this was the same approach i used in my old rig, basically use the amp and dac to cater to oddities of the headphone (the HD800S in that case). its an approach i wanted to avoid in my new rig , because i wanted a more neutral amp/dac that would work with any type of of headphone tuning

Well, owning rs1x and being a psytrance fan I can answer that. While I don't need or like ear-thumping bass, the rs1x is so lean it's even missing a bit of presence on the low end. Even synthwave doesn't sound quite as "full" as it ideally should. It's still a great headphone but I agree...

Yeah I have the RS1X a bit over a week now and am getting the same vibe. It does special things for some tracks/genres, but is not a particularly good all-arounder, which can be okay if it does indeed add that much to certain genres. If you are a Grado fan, it sounds like both the RS1X and...

Anyone heard the RS1X *and* the GS1000X *and* the GS3000X who can describe overall what you get for each step up the price scale?

I've bought a lot of gear so can answer this fairly succicntly. IMO diminishing return range: DACs - $250-$750 (range depends on unbalanced vs balanced and features) Amps -$250-$1000 (range depends on unbalanced vs balanced and features) Headphones - $500-$1500 In my example, the Pro-Ject Pre...

Yeah like that's what I expect cocobolo to look like. Why does mine look so weird?

How has the finish uniformity been for people on the RS1X? I know it's natural wood but the grain and color of my two ear cups are so different they almost look like different woods. Definitely doesn't look like past cocobolo stuff I have bought... Honestly either cups finish is fine, but the...

This is true, but in this case even after 4-5 days straight it barely improved. Clearly just a bad sample. One industry pro (I forget who) said most of the NOS tubes still available today were rejected samples that didn't meet quality standards when they were first manufactured.

One time I ordered a tested NOS tube that was around $200 from a dealer and it actually sounded far, far worse than the $25 EH new production I was using. It had a good reputation too, not sure what happened exactly. But it does seem like getting good NOS tubes can be an expensive affair, and...

Thought about it and ordered a Garage1217 Project Polaris to go alongside the Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Edition '23. That way I can do either clean output or tubey distortion, without actually needing tubes

I'm always debating if the headphone actually breaks in or your brain. e.g. you get used to it. B/c I am not sure what would physically change in there

if I go that route will probably get project sunrise 3.1, I think. But not going there yet!

Yeah, I am listening on a very neutral solid state amp, I am sure a tube or tube hybrid would help beef up the sound a bit, which i think is the RS1X's biggest weakness. Some music sounds a bit thin on it, so its not going to work for everything. The hemp was beefy, but at way too much expense...

Just got in the Grado RS1x. My first impression was that they were trash (same first impression as the Hemp,) but they are growing on me. They don't work for every track but there are quite a few I found that they really shine on. They are definitely a better headphone than the Hemp, IMO.

Thanks. I think what knocked me into shallow waters was when I heard the self-amplified $999 B&O H95 and I was nearly as satisfied as I was with my old multi-thousand dollar setup, even over aptxHD, and after years of tweaking the dedicated setup with different components. Seems that finding...

So, due to reasons I won't go into that involved the loss of all of my original headphone gear (noted as "retired" in my sig) that I spent many years experimenting with to obtain the perfect combo, I am wading back into the waters. I am taking a different approach this time, last time it was...

Something like that, I think it will have the expansive hd800 soundstage but usable with likable sound on a wider range of equipment The biggest weakness of the hd800 is that it sounds too sharp with most gear, this looks to fix that issue

I think its a pretty simple decision. If you liked the HD800S and want a bit more casual and less expensive spin on that headphone combined with even more extreme soundstage, this headphone is a no-brainer.

I placed an order. Based on Grell's previous works, I have no doubt it will be amazing. Equipment pairing might be interesting, being its is 38ohm/106db, no amp needed really I was thinking something like the Pro-ject Pre Box S2 Digital might be a good match since it only does 68mw at 32ohm...

Yeah in order of comfort I'd say HX is most comfortable, Portal in the middle, H95 the least comfortable

If you have a PC you can get aptX HD via Alternative A2DP Driver for $5

Tried the HX. A little better than high end than the Portal, and a little more comfy. Controls a bit more suited to music. A little more stylish. Otherwise, pretty similar. I've heard some say the bass is significantly better on the HX vs the Portal, and IMO that is false. The H95 is...

BTW just as a follow-up to my B&O warranty experience (first pair had a loose screw in the earcup), the people manning the email support seemed quite daft but an RMA was set up eventually. Was mailed for RMA on 1/11/2024. Five business days later I received a new replacement, which seems fine...