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The Next Step Up

post #1 of 8
10/10/10 at 3:13pm
Thread Starter 

Hi there,

 

My rig so far is this:

 

Grado SR325is -- Little Dot I+ w/ GB408a Tubes -- Headroom Micro DAC -- Macbook Pro S/PDIF.

 

I think the weak part of the chain is the headroom micro DAC. What should I upgrade it to?

 

Best,

Harrison

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post #2 of 8
10/11/10 at 1:21pm

I would say the weakest part of your chain is the Little Dot amp.  The Micro DAC is one fine source, especially for the 325is.  I would say to upgrade the amp.  One great amp would be a Ray Samuels Audio XP-7, I imagine its sound sig, slightly warm, would complement the Grados very well.

 

A budget would help us make suggestions.

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post #3 of 8
10/11/10 at 2:53pm

I´d agree with the amp being the weakest link, although I have to admit this is just based on theory and various reviews. DAC technology is evolving fast though... So a DAC upgrade isn´t out of the table either. Depends on what kind of sound do you like? Tube-musical, neutral? Budget?

 

If neutral is ok, maybe the new Audio-gd NFB-11 would be perfect and you´get get two upgrades at once. If you prefer a more tubelike sound, the Audio-gd C2 amplifier. Then you could tune the sound with the different modules.

 

And if want to stay on tubes, a higher up Little Dot amp would be great too if you like the current sound. Or maybe one of the Woo Audio ones. I have no experience when it comes to tube amps though smily_headphones1.gif

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post #4 of 8
10/11/10 at 6:56pm
Thread Starter 

Budget would probably be ~300-500 dollars. I like the warm tube sound. Basically I want the nice warm bassy feel I get listening to my friends' vinyl setups. What amps are good for this? Thanks for suggesting an amp upgrade.

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post #5 of 8
10/12/10 at 6:08am

I would do a search for Skylabs Tube amps reviews.  He has a ranking thread where he compares them and then ranks them in terms of sound quality.  There are a bunch of amps in your price range that should outperform the Little Dot by a good bit.

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post #6 of 8
10/12/10 at 7:49am
Thread Starter 

Excellent resource --  I PMed him and he hasn't listened to the 325is but suggested the Woo WA6 tube amp. Any other suggestions? Or experiences with that amp?

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post #7 of 8
10/12/10 at 8:02am

I haven't heard the WA6, but I have heard the WA22 with the 800s and thought it was great.  The 325is/WA6 combo should have the same basic sound signature, only telegraphed a few notches down on raw resolution, but none on fun or musical bliss.  Get it in black to match the Micro and your set for life...!

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post #8 of 8
10/12/10 at 4:56pm
Thread Starter 

I'm leaning towards the silver only because the headroom is hidden and my macbook pro, wireless keyboard, hard drive are all in that aluminum finish. Well, I got a couple of new jobs lined up so as soon as the credit cards are paid off I know what I'm splurging on smily_headphones1.gif

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