[mythin]

Its my first actual post here after lurking for a very long time. I just recently purchased the grado sr325i's and Im primarily going to be using them on my computer. I have the asus p5e3 deluxe which comes with a ADI AD1988B 8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC, that includes optical and coax out.

My question is what amp/dac could i get for $300 or less that I can get the best sound out of. I have been looking at the musiland md10 and the zero dac on ebay, any other suggestions or comments are welcome, im a hi-fi newb when it comes to amps etc. Thanks!

 

[mythin]

Well with this 30% off ebay thing i couldnt resist buying something. I splurged a little bit and ended up getting the little dot mkiii and the zero dac. Im going to end up using foobar with asio -> optical tos out on mobo -> zero dac -> little dot mkiii -> grado sr 325i's hopefully this gives me what i want for now, although all this rolling tubes/opamps has piqued my interest.

 

[Tridacnid]

Looks like a good setup. I loved my LD MKIII, but I preferred the Darkvoice 336i. Don't doubt your choice, though. The differences are subtle enough that it all comes down to personal preference. From what I've read, the Mullard M8161 and M8100 tubes are excellent.

Enjoy!

 

[mythin]

thanks for the info! are there certain sites to get cheap tubes, or should i look on ebay for those as well. And as long as someone is looking at this thread, do you know where I can get really short audiograde rca cables? like 6 inch ones, i cant seem to find these anywhere, do I need to make my own, or can I find some online

 

[LeBuLLeT]

mythin you can look in the DIY thread or audio cables and get someone to make them for you or actually make them yourself. Or buy them at the sales forum.

 

[DCT]

Grado Sr325i sound very nice after burn-in. It took nearly half a year for my SR325i to fully burn-it. I find that the SR325i is not picky with amp at all but with tube amp it's less fatigue when listen.

 

[StratCat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mythin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well with this 30% off ebay thing i couldnt resist buying [...]

Uh...not trying to throw your new thread off track, but would you care to elaborate on this "30% off"?

Just wondering if I missed something.

Thx.

 

[jonnymk]

If the SR325i being slightly brighter than the SR225 is anything to go by then they should sound suprisingly nice straight from a computer without an amp. Those op-amps are designed to carry a line level signal though; even something as simple as a Mini³ or RSA Tomahawk can bring out noticeably better presentation (higher damping factor).

 

[Tridacnid]

Go to bluejeanscable.com They have pretty cheap cables that you can order to size. DIY is also a good route to go.

I usually get tubes off of ebay, just look for feedback in the 100's at a minimum.

 

[mythin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StratCat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Uh...not trying to throw your new thread off track, but would you care to elaborate on this "30% off"? Just wondering if I missed something. Thx.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/30-...p-time-336851/

there is this thread about how to do it, there is also a thread on the slickdeals.net forums. basically you go to microsoft live search and type in like cheap wii, and there will be an advertised link at the top that says save 30% off for using live cash back rewards or something, and once youre on ebay you can just search for whatever you like and it will show up at the payment screen of whatever item.

 

[StratCat]

*** Deleted due to double post (laptop pilot error!) ***

 

[StratCat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mythin /img/forum/go_quote.gif http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/30-...p-time-336851/ there is this thread about how to do it, there is also a thread on the slickdeals.net forums. basically you go to microsoft live search and type in like cheap wii, and there will be an advertised link at the top that says save 30% off for using live cash back rewards or something, and once youre on ebay you can just search for whatever you like and it will show up at the payment screen of whatever item.

Thx.

Another Headfier gave me the heads-up, too...seems a sweet deal.

BTW,

I demo'd both the SR225's & SR325i's' for several weeks at home on my stock ZERO (in my sig) using the ZERO's built-in HP AMP.

I really liked the SR325i's, but for me they just had that small bit of shrill highs that I just couldn't quite get over, even after two week's burn in. OTOH, they had a slight bit more bass than the SR225's, and also a touch more spacious soundstage, too. I really liked them for the genres I bought them for, which was 60's/70's blues and rock. In all other aspects, besides weight and comfort, they trounced the SR225's, tho the increase in SQ was subtle and incremental. I ended up keeping the SR225's.

As for that mettalic high frequency edge I perceived, it may very well have been mitigated with a tube amp or pre-amp, vs my purely SS sig path, and, let's face it, so much of this is subjective.

Now for the ZERO: I think it's a nice little unit for the money, and especially great if you like to tinker or mod.

Good luck. If the tubes can tame the SR325i's edge just a hair, they really can bring so many of the recordings I like to life. I had a hard time deciding to return them.