[159650]

filled out a form to request customs clearance. Fingers crossed.

 

[sghound]

 
It's that much of an improvement huh? You guys are making it exceptionally hard to avoid this drop. I'm finding it so difficult to justify a $500 DAC/amp for $200 headphones (K7XX here), which is a good thing in my book. But man...

 
it does scale very well indeed http://www.head-fi.org/products/grace-design-m9xx-compact-usb-dac-with-integrated-headphone-amp/reviews/14404

 

[sheldaze]

  for those with AKG 701/702/712/7xx pls try 'em with da m9xx.
 
awesome low end GRIP without sacrificing those precious mids & highs.
 
i've never heard my 701's like this for the past 8yrs.

 
It's that much of an improvement huh? You guys are making it exceptionally hard to avoid this drop. I'm finding it so difficult to justify a $500 DAC/amp for $200 headphones (K7XX here), which is a good thing in my book. But man...

Listened to a few headphones last night, when I thought there was a question of how much power the m9XX has for driving planar headphones. There is certainly no issue with having enough power for volume!
 
However when going through the phones (Sennheiser HD650, HiFiMan HE-1000, Audeze EL-8C, and AKG K7XX) I cannot say that the pairing with the K7XX was the best. The m9XX is a lean, mean, fighting machine. And to my ears, so are the HE-1000, EL-8C and K7XX. It seemed best to me when driving through the warmth of the HD650. I felt it scaled up more the HD650 sound than what I find to already be a neutral and detailed sounding K7XX.
 
But to each his/her own - the m9XX is most definitely a clean source, with plenty of power.

 

[Anupam]

I haven't tried the high-power mode yet (all of my hard-to-reach outlets are filled!) but will soon. I have AKG701 and 712 sitting around and I want to see how they do with the m9XX.

I think it is breaking-in with use - I have less than 10 hours so far. I heard an audible hash when I first plugged it in and thought that it was due to it being about 3 inches from my desktop and a cordless phone transmitter. But that hash has disappeared now; I am not complaining

This is the first amp/dac that has allowed me to enjoy, really enjoy the percussion on Dire Strait's Brother in Arms album. While I like everything else about their music, the drumming, to my ears at least, was unbearably hard and piercing, when heard through other systems. I thought it was the recording, too hot maybe, like DSOTM. The dynamics are certainly impressive on BIA, but even through a setup consisting of Stax 407+SRM T1+ VIP Jr + some tube phono amp (I forget the name now), I could not "get" the music, connect to it. There was no DAC there obviously, it was a 180-gm LP. However, with the Grado/m9XX, I can't find any other way of expressing it, I relaxed into the music. I could focus on the leading edge transients if I wanted to or I could pull back and take in the propulsive power coming thru from an ordinary digital version of this remarkable album.

The m9XX has an ineffable quality of continuity, a swing if you will, that is hard, for me, to describe. Perhaps this is what was meant by the term PRAT that was ascribed to Linn and Naim components. It may not be accurate but it was musical. I can see it being addictive which I am not complaining about again.

 

[D_4_Dog]

Does anybody know how to update the firmware and where one can download it from? I'm quite keen to be able to hook this up to an iDevice without resorting to the use of an USB hub

 

[ViperGeek]

  Does anybody know how to update the firmware and where one can download it from? I'm quite keen to be able to hook this up to an iDevice without resorting to the use of an USB hub

 
If and when Grace releases a firmware update for the m9XX, it'll probably be listed here:
 
http://www.gracedesign.com/support/support.htm
 
- Dave

 

[thomson]

Just received my m9XX.
 
Too early for listening impressions but the build quality is top notch. It's actually much better than I had expected and I really like the feel and smoothness of the volume control.
 
Only complaint I is that my m9XX was quite dusty when it arrived. It looked like cardboard dust so I guess it just had a bumpy trip crossing the ocean to get to Europe...

 

[Allanmarcus]

  Just received my m9XX.
 
Too early for listening impressions but the build quality is top notch. It's actually much better than I had expected and I really like the feel and smoothness of the volume control.
 
Only complaint I is that my m9XX was quite dusty when it arrived. It looked like cardboard dust so I guess it just had a bumpy trip crossing the ocean to get to Europe...

Send it back and ask for a clean one!
 

 

[EinZweiDrei]

would this be significant improvement over a matrix m stage and hrt music streamer 2 combo for the K7 series.
and how do these sound with hd600 and hd650?
i already own a k701 and i pair it with the m stage and hrt ms2.
so im thinking about getting this DAC/AMP combo or the k7xx.
which is a better choice? so many good stuff appearing but so limited in budget.
i could only get one of these.
the k7xx or this m9xx.
 

 

[olek]

I would say get m9xx over k7xx. k701 can not be THAT different from k7xx, but m9xx is light years ahead of HRT MusicStreamer II (I have that one for about 7 years, so I had some real experience with it). HRT has its good sides, but its sound quality does not compare to m9xx, not even close.
 
I do not have matrix m stage but somebody on this thread already mentioned I think that 9xx was a bit better.

 

[EinZweiDrei]

  I would say get m9xx over k7xx. k701 can not be THAT different from k7xx, but m9xx is light years ahead of HRT MusicStreamer II (I have that one for about 7 years, so I had some real experience with it). HRT has its good sides, but its sound quality does not compare to m9xx, not even close.
 
I do not have matrix m stage but somebody on this thread already mentioned I think that 9xx was a bit better.

alright i got money to blow but dont want to spent over 600 dollars thus deciding to not getting both items.
so time for a leap of faith.
Edit- its gonna take some time for the item to come so this leap is gonna take a while to see where i fall.

 

[sheldaze]

  would this be significant improvement over a matrix m stage and hrt music streamer 2 combo for the K7 series.
and how do these sound with hd600 and hd650?
i already own a k701 and i pair it with the m stage and hrt ms2.
so im thinking about getting this DAC/AMP combo or the k7xx.
which is a better choice? so many good stuff appearing but so limited in budget.
i could only get one of these.
the k7xx or this m9xx.

I have a friend with K702 - no matter how many times I tried to convince him that the K7XX was a better balanced headphone, including having him hear it for himself, he decided to keep his K702. Unless you absolutely must have it, just keep your K701.
 
I like the m9XX with the Sennheiser HD6xx (HD650 in my case). The m9XX is lean, while the HD6xx can be a little fat - the pairing is one I truly enjoy!

 

[project86]

Personally I'd consider that a decent source/amp combo and a somewhat annoying headphone. Yes, the Matrix/HRT duo can certainly be improved upon, but the priority for me would be getting a more listenable headphone ASAP. Source and amp improvements are not as important as headphone upgrades when it comes to obvious results.
 
So I say go for the K7XX first. Not to mention it's a smaller amount to spend.

 

[Punch Leez]

Ahhh I like this thing... at the rate of 57mW into 600ohm so I am guessing this DAC can send out around 6Vrms? That's a large output it has for the THS6012! I am guessing it is running on at least +/-14V.

 

[EinZweiDrei]

  Personally I'd consider that a decent source/amp combo and a somewhat annoying headphone. Yes, the Matrix/HRT duo can certainly be improved upon, but the priority for me would be getting a more listenable headphone ASAP. Source and amp improvements are not as important as headphone upgrades when it comes to obvious results.
 
So I say go for the K7XX first. Not to mention it's a smaller amount to spend.

i don't know if its the source i current own or something but when i compared the apogee groove which i purchased not long ago and compared them side by side with
my old m stage ms2 combo i've had for a few years.
the difference was too much that i sold my apogee groove. i keep hearing good stuff in the apogee groove thread and wanted to see how it lives up.
the groove isn't bad tbh. but it doesn't seem to sound good enough on the k701 or the hd600. the soundstage is congested the bass lacks
tightness and punch ,the highs are too brittle mids sound dull. almost as if i didn't amp them at all.
instrumental separation is poor too. so im thinking that a proper source might be better. since if i do get a k7xx it will seem like a sidestep instead
of a upgrade since i have headphones of similar league. but i really need to think this through. hundred of dollars isn't pocket change.
but i haven't heard enough headphones or sources to compare. the only somewhat real sources i own or use to own are apogee groove, m stage and ms2.
but is the k7xx really that much different from an old k701 that it justifies its purchase?
im still pretty ignorant when it comes to this stuff.