[ampgalore]

How does Grace 901 stack up against the heavyweight solid state amps most discussed on this forum? Like the Prehead, HR-2, PPA with diamond buffers, etc. I think aside from the blockhead, Grace 901 is the only one reviewed in Stereophile. It received a Stereophile A rating. I am very curious about the comparisons, as this determine my next upgrade path (I am sticking with solid state for now).

 

[ampgalore]

Anyone?

 

[mdr10#1099]

I auditioned a Grace 901 (from Headroom) after hearing all of the hype, against a good tube amp (modified special edition EarMax pro) and the Ray
Samuels HR-2, and returned the Grace as decidedly inferior to both of the others. It is a beautifully built piece of equipment (physically prettiest of the bunch), but was mightily trumped by my tube amp, and by the Samuels, which is more dynamic and has better timbre. Although all ears are different, and preferences in amps vary a great deal, I have a hard time believing that anyone who auditioned them together would take the Grace over the (much less expensive) HR-2, unless they really had to have a DAC in the amp to allow digital connection. The Grace, to my ears, is "analytical" in the worst sense - very detailed, but very uninvolving somehow. it lacks the "pace" of the HR-2, and both are completely behind a good tube amp (comparably priced tube amp) in musicality.

I find it remarkable that the two prominent "Class A" Stereophile headphone amps are the worst two amps of their price class that I hav e heard. This says a lot about how their posture regarding "width of distribution", along with their narrow inroads into most of the headphone arena have left their advice in that arena very sorely lacking.

I would strongly suggest that you try a good tube amp, in the price range you are talking about, head to head with whichever solid state amp you audition, and let your own all-important ears make the call.

 

[Edwood]

I have owned the Grace 901 since December of last year.

I do not find it "analytical" in a bad way.

I personally like hearing details. The imaging of the Grace is one of it's strong points as well. As I find other solid states amps like the Max and Gilmore to be a bit more "unfocused" compared to the Grace.

The Grace is very powerful as well, it can drive the K1000's quite well (although it can be pretty harsh depending on the source.) The Grace is a very versatile amp that can drive high and low impedance headphones with plenty of dynamics and finesse.

I do agree that the digital input is not up to par with the rest of the amp, and unnecessarily adds to the price when you want to compare it with an amp like the HR-2. But the HR-2 and baseline Max are not a fair comparison, as they lack stepped attenuators, which IMO makes a significant improvement. Add $100-$200 (depending on the type) for a stepped attenuator, and the prices of these amps are much closer to the Grace 901.

So we can tell you all about what we think, but in the end you really need to listen for yourself, as personal tastes greatly vary.

BTW, what's your current source, and what sources are you considering upgrading to in the near future?
-Ed

 

[ampgalore]

I have an XP7, so I wanted to try something other than the Emmeline line. I chose Grace 901 partly because of the built in DAC. Haven't received the Grace 901 yet, should be here tomorrow.

 

[Budrew]

I love my Grace 901. With a top-notch source not sure how it could be beat except for personal preferences.

 

[Orpheus]

the Grace is the most perfect amp in production. amps are meant to multiply the original signal, and not to add anything else. and the Grace does just that. not to mention it has some spectacular features, like a super low noise floor and digital inputs.

 

[Edwood]

What headphones are you using now, ampgalore?

Which ones are you considering in the near future?

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampgalore Haven't received the Grace 901 yet, should be here tomorrow.

Ah. You will find out for yourself then.

-Ed

 

[ampgalore]

I am using ER4S and HD600. My source is the weakest link, it's a sony PCDP with optical out. That's also the reason why I picked Grace because of its DAC.

 

[ampgalore]

Just received my Grace 901. Did a quick comparison between the XP7 and the Grace. Both amps give me good bass response, but the Grace seems to hit the lowest bass frequencies with more authority. This is especially noticeable with the ER4S. XP7 also seems to be a bit darker compared to Grace.


On the Grace 901, do you guys use the high gain or low gain setting? I tried both the HD600 and ER4S, I found the low gain to be a bit too low, had to turn to the 2 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions respectively. I ended using the high gain for both cans.

I am beginning to doubt if I have the golden ears or not. For now I am keeping both. I am done with amp upgrades for the forseeable future.

 

[Budrew]

I mostly use the high gain mode with my HD650s. It seems to help with the dynamics. I'll use the low gain if I want it more mellow.

I also have the XP7. I prefer the Grace but keep the XP 7 around for other uses.

 

[ampgalore]

I have been listening to the Grace on my HD600 non stop for a couple of hours now. Definitely like the sound. I am using the toslink optical out on my spare mini shelf system. The Grace just makes the HD600 sound fantastic. This is the same feeling I got when I first received my xp7, went through almost my entire CD collection. Now I am doing the same thing with Grace, it just makes the HD600 more lively (bright? in a good sense).