{"id":34064,"date":"2023-04-02T12:48:46","date_gmt":"2023-04-02T10:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=34064"},"modified":"2024-12-21T13:37:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-21T11:37:25","slug":"saeq-hyperion-ge-and-raal-requisite-ca-1a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/amplifier-reviews\/integrated-amplifier-reviews\/saeq-hyperion-ge-and-raal-requisite-ca-1a\/","title":{"rendered":"SAEQ Hyperion Ge and RAAL Requisite CA-1a"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review samples provided by SAEQ<\/a><\/h4>\n

Retail Prices:
\nSAEQ Hyperion Ge: 7500 euro including VAT and transport
\nRAAL CA-1e Naked (no cables or interface): 2.000 USD (ex VAT)
\nRAAL CA-1e with cables and TI-1b interface: 2.500 USD (ex VAT)
\nStandard cable 2 (SC2) 150.00 USD (ex VAT)
\nSTAR-8 Pure Silver 1.80m 1.100 USD, 3.00m 1.500 USD (ex VAT)<\/h4>\n

I’ll say it right away: this is going to be an unusual review for me but it will be very interesting. Even if you are not into headphones, I must encourage you to read on. I promise you will be intrigued!<\/p>\n

The SAEQ Hyperion Ge is, first and foremost, a headphone amplifier. Right? Well… this actually doesn’t seem as clear-cut as one might assume. For sure, the Hyperion Ge is a headphone amplifier but it also offers speaker outputs, and as I was told, it will happily drive even relatively “difficult” speakers such as my Magico S1 MkII’s. In fact, I was asked to review the amp with these speakers primarily and to address its headphone capacities secondarily. For this, I was also supplied with a set of RAAL requisite CA-1a pure ribbon headphones.<\/p>\n

Initially, I set out to do as planned, but as I would find out, not only does the Hyperion Ge drive both the Xavians and Magicos sublimely well, it was also an ear-opener in terms of its headphone-amp capabilities!<\/p>\n

About SAEQ<\/h3>\n

It all started in the early seventies when the global audio industry began its dizzying rise which culminated in many legendary and respected audio products, especially in the field of amplification. At that time, information about top Hi-Fi components reached the former Yugoslavia and Serbia only rarely and with great delay. The procurement of new factory components was further complicated by a number of problems related to finances and customs restrictions. As SAEQ’s owner and main designer Dragan Domanovic shares on the website, this situation did not diminish their passion or enthusiasm. On the contrary, that love was strengthened through research in the field of electronics, learning from books and magazines, and gaining firsthand auditory experience. Ultimately, this situation gave rise to Dragan’s desire to make his own preamplifiers and amplifiers, and thus, SAEQ was born, and the first stereo tube amplifier was made in 1973.<\/p>\n

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Hyperion Ge Description<\/h3>\n

In Greek mythology, Hyperion was, along with his son Helios, a personification of the sun. Intriguingly, SAEQ designed the Hyperion Ge’s front panel to symbolize the brightness of the Sun. When I first laid eyes on the amp, I will admit to being unsure how to feel about that very<\/em> gold volume dial. But with this little mythology snippet in mind, I will admit to looking at the amp differently. Now,\u00a0it’s actually growing on me!<\/p>\n

Based on the SAEQ HSA-1b, the company set out with the Hyperion Ge to further increase the resolution and present a finer presentation of acoustic space. As designer Dragan Domanovic tells me, above all, the goal for the Hyperion Ge amp was to make it sound close to reality, close to live sound. The aspiration is for the amp to be resolute to the point of pleasantness, for it to have resolution with soul.<\/p>\n

The Ge in the model name stands for Germanium, as in Germanium transistors, which were created in the fifties of the last century. Germanium transistors are a variation of a standard transistor where, instead of silicon, a Germanium alloy is used to increase the transmission speed of electrical signals. They had several advantages over silicon transistors, such as higher current gain, higher linearity, lower base voltage requirement, and a requirement for very little or even no negative feedback.<\/p>\n

Due to the complicated technology and expensive basic material – germanium, their production was abandoned in the seventies of the last century. SAEQ states that the fact that germanium transistors have a 2 to 5 times lower base voltage than silicon transistors gives the Hyperion Ge amplifier incredible potential in displaying fine details that captivate with an opulent sonic presentation.<\/p>\n

The Hyperion Ge uses an old topology normally used for tube amplifiers. It has a pure Class-A input stage with Germanium transistors and a series volume attenuator with 24 steps. As Dragan puts it, “Hyperion is a de facto semiconductor hybrid that includes Germanium transistors, J-FETs, and bipolar transistors. It is a cocktail that needs to be assembled carefully. You have to know how much you can put in. Good champagne with a strawberry in the glass, as one of my friends likes to say.”<\/p>\n

It is often said (not just by SAEQ) that Germanium transistors sound warmer and softer while also having a more resolving presentation. Indeed, their character is often associated with qualities more typical for tube amplifiers. Regular readers may recall my adventures with Germanium transistors in the context of Sw1x DAC-1<\/a> where I was provided with a range of different transistors to try their influence on the sound for myself.\u00a0 I won’t repeat my findings here but I will say based on those experiments that the claims for Germanium seem to be 100% true!<\/p>\n

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Connectivity<\/h3>\n

Is the Hyperion Ge a headphone amp with speaker connections, or vice versa? To be honest, it blurs the line. Please see the manufacturer’s site<\/a> for the full specification, but I will mention the most important aspects below.<\/p>\n

The amp is operationally very basic. It has two inputs (one RCA and one XLR), 4 headphone outputs (6,3mm Jack and Balanced XLR, both provided twice for low and high gain situations), a single set of BFA\/Banana speaker connectors, and big golden volume control. There is no infrared remote control.<\/p>\n

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The amp is specified to be compatible with 4-600 Ohms headphones when connected directly, and even lower than that when using an external transformer such as the RAAL Requisite TI-1b interface. Its output power is specified as 8W\/4 ohms, 11W\/8 ohms, 5.5W\/16 ohm,\u00a0 2.7W\/32 ohms, 1.3W\/64 ohms, 0.6W\/120 ohms, 0.3W\/300 ohms, and 0.15W\/600 ohms at 1khz\/sine. For headphones, I am told it is more than capable. But the same values apply for connected loudspeakers which means that in real-world situations we are looking at an 8-11 Watt rating. Indeed, that is not much. Then again, I have heard several tube amplifiers with such wattages and they sound great, as long as they are driving compatible loudspeakers. As one can imagine, those same tube amplifiers did not fare well with the Magicos. Still, I was forewarned not to underestimate the amplifier’s speaker-driving abilities.<\/p>\n

As the SAEQ website states: “A special bonus is the speaker output which allows you an incredible experience of the authenticity of reproduction in your room, provided that it is connected to high-class loudspeakers. It certainly requires premium sound sources as well as the highest class of cabling to keep the path to the live sound open”. I think my equipment qualifies, but I still wondered if this little amp would really be up to the task of driving the Magicos well… read on to find out!<\/p>\n

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RAAL Requisite CA-1a Description<\/h3>\n

The Circum-Aural, true-ribbon CA-1a is based on the Open Baffle SR-1b model but it is more than an SR-1b with Circum-Aural ear pads. An entirely new motor was developed, new methods of manufacturing were required, and years of R&D went into its creation. With the CA-1a, the company aims to propose a headphone that performs like a $4,000 to $6,000 headphone at a price of $2,000. Every headphone is expertly handmade, in Serbia, by the same skilled European craftspeople who build world-renowned RAAL ribbon tweeters. The result is a headphone so accurate that it is referred to as a headphone monitor.<\/p>\n

Next: SAEQ Hyperion Ge with Xavian Perla Esclusiva<\/p>\n

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SAEQ Hyperion Ge with Xavian Perla Esclusiva<\/h3>\n

Before subjecting the Hyperion Ge to the Magicos, I wanted to ease in by trying it with the considerably easier-to-drive Xavian Perla Esclusivas<\/a> in the secondary setup. These speakers are normally driven by an Accuphase E-280 integrated amplifier that sits more or less in the same price category as the SAEQ. With these small and relatively efficient monitors, I expected the Hyperion Ge to work very well, but as I would soon find, it did much more than that!<\/p>\n

The Hyperion Ge was powered with a Belden 19364 cable terminated with Bals type 73 schuko and Oyaide C-004 IEC. Its input is derived from an Antipodes EX<\/a> music server running Roon, connected to an Accuphase DP-430 CD player\/DAC via CAD USB-1 USB cable<\/a> which is then fed to the SAEQ via a Driade Flow Link Reference 808<\/a> RCA cable.<\/p>\n

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Not only did it have an excellent grip, but it also showed no signs of stress even when playing rather loudly. I’m sure the amp must have a maximum loudness ceiling but I consistently reached the limit of what I found a comfortable listening level well before the amp reached its theoretical limit.<\/p>\n

But it being stable despite its modest power rating does not begin describing what the Hyperion Ge can actually do. What the amplifier truly excels at is in presenting music with a stunning level of resolution, transparency, and immediacy, while remaining formidably refined and delicate. Sure enough, in these areas, it was clearly outperforming the Accuphase. Heck, if I’m honest, in terms of the aforementioned sonic traits, I felt as though the little amp was actually approaching the big CH amp in the other room!<\/p>\n

In spite of being highly resolving, the Hyperion Ge manages to infuse its lively and expressive delivery with a thoroughly organic flow, deep tonal saturation, and a remarkably natural timbre.<\/p>\n

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It did not matter what kind of music was played, the little amp simply delivered everything with conviction whilst always sounding fantastically engaging. It certainly has more warmth and richness than I am accustomed to and just like many tube amplifiers, it has a measure of body and meatiness to the extent of being very slightly opulent. In that sense, I would say it is not strictly 100% neutral. But with its communicative yet intimate, internally lit midrange and the deep emotional involvement that it brings, it feels closer to SET amplifiers than any push-pull type that I have heard. What I also think I hear is the purity of a simple design with as few output devices as possible, indeed, a trait common to SET designs.<\/p>\n

Basically, the Hyperion Ge manages to sound smooth, rich, and warm, but without paying the usual price in the areas of speed, drama, and transient sharpness. In fact, its crisp transient behavior throughout the midrange made the Accuphase sound comparatively encapsulated, lacking expression, and in the midrange at least, feeling somewhat thickened and restrained.<\/p>\n

If I’m being critical, the Hyperion did not, however, have quite the same level of control, articulation, and extension in the low bass as the Accuphase, nor the same amount of slam, but on the whole, this did not detract from what was a startlingly emotionally-involving as well as very realistic, life-like performance.<\/p>\n

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With Magico S1 MkII<\/h3>\n

Soon after I started listening to the Xavians, the Hyperion Ge had me convinced. But my mind still wandered, would it drive the considerably more power-hungry Magicos just as well?<\/p>\n

The answer to that question came as soon as the first sounds poured out of the speakers. Oh yes, the little amp did drive the S1 MkIIs very well indeed! But again, there was so much more to the Hyperion Ge than it merely being remarkably stable.<\/p>\n

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Driven directly from the CH Precision C1.2<\/a> DAC’s analog outputs using Driade Flow Link Reference<\/a> XLR cables (thus bypassing the L1<\/a> analog preamp) and again powered by a Belden 19364 cable terminated with Bals type 73 schuko and Oyaide C-004 IEC, there’s nothing small about this mini-amp’s performance: it scales surprisingly well and easily fills the room with luscious sound. It won’t reach party levels with the much less efficient Magicos, and in this combination, it is not the first choice for metal or hard rock, but outside of the rare occasion where I want to push it, it still goes loud enough for my personal taste. When you do push the amp, it will simply start compressing dynamically, followed by a soft crushing of the peaks.<\/p>\n

Really all that is lacking is enough power to properly allow bass stabs to be as dynamic and impactful as they should. With the Hyperion Ge, low-frequency sounds such as drums or low (synth-)bass guitar notes are less visceral and more rounded in their impact than with big power amps but this is only natural. Of course, the Hyperion Ge is not the first choice to pair with speakers as inefficient and relatively difficult as Magicos. But that’s not really the point. The mere notion that the amp performs as well as it does even under far-from-ideal circumstances illustrates that it will have plenty of power for any efficient pair of speakers, let alone any pair of headphones.<\/p>\n

So long as it’s used within its limits, there’s an immense sense of being directly coupled to the music but without the sound being square, edgy, or hard. Unlike when they are paired with most tube amps, despite only having 11 Watts at their disposal, the Magicos do not at all become sleepy or overly smooth. Rather, the sound is open, lively, and beautifully expressive. It really is the antithesis of the stereotypical “transistor” sound but nevertheless with impressive crispness and very fast transient behavior.<\/p>\n

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As with the Xavians, listening to the Hyperion Ge with the Magicos again produces strong vibes of being close to the music and the artist’s intent. The amp sounds supremely liquid yet also incredibly believable and authentic. The sheer realism is abundant.<\/p>\n

In addition, the soundstaging, depth, the layering within, the fantastic living-and-breathing aspect of the performances, not to mention its superb detailing and precise yet airy and liquid treble, all culminated in a sound that was just impossible to fault.<\/p>\n

With the Magicos, too, there is a Golden, “tube” like glow that makes for a very seductive sound. But I hasten to add that it does not feel like a sauce poured on top of an otherwise cool silicon sound. The musical presentation itself is truly liquid, delicate, and rich in and of itself. If anything, I’d swear that I was listening to a superb tube amp.<\/p>\n

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Volume Setting<\/h3>\n

What I did find is that the amp can sound different, depending on the gain, as well as on its volume dial setting. With a low gain or volume setting, it tends to sound smoother and warmer, and with a high gain and\/or higher volume setting, it becomes more articulate and expressive. Also, the dynamic slam and the sense of urgency were improved with a higher volume setting. One might deduce from this that the amp needs to play a little louder but that’s not it. The CH C1.2 DAC has a defeatable hybrid analog\/digital volume control and as I found, the Hyperion Ge sounded best when its volume was set a little higher and the C1.2 DAC’s volume was enabled and set a little lower. After some experimentation to find the ideal balance, a nice side effect was that I now also had an IR remote control. This really is the single downside of the amp, as it is probably intended as a headphone amp after all. I’m told that a separate preamp is in the making that will have multiple inputs and also include a remote control.<\/p>\n

I’ve had the Hyperion Ge connected in the main system for a couple of days and apart from some extra conviction in the bass, to my astonishment, I sort of forgot that it was there.<\/p>\n

Clearly, the amp is not just suited for comforting or relaxed listening, but it actually performed like a true reference component. As I proceeded with my assessments for other equipment under review, I found that I could very easily hear all the subtleties in upstream sources just as well as with the Swiss high rollers. I actually used the Hyperion Ge to assess the minute differences in software settings for a music server. Clearly, it has absolutely no problem laying bare the smallest details.<\/p>\n

And after playing a wide range of music over the course of these days, I can only conclude that I didn’t encounter any issues from its limited power and that I could actually live very happily with this little amp!<\/p>\n

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After going back to the comparatively very costly CH Precision L1 preamp<\/a> and A1.5 power amp<\/a> combo, there’s no denying the big Swiss duo’s superiority. Indeed, the sound is now significantly more robust, especially in the bass. It is more controlled and impactful, but is it more detailed? More finely nuanced? More fluid, airy, free-flowing, or more natural? Yeah, no, actually it is not! Compared to the little SAEQ amp, the CH front end is comparatively more solid-state-like albeit done very well. As a matter of fact, so far, I have always felt the CH components have the least electronic or solid-state signature so far. Interestingly, the SAEQ manages to offset that balance by sounding even less like what it is in essence: a solid-state design. More “annoyingly”, the Hyperion Ge also manages to sound both more intimate and more gushing than the big CH combo whilst using only a fraction of the power. Go Figure! In fact, the amp never got more than lukewarm to the touch. If the amp had a little bit more power, more inputs, and remote control, I might have been tempted to keep it in the system!<\/p>\n

So, after all this, it is now time for what I presume is the amp’s actual<\/em> intended use… headphones!<\/p>\n

Next: Headphone Listening<\/p>\n

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Headphone Listening<\/h3>\n

As regular readers will know, I am not a headphone enthusiast. Don’t get me wrong, I know that headphones can sound fantastic and I will be the first to acknowledge they are a very clever way of avoiding issues with roommates and neighbors while rendering any room-acoustics aspects entirely futile. And last but not least, headphones make it possible to obtain true high-end sound quality for only a fraction of the cost of a full system.<\/p>\n

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So why do I not use headphones? There are a number of reasons for this and they are all very personal. Mostly, I don’t generally like wearing or carrying accessories in any shape or form, not even a watch. Secondarily, I prefer having a physical sound source that stays in place as I move around. Thirdly, and least important for me, there’s the matter of soundstage depth. While headphone enthusiasts know that some headphones have larger, wider, or freer imaging than others, apart from DSP trickery, thus far, I experience the soundstage with headphones as focused primarily inside, and to the sides of my head, not in front of me, as I prefer it.<\/p>\n

This is only logical, as the sense of depth that we perceive comes from reflections in an acoustic space, which are eliminated when using headphones. Of course, then again, loudspeakers and rooms create a whole suite of other potential issues, which I have only recently been able to get properly under control, so it’s really a matter of personal preference.<\/p>\n

Personal preferences aside, I can’t help getting ahead of myself and unveiling that, much as I experienced with the loudspeakers, the performance of the SAEQ and RAAL Requisite pairing is absolutely unreal!<\/p>\n

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Headphone Models<\/h3>\n

Currently, I own only one headphone, and not a very elevated one at that. It concerns a Sennheiser HD-238i that I last used over 10 years ago in combination with an iPhone when I was still cycling 40 minutes back and forth between home and work. The 238i has a full sound with very decent bass, relatively clean mids, and no sharpness. It’s really not bad at all, but it’s a far cry from being audiophile.<\/p>\n

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In order to properly assess the SAEQ amp, I invite my friends Jeroen and Niels to bring along part of their headphone arsenal. What I ended up playing with was the following rather interesting group of products.<\/p>\n