Need help setting up a bedside table system with Grado SR-225 as a starting point - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

Mogwai · 07-24-2008, 02:23 AM

The 225's haven't arrived yet, but they should be here soon, so I'll have to start buying components asap.

There are especially two subject I'd like some advice on:
1. Midrange CD player vs. budget CD player with external DAC
2. Headphone amp vs. stereo amp

I need a new CD player and an amp to drive the 225's, but the alternatives above are making it difficult for me. My budget is around $1000. The less I spend the better, of course.

The advantage of buying a CD player and a stereo amp is that I may use them in a speaker set up in the future. But if a headphone amp will do a better job driving the 225's, then that's the way to go.

Keep in mind that I live in Europe when you recommend components. Thanks.

jellojoe · 07-24-2008, 02:45 AM

I've been using the headphone out of the Marantz CD4001 with a SR225 for a bedside system. I think it's good enough for some reading before bedtime.

Mogwai · 07-25-2008, 02:23 AM

Thanks for your reply, jellojoe.

I coincidently got the 225's today, and I've been using a Denon stereosystem to drive them, and my first impression is very positive. I can hear details on my CD's that I haven't heard before. I've tried everything from Joni Mitchell to hardcore, and the 225's excel with everything I throw at them. My only, and minor, complaint is that they are quite aggressive in the upper mid frequencies, which sometimes makes high-pitched male/female voices sound a little hard. I guess the quality of the recordings becomes essential when listening to high-end headphones like the 225's, which exposes strengths as well as weaknesses.

I'm glad to hear that the CD4001 works well with the 225's. Have you tried amping them with anything else, and if so, did you notice a difference? The 225's are supposed to be easy to drive, from what I've read, but I'm just worried that I'll lose out on some perfomance if I go for a "cheap" sollution.

BTW, love your avatar, it's one of my favorite movies from the eighties.

jellojoe · 07-25-2008, 02:57 AM

The aggressiveness of the SR225 will mellow a bit over the first 50 hours or so. I used them for a long time with the Perreaux SXH-1 and found the sound to be noticably fuller overall. I've also tried them for a bit out of a dynahi, and I actually prefer the SXH-1 although the transients sound faster out of the dynahi.

Mogwai · 07-26-2008, 02:35 AM

They're used, so I'm pretty sure they're burned in. I've used dark sounding headphones and IE's like Koss and Sennheiser in the past, so I think it takes some time getting used to the Grado sound. Having said that, I love the 225's so far. I listened to some alto sax music today, and it sounded incredibly airy and lifelike.

Thanks for the info on the amps. I tried the 225's on my Creative Zen today, and to my surprise, the MP3 player was able to drive the Grados' pretty well, so I'm starting to think that buying an expensive amp is unecessary. I'll see if I can audition a headphone amp at one of the local hi-fi stores. That's the only way to find out for sure.

panda · 07-27-2008, 07:33 AM

with $1000 budget you can return your 225, buy a used rs-1 from the US. get an original model rega planet. and a used grado ra-1 amp. that system is pretty amazing one that i've heard myself. an even better amp if you can find one is a mccormack micro integrated drive (or MID).

Mogwai · 07-29-2008, 06:19 PM

Thanks for the advice, panda, but that would be too much of a hassle for me, and I don't think I'd be able to get those components for 1k.

ssportclay · 07-29-2008, 09:20 PM

I haven't heard this unit myself but the Marantz SA8001 or somewhat similar SA7001 has been getting a lot of praise lately. It is said to be smooth and refined at the higher frequencies which should synergize with your Grados nicely.It also has an internal headphone amplifier and jack which should have no trouble driving your Grados. The Marantz also supports the SACD format which is a big deal to me if not for others. You wouldn't need to consider buying a headphone amplifier until you went to a much more inefficient headphone.

Mogwai · 07-30-2008, 01:41 AM

Thanks for the tip, ssportclay.

The SA8001 is not out yet in Europe, but the SA7001 is definitely interesting, especially since it has a dedicated headphone amp. It's a hot condender for sure, and could very well be the best and easiest sollution for my bedside set up.

DocHamm · 08-09-2008, 03:34 AM

Lots of options here. Depends on your personal preferance and what you're after. I just made a similar comment in the thread cheap standalone cdp.