need help buying an amp

From my experience I would go with the Schitt Asgard or Matrix M-Stage, can't go wrong with either for grados. I personally settled for a DIY amp design by AMB called the M^3 with a variable bass boost knob for versatility but you'll need to find a builder or buy a used one.

I agree. The M³ is an excellent amp. But note that because it is DIY, there are many possible configurations and options for it. Some will be outside your budget, even when bought used.

OP, what source will you be using with the amp at home? For Grados, a decent DAC will likely improve your music more than a powerful amp will. So if you don't already have a DAC or at least a good sound card, you may want to look at one of the DAC/amp combos first instead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kite7 

From my experience I would go with the Schitt Asgard or Matrix M-Stage, can't go wrong with either for grados. I personally settled for a DIY amp design by AMB called the M^3 with a variable bass boost knob for versatility but you'll need to find a builder or buy a used one.

I don't have much personal experience with DAC/amp units. But the ones within your 150-250 budget (that I know of) are:

Audinst HUD-mx1

Audio-gd FUN

Audio-gd NFB-12

Maverick Audio D1

My opinion based only on what I've read, is that the Audinst has a better DAC than the E7. But the E9 has a more powerful amp than the Audinst. For Grados, you don't really need much power.

Audio-gd has a good reputation. The NFB-12 is on promotional pre-order now. You get a discount, but have to wait a few weeks before it ships.

The Maverick D1 is the most versatile one from the list. You can connect it to several different devices (amps, active speakers, and even your iPod). It may need a bit of tweaking to sound its best. As in, upgrade the opamp inside.

Again, this is not from my own experience.

I am not familiar with the p51. Certainly the M³, M-Stage, or the Asgard should be better. But I can't say one way or the other with the DAC/amp units I listed.

But the reason for getting a DAC/amp is more for the DAC and less for the amp. You'd be using it to replace your laptop's onboard sound. Otherwise even if you get the best amp in the world, you're just going to amplify the noise from your laptop. My experience with Grados is that they don't take a lot of power to sound good. So they should work well directly with a DAC/amp. And later on when you have more funds, you can still get a dedicated amp like the M³ to pair with your DAC.

Using a LOD from a ipod will be fine, much better than 3.5mm out from a laptop