[Nirvana1000]

Lol

Agree on the amp section of the m9xx being very unimpressive but the DAC is top notch. My speaker system loves the m9xx

Mine will be plugged into my Cambridge Audio CXA60 for amping duties.Can't wait to hear this DAC through my setup.Next purchase will probably be planars.

 

[fjrabon]

Mine will be plugged into my Cambridge Audio CXA60 for amping duties.Can't wait to hear this DAC through my setup.Next purchase will probably be planars.

If you like the m9XX DAC, something to maybe one day look into is the Cayin iDAC6.  It's like the m9XX DAC on steroids.

 

[Nirvana1000]

If you like the m9XX DAC, something to maybe one day look into is the Cayin iDAC6.  It's like the m9XX DAC on steroids.

I did read a bit about Cayin iDAC6 and its partner the matching headphone amp iHA-6,but those are out of my price range right now.But something to think about for future upgrades.

 

[Nirvana1000]

Any suggestions on headphone pairing with this unit and why?

 

[fjrabon]

Any suggestions on headphone pairing with this unit and why?

EMU Teak would fit in well with what you have and be by far your best can. Seems to be the signature you like best, but highly refined. m9XX really gives them such a sweet, detailed, balanced sound. Great soundstage for a closed can. The low output impedance of the m9XX really gives them some great dynamics. Full yet powerful and precise bass. Liquid mids, detailed and crisp highs that aren't fatiguing.

(Of course picking a headphone that goes well with your amp is a backwards approach, but here we are).

 

[Greeni]

Hook up the Grace M9XX with mac, and played some CDs with apple air dvd drive. The sound is worse than my 10 year old CD player.
For those using Mac with good result, what are some of the music apps that you use to get good sound from the Grace M9XX?

 

[fjrabon]

Hook up the Grace M9XX with mac, and played some CDs with apple air dvd drive. The sound is worse than my 10 year old CD player.
For those using Mac with good result, what are some of the music apps that you use to get good sound from the Grace M9XX?

By this do you mean to play with the air drive and CDs? Or for downloaded music? The air drive is always going to sound like garbage no matter what. For downloaded music, iTunes and Apple Music work fine for me and tidal is considered the standard bearer.

 

[Greeni]

Yes I am listening to CD with the air drive and it does sound like garbage. I wonder how do people listen to CD with the Grace M9XX and get decent quality sound

 

[sheldaze]

  Hook up the Grace M9XX with mac, and played some CDs with apple air dvd drive. The sound is worse than my 10 year old CD player.
For those using Mac with good result, what are some of the music apps that you use to get good sound from the Grace M9XX?

I agree with the above. I typically do not play discs directly to the DAC, if that is what you are doing?
 
The most basic things are set the output correctly to 44.1 using Audio Midi Setup. I pop the disc into my Mac. When iTunes asks to import, and I use one of the uncompressed methods so I store the full resolution from the disc. Then iTunes plays just fine into my m9xx.
 
To go a couple steps further, I'll use Audirvana - mostly because I do not have to worry about Midi setup and it gives me access to other file formats and high resolution audio. And I'll use another means to send audio into the Toslink input instead of the USB. But these steps are unnecessary. The sound should be good using just the two steps above, unless your 10 year old disc player is something special? My disc player, also 10 years old, was class A on Stereophile.
 
So if you are comparing to something like that... 

 

 

[fjrabon]

Yes I am listening to CD with the air drive and it does sound like garbage. I wonder how do people listen to CD with the Grace M9XX and get decent quality sound

Some CD players have direct toslink out

 

[m8o]

Some CD players have direct toslink out

It may even be valid to say 'most' have it.

 

[ld100]

So again back on Massdrop. Seems that they need to sell a number of units before it disappears for few months. I am so torn between Shiit's Multibit and an amp and m9XX... Moneywise it would probably come out very similar or maybe Shiit option will be pricier depending on the choice of the amp... Also Shiit route is more flexible, but that form factor and features on Grace is just so tempting. Anyone wants to help to push me in either direction? Crazy talk now...

 

[Spork67]

I was in the same boat a few months ago.
Got the Grace and very happy with it.
However, I have never heard any Schiit gear.
 
I have since upgraded (LOTS more $ amps - a tube amp and a STAX amp) but the Grace is performing DAC duties with this more $ gear and doesn't seem out of it's depth.
IMO the Grace is a good amp and an excellent DAC.
I think of it as a $500 DAC that can also function as a decent amp.
 
When I travel I can just take the Grace as an elegant AIO solution and leave the higher end amps at home.

 

[Nirvana1000]

I was in the same boat a few months ago.
Got the Grace and very happy with it.
However, I have never heard any Schiit gear.

I have since upgraded (LOTS more $ amps - a tube amp and a STAX amp) but the Grace is performing DAC duties with this more $ gear and doesn't seem out of it's depth.
IMO the Grace is a good amp and an excellent DAC.
I think of it as a $500 DAC that can also function as a decent amp.

When I travel I can just take the Grace as an elegant AIO solution and leave the higher end amps at home.

Which of your amps do you enjoy most to pair with the Grace DAC and why?

 

[Spork67]

 

I was in the same boat a few months ago.
Got the Grace and very happy with it.
However, I have never heard any Schiit gear.

I have since upgraded (LOTS more $ amps - a tube amp and a STAX amp) but the Grace is performing DAC duties with this more $ gear and doesn't seem out of it's depth.
IMO the Grace is a good amp and an excellent DAC.
I think of it as a $500 DAC that can also function as a decent amp.

When I travel I can just take the Grace as an elegant AIO solution and leave the higher end amps at home.

Which of your amps do you enjoy most to pair with the Grace DAC and why?

 
Both my more expensive amps pair really well with the Grace.
The DAC section is quite transparent, it changes 1's and 0's into analogue without colouring the signal. I struggle to hear a difference between the different filters in the Grace (although I think I prefer 2 and 4 - the differences are very subtle).
The crossfeed function works really well.
If $ was unlimited I'd keep both, however I find myself using the STAX more and more, and the Feliks Elise + Beyer T1's less and less, so I'm looking at upgrading the STAX gear and selling the dynamic stuff*.
 
*Keeping the Grace and 1 set of dynamic HPs for DAC purposes and away from home complete solution.