I'd love to hear from the amp-experienced folk on this topic: Has an older but once venerated amp such as the HeadRoom Max been totally eclipsed by modern offerings in the same category (in other words, I don't want to compare it to tube amps, for example)? What are the aspects of amps that have...

Given how long ago they were originally built, would you consider the HeadRoom Max balanced amp is still a stellar piece of equipment, or is it outmoded and outgunned by more modern amps? What would the difference be, and are there comparable modern equivalents? Also, how would you say it stacks...

I recently returned to my pair of Bowers and Wilkins P7 (original, not wireless) after a long absence, only to discover that the left channel is not working. Switched cables, plugs, etc. but the left persistently fails. I haven't been able to discern how to open up the cup beyond that first...

My Corda HA1 Mk II has ceased to power up. When I opened it up to check fuses, one was bad, the other was not. What confused me was that they were differently rated fuses (one was T50mAL 250v and the other was T125mAL 250v). Since I bought this amp pre-owned, it never occurred to me to open it...

I need a recommendation for Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. I just saw an amazing segment of Great Performances where the piece was featured, and it reminded me of how much I like and admire the work. I have Pierre Boulez conducting the NY Philharmonic, but I doubt it's the best of the bunch...

So, two hours into our trip north, the pack-in cheapo headphones that came with our new Disney car dvd player fell out of the car in a parking lot, and we subsequently and unwittingly drove over them, crushing them and ending their earthly existence. My son, the former benefactor of the free...

Hey, mine have finally snapped. I am wondering if you still have to send back the accessories (mine are mostly lost, stolen etc.), and if the case they send is still of somewhat poor quality compared to that metal one. Mine are the clear ones - does that matter in any way? Is there an issue with...

Can anyone give me a sense for the relative merits of this old, or "classic" portable compared to a new Sony portable cd player? I have had this thing for many years, have always liked it very much (in particular its build quality - all metal chassis - and its built-in features, of which there...

I am looking into the HA-1 MKII - some say it is very similar to the Headfive. Can anyone offer opinions about the synergy with the MS2i, and any opinions about the amp as well? I am looking for my first amp, and thought this would be a nice place to start. I am looking for something neutral/warm.

Hey, does anybody have any first-hand experience with the Arietta? I know that it is essentially a Headfive with some adjustments, but I am looking for some actual feedback. I am looking to get an amp for my MS2i, and am considering a variety of possibilities at present. I can't exceed $300 -...

For those who remember my issues with the finish on my metal chambers for the MS2i, I arranged finally to send them back to Alessandro to be swapped out for another pair. I got my new ones today, and I am one happy listener. They look fantastic, and are beginning the burn-in journey as I write...

Most days, when my cell phone rings, it's not John Grado on the other end of the line. Today was different. I was teaching a lesson in my music theory class when one of my students said something was vibrating - it was my phone. When I answered, the voice on the other end said, "Rob, this is...

Got my new MS2i this week, and after my rapture at finally receiving the long-awaited happiness-in-a-box, I noticed on each earcup the artifacts that I hope you can see in the picture I am trying to attach here. It's sort of a semi-circle smudge, at four roughly equidistant positions on the...

MS2i have arrived, priority mail. I'd love to say more, but I am just now getting the opportunity to listen, so I'd better get to it. I was hoping this would be my 100th post, but I didn't have anything else interesting to say. I hope the rest of you are receiving your Alessandro orders this week!

I talked to a guy at Alessandro today who said that they expect a shipment of phones from Grado this week (finally) and that they will send out orders the same day they get the phones in their shop. I ordered my MS2i back in late December, so this is good news. I thought others in the same...

Ok, so I am minding my own business, trying to get some sleep when I have this odd dream about my MS2i that haven't arrived yet. In the dream, they arrive, with a note from John Grado saying that due to rising production costs, they are no longer making the phones the same way. They were packed...

Congrats to the new owner of the Joe Grado HPA-1 on Ebay - I lost in the final minute. I hope it's a head-fier that got it. Great price - I should have pushed for it, but i walked away. Anybody want to make me feel better for not getting it? Tell me I'm better off? Ugh. Oh well.

I ordered my MS2i on December 27, and they have not yet arrived. I called last week and they said they expected them any day, but it's been over a week. Anybody else with the same experience?

Hey, anybody want to tell me what amp you prefer with the MS2i? Does it share the oft-mentioned "synergy" with the RA-1, or is that less of a thing because it isn't a true Grado phone. And, if it does work well with RA-1, anybody got one they want to sell to a relative newb looking to try life...

After reading several recent threads, and after a few weeks of deciding on headphones followed by a few weeks of considering amps, I find myself asking a deep question. It seems as though many people here move through lots of different equipment in their journey, learning as they go and...

Ok, forget my previous post re the Fisher amp. Is the headfive the same as, a little better than, or head and shoulders above the RA-1 for use with MS2i? I want something easy to use and move around with me (hoping to stay attached to my phones as much as possible once they get here!). In either...

Hey, I have just noticed that the seam between the two parts of my super.fi housing is separating. The housing itself is not broken, but the two pieces are coming apart from each other. Is this the cracking everyone has spoken of, or did the actual housings themselves break or crack? I want to...

Given a choice between repairing an old Fisher x-100-c tube amp, buying an almost new headfive, or buying the RA-1 used, which would you choose? I am awaiting the arrival of my MS2i, am deciding whether to sell my sr-225s to raise money for said repair/purchase, or sitting tight and keeping my...

I have an old Kenwood KA-8006 amp in my basement getting minimal use at present. Does anybody know anything about this amp, particularly its headphone output? I am curious if it might do a better job than my output on my Onkyo receiver TX-SV 535. I will of course listen to it, but am curious if...

I have a 4g ipod (photo) 30 gig, and there is some sort of jack/output next to the headphone out. Is it another type of output? Can I make use of it to my advantage? What apparatus do I need to have in order to use it? I know it's not exactly a headphone question, but if I can improve upon the...