Amp for Grado - Page 4

That's not the goal of tube gear actually. Another generalization that I'm not a fan of.   

 

I've gone SS now and the one thing I can definitely say is that life seems a bit easier without having to worry about tubes going bad, warming up my gear before listening, etc... So I guess there's advantages on both side.

 

 

Hear, hear, my good man!

I wholeheartedly agree! 

 

Sounds like I am quoting Charles Dickens, but I am very sincere.

I agree, advantages to both arguments.

I also agree with the generalizations..........I am not a fan of the tubes coloured - SS neutral generalization either. I've heard some SAE and Crown SS stuff that was bloody awful. Hard to understand how anyone could pay that much for it.

 

I will add this:

The perfectly neutral SS amp does not exist! It's not an EQ thing, it is an acceptance of the compromises inherent in a particualr piece of gear.

And even if the perfect SS amp does exist, I probably can't afford it!

 

For me, I normally use one SS amp for my Q701s.

And I use a tube amp for my DT880s.   Um, why? Because I am not a big fan of the sound of the DT880s thru my SS head amp.

Fans of tubes and SS and various brands of headphones can argue all they want, but for me, these combinations work!

Hard Core Objectivism be damned, I listen to music for pleasure, I don't measure it.

 

So what am I doing on this thread? Just fishing for opinions for a good match for my next headphone purchase.......Grados.

 

BTW, I too have also migrated towards SS for the same reasons. But I still dig tubes.

 

P.S.

A few more days until the 2112 Surround Sound release.......................

your best bet is probably a tube amp to smooth over the grado peakiness

I heard a pair of Grado SR-80's with the earlier Little Dot Mk.II at a headphone meet.  Was very nice sounding, putting some  flesh on the basic bones of the Grado sound.  The Little Dot Mk.III is probably a very nice step up from there.

All true, but keep in mind the coloration difference between headphones are huge, many times on the order of 10-15db in frequency response, and are unmistakable to any listener, where the differences between headphone amps is subtle, in many cases inaudible to the casual listener. Just seems the choice of phones is the one to obsess over.

Given the impedance curve of the Sr80, it would seem they would most benefit from a low output impedance amp. I know mine do.