I had Larry do my MS-2 woody and recable, and the results were beyond my expectations, both sonically and aesthetically. I personally prefer the results to both the RS-1 and the GS1000, as wonderful as both those cans are, but that's just my opinion.

My first set-up for the MS-2s was a MicroDAC/SR-71 combo; I found it to be superb for the price point. I'm sure you'd have similar success switching in the MicroAmp; that DAC will make either amp sing.

Must .... resist .... wallet is howling and trying to jump from back pocket ....

I seem to remember seeing a thread that mentioned he wasn't checking in or building cables anymore. Which is unfortunate, as he built excellent cables.

Awwwww .... So I guess it's too late for Beavis and Butt-head? ; )

Finally received the cans (thanks Larry!), and wanted a few listening sessions under my belt before answering, just to refresh my memory. IMHO, the woodied/recabled MS2 has a more refined and neutral sound than the GS1000s I've heard -- still true to the original MS2 sound, but "bigger and...

"Black Peter", The Grateful Dead

Big Railroad Blues!

These ROCK. They retain their shape well and provide better isolation than the yellow foamies. It's much easier to get a good seal with them. Get the mediums if the yellow foamies fit you well. A must-have for e500 owners, IMHO.

This happened to me; I sent them back to Shure and had brand new replacements, with no hassles, one week later. I was very pleased with their customer service.

I own both as well; get the Micro DAC now and wait on the e500. The dramatic change you'll hear at home will make the wait for the IEMs more tolerable.

FWIW, after much debate (and a little research and listening) I decided to woody/recable my MS2's rather than upgrade to the GS1000. I came to the same conclusion -- I'm going to need to go to one of the HP's or the PS-1 to really "upgrade" my sound. Now if I can just wait till Larry...

I'm actually a dyed-in-the-wool Grado man that LOVES his e500s! Not to beat a dead horse here, but everything I've read in this thread regarding their sound is exactly what I'm hearing. A definite step up from the e4, and the synergy with the Hornet is amazing. They don't quite have the "fun...

For me, it's a song that recently hit the spotlight as sung by Willie Nelson: Bob Dylan's "He Was a Friend of Mine". Makes me cry almost as much as his "Ramblin', Gamblin' Willie" makes me smile. But neither one holds a candle to my main man, Nigel Tufnel. There have been times in my life...

The Swans are a bit shy on the bass, to be sure. The only reason the Klipsch 2.1's didn't get sold off is that I'm using the sub to compensate. The Klipsch are pure cr@p for music by themselves. I bet they'd be fun for gaming, though. They'll shake the floor, that's for sure. But I am...

Might I suggest you look for a used pair of Swans m200s? They are out of production, but sound absoultely fantastic. I'm using them here in my office. I go out of my ipod dock (lossles) to these and a set of the Klipsch 2.1 I had (I keep the volume low on these, and use them add a bit of treble...

I think you're on the right track here. After hanging here at head-fi for a while, and going through numerous upgrades, I'd recommend you save your money and get the equipment you really want, versus looking for stopgap solutions. The longer you hang here, the more likely the infection of...

I had one for a short while ... it was my first amp as well. Upgraditis hit me quickly, though, and I moved onto the SR-71 within about a month. It's not a bad starter amp by any means; it's definitely got plenty of power, especially with the cans you're considering. It's awfully large...

just ordered one from ebay for about $200 out the door ... i'm excited to finally have a digital out in a portable. although i imagine my ipod will still get the majority of use due to convenience, it's gonna be great to have a lossless digital source for my favorite tracks when i want.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Headroom Micro DAC. It's under $500 and I find it works very, very nicely with my iMac.

Quote: Originally Posted by vranswer IMO, they're two totally different beasts. They'll populate different market segments. For portability and smash-mouth driving power (me ) it'll be Hornet. For more silky-smooth, deep soundstage elegance, it'll be SR-71. My thoughts exactly...

now, this is very quick, as i'm at work and have only had the amp in hand for about an hour, but i'm hearing what most others are hearing: the SR-71 has a smoother presentation. it's more laid back, and more forgiving of poor source/recording quality, smoothing out the rough spots nicely...

hey, jetlag -- love the pouch (pooch?) mod!

Congrats to all those receiving their Hornets today -- enjoy! I, however, must have been a bad, bad boy this past week, for the postman skipped my house today. Hopefully, he'll swing by tomorrow and hit me with that fix that we've all been craving for months now. (begins humming Velvet...

hello ray -- sent paypal payment today ($315.00), but am actually posting to see if we can get another link for charles's pictures ... seems photobucket took too many hits from eager head-fiers.