@Claritas: so find yourself with taped bowl modded Grado sr80is 3-4 months after discovering Head-Fi? Can't argue with that. It's what happened to me!
I tried the tape mod shortly after reading this review by Tyll Hertsens (
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/evaluation-grado-stock-and-modified-ear-pads). But, you're right, I didn't follow my advice and wait. Still, I wish I had followed my advice because I prefer S-cushions on
all SR series Grados (so long as they have been softened by soaking them in soapy water). I know it's a minority opinion, but I prefer to have the drivers closer to my ears. It's useful to have both sorts of earpads to use with different genres of music. Thrash metal, for example, sounds better to me with L-cushions, whether tape-modded or not. Maybe L-cushions handle fast music better because there's more air between the drivers and my ears, and the tape-mod improves the bass. Experimenting with our headphones is an excellent way to find out what we enjoy most.
[. . .] it really depends on what you use for a source. It's good straight from the computer, but if it's just a phone, you may want to consider a small one. It doesn't benefit it's just a matter of how loud you need your music and how much noise your source puts out now at higher volumes
I just tested the amping question using 80i to listen to the first movement of a Mozart quintet on four simple set ups:
1. AAC file on iPod only
2. AAC file on iPod + O2 portable amp
3. Harman Kardon CD player only
4. Harman Kardon CD player + O2 portable amp
I can report obvious differences between the two amped set ups and the two non-amped set ups, and I prefer both amped set ups to both non-amped set ups. I don't know if these results are true of all amps or only of some, such as the O2. Maybe I wish it weren't so, because I'm a little lazy about amping.
An iPod only (or another decent player) is fine, and a Grado SR doesn't strictly need an amp. So don't think you're "settling" or "making do" if you decide not to buy an amp.
But the benefits from amping are obvious. With both sources, the O2 made the playing sound warmer, gave the treble more body, and improved soundstage. Although I haven't tested my laptop with the O2 because I don't use my computer for listening to music, it's sensible to suppose that I would hear the same benefits if I amped it that I heard when I amped the iPod and the CD player.
