[Fadamacka]

Ok, I probably shouldnt be writing this, since the cans haven't played more than 40 hours tops. But i'm running these babies straight out of the headphone jack on my marantz player, which i suspect only has a bit reduction function, instead of a pot. I feel that the cans can do much better than this, and that they are being held back by the jack. (The bass just aint right yet, detailed, but without the slam that i remember.) The treble is slowly starting to calm down, this has happened since i first listened to them, when they almost had'nt been used.

- The grado amp looks tempting, allthough I won't have a chance to listen to this one before august 24. (A local hifishop opens then

)

- Could the CHA-47 compete with the grado, and are there many versions that can be made out of this construction? (Tweaking by using better pots, etc.) I'm a guy with no clue about DIY, and my hands apparently consist of ten thumbs, so I would have to pay someone to build me one. Who is the right man to do this?

- Are there any other amps worth checking out that would be "perfect" (for the price, that is, around 3-400 buckaroos) for the RS-1's?

I listen a lot to classic rock, jazz, and (decent) pop. Almost never classical music.

 

[grinch]

i own the ra-1 and rs-1's and i must say that it is a damn sweet setup. you can't really ask for much more in the headphone world (if you like grados anyway).

i would highly recommend that, but i have a meta42 coming in the mail soon that might be an improvement on the sound.. so who knows.

 

[joelongwood]

I have to agree with grinch that the RS-1/RA-1 combo is an extremely good pairing. After all, they were made for each other. Besides the sonics, the mahogany box is beautiful.
I also have a META42, and the sound, to my ears at least, is not necessarily "better", but it is different. There is an "ease" to the power of the META42 that translates into a more dynamic sound than the RA-1, which may be considered a bit more neutral. Some find this sound boring, while others believe it to be more accurate. KR did an excellent comparison review of the two amps here:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...ght=META42+RA1
Hope this helps.

 

[The Quality Guru]

I too can vouch for the excellence of the RA-1/RA-1. It is a very transparent combination. Although, if I were you, I would go for the META42 w/ a pair of AD8610 op-ampsi, Cerafines, Wimas, and the works -- and I would venture guess that you could have better sound than the cheaper components that are rumoured to be in the RA-1 (please note that I have yet to hear the META42 and am commenting on speculation).

 

[Fadamacka]

Hmm. Perhaps what i need is to calm them down a bit, and I like the idea of a more fluid, but yet dynamic and upbeat sound. I think i'll wait a couple of weeks, just to see if they break in some more (i'm pretty certain that they will).

 

[Fadamacka]

BTW, I've found that I love the black background behind the music, and I would like to accentuate this with the amp. Silence is a good thing, if you get my drift. And I'd like the richness of an instrument, with lots of volume behind it. At the same time, the grado pace which i love so much has to be there.

Impossible demands? (Or do I need the flat pads? lol)

 

[JMT]

Quote:

(Or do I need the flat pads? lol)

Talk about an impossible demand. Those are tough to find.

 

[Fadamacka]

yup, therefore the lol

Anyhow, are you the guys that makes the CHA 47? (I'm new here

)

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

Has anyone made a meta-42 specifically for their rs-1's?

Biggie.

 

[Fadamacka]

Hi notorious, I see you have a CHA 47 for your rs1's. Have you ever compared this to the Grado RA-1?

 

[The Quality Guru]

Fadamacka,

I have a CHA-47, and though I use it with W100's and not an
RS-1, I do know that the CHA-47 is good with Grado's in general; afterall, Apheared, the designer, originally intended them to be used for Grado's. Though these days, I hear that one can get a basic META42 for near the price of a CHA-47. Morsel and Tangent (two of the collaborators/designers for the META42) told me that a basic META42 has a far more advanced design than the CHA-47, hence leaving little competition for the CHA-47.

Also, in regards to your "RA-1 vs. CHA-47" question, I would have to say that after comparing the RA-1 at an audio shop and my CHA-47 from home, that the RA-1 is more transparent, and IMO in a class above that of the CHA-47. The RA-1 is actually more in the class alongside the META42. I'm predicting, however, that one could buy a META42 for around $70 less than a RA-1 and have superior performance . . . though it's hard to say, because the RA-1 is a very transparent amplifier and is still liked by many even after the debut of the META42's. If I were to choose, I would definitely go for the META42, though, because the parts on its board are of much better quality.

Though don't get me wrong about the CHA-47, it's a cute, very good-sounding amplifier. I love mine and probably will continue to even after I get my META42 amp!

 

[Fadamacka]

Yeah. So the meta would suit the grados as well? Is it made for low impedance phones? Perhaps i should get the ra1, and be happy