It's been five long years since I sold my RS1s... but I'm finally back in the Grado game! Picked up a pair of GH2s on a whim. They arrive Friday -- can't wait to give them a listen.

This actually makes perfect sense to me. Imaging on the HD800 is like nothing I've ever heard before -- it's unique and surreal and frankly somewhat fatiguing after a while. I find the HD800S to have much more conventional imaging -- some of the uniqueness of the HD800 has disappeared. So far I...

Truthfully, they're not that different. The S7 is not an overly "tube-like" amp, and the Ragnarok is not overly sterile for a SS amp. The Ragnarok is a little clearer with less graininess, but it's not a massive step up. I'd be perfectly happy with either one.   I've always liked the S7 with...

  I do still have the EC Super 7, but I have not tried it yet w/the 800S. It's been all Ragnarok, all the time so far. It is a great amp for the original HD800, but it never made the Senns seem "un-clinical" enough to enjoy as my only headphones. I've always needed prolonged breaks from them...

You and I clearly took very different things away from this review. Which is great.    Happy listening.

My observation as well after a week with the 800S.

So in a nutshell, they measure worse but sound better. I'll take that tradeoff every time.   Thank you Tyll for the obvious effort that went into this review.

Long and heavy but sounds good (compared to a Norse Audio cable I have from my first gen HD800s). I think ergonomics would be the main reason to upgrade.

Mine have been dispatched from Germany as well. My rig will be Gungnir MB > Ragnarok > HD800S, with an occasional dalliance with a EC Super 7 for good measure.   I'm excited because the early reviews of the S tick the three boxes on my HD800 improvement wish list: slightly less treble in the...

Can't help with this comparison. Sorry.

I wasn't expecting it either. I was impressed by the chatter around multibit DACs and wanted to get a little taste. The Gungnir MB far exceeded my expectations. I don't have any real A/B comparisons of upper-bass or mid-treble and that kind of thing, but what I hear from Gungnir is a wonderful...

I can't answer this question, but I can say that I prefer my Gungnir MB to the BDA-2. 

Well, I'm going to be a little cautious with words after an hour of warm up and an hour of listening.... but yes, I do believe I heard a sort of meta-level difference between R2R and D-S. Whether that's new toy syndrome, the cumulative effect of years of Mike Moffat posts, or a bona fide "R2R...

Multibit Gungnir has landed. After an hour or so of warm up, I already prefer it to my Bryston BDA-2. More air, more detail, firmer bass and basically more enjoyable. Very curious to see what it sounds like after a few days.   MacBook Pro > USB > GMB > Ragnarok > LCD-X

  I agree with a lot of this, but want to comment specifically on the bolded part. In my experience, different Audez'e units can sound very different. This isn't unique to Audez'e, of course -- we've had similar discussions about HD800s, T1s, RS-1s, and on and on over the years -- but my own...

Audio memory is a funny thing, but if I had to choose between the pre-Fazor LCD-2s I've owned in the past and the EL-8s, I'd pick the latter.   I have no experience with current production LCD-2s, and I certainly have no intention of selling my Xs in favor of the EL-8.

I don't doubt your observations, and I've read similar from others here. My experience with the EL-8 is pretty different: mine are smooth and balanced with a cohesive sound from top to bottom. They lack just a bit of clarity in the top, but again, that's just the brand's house sound to me.  ...

Hi all! Thought I'd share my EL-8 experience here in case someone finds it useful.   I've been looking for a new set of cans for the office for a long time -- the AKG K550 are nice and isolate well, but they're just so vanilla. I hadn't really been planning to pick up an EL-8 as a replacement...

  Those days may be over. I'm using a Bryston BDA-2 at the moment, and the USB input is at least on par with the coax and Toslink options.   I also can't image Mike Moffat releasing a $2300 "statement DAC" with an input that's not acceptable -- his earlier concerns about USB for audio...

  It's been some time since I've owned a Mjolnir, but this pretty much matches my recollection of the differences. Mjolnir's treble can sometimes be harsh/aggressive in excess of what the recording intended -- a trait I've never observed with the Ragnarok, even when listening with HD800s.   Olias

  Ragnarok + unmodded HD800 = sounds good to me. My LCD-X get more head time, but that's more a result of what I'm listening to these days (more rock, less classical) than anything else.

I had no plans to upgrade from my BDA-2... Until I read that review. ;)

nm

  A decent SR-009 amp for $500 is a tall order. When I had the SR-009, I usually paired them with Stax's own SRM-727ii, which is something of a budget offering at approx. $2000 new. I did not find the amp satisfactory.   A second-hand KGSS at around $2k is probably the best you can do for...

Tonight, I promise. I have a hot date with Helene Grimaud in the works.