[Apina]

Anyone know if the Grado hp1000's need more current to run then the AT w1000's?

When I had the w1000's the sound I got from my hifi was very nice, the highs were clear and the bass went deep. Now that I have the hp1000's the bass responce doesn't seem too good and the highs are not very clear.

Do I need a seperate headphone amp to get the most out of the Grados even though the sound on the W1000's with the same hifi was so much sweeter??

 

[andrzejpw]

Oh god yes, the Hp1ks need an amplifier, as they really like current. One thing the hp1ks were NOT lacking when I heard them on a gilmore v2 was bass/top end.

 

[enzoferrari650]

yeah i agree.

 

[ayt999]

the HP1000 cans need a lot of driving power and benifit greatly from an amplifier. they are the hardest low impedance cans that I have to drive... to get a decent volume out of them I have to turn the level higher than for any other low impedance can I have.

 

[Apina]

I know this is the headphone section but I'll have to ask for some amp suggestions since it seems I need one

Here are some of the specs from my system:

Digital Output coaxial SPDIF 75 Ohm / 500 mVpp nominal
Preamplifier Maximum Output greater than 2.5 Vrms
Preamplifier Output Impedance 100 Ohm nominal
Headphone Output Impedance 330 Ohm

Should I just use the preamplifier out to feed the headphone amp or would the digital ouput be a better option?

Does the headphone o/p info hint on how good/bad the internal headphone amp is?

I'm looking for a portable amp that would also be a good enough investment to use with my hifi...... any suggestions?

 

[ayt999]

what's your budget... and what sort of portable amp are you looking for? a truely portable one that's small, or one that is a bit bulky yet can run on batteries and thus transportable? no full-sized amps?

 

[Apina]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayt999 what's your budget... and what sort of portable amp are you looking for? a truely portable one that's small, or one that is a bit bulky yet can run on batteries and thus transportable? no full-sized amps?

Budget would be around 500 euros max.... anything above that and the missus would have to be sold for slavery in egypt

A bulky portable amp that could run from batteries or the mains would be ideal, it'll give me the option of throwing it in a backpack or setting it up at home.

Full size amps are an option but with my budget is there anything out there that would make the hp1k's shine?

 

[tom hankins]

The two amps in your price range that I liked most with my HP1000 (HP2) were my SinglePower amp, and the Gilmore V1. Different, but both very good with the phones. I prefer the SinglePower amps and think a PPX3 might liven your phones up for you.

 

[Apina]

what do you guys think of the ray samuels SR-71 as a possible solution?

Has anyone used or could anyone try out the HP1000's with the sr-71?

 

[Apina]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom hankins The two amps in your price range that I liked most with my HP1000 (HP2) were my SinglePower amp, and the Gilmore V1. Different, but both very good with the phones. I prefer the SinglePower amps and think a PPX3 might liven your phones up for you.

Any idea on the price for the PPX3 or PPX3-6SN7?

Is the gilmore v1 still available?

Is there a large difference between the performance of these amps?

(Sorry I know this is the headphone section

)

 

[ayt999]

the gilmore v1 is not in production anymore, but it shows up used once in a long while.

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apina Any idea on the price for the PPX3 or PPX3-6SN7? Is the gilmore v1 still available? Is there a large difference between the performance of these amps? (Sorry I know this is the headphone section )

The Singlepower amps are around $500 USD. The Gilmore you will have to find used, but they come up now and then. Some people say the Gilmore lite is close to the V1. I have not heard it so cant say one way or another.
The site for the singlepower is www.singlepoweraudio.com To me the fullness and powerfull sounding PPX3 is more enjoyable all around than the Gilmore. Plus it will ma5tch up0 well with a variety of other phones. The Gilmore is slightly more detailed, and has a little deeper bass but not the "umph" in the bass that the Singlepower has. They are both good with the HP2. If your going to be using the amp with the HP1000 ask Mikhail(singlepower) what he can do to tune the amp to the sound you want out of the phones. Ask about demos too...you might get lucky.

 

[Apina]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom hankins The Singlepower amps are around $500 USD. The Gilmore you will have to find used, but they come up now and then. Some people say the Gilmore lite is close to the V1. I have not heard it so cant say one way or another. The site for the singlepower is www.singlepoweraudio.com To me the fullness and powerfull sounding PPX3 is more enjoyable all around than the Gilmore. Plus it will ma5tch up0 well with a variety of other phones. The Gilmore is slightly more detailed, and has a little deeper bass but not the "umph" in the bass that the Singlepower has. They are both good with the HP2. If your going to be using the amp with the HP1000 ask Mikhail(singlepower) what he can do to tune the amp to the sound you want out of the phones. Ask about demos too...you might get lucky.

Thanks tom hankins for the advice on possible full size solutions

Can anyone enlighten me on the portable front, would the SR-71 I mentioned earlier be able to power the HP1000's at a good level?

Any other portable solutions???

 

[Apina]

discussion moved to amp section!