Joe,   I agree with you big time.  This RA-1 that I have been listening to for 17 years now sounds absolutely wonderful with my Grado HP-1 headphones, (and also with several other headphones I have paired it with).  I am sure that one could find more expensive parts to assemble it with, and...

This thread is super old now, so I do not know if the OP is even tuned in still.  However, just in case anyone is still tuned in and is curious regarding the "pop," I have been hearing that pop for 17 or 18 years now, and it has done no damage to my HP-1's.  Actually, I hear the pop at log...

Joe definitely cleaned them, and cleaned them well.  As to the cable, what I have now is the "Joseph Grado Signature Ultra-wide Bandwidth Reference Cable."  It has a long arrow indicating that it is a one-way cable.  Also, it looks brand new, with no letters "rubbed off," unlike how the...

He did not say that he was doing a "full upgrade" or anything like that.  But, he replaced the blown driver, and, to provide balanced drivers also replaced the good driver.  Aside from two brand new drivers, and the new flat pads,  I am not sure what else could have been be done.  I am sure that...

My Grado's were a Christmas present from my wife in 1992 (of course, she bought the HP-1's mostly because they were the top of the line, but read on for the current difference between the HP-1's and the HP'2's).  Back then they cost $600 new.  They have performed flawlessly for the entire time...

Liamstrain,   Thanks for your quick answer.  At the risk of imposing on you, what if the OP's original limit of $300 were to be raised to $500.  Do you know of good DACs in the $300 to $500 range?  If so, would they outperform the ones you already recommended enough to justify the higher...

Preliminary note:   [Despite my avatar, and the nice things I say about Grado products below, I have no connection to Grado Labs, other than being one of their many satisfied customers.  Grado Labs has not seen what I state below, they have no knowledge of what I am about too say, and I have...

  Hear is my situation:  I have a Grado RA-1 Headphone Amplifier, and a pair of Grado HP-1's that have functioned flawlessly for 19 years, with only one exception.  After about 10 or 15 years, one of my drivers went out.  For repair, my headphones, aka “cans,” were sent directly to Joseph...