[dbaker1981]

Best portable amp for Grados?

We all know that the MAD EAR HD+, the Little Dot MK1, the Joseph Grado HPA-1, the Schitt Lyr 2, and the Melos SHA Gold are GREAT amps for Grados, but they are all desk based.

What are the few top portable amps for Grados?  I ask because I read somewhere that the RS1e I just got, unlike most other Grados, really did benefit from a good amp.  I used my Beyerdynamic A 200 P portable DAC / amp (fits on your beltloop and adds the iPod transport controls as well), and there was a Clear Improvement!

But what else?  Is it the FiiO E12?  The CMOY BB 4.03 (Altoid mint tin)?  the Chord Mojo (which includes a DAC)?  

Or maybe the CEntrance HiFi M8 DAC/amp, which has selectable output impedance (1,2 and 10 ohms).

Or perhaps the two great DAC/amps with 10 ohm output impedance, on paper too high for the 32 ohms of the Grado headphone input -- that is, the Sony PHA-1 or the V-MODA Verza.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

You could look into the cayin c5 too.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  My big Rudistor has a fine synergy with all my Grados, so if I wanted a portable, Rudistor is the first place I would look.
My Rudi deals well with any vague sense of brashness or rough edges or scraping sensation or glare that could be coming from the recording or dac into the Grados. 

I looked at Rudistor and they have great stuff, but near as I can tell, it is all AC powered by a cord and sits on a desk... nothing portable.  Thanks though.

 

[wormsdriver]

Best portable amp for Grados?

We all know that the MAD EAR HD+, the Little Dot MK1, the Joseph Grado HPA-1, the Schitt Lyr 2, and the Melos SHA Gold are GREAT amps for Grados, but they are all desk based.

What are the few top portable amps for Grados?  I ask because I read somewhere that the RS1e I just got, unlike most other Grados, really did benefit from a good amp.  I used my Beyerdynamic A 200 P portable DAC / amp (fits on your beltloop and adds the iPod transport controls as well), and there was a Clear Improvement!

But what else?  Is it the FiiO E12?  The CMOY BB 4.03 (Altoid mint tin)?  the Chord Mojo (which includes a DAC)?  

Or maybe the CEntrance HiFi M8 DAC/amp, which has selectable output impedance (1,2 and 10 ohms).

Or perhaps the two great DAC/amps with 10 ohm output impedance, on paper too high for the 32 ohms of the Grado headphone input -- that is, the Sony PHA-1 or the V-MODA Verza.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

I use an rsa intruder along with a chord mojo for my transportable set up and ive been very happy with it for some time now.

The intruder also has a DAC in it and it matches very well with grados but since I have the mojo, I use the mojo as my DAC most of the time and the intruder as an amp.

If you want to go cheap, I do have an old jds labs cmoy and it does the trick very very well for the price, but again, I never use it since I have the intruder and it does (as it should) sound better and is more capable than the little cmoy.

I don't remember off the top of my head, but I did go through a number of portable devices trying to find something for my grados before arriving to this setup. It took awhile, but I got it and ive been happy ever since.

 

[rgs9200m]

How about a Chord Hugo or Hugo TT?

 

[wormsdriver]

How about a Chord Hugo or Hugo TT?

I also much preferred an amp with the Hugo for Grados when I had it

 

[TheRealMVT]

Well I'd been in that thread a few times, ask for some cup measurement to make one of my own but got no reply So I unsubbed from it.

What do you need?

 

[zombywoof]

  Best portable amp for Grados?
 
Any ideas?  
Thanks!

I am using the JDS C5 (amp only) daily with my RS2e...sound is excellent.  (My source is iPod Classic 160Gb.)

 

[ruthieandjohn]

You could look into the cayin c5 too.

Thanks... looks very promising, both the C5 amp only and the C5 DAC (which unfortunately seems to need an iPod Camera Connection to get from the lightening output to the USB input of the C5).

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I use an rsa intruder along with a chord mojo for my transportable set up and ive been very happy with it for some time now.

The intruder also has a DAC in it and it matches very well with grados but since I have the mojo, I use the mojo as my DAC most of the time and the intruder as an amp.

If you want to go cheap, I do have an old jds labs cmoy and it does the trick very very well for the price, but again, I never use it since I have the intruder and it does (as it should) sound better and is more capable than the little cmoy.

I don't remember off the top of my head, but I did go through a number of portable devices trying to find something for my grados before arriving to this setup. It took awhile, but I got it and ive been happy ever since.

Pretty neat, that Intruder.  And balanced as well.  I've been looking for an excuse to try some Ray Samuels stuff... this may be it.  I appreciate your commenting that this was the best setup after trying lots of things.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  How about a Chord Hugo or Hugo TT?

Chord Hugo is one I really want... probably serves both DAC and amp needs, right?
 
Hugo TT seems desktop rather than portable, right?

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  I am using the JDS C5 (amp only) daily with my RS2e...sound is excellent.  (My source is iPod Classic 160Gb.)

Looks really promising... nice low impedance of 0.62 ohms.  The JDS website actually says the 5 is discontinued (and priced at $9999) but replaced by the C5D at $249... in great bright RED!

 

[dbaker1981]

Looks really promising... nice low impedance of 0.62 ohms.  The JDS website actually says the 5 is discontinued (and priced at $9999) but replaced by the C5D at $249... in great bright RED!

Yea they haven't made the amp only for a while now. But if you look around you can still pick one up. I had one but it didn't compare to the cayin at all so I got rid of it. Really for the money the cayin really punches above its weight class.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

What do you need?

wow. Thanks a bunch!!!

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

Looks really promising... nice low impedance of 0.62 ohms.  The JDS website actually says the 5 is discontinued (and priced at $9999) but replaced by the C5D at $249... in great bright RED!

I will vouch for the C5D because it sounds great with Grados and its very cheap.

Other choices I'd recommend include:
- Chord Mojo (but it can be hot)
- idsd micro (might be too neutral for you). Personally I'd go for this one but I think it's not a safe choice like the C5d.
- xDuoo xd05, sounds quite good for the price but more of a desk solution than a portable one.
Now stuffs I don't recommend include:
- centrance m8. Way too overpriced like anything else from Centrance, IMO.
- anything Cayin. Had noise interference on one of those and heard it was common.
- anything Fiio. What do they do exactly?
- sony pha line. Also too overpriced.

 

[rgs9200m]

  Chord Hugo is one I really want... probably serves both DAC and amp needs, right?
 
Hugo TT seems desktop rather than portable, right?

I have the TT and love it. (That's using my PS1k-e, GS1k i and e. Both the Hugo and the TT run pretty cool. Yep, the TT is not walkman-sized, it's 8x8x2 inches and meant for a tabletop, hence the name. It is easily packable if that's what you want though.)
From this review:
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/08/chord-electronics-hugo-tt-dac-headphone-amplifier-review/
 
"Off-grid listening remains in tact with the battery seeing trickle charge from a switch-mode wall wart – unplug it and the Hugo TT continues as if nothing has happened. "
 
(I still have the original Hugo but I'm not using it since I now have the TT.)