[eltocliousus]

The Musical Fidelity V-CAN II looks nice, can you recommend a similarly priced DAC to go with it? The ODAC is the same price, but doesn't look to match the look of the V-CAN II, part of wanting the O2+ODAC in one box was to save on RCA cables too, not sure if RCA cables do in-fact change the sound though, but surely they just add more pieces to the puzzle.

 

[scootsit]

Quote:

The Musical Fidelity V-CAN II looks nice, can you recommend a similarly priced DAC to go with it? The ODAC is the same price, but doesn't look to match the look of the V-CAN II, part of wanting the O2+ODAC in one box was to save on RCA cables too, not sure if RCA cables do in-fact change the sound though, but surely they just add more pieces to the puzzle.

I'm not 100% on this, but I think Musical Fidelity makes an all-in-one DAC and amp.

 

[parbaked]

Quote:

I'm not 100% on this, but I think Musical Fidelity makes an all-in-one DAC and amp.

AFAIK the entry level MF DACs (V-DAC and V-DAC MKII) do not include headphone amp. 
If you are only using your PC/Mac as your source I 2nd the recommendation for the Audioengine A1, that's what I use..
The HRT Headstreamer is another excellent DAC/amp that gets little mention here and outperforms its looks/price.
The HRT products are very well engineered and made in California. Excellent company.
I chose the A1 over the Headstreamer because it has line out RCA connectors so it functions as a pre-amp for my powered desktop speakers. 
Importantly both run off of your computer's USB power and do not require a power cord or power supply.
I would consider the above 2 if I only used the PC as source. 

 

[scootsit]

Quote:

Quote:

I'm not 100% on this, but I think Musical Fidelity makes an all-in-one DAC and amp.

AFAIK the entry level MF DACs (V-DAC and V-DAC MKII) do not include headphone amp. 
If you are only using your PC/Mac as your source I 2nd the recommendation for the Audioengine A1, that's what I use..
The HRT Headstreamer is another excellent DAC/amp that gets little mention here and outperforms its looks/price.
The HRT products are very well engineered and made in California. Excellent company.
I chose the A1 over the Headstreamer because it has line out RCA connectors so it functions as a pre-amp for my powered desktop speakers. 
Importantly both run off of your computer's USB power and do not require a power cord or power supply.
I would consider the above 2 if I only used the PC as source. 

Ya, I looked and realized I was incorrect. I think I was thinking of the Music Hall, but that's a bit more expensive. I also think Pro-Ject has one. I just found a tube-based HiFiMan on Amazon. There's also Audio-gd.

 

[obobskivich]

Some others to consider;

Firestone Fubar, Spitfire, and ILTW.
Audio-Tehcnica AT-HA25 and 26D
CIA VDA-2 (and VHP-2 if you want it to match, I like the MF amp better though).
MF V-DAC and M1 (this is a combo unit)
Asus Xonar Essence ONE
Creative X-Fi HD USB

Plus all the mentioned others.

 

[rudi0504]

Hi All

I Am Grado fanboy , i have Grado HF 2 First batch and Alessandro Grado MS pro .
Yesterday i just Bought Grado GS 1000 i

I Wonder why In head Fi do not have thread For Grado GS 1000 i ?

I have found Only Short Mini review :

http://www.head-fi.org/t/569895/mini-review-grado-gs1000i

http://www.head-fi.org/t/425570/gs-1000i-review

 

[Mr.Sneis]

I didn't care much for RS-2, RS-2i, and 225i but have recently picked up an old pair of 325 and it's pretty darn good.  Have been listening to some Miles with them and the trumpets aren't nearly as bad as I was expecting.  Bass is also fairly clean.

 

[eltocliousus]

Focker, my Grado PS500s didn't even get through customs, I got mail this morning telling me the item is being returned, I have no idea why, the letter told me absolutely no other information. The seller I bought from has given me a refund though, and in a spit possible silliness I bought a pair of heavily modified T50RPs on the for sale forum, and apparently it's an extremely dark pair too, but it looked so pretty 

.
 
Grado really need to sort out their European prices, they're literally double the price here, $1,100 for a pair of PS500s.

 

[keppa]

Quote:

Focker, my Grado PS500s didn't even get through customs, I got mail this morning telling me the item is being returned, I have no idea why, the letter told me absolutely no other information. The seller I bought from has given me a refund though, and in a spit possible silliness I bought a pair of heavily modified T50RPs on the for sale forum, and apparently it's an extremely dark pair too, but it looked so pretty 

.
 
Grado really need to sort out their European prices, they're literally double the price here, $1,100 for a pair of PS500s.

 
Whoa! I did get my PS500's for 649€ (~518£) from here Finland, so not quite as cheap as overseas, but still not near to $1,100. The prices there seriously need sorting.

 

[eltocliousus]

Quote:

 
Whoa! I did get my PS500's for 649€ (~518£) from here Finland, so not quite as cheap as overseas, but still not near to $1,100. The prices there seriously need sorting.

 
From Amazon they're just a touch under $1,000, in most other places they're $1,100, and the RRP is a staggering $1,250, my first pair of Grados were SR80is from Amazon, almost $200.

 

[stacker45]

Quote:

Hi All
I Am Grado fanboy , i have Grado HF 2 First batch and Alessandro Grado MS pro .
Yesterday i just Bought Grado GS 1000 i
I Wonder why In head Fi do not have thread For Grado GS 1000 i ?
I have found Only Short Mini review :
http://www.head-fi.org/t/569895/mini-review-grado-gs1000i
http://www.head-fi.org/t/425570/gs-1000i-review

 
It's not often that peoples will openly admit to beeing fanboys,so i guess you deserve some credit for admiting to it,as for threads regarding the GS1000is,i'm not surprised since they're probably the least loved Grados. 

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Quote:

 
It's not often that peoples will openly admit to beeing fanboys,so i guess you deserve some credit for admiting to it,as for threads regarding the GS1000is,i'm not surprised since they're probably the least loved Grados. 

Well, he's more to Stax fanboy than Grado fanboy actually 

 
 

Hi All
I Am Grado fanboy , i have Grado HF 2 First batch and Alessandro Grado MS pro .
Yesterday i just Bought Grado GS 1000 i
I Wonder why In head Fi do not have thread For Grado GS 1000 i ?
I have found Only Short Mini review :
http://www.head-fi.org/t/569895/mini-review-grado-gs1000i
http://www.head-fi.org/t/425570/gs-1000i-review

 
Om, from all of your current set-up (include portable and desktop), which set up you found has the best synergy with GS1k? This Grado is famous for their picky amping.

 

[stacker45]

My GS1000s haven't seen much action since i got my PS1000,but with all this talk about the GS1000 lately,and Focker who recently bought a pair,so today i decided to give them a go at a $1 thrift store LP a compillation of old french (my main language) songs,played on my vintage Yamaha YP-D6 TT with a $50 Audio-Technica cartridge,and straight from the headphone output of my old Yamaha CA-610II.
 
So,needless to say,i didn't give them much of a chance to 'reimpress' me,and still,i was pleasantly surprised of how good they actually sound,the thing is,all is fine as long as i don't switch back and forth from the GS1000 to the PS1000 with the same song.
 
I have a theory as to why many peoples never liked the GS1000s,i believe it as to do with the theory of relativity,in other words,it depends where you're coming from,i use to own Sennheiser's HD-600s,who are known to have a big soundstage but a slightly veiled sound,so,when i compared them to the GS1000 not only was the soundstage big,but the sound was much more detailed,so obviously,i was impressed,they were my first Grados and the beginning of a wonderful journey.
 
That beeing said,i can understand why someone who already owned Grados,say RS1s,therefore used to an intimate sound signature,would be disapointed by the ressessed mids of the GS1000,and even if the newer ''i'' model brings the mids a little closer,they're still very different from the RS1is,or any other Grados for that matter,exept of course the PS1000s.
 
I sure would like to know what you guys think on that matter.

 

[obobskivich]

My GS1000s haven't seen much action since i got my PS1000,but with all this talk about the GS1000 lately,and Focker who recently bought a pair,so today i decided to give them a go at a $1 thrift store LP a compillation of old french (my main language) songs,played on my vintage Yamaha YP-D6 TT with a $50 Audio-Technica cartridge,and straight from the headphone output of my old Yamaha CA-610II.

So,needless to say,i didn't give them much of a chance to 'reimpress' me,and still,i was pleasantly surprised of how good they actually sound,the thing is,all is fine as long as i don't switch back and forth from the GS1000 to the PS1000 with the same song.

I have a theory as to why many peoples never liked the GS1000s,i believe it as to do with the theory of relativity,in other words,it depends where you're coming from,i use to own Sennheiser's HD-600s,who are known to have a big soundstage but a slightly veiled sound,so,when i compared them to the GS1000 not only was the soundstage big,but the sound was much more detailed,so obviously,i was impressed,they were my first Grados and the beginning of a wonderful journey.

That beeing said,i can understand why someone who already owned Grados,say RS1s,therefore used to an intimate sound signature,would be disapointed by the ressessed mids of the GS1000,and even if the newer ''i'' model brings the mids a little closer,they're still very different from the RS1is,or any other Grados for that matter,exept of course the PS1000s.

I sure would like to know what you guys think on that matter.

I would agree. The GSK are a good headphone, but they aren't really an "improvement" on the Grado sound, more of a change to it. I think that's the problem though, is that Grado sets them up as the "best headphone they know how to make" not as "here's something different for your consideration." If that were explained, and they were at parity with the RS-1 pricing (or if there was a less expensive version, like how there's a PS-500 and PS-1000, why not have a GS-500 that comes in hybrid plastic/wood and sits there with the PS-500 and RS-1?), I think they'd be far more popular.

Should note that I haven't heard the GS-1000i. Curious, but not $995 curious, how different they are.

Also, and this isn't meant to be any sort of attack - spaces after commas are common convention in English. Without them, it makes your posts hard to read.

 

[TwoTrack]

My 325is are breaking in nicely.  I can see why many love these cans.  They don't seem to be bright like the 325i version.  Wonderful sound.