? Did you'll go with any DSD? If so, was the Playback using AT&T connectors in P/link mode. Many thanks.
  14. I have found that there is no one dac - tube or solid state that does it all - great redbook and 2xdsd. So would like to hear from you'll if that is the case with these dac's too. I have found and used the Concert Fidelity NOS Dac with battery power supply for the digital conversion for red book clearly outstanding. Its output stage is tubes. The harmonics are absolutely fabulous, including the detail retrieval. It is bettered by the Trinity in retrieval, but then that is a solid state dac and uber expensive. I use the Playback with its new USB-XT box for high res and SACD playback (had to have that), plus as a transport to feed the CF dac. With the the new playback designs USB box, the AT&T cables can give me a different flavour in presentation which assists me to my liking of my 2xdsd vinyl rips. Look forward to Bill's shoot out.
  15. Hi Chris,<br /> <br /> Was there any mention or presence of any new dac's with DSD decoding?<br /> <br /> Look forward to your feedback.<br /> <br /> Best,<br /> <br /> Neville
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