Grado Fan Club! - Page 375

Non headbanging with PS1000 it is strictly forbiden : you can hurt someone in front you...
PS1000 gest much much more comfortable with the ony manta headband on ( http://turbulentlabs.com/grado-onyx-manta/ )

I have some Denon IEMs that I like, but the voicing isn't the same as my RS-1. I also don't think they're made anymore. The Koss closed headphones are *sort of* similar too, like the DJ100 and R/80. But not tons of isolation. The quest for a closed Grado-replacements is a long-standing one, and I think the easiest answer is that you won't find a straight-across replacement. Just something that is also good, but different.

As far as Ultrasone - I've only seriously spent time with their open cans, and can tell you their voicing and coloration is distinct.

Will be getting a used RS1i in 2 months, need an amp and DAC. My 09' MBA usb port is very noisy, can notice that up with my SR80i's.

 

I have read many posts stating the Asgard pairs very nicely with Grado's. My question is, could I get away with a cmoyBB v.2.03? I would be buying a used Asgard, but also looking to save as much as possible. Anybody tried both? Is the Asgard that much of an upgrade over the cmoyBB? [cmoyBB would be customized for low-impedance cans]

 

For the DAC, I was leaning towards the ODAC until I found the thread for the UD100 ($50). Suppose to be pretty much the same for many. Within the UD100 thread appeared the Hifimediy Sabre USB DAC ($45), which accepts 24/96, which the UD100 cannot, also sounding the same to many.

 

In a perfect world, the Hifimediy and cmoyBB together would be enough for the RS1i's.

 

So, a used Asgard - $150-200 I assume?
New cmoyBB - $60-80
Used HRT II - $100 maybe?

New UD100 - $50
New Hifimediy - $45
 

Thanks for any help guys

 

I'm gonna check if they can woodie by sr325is in the future.

 

Fiio E17 perhaps?. Asgard + RS1i = Dang!! a new whole level, haven't heard the ODAC but it's well regarded though

I guess I'm too wordy lol, the only real debate would be the Asgard vs cmoyBB.

The UD100 has been measured and is on par with the ODAC, who's whole niche is that is measurement-based. So I'll prob get the Hifimediy since it takes 24/96 too.

 

Would prefer these DACs over the E17 due to the D/A chip used in them, Sabre's.

 

I guess for $200ish, I could get an Asgard and the DAC I've mentioned.

 

But right now, there's a used E17 on the for-sale forum for $110, which looks mighty fine now too, which would be an all-in-one unit as well. For that price, the only comparison would be the cmoyBB and UD100/Hifimediy.

Edited by SurfWax - 11/14/12 at 9:41pm

Asgard vs cmoyBB? i'd prefer the Asgard if you use it mainly for home setup. The RS1i is pretty easy to drive, but still it loves current to get it's full potential in which Asgard can provide it, and not only Asgard can deliver the power, but it also have a pretty good synergy with the RS1i (if you can get a good source such as the Dacport LX)

Thanks, I know Grado's love current and the Asgard would provide more than enough and could power many other types of cans, but I don't see myself buying another pair after the RS1i for a verrrrrry long time, years and years.

 

It's for home-use, I don't see myself taking RS1's on my commute being driven by my iPhone 4. Just not worth it, I'm happy with my Klipsch S4's outside. I used to take my SR80s everywhere but of course they leak all noise and I always had to have my volume high to eliminate outside noise, which I don't do anymore.

Damn head-fi, there's just too many options for amp and DAC!

I guess it's time to say "sorry for your wallet" again

Musical Fidelity V-CAN-II and a decent USB or S/PDIF source to feed it. V-LINK and V-DAC is kind of expensive as a stack.


You cannot arbitrarily have "current" - the RS-1 are less sensitive than most Grado cans, but Grados by and large are very sensitive and don't need "high current" (it never cases to amaze how all speakers, headphones, etc at some point will be claimed to "love current" arbitrarily); the amount of power you need to completely and fully drive the RS-1 is very minuscule, and there isn't a lot of improvement going from "basic" to "fancy" amplification.

I think the RS-1 are a good choice though - they hit the trifecta of good headphone design imho:

- Good sounding
- Good comfort
- They do it plugged into anything

Honestly any of the FiiO offerings will give you more than enough to blow them apart a few times over, you don't gain quality by having an amplifier that can kill them more times. The reason I like the Musical Fidelity is that it has a very low noise floor, and plays nice with more sensitive and lower Z cans than the Grados. It also runs fairly cool, looks half decent, and doesn't cost a fortune. It checks all of the boxes of a good amplifier. Sorry I can't offer more input on the DAC part - I use a desktop PC and a CD player, so we're likely talking completely different languages.

Finally, I've heard good things about tubes (Jason from Schiit has flat out said that their tube amp is a no-go with Grados though), like the Little Dot amps, or the MapleTree amps, but it isn't anything I've tried out myself. I liked the GS-1000 from tubed McIntosh gear, but not enough to justify the price of said McIntosh gear (in other words, I'd buy that there's something to "tubes and Grados" but I don't think you need to buy a $10,000 pre-amplifier to get that effect).

Thanks, have always read tubes and Grado's go hand in hand, but thats too expensive. I'd rather wait until the future and save up then get a nice tube amp.

 

The more I think about it, the more I lean towards the E17 or the ibasso D7. Convenient all in one pieces that can be charged through USB, do 24/96 as well. Less clutter on my desk than having a separate DAC and amp, all being charged different ways.

 

Cannot stop thinking about the Asgard though! It's just so damn sexy and has gotten great reviews for Grado's.

What do you mean "charged" - I thought you said you didn't need a portable setup...

And the Little Dot amps aren't terribly expensive; honestly neither is the OTC Woo.

is diy an option? Millet mosfet max is amazing with my grados. The torpedo should be even better

This is an interesting article on headphone impedance that I found useful to understand matching amps with headphones.

http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-impedance

 

It may explain why some amps (those with low output impedance) are preferred with Grados.

 

Like Obob suggested, look into the Little Dot I+. Really nice sound. I prefer it to my E17 and the heaphone out on my Xonar STX sound card with my SR225i phones.