[bluesaint]

Without factoring the bonus DAC the Grace has to offer, if we were to simply just compare the two amps, which one would be the better one for driving the music?

 

[radrd]

Wow, uh, could a moderator please put a question mark at the end of the title of this thread.

I got all excited about a possible comparison of the two...

 

[bluesaint]

heh, sorry about that.. i edited the title

 

[radrd]

Thanks!

Hopefully you will get an answer. I've never heard either and I'm curious as well. Since they are both fairly new, I doubt we will see anything conclusive, but maybe...

 

[dustinyo]

i'm very curious to hear how well the DAC sounds on the Grace.

 

[markl]

I don't know if anyone has done this comparison. Seems to me that if you don't need the DAC (or it's not as good as what you already have), you are plowing a lot of the sticker price for the DAC in the Grace, where the HR-2 all your $$ goes into the amp itself. Admittedly, that doesn't insure that you would like the HR-2 better, but it is a consideration I would think.

What does the rest of your system look like (source/cables/cans)?

Mark

 

[bluesaint]

Markl, the rest of my system is as follows:
Philips 963SA
Voodoo Reference IC
HD600 w/ Equinox
MDR-R10 possibly in 2 months

 

[john_jcb]

I have the HR-2 and the HD-600 w/Cardas. I listen to them daily and each day I enjoy the amp more. I also had the opportunity to listen to the R10's at the Chicago meet with the Emmeline. I must say that my first impression was that they are a perfect match. Soundstage was excellent and there was no area of the musical spectrum that I found lacking in my brief opportunity to listen. Markl and Kieran Comito both have R10's and the HR-2 and can probably give you much more useful info. Sorry that I have never heard the Grace.

 

[markl]

bluesaint,
I, too had a pair of the Voodoo Reference cables and liked them a lot, I thought they were incredible for the $$. They synergize well with the HR-2, which in turn as john_jcb noted, synergizes magically with the R10s. For more detailed info on the HR-2/R10 combo, you can see my review here:

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...light=emmeline

I've owned a bunch of amps, and the HR-2 is my favorite!

mark

 

[bluesaint]

Mark, I think i'm leaning towards the HR2 at this point.

Can you give me a quick run down of the comparison between the op AMPs offered by Ray S when ordering a HR2?

 

[markl]

Bluesaint, very detailed info on both op-amps are in the original thread I linked to above (maybe page 2 of the thread).

mark