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help on DAC for Grado 225i

post #1 of 15
8/25/10 at 2:50am
Thread Starter 

Hey I'm new to headfi and i recently decided that i would buy a DAC for my grados which i love.  I am currently running from my 360 > optical > Astro a40 mixamp (2010 edition) > grado 225i.  I prefer an edgy, but detailed sound to my music and i listen to mostly rock.  I was wondering which DAC (or amp) would benefit me most for about 300-350$ (willing to push to slightly over 400$ if it really makes the difference).  Thanks for the help from the professionals.

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post #2 of 15
8/26/10 at 9:03pm
Thread Starter 
Anything? I was looking at the ibasso d10 or possibly waiting for the upcoming d12
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post #3 of 15
8/28/10 at 11:14pm

I'm too have a Grado SR225i and I bought a Musiland Monitor 02US DAC, which I will be receiving tomorrow. I'll get back to you with impressions as soon as I get it. :D

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post #4 of 15
8/29/10 at 12:46am
Thread Starter 
Awesome can't wait to hear what you think
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post #5 of 15
8/29/10 at 10:00am

Do you want a portable DAC? Because that is what the D10 (and D12) are. If you are good with a DAC meant for home use, I would go with the Musiland Monitor. IMO, it is the best thing in it's price range.

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post #6 of 15
8/29/10 at 10:09am

Or stretching the budget a tiny bit can get you a Cambridge DacMagic. Also, there's always used...


Edited by revolink24 - 8/29/10 at 10:11am
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post #7 of 15
8/29/10 at 7:59pm
Thread Starter 
I've heard mixed reviews about the dacmagic although I was looking into it a little at a point. How does it sound with the 225s? Also I haven't heard anything about the musiland moniter and impressions of that dac would be appreciated as well. (portability doesn't really have much influence on my decision at this point unless we're talking some ridiculously large dac that won't fit on my desk lol)
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post #8 of 15
8/29/10 at 9:09pm

I just realized you have the 225i's. At this point, I would not spend ~$500 on a DAC. Upgrade your headphones!

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post #9 of 15
8/29/10 at 9:25pm

DacMagic was a noticeable improvement over D10.  The signature of my stock D10 did not mate with my SR225 (bright + bright = headache) and I found that uDac was much better suited for Grados.  It has a relatively warm signature and so helps bring up the bass and smooth the highs of the SR225.  ViolinVirtuoso makes a good point- put more towards the headphone than the dac, as the improvements will be much more dramatic for the same investment.  With your budget, I'd sell the SR225 and buy a $99 uDac and a $500 RS-1.

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post #10 of 15
8/30/10 at 1:15pm
Thread Starter 
You got me right on about that rs-1. I was planning on eventually upgrading to the I model, but decided that considering how I don't even have a dac yet I'd rather invest in a nice one THEN begin saving towards the rs-1 which is simply far too out of my budget now anyways. As for the dacmagic, can you give me some details as to how it was improved over the d10?
Edited by that1guy - 8/30/10 at 1:17pm
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post #11 of 15
8/30/10 at 6:47pm

^ With the DacMagic, I noticed that there was a bit more of a sense of spatial openness and instrument placement relative to the D10.  And I prefer its overall neutral signature.  Mind you the differences were pretty subtle, and not nearly as dramatic as the difference I heard between the SR225 and RS-1.  And my quibbles about the bright signature of the D10 could be addressed with the right opamp.  The SR225 are a great phone and you should enjoy them and upgrade gradually as you have planned.  There is no rush and this is a hobby that you can enjoy for years.  

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post #12 of 15
8/30/10 at 11:55pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you for your help. I'm looking forward to eventually upgrading to the rs-1i but I'd like to see how far I can push my 225s and get the proper gear to power and utilize higher end cans even if they have a low impedence like the rs-1s. I think that I may look into the dacmagic a bit more and see how it compares to it's competition at it's price point
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post #13 of 15
9/13/10 at 7:52am

I just got my Musiland Monitor 02 today, and it is really good. I can now hear details that I couldn't hear before and the bass has increased quite a bit in quantity and quality. It is still burning in, so I will post more impressions soon.

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post #14 of 15
9/13/10 at 5:04pm

Good choice.

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post #15 of 15
1/12/11 at 4:31pm


+1 I have this same setup and its more then acceptable for me in everyway.....


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ConGrUenCy View Post

I just got my Musiland Monitor 02 today, and it is really good. I can now hear details that I couldn't hear before and the bass has increased quite a bit in quantity and quality. It is still burning in, so I will post more impressions soon.

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