A yet undelivered pair of Grado SR325is's is in need of a soul-mate... - Page 2

Hello again, folks!

I write to you all again as the proud owner of a pair of Grado SR325is's! This may be a cliché statement, but the detail on these cans is incredible. I am floored. I am hearing song lyrics I had never heard before. Cymbals actually sound like cymbals for the first time ever in my experience! Rasmushorn, I definitely know what you are talking about when you say these things are bright. I wasn't a fan of heavy treble until now. The mids are prefect as well. The bass is tight and precise, but no booming; realistic, let's say. They don't make my brain feel like it is undergoing harmonic compressions with the bass like the Klipsch do. Fortunately, I have already gotten used to the bass on these.

I am excited to see how these things will improve over the break in period!

About the FiiO E7. I had it from Monday to this very Thursday until about 8:30pm. By Tuesday, I noticed that the line in was defective. Despite my use of an LOD, the signal was just spotty. Every time I touched the amplifier, rubber-shrouded or not, the signal would go away partially as if I was transferring charge to my body...'

Not only that, but the 3.5mm output plugs were both very loose. They wiggled about with the slightest application of torque and allowed the headphone plug to rotate freely with rotation of the iPod/Amp rig. I am unsure if this is a feature universal to all E7s or just my dud...

Needless to say, I shipped this dud back to amazon for a full refund. From here on in, I am going to take the advice given to me by Rasmushorn, and then that advice given to me by 12345142. In other words, I am going to let these brilliant cans break in for the full 200-300 hours, and then be more financially liberal with a higher quality Amp/DAC once I and these Grados are ready.

How does that sound, folks?

PS You guys deserve pictures!

Here they are:

Here is one of them resting on the laptop.

Here they are hanging off of my college-granted desk lamp. You can also see my roommate's comical poster!

One can in its super-shiny glory:

Bump due to the addition of close-up pictures of the Grados!

My impressions of the E7 were mixed even while it worked. Even though it looked pretty, it was suspiciously light and, like I said, the pluggs wiggled like I someone had been compulsively bending them with their male headphone plugs. Also, the sound differences of iPod and Macbook Pro vs the E7 were subtle to say the least. Nothing night and day here...

Unfortunately, as far as I know, there is no place in Ithaca, NY or East Brunswick, NJ (where I actually live) that has any amps or DACs to try. In fact, I have only found one person who actually knows what I am talking about when I bring up amps, DACs, and headphone break in times, and that is my physics TA, who is straight from Taiwan, not Ithaca and certainly not East Brunswick.

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@LubBug1

I've just been looking at iBassos, actually. To be quite honest, I am already eyeing the iBasso D6 Fer-de-Lance. I think I should at least wait until I get my refund for the FiiO, though. I really hope I have the patience to have the Grados break in and resist the "money burning in the pockets" as rasmushorn figuratively but accurately put.

Also, that Little Dot I+ looks amazing! I have to say that I am sort of a sucker for anything with vacuum tubes nowadays. In my eyes, they just gleam audio-legitimacy! hehehe...

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Now I shall talk a little bit about my break-in experiences thus far. I have probably used the Grados for about 20 hours now, and I think I may already be noticing some changes. Most notable to me is an increase in the punchiness of the bass from when I initially plugged them into my laptop or iPod.

Am I experiencing a placebo effect or does this observation hold water?

What do you guys think?

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One more question...

I have read up a bit on the characteristics of nice amps. According to my casual sources (aka sources I don't recall), they provide the listener with more "impact and authority". This comment, as I recall, was in reference to desktop amp/DACs. What kind of characteristics to higher end amps and amp/DACs have according to you guys?

Thank you in advance,

Andrey S

I feel as if my predisposition to search for upgrades is genetic, because I've been itching in that respect since childhood.

Although, I must say that after looking at Jude's iPod rig in Episode 003, I started dribbling a bit.

LOL

Thanks for the advice, wallace. The iBasso is really rubbing up well against me thus far...

So what do high quality amps/DACs do to sound and how do the Grados change in characteristics over time (more detailed versions of these questions can be viewed in my previous post)?

Picture bump!

Here is one picture taken with RetroCamera, a camera app on my phone:

Here are the Grado drivers as a duo:

One driver up close:

One glorious can up close:

My favorite view:

Cable management (the cable is quite a bit too long for taking out on the go):

Thanks a lot, TakashiMiike!

To be honest, all you folks have me drooling in so many different directions! I am kind of anxious to go all out and send Little Dot a three-piece order of a DAC II, I+, and MK I+ for on-the-go!

At the same time, I am tempted by Ray Samuels stuff and pulled away by the simplicity and practicality of the portable iBasso D6 (most practical option as a college student)!

I will wait and see what else is out there! Hopefully I will come to a lasting conclusion!

PS I really have it bad for vacuum tubes now...

*Petty Grado mod bump*

Hello again folks!

Well, I have now completed the simplest Grado mod! I took my bowls and washed them under warm water with some shampoo! They are in the latter stages of drying as I type this. I had already put them on for a quick listen though, and I noticed a sudden increase in bass impact. To test my theory, I went right down to Renegade by Styx and my theory was confirmed! The Grados are beginning to cause harmonic volume oscillations in my brain (but not to a displeasing degree like the Klipsch)! That means I am making zero sacrifices by going for Grado. I am only gaining!

I miss the E7 in that it made the sound from my laptop and iPod more detailed and maintained the quality of the treble through all volumes. This is where the iPod and laptop fail...

Now all I need is a set of better amplifiers, and I will really be getting the most out of these wonderful cans!

Here is one bowl drying by incandescent light bulb on my bed-spider-lamp. I used my roommates identical lamp for the other bowl.

May I pose a question?

What is with these over-$100 line out docks?!

Is there actually some benefit from dishing out so much for an LOD?

Could it have been my FiiO $15 LOD that caused my listening issues with the E7?

Not that I am considering dishing out that much for a LOD, but I am mighty curious!