Apogee Duet Grado 325is Shure SRH840 Impressions
Sep 17, 2009 at 3:23 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 6

f00fighters

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Being frustrated with amp-hunting, I put some lossless tracks on my thumb drive and I took a trip to my local Guitar Center today to sample the Apogee Duet. I brought my Grado SR325is, Shure SRH840, and the Grado RA1 amp.

LOSSLESS MUSIC SAMPLED:

Aimee Mann - You Could Make a Killing
Alanis Morissette - You Ought Know (MTV Unplugged)
Alice in Chains - Would
The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
Cold Play - Yellow
Dave Matthews Band - Granny
The Doors - Peace Frog
Jack Johnson - Upside Down
Lenny Kravits - Believe
Dr. Dre - Dre Day
Deftones - Change (in the house of flies) Acoustic

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First I have to say, I do not have a lot of amps or dacs to compare to. Everything I have ever listened to, is in my signature. Although there is a glossary of terms used to describe sound, I have not yet fully grasped the understanding. I will be keeping it as simple and short as possible. The duet was attached to an aluminum iMac via Firewire. And I was using iTunes playing the lossless files that I copied from my thumb drive.


Grado 325is & Apogee Duet:
The apogee duet with the Grados sounded amazing. It was clean and pure. The sound stage was a bit larger, more defined, and the instrument separation was superb, all while still maintaining a natural sound. I normally like the "shrill" sound from my 325is's, but this amp was able to tame the shrill, in such a way, that it still kept the realism alive. The bass was perfect. It was definitely more full, and noticeable, but not overwhelming in the slightest. The mids and highs were just right. There was no piecing highs, or fatigue. I really enjoyed the overall presentation.

Alanis Morissette's MTV unplugged "you outta know" sounded realistic as if you were in the crowd applauding. My favorite was "Upside Down" by Jack Johnson. That song rarely disappoints on any setup.

Dre Day or aka "****** with Dre Day by Dr. Dre didn't sound quite as good. But it didn't sound bad at all. But I did notice sounds that I hadn't before. This probably because I enjoy Dr. Dre with a little muddier bass. -and not so well defined. I don't listen rap or hip hop much, anymore.



Shure SRH840 & Apogee:

AMAZING! I never in my life thought the SRH840's could sound this good! No joke, I could not tell the Shure's were closed headphones. I feel as if the apogee pushed the 840's to their full potential. Everything sounded good on them.


The apogee duet creams the iBasso D10, and the Grado RA1 in every way, except portability. The best way to describe the apogee sound is clean, superb instrument separation, neutral in the sense that it lets the music source decide how it should sound, and exceptional bass that is clearly present, but not overwhelming in the slightest.


While I was impressed with the Grado/Apogee combination, I was more impressed with the Shure/Apogee combination. They both sounded great, and I'm going to buy a used one.

Now, my only dilemma, do I go for the RS1i, or the apogee duet.
frown.gif
I'll eventually get them all, but I'm not sure which to get first. I imagine the apogee duet and the RS1i being a wet dream LOL.
 
Sep 17, 2009 at 4:21 AM Post #3 of 6
Glad to see that you liked it.
smily_headphones1.gif

I'd definitely recommend the Duet instead of the RS-1i. It's just a much more professional way to approach this issue, as opposed to a boutique hi-fi kind of approach.

The RS-1i doesn't correct any of the SR-325i's shortcomings, it only improves some of the things that the SR-325i does right. There is still no more 3D soundstage, and it's still as ill-suited for more complex or atmospheric material, like electronica or classical music. It does have a slight wooden timbre, a more analogue feel to it, and a slight improvement in overall refinement and 2D soundstage. Perhaps a hint more deep bass too. But is it worth the price difference? Not in my books. I'd much rather spend the difference in a pair of HD-600/HD-650, just to get a little variety in my presentation.

But having been through those options and many more in the past, I'm now of the opinion that the source is paramount to a proper system and a proper listening experience. The SR-325i are great headphones and give you 95% of what an RS-1i will give you, but the Duet will take that onto a whole new level. You can always upgrade/sidegrade your cans in the future, but I'd build my house from the foundation up.
 
Sep 21, 2009 at 1:49 AM Post #6 of 6
Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
f00fighters since you liked the Apogee so much try to find an used one. They show up on a regular basis and it will save you money for new music.


I'm trying, Miguel. I will only buy a used apogee. The hunt continues.
 

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