[GreenBow]

Yeah I love your post too @Amictus
 
I can only draw from my experience with the SR60 (bought in 2004) and audition of the SR60i, for direct relation.
 
I will never forget those headphones. Even when played through a simple device like a Sony Walkman they do wonderous things. I am talking about the old Walkman too, with a cassette player, and an analogue radio. (Long after they went out of fashion.) I used to listen for hours. There is something that comes out of the experience and it's when you hear the tone. There is a moment when you hear a sound in the music and it lodges in your mind forever. A tone that is warm, gorgeous, and soul-soothing. From then on it's Grado love.

 

[DavidA]

  Any suggestions for best starting point with Grados <$500? 
 
I find that I generally end up spending more in the long run if I start too low so would probably skip the SR60, SR80, and SR125.  Though of course more expensive doesn't always = better.
 
The SR225e, SR325e and Rs2e seem like a possible places to start, though happy to go used which may open more options.
 
Is the newer "e" series generally preferred over previous generations, or just a matter of personal preference?
 
Thanks

Another vote for RS2e
 
I also have SR-225e, woody SR-60i and 3 SennGrado's

 

[Dasenster]

Hi all!
 
Greetings from Hungary!
 
I'm a Grado SR60e owner for three weeks. Love at first hear!
 
I need some help, is it worth to purchase an amp? I use FiioX1, and Nad c315 Bee, and my laptop.
 
Thnx!

 

[DavidA]

  Hi all!
 
Greetings from Hungary!
 
I'm a Grado SR60e owner for three weeks. Love at first hear!
 
I need some help, is it worth to purchase an amp? I use FiioX1, and Nad c315 Bee, and my laptop.
 
Thnx!

The SR-60 is easy to drive, just tried my SR-60 drivers in wood cups from my X1, sounds great.  I don't know about your lap, depends on the chipset used.

 

[Dasenster]

Thanx!
 
My laptop is an Asus X555L. I only listening music from there, when i seek for new tunes. I buy/download the music i found,  than copy to x1.
 
So no need for amp, i suppose.
 
After all i realy enjoy the sound of my phones!

 

[GreenBow]

  Hi all!
 
Greetings from Hungary!
 
I'm a Grado SR60e owner for three weeks. Love at first hear!
 
I need some help, is it worth to purchase an amp? I use FiioX1, and Nad c315 Bee, and my laptop.
 
Thnx!

 
On board sound cards have come a long way. I use an Asus motherboard and enjoyed the audio on that for a good while. However I was happier when I bought a DAC that works asynchronously with my PC. Some DACs have headphone amps in them. That might be the way to go rather than buying an amp.

 

[Amictus]

  @Amictus truly a FANTASTIC comparison.  Thank you for taking the time to perform the comparison with such care and to describe it in such detail!
 
I have found that my GS1000e headphones, which also have the 50 mm drivers as do the RS1e, also improves with age.  I did a comparison to the GH-1 (with G cush) and the GS1000i at my local Grado dealer, and at the time ranked them GS1000e < GH-1/G < GS1000i.  Since then, the GS1000e are improving (just over 200 hours of use now), and when/if they surpass the GH-1/G, I will again go and compare them to the GS1000i at the store.  If the GS1000i stays better, I will buy it!
 
I think that you will see a huge improvement in the GH-1 when you put on G cush.  I think its bass will go down, but other things (transparency, treble detail, soundstage, etc) will go up.  See my comparison here.

Thanks for that. I heard the GS1000e (I think it was the 'e') out of the Chord TT at the London Canjam and didn't think much of it - in particular, there seemed to be little bass. BUT, and this is a big butt, I didn't like most things that I heard there - Fostex, Beyerdynamic etc. etc. It's not a good place to listen, unfortunately... too much noise, too much going on. I now realize that the GS1000e that I heard was not burned-in - there were several there - and what I heard was not typical of anything. Thank you for your many postings on Grados and an other subjects of great interest to me. I'm now off to read your post on the G Cush. Thanks in advance, Grado Master!
 
EDIT: Oh yes. I had already read that post with interest. It seems that I need the RS2e as well! I am also interested in the PS1000whatever and the SR325whatever. Maybe the GS1000whatever. Aargh!

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

  Hi all!
 
Greetings from Hungary!
 
I'm a Grado SR60e owner for three weeks. Love at first hear!
 
I need some help, is it worth to purchase an amp? I use FiioX1, and Nad c315 Bee, and my laptop.
 
Thnx!

Buy an ODAC+O2 combo, and unless you decide to go well over $1000 for amp/DAC, that's your end game. The combo will even drive the RS lines really well, in case you're going to update later.

 

[DavidA]

  Buy an ODAC+O2 combo, and unless you decide to go well over $1000 for amp/DAC, that's your end game. The combo will even drive the RS lines really well, in case you're going to update later.

Really don't see the need for an amp with the SR-XXX line, they are easy to drive even from a phone.  Tried my RS2e from Fiio X1 and its quite good, again, an amp is not needed IMO.
 
FWIW I tried a ODAC/O2 and it is not end game for under $1000 to me, the M/M combo was better for the headphone that I was using it with.  I even liked the cheap topping VX1 better than the ODAC/O2, it had a smoother sound, seemed more dynamic and had the ability to drive my desktop speakers.  Not an apples to apples comparison but on the headphone side the VX1 was doing a better job with the headphones I had at the time.

 

[GreenBow]

  Hi all!
 
Greetings from Hungary!
 
I'm a Grado SR60e owner for three weeks. Love at first hear!
 
I need some help, is it worth to purchase an amp? I use FiioX1, and Nad c315 Bee, and my laptop.
 
Thnx!

 
 
Quote:

   
On board sound cards have come a long way. I use an Asus motherboard and enjoyed the audio on that for a good while. However I was happier when I bought a DAC that works asynchronously with my PC. Some DACs have headphone amps in them. That might be the way to go rather than buying an amp.

 
Sorry I misread your post. I see you mentioned other gadgets than your laptop. I actually picked up your question from DavidA when he mentioned your laptop. I thought that's what you were asking about. My apologies. I do not know the headphone amp world like other do so I can offer no info. There is one called the Chord Toucan, but I think that is expensive.

 

[joseph69]

  Hi all!
 
Greetings from Hungary!
I'm a Grado SR60e owner for three weeks. Love at first hear!
I need some help, is it worth to purchase an amp? I use FiioX1, and Nad c315 Bee, and my laptop.
Thnx!

Yes, for the future Grados you'll be buying. 

 

[Amish]

I'm a fan of the Grado sound for sure but ever since I sold my Bryston BHA-1 my Grado's just do not sound as good. That amp paired with my 325is cans was a dream combo. I imagine any Grado would sound fantastic on that amp.
 
I wasn't a huge fan of the amp myself hence my selling of it but I have to admit that it was magical with my Grados. Taking into consideration that my 325is's are not used as much as other headphones I own, I couldn't justify keeping the amp just for those cans. 

 

[Supa Mint]

  Yes, for the future Grados you'll be buying. 

I resemble that remark...

 

[Dasenster]

Thank you all the answers!
 
You're right joseph69! My fun with grados just begin. All my music sound fantastic! I'm very curious what can other Grados do with the music.

 

[joseph69]

  Thank you all the answers!
 
You're right joseph69! My fun with grados just begin. All my music sound fantastic! I'm very curious what can other Grados do with the music.

I resemble that remark...

All of us resemble that remark. 

 
You'll know sooner than you think.