Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site

Over the course of the last month we have a numerous communication with the RAAL’s Alex. With all my “accuracy” handling of the “Water Drop” tweeters I have eventually terminally damaged the ribbons on my left channel and I asked Alex to send me ribbon-replacement. It was very simple to replace the ribbons and the drivers as now are back to operation, However, the story had an interesting twist…

While we were discussing with Alex the replacement opportunities (the damn shipping cost 10 times more then the ribbons) Alex mentioned that he developed a method of manufacturing “different” types of ribbons. Alex claimed that those “other ribbons” have quite a unique sound and according to him the “other ribbons” have some advantages over his regular ribbons.

This new ribbons (let for a sake of conventions call them RAAL+) are made from the same ultra thin aluminum but this aluminum spent 72 hours being bombarded with neutrons from uranium-238 oxide in the labs of Dmitrovgrad’s Institute of Atomic Reactors. As the result, the aluminum electrons develop a fear of radiation poisoning and each time when current flows over ribbon producing HF the electrons are panicking  and do their job presuming that it was the last day in this lives….

OK, it was not exactly true description of the RAAL+ technology. The truth is that Alex would like too keep his RAAL+ technology proprietary and I am under undisclosure pledge. However, he sent me the original ribbons that I had before and in addition to them his RAAL+ ribbons (both ribbons are interchangeable in my application). I did try those new RAAL+ ribbons and I can concur that the RAAL+ is a next step into the “ribbonisation”.

The most distinct difference between the “true ribbons” and other tweeter is relative speed projected to HF noise (or it’s lack). No mater how low noise of the originals Water Drop drivers the “noise” of the “Water Drop” tweeter armed with RAAL+ ribbons even lower. It is not even about the noise but more about some strange own intelligence that RAAL+ ribbons demonstrate. The RAAL+ ribbons sound like they have some maturity and integrity with themselves and they do not produce HF when it is un-real-necessary. The “regular” RAAL ribbons sound like a young drummer-prodigy, where the drummer is willing to demonstrate by his each strike his undeniable technical superiority and performing supremacy. However, the RAAL+ ribbons sound more like the same drummer in 30 years – he has all the same techniques and performing capacity only now he does not need to prove anything to himself and to others and he knows how to play better then anyone else without striking the drums too frequently. It is like listening Joe Morello’s play after visiting a contemporary festival of young drummers….

Anyhow, the RAAL+ are defiantly a next level up into my HF journey. Now, I have a pile of regulars RAAL ribbons…. I wonder where I can I get a half-pounds of  depleted uranium to convert them into the RAAL+'s  ribbons… :-)

Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site