[Spareribs]

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I don't get it. Is that an RA-1 with exotic parts but the same basic layout? The picture I showed above is literally the inside of a Grado RA-1 pulled out of the wood casing. They used to sell used for about $150-200.
Again you could build your own with exotic parts and still end up MUCH cheaper than $850. It's an extremely simple circuit.

I'm thinking possibly this amp was released or designed before the advent of the C-Moy style amps and the designer did not know about the C-Moy types or did not know that the C-Moy and other portables would have become  popular in the headphone world. Perhaps now the the RA 1 has become the step child of headphone amps?

 

[MorbidToaster]

It's all about budgeting.
 
I make ~14k a year. My current rig is worth around 6 grand not including the computer. This is because I cut out everything but the necessary stuff and save the rest for music and audio gear. I'm trying really...really hard to get out of the gear phase and just dump my money into music of all sorts. I'm hoping to get there by the end of the year.
 
That being said...I'm about to get a new DAC and transport in a few weeks. There goes another good chunk of change.
 
One thing I have to stress is this...Do NOT use credit cards for these purchases. They are not that important. Keep a savings for emergencies and never touch it...After watching my parents go bankrupt twice (and they both now live with their parents) I've learned how to be very careful, but free with my money.
 
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It's all in the budgeting. I don't make a lot of money, but I have very few expenses so I can afford a $5k+ rig no problem. Being single, eating/drinking sensibly, and not smoking/drugs goes a long way in a hobby like this. When people talk about smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, for example, you are spending $6-10 every day. That's $2200-3650 a year on something that only deals damage to you. You can get a VERY nice complete rig for that kind of money.

 
 

 

[Headzone]

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It's all in the budgeting. I don't make a lot of money, but I have very few expenses so I can afford a $5k+ rig no problem. Being single, eating/drinking sensibly, and not smoking/drugs goes a long way in a hobby like this. When people talk about smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, for example, you are spending $6-10 every day. That's $2200-3650 a year on something that only deals damage to you. You can get a VERY nice complete rig for that kind of money.

+1
 
Think about someone who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years.. My calculator tells me 2200x20 is around 44000$. That's ******* crazy sum of money.
 
If I took 40000$ loan from the bank, and bought the most super-jizzable speakers available for that money, I would swear I get more pleasure from them than smoking, and they would also last over 20 years easily..
 
 

 

[devouringone3]

 
 

Just about the picture, what happened to the fact that people lose hearing as they age? If I can't consistently hear the difference between 320/FLAC surely they won't be able to hear the smaller and finer details of high end headphones?

 
 
He can experiment with a lower quality headphone and seek to improve it's sound drastically, then apply "proven upgrading tweaks" he discovered here and there to his old HP1 design.
 
I have studied audiology for one year and the most of the hearing loss occur from 55-60 to 75 years old; for Joseph, that was when he actually designed the HP1000 legend. Hearing loss stabilizes / maximizes after this, usually. I would not worry about his hearing .
 
People who spoke to him on the phone, or who have seen him / went to his house, told us he was very lucid and well hearing too, not asking to repeat louder or anything.
 
 
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I'm thinking possibly this amp was released or designed before the advent of the C-Moy style amps and the designer did not know about the C-Moy types or did not know that the C-Moy and other portables would have become  popular in the headphone world. Perhaps now the the RA 1 has become the step child of headphone amps?

Yep, it was the HPA-1 and -2 that were designed in circa-1989 by Sidney Smith of Marantz company, that was transplanted into RA-1 and then (probably) inspired Chu Moy. Back in those days headphone amplifier weren't common, at least not as common as they are today... and not as small either. HPA, RA, and Cmoy are all the same simple 9 volt battery powered designs though.
 
 
 
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Think about someone who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years.. My calculator tells me 2200x20 is around 44000$. That's ******* crazy sum of money.
 
If I took 40000$ loan from the bank, and bought the most super-jizzable speakers available for that money, I would swear I get more pleasure from them than smoking, and they would also last over 20 years easily..

That's also how I see it... while most of things people buys nowadays finish up in the municipal waste or recycled another way, high quality audio gear gets used and used, through time, repair, and parts replacement; they have a virtually endless life cycle, and they will live as long as you are satisfied with them... and things like Grado HP1000 are still satisfying a lot of people obviously because people are paying incredible amounts for them.
 
I have no idea which parts are to break or fail in a headphone, when your not constantly opening it to modify it, or trying to max out your rig's volume on it, while not wearing the set for your own safety..

 

[ImperialX]

 
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Just about the picture, what happened to the fact that people lose hearing as they age? If I can't consistently hear the difference between 320/FLAC surely they won't be able to hear the smaller and finer details of high end headphones?

 
I can't hear the difference between FLAC and 320 MP3 but I can definitely hear those small details.

 

[Oregonian]

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That's a high  salary.  What do you do?

  I make so less but spend so much.  Luckily I don't have a family yet or a wife.


 

Director of Operations for a 100 person manufacturing company................and my kids are now through college so it makes it easier to buy toys.  I'm not extravagant, drive a 10 year old truck (tho it is NOT stock and a pretty badass diesel) and carry no debt other than a mortgage.  That is a key for you young whippersnappers............don't get in over your head as it is easy.

 
 

 

[Xinze]

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Director of Operations for a 100 person manufacturing company................and my kids are now through college so it makes it easier to buy toys.  I'm not extravagant, drive a 10 year old truck (tho it is NOT stock and a pretty badass diesel) and carry no debt other than a mortgage.  That is a key for you young whippersnappers............don't get in over your head as it is easy.

 
 

Got any tips for a 17 year old after I get out of college? Debt shouldn't be an issue at all and I know I'm going to have issues with spending $ on audio and home theater accessories...
 
 

 

[MorbidToaster]

Got any tips for a 17 year old after I get out of college? Debt shouldn't be an issue at all and I know I'm going to have issues with spending $ on audio and home theater accessories...
 
 

Just don't spend money you don't have and have a nice bit of padding for emergencies only.

Other than that...Spend it on toys.

 

[ImperialX]

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Got any tips for a 17 year old after I get out of college? Debt shouldn't be an issue at all and I know I'm going to have issues with spending $ on audio and home theater accessories...
 

Don't drink. Don't gamble. Don't smoke. If you obey these three rules, even if you get the lowest income, your life will still be fine.

 

[ProjectDenz]

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Don't drink. Don't gamble. Don't smoke. If you obey these three rules, even if you get the lowest income, your life will still be fine.

Cannot....function....without.....liquor. What if you are broke you can always split a $10 goon box with someone. $5 to get drunk, now that's cheap but nasty.
 
Haha I remember that back in those days, wine will never taste the same to me.

 

[Oregonian]

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Got any tips for a 17 year old after I get out of college? Debt shouldn't be an issue at all and I know I'm going to have issues with spending $ on audio and home theater accessories...
 
 

I'm a believer in going to college for technology/science/math.  That is where we need talent.  Online sales (e-commerce) is one of the next 'big things' which is already here..........if you're a natural at Math/Science you are set.  Maybe a business degree with minor in Information systems.............something like that. 
 

 

[Oregonian]

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Don't drink. Don't gamble. Don't smoke. If you obey these three rules, even if you get the lowest income, your life will still be fine.

Agree with all this as well.  Make exercise a habit so when you're 50 your health is good (I could pass for 40 easily and daughters both say so) because of eating clean, running/lifting/biking and NOT wasting energy on alcohol or tobacco. And last advice..............stay out of debt - at least what I call 'wasteful debt' (credit card debt buying junk). 

 

[devouringone3]

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Don't drink. Don't gamble. Don't smoke. If you obey these three rules, even if you get the lowest income, your life will still be fine.

I have more hardcore... my own example of dedication.
 
Buy the cheapest food, never go to the restaurant, remain healthy but don't do sports because sports cost energy costs food costs money costs headphone, healthy because sick is costlier, never go to the restaurant, to the bars, to the theater, to the cinema, to the museum, to the library if it's not free, give to charity, and always keep the hamster running and open to finding new ways of saving money, even the smallest amounts.
 
Don't do anything, don't own a cell phone or the TV...
 
Instead take walks into the woods, do your homework, and then buy the headphone of your dream, twice, and rock hard, because you've kept your wallet close all your life and now is the time:
 

 

 
No need to work a lot, I don't... but I do jump on coins when I find them on the floor. I've already found a 50$ bill on the floor at Shoppers Drug Mart.
 
And a few headphones along the way
 always stored on top of my laptop's keyboard.

 

[ImperialX]

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Buy the cheapest food, never go to the restaurant, remain healthy but don't do sports because sports cost energy costs food costs money costs headphone, healthy because sick is costlier, never go to the restaurant, to the bars, to the theater, to the cinema, to the museum, to the library if it's not free, give to charity, and always keep the hamster running and open to finding new ways of saving money, even the smallest amounts.

 
I do all that...but I don't save money on healthy eating. Health is number 1 for me.

 

[Arbite]

I'm a poor university student. I manage to afford my stuff by casually DJing and doing various odd jobs. I still live at home, so that makes life easier. My biggest money drain is generally unibar and fast food.