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iPhone (or iPod) > ???? > Grado RS2 / RS1 ...What should be the ???

post #1 of 12
2/7/08 at 12:53pm
Thread Starter 
Am in the market for a not too expensive (<300) headphone amplifier.

Source is and will be iPhone (with either 320 kbps mp3 / aac or Apple lossless).

Headphone is and will be for sometime RS2 (stock).

Need to figure out:

1. Do I need an amplifier to get better sound? (Read somewhere RS2 with less ohms doesnt really need an amplified. But does having an amplifier helps the SQ)

2. If I need an amplifier then should it be Tube or SS? (Read somewhere Grado like Tube more than SS. Parameter for deciding is the Clarity (obviously), Bass and Treble fidelity. I like decent amount of Bass and clear highs. Can compromise a little bit on Mids but not too much)

3. What amplifiers should I consider (<$300 or so)? Which amps pair really well with the source / output transducer combination. This would laegely be used for listening to music on my office workstation.3

4. Is there an amplifier that can take the digital sound from iPod and have a separte DAC? (I hear iPhone DAC is pretty crappy, but i dont know for sure as iPhone sounds okay to me as it is)

Appreciate your help.
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post #2 of 12
10/7/09 at 12:28pm
I wouldn't mind some opinions on this as well?
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post #3 of 12
10/7/09 at 12:42pm
To start the ball rolling ...
Although I don't have the RS2 (I have the HF-2, and had the SR-80i) I find the grado's sounded better out of my Ipod/iTouch that they did from my ipod->lod->iBasso P3, the amp seemed to get in the way. They were plenty loud enough for me, really great sound.
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post #4 of 12
10/7/09 at 3:43pm
Read this, the prices for the amps are at the bottom of Skylabs first post.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f105/r...mpared-214588/

Kevin
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post #5 of 12
10/7/09 at 3:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kboe View Post
Read this, the prices for the amps are at the bottom of Skylabs first post.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f105/r...mpared-214588/

Kevin
Thanks for the link Kevin however from what I have read above and read elsewhere seems to indicate I don't need an amp(that and it doesent need to be a portable amp). I understand low impedence headphones still can benefit from amps especially by added current but it may seem unneccesary in this case. I dont want to get a $600 dollar pair of headphones and be limited because I don't have an amp but if I can get $600 headphones that don't need an amp to sound great even better. Would an SR-325i amped sound better than an RS-1 or RS-2 unamped?

I am not sure what the OP listens too but I enjoy rock,311, RATM,disturbed, DJ tiesto and similar electronica and dance.

edit:
1)iphone>RS-1 or RS-2
2)better source(pick your poison ~$300) and SR-325
3)iphone>amp(~$300) and SR-325

doesen't have to be grado by the way
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post #6 of 12
10/7/09 at 5:49pm
1. Different, not necessarily better. I think they are better but it's subjective.

2&3. Personal preference. If you haven't heard a tube amp, you should before spending.

I found two portable amps that I like really well with Grados. The Millett Hybrid Portable and the Pico amps. They add a warmth and fullness you don't get from the ipod. You would have to get "used" to hit close to your budget.

Home amps, you have many choices. Home amps make a big difference. Power to your headphones control the driver. The output of the ipod is fine for buds and other small drivers. A portable amp will offer more power to work with larger drivers. 9-12v batteries cannot do what a 120v power supply can.

4. No. There are itransports (Wadia) that has a proprietary agreement with Apple for the ipod to do this. You would have to add an amp and/or a DAC.
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post #7 of 12
10/7/09 at 6:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tommarra View Post
1. Do I need an amplifier to get better sound? (Read somewhere RS2 with less ohms doesnt really need an amplified. But does having an amplifier helps the SQ)
Better - no, nothing can make "sound" better, but not having something (such as an amplifier that can actually drive the headphones with clean power) can make it sound worse. Impedance is not what you need to look at for amplifier requirements, it's sensitivity that is a measure of how much voltage is required at the headphone impedance to produce volume.

Generally, RS-2 do not need all that much voltage, but having enough current is useful. Something that I don't trust the iPhone (or iPod) to provide. You are also going to get a considerably cleaner amplified signal from an external amplifier vs the low-voltage, low-current output of the built-in one.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tommarra View Post
2. If I need an amplifier then should it be Tube or SS? (Read somewhere Grado like Tube more than SS. Parameter for deciding is the Clarity (obviously), Bass and Treble fidelity. I like decent amount of Bass and clear highs. Can compromise a little bit on Mids but not too much)
People like tubes, fact of life. I don't, almost ever.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tommarra View Post
3. What amplifiers should I consider (<$300 or so)? Which amps pair really well with the source / output transducer combination. This would laegely be used for listening to music on my office workstation.
Stationary desktop amplifier, for sure. Look at sale forums, within your budget, then see what reviews say on ones that match.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tommarra View Post
4. Is there an amplifier that can take the digital sound from iPod and have a separte DAC? (I hear iPhone DAC is pretty crappy, but i dont know for sure as iPhone sounds okay to me as it is)

Appreciate your help.
That's so wrong it's not even funny. Take a look at the digital audio primer in my signature to get a better understanding of what is involved. Short answer is, no, you can't get digital output from an iPod, and why bother if you have a desktop computer right there?

DAC in iPod is actually not too bad, at least for what it is.
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post #8 of 12
10/7/09 at 6:58pm
I think most effective amp for Grado is RA1, if you do a clone of it, it is of portable size. I prefer RA1 to CAD 300SEI for driving RS1
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post #9 of 12
10/7/09 at 7:26pm
I think my HF2 sound pretty good out of every amp I've tried including the $8.50 Fii0.
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post #10 of 12
10/8/09 at 9:39am
Happy Camper- Thank you for your response. I plan on checking out a local meet to hear some tube amps before deciding.
Pico amps seem interesting and if anything their dac looks great.


Quote:
Originally Posted by FallenAngel View Post
Better - no, nothing can make "sound" better, but not having something (such as an amplifier that can actually drive the headphones with clean power) can make it sound worse. Impedance is not what you need to look at for amplifier requirements, it's sensitivity that is a measure of how much voltage is required at the headphone impedance to produce volume.

Generally, RS-2 do not need all that much voltage, but having enough current is useful. Something that I don't trust the iPhone (or iPod) to provide. You are also going to get a considerably cleaner amplified signal from an external amplifier vs the low-voltage, low-current output of the built-in one.



People like tubes, fact of life. I don't, almost ever.



Stationary desktop amplifier, for sure. Look at sale forums, within your budget, then see what reviews say on ones that match.



That's so wrong it's not even funny. Take a look at the digital audio primer in my signature to get a better understanding of what is involved. Short answer is, no, you can't get digital output from an iPod, and why bother if you have a desktop computer right there?

DAC in iPod is actually not too bad, at least for what it is.
Fallen Angel- I REALLY appreciate your explanation here. I don't think it has ever been explained to me in a better fashion. Granted I think you just caused me to devote more finances to this hobby. I also really appreciate your article in your sig and have printed it out for further digestion.

One thing of note: You claim not to like tube amps much but the singlepower in your sig is a tube amp right?
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post #11 of 12
12/15/10 at 3:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by geoges.ravel View Post

I think most effective amp for Grado is RA1, if you do a clone of it, it is of portable size. I prefer RA1 to CAD 300SEI for driving RS1


I agree with that

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post #12 of 12
12/15/10 at 6:08am

I'm lovin' my KICAS Caliente I bought recently when Purity Audio ran a sale on the blue units.  Makes the Grado come alive thru my iMod, or iPod classic.

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