[krisio06]

Hi guys,

I decided to buy a new amplifier to my RS1’s but it’s really tricky decision. There are many different models on the market. I want one thing: it has to be tube design. Yes, I know that there are solid state amps that matches Grado’s very well like HeadAmp GS-1, but using tubes I can change sound to my own preferences. I can spend maximum 900$ which includes shipping costs. These are amplifier that I think can be good ( these are only my thoughts ):

- Woo Audio 6 with Pseudo Dual Power Supply and Sophia Princess mesh plate 274B or good NOS 5U4G/5AR4
- Mappletree Audio Design Ear+ HD and about 180$ to spend on tube rolling
- Darkvoice 337 + nearly 200$ to spend on tube rolling
- chatting on for sale forum for Melos SHA-1

Which one is the best choice? I know that John Grado uses Melos to drive his headphones and a lot of you say that this is a terrific amp. Woo Audio has the best service system and design. 6 model is very popular and Sophia 274B is one of the best upgrades to this amp. Mappletree amp was also popular but now it’s not as shiny as it was a few years ago. Darkvoice 337SE looks the most massively. THA337 is fully dual mono design ( for what?!! ) and that’s the disadvantage of it.
The most reasonable choice is buying WA6 since it has the best service and is now very popular, but I’ve read that sometimes struggles with power hungry headphones. Ear+ has low and high impedance jacks. Which amp is the one to buy?

Charles

PS. Can you tell me the difference between Darkvoice 337 and 337SE? SE version is over 300$ more expensive. Is it worth the money?

 

[berzzzz]

990 gets you the woo 2 a powerhouse. Spring for the extra 90 and don't look back. Besides when it comes to the headphone sickness you will find their are no long term budget constraints, only moments of poverty followed by ecstacy

 

[mrarroyo]

If you have the money there is no doubt in my mind that the Ear + HD Super Headphone Amp would be the amp to get among the ones you mention. BTW, have you seen the Singlepower PPX Slam for sale in here?

 

[krisio06]

Yes, I have seen it in For Sale forum but I think that I will not be able to gather that quick to buz that one. Maybe new PPX Slam ( btw. How much one costs because I haven't senn the retail price on Singlepower website ).

I was thinking about Woo 2 but it cost 1130$ shipped to Poland + Value Added Tax and customs duty ( about 300$ ). Total price about 1430$ is too much for my wallet.

I found out about EarMax Pro. It’s made in the UK, so I don’t have to pay Value Added Tax. It uses very popular tubes ( 2x ECC88/6992/6DJ8 and 1x ECC81/12AT7 ) and tube rolling will be much easier. What are you thinking about it?

 

[jochen.schell]

Hi Charles.

to change the sound to your own preferences you can also roll OpAmps

I also have the RS-1 and decided for the Eddie Current EC/SS which has a phantastic synergie with the Grado and allows OpAmp rolling.

I also want a tube amp in the future but think it is better to step up to the $2000-3000 range then...

Edit: The EarMax is also an alternative, it is made in Germany, not in the UK, but for the customs this is similar

I also thought about it but after reading a lot around here I decided for the EC/SS

Jochen

 

[mrarroyo]

krisio06 whatever you do read the Singlepower thread. A lot of customers have lost a lot of money and have not received the products from Singlepower.

Thus I say get the Mapletree amp. If you change your mind and want SS look into the Graham Slee Solo SRG, it is a very nice sounding amp which goes well w/ Grado's. Or perhpas a Rudistor RPX-33. Good luck.

 

[ical]

krisio06, you might also want to look at Yamamoto. It sound great with all my cans. So far I yet to have any problem with it.

 

[krisio06]

mrarroyo- I've just read about a few issues with Singlepower service and Mikhail ( or how you call him ) and decided not to buy amp from there. I am really turning my attention to Ear+ HD. Just one question about tube rolling with it,are these 12B4A substisutes? 12BH7, 12AY7, 6072...

ical- my freind who has now Woo 2 did have Yamamoto HA-02 and says that is not the best amp to Grado's. He says it's terrific to Denon and Audio Technica headphone but not Grado ones.
My primary are tube amps. I did have Soha II in my home for a few days and adored that sort of warm tube glow in the night

 

[Gradofan2]

Just my impressions... from lots of research...

... but... if I were trying to match the RS-1s, or any Grados, primarily, I think I'd be buying one of the MAD amps, unless I could find just the right match in a great SS amp that was <$1,000. I'm not quite sure what that SS amp would be - maybe the Solo SRG, maybe the Caliente, maybe something else.

But... no matter what... it seems, you may be certain the MAD amps will be GREAT with Grados.

 

[cheemo]

Someone in the FS section here.

From what I've learned, Dr. Peppard has said it has a little more detail than the warmer sounding Ear+HD but very similar. I think this is a great price.

This was quoted from another MAD thread from headfier diego:

"The HD2 is almost the same as the HD. The circuit is the same and they operate at the same voltages. The main difference is that the HD2 uses a ECC99 for the output instead of two 12B4A tubes. The ECC99 is a double triode so one half can be used for each channel. The tube change required an extra resistor in front of each grid, otherwise the circuit is the same. A second difference is that for the HD2 Solen capacitors were used for output coupling instead of Black Gates. The ECC99 is currently manufactured which might be an advantage for some".

Good luck!

 

[1UP]

How about the Trafomatic Head One? It's from Europe and all tube.

 

[tamahome77]

Please take a look in this thread.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/mad...us-hd2-230703/

Like mrarroyo, I've also owned the limited edition Mapletree Ear + Purist HD150,which the HD2 is based from and I didn't really enjoy the sound from the HD150 compared to the Ear + Purist HD. IMO, the Ear + Purist HD is clearer, punchier and has more bass presence. Hope this helps.

Edit: There's also a PPX slam for sale in the forum. I've used it with the 6cg7/5687 tubes and compared to the Ear + Purist HD, the ppx slam has an even more punchier bass and slightly clearer sound but at the expense of a little less warmth.

 

[Gradofan2]

Does anyone have the HD Super?

If so... do you know how its sound compares to the HD? I assume it just has more power output - but, that its sound signature is essentially the same.

Are the tubes the same as in the HD - with just an additional 12B4A tube, or is the 4th tube another type of tube?

Has anyone got (had) one with other types of caps (e.g. V-Caps, M-Caps, etc.)? If so, do you think they improved the sound from the stock caps?

Anyway... just curious...

 

[mrarroyo]

The new HD has a tube and soft start, thus the fourth tube. I also agree that the Mapletree amps which use the 12B4A tubes sound better than the HD2 version using the ECC99.

krisio06 the PPX Slam in the for sale forum is an used unit and you will not have to deal with Mikhail. You wold be buying from a know Head-Fier.

 

[uberburger101]

Most of the suggestions in this threads have been good ones. I've heard the EC/SS with the RS-1 and there definitely is some synergy going on there. I own the MAD Ear+ HD and definitely can say the same. You don't have to spend so much on the tubes for the MAD as well, from what I've read the 12B4A tubes don't really affect the sound much. Even if you decide to roll them, they come up pretty cheap anyway.

My friend has a Solo SRG and he uses the RS-1i, also another nice amp to consider. It's on the warmer side of neutral, MAD Ear+ HD is warmer (depending on the tube) and the EC/SS is somewhere between the two.

I would say you won't go wrong with any of these 3. I won't comment with the others simply because I have not tried them with RS-1.

One more thing about the Ear+ HD, I've tried the GE TMBP 5751 (not 5 star) and the Sylvania Gold Brand TMGP 5751 (I think I overpaid for this one) and the difference is there, but not huge. If you can't swing the price of the Sylvania, the GE is a much cheaper alternative.