Grado GS1000/rs-1 + Apogee Duet

[jodyjodyjody]

Hello,

Hopefully this won't be too much of a re-post. -I've spent a couple of hours searching the forums and can't seem to find much of a conclusive answer.

I currently have an Apogee Duet connected to my Macbook Pro and use it in a music studio set up with some Adam mid-field monitors. I like the set up and it serves me well.

I'd like to add to that studio set up with some good headphones, for late night sessions and further reference / listening.

I'm not planning on getting a headphone amp for reasons of space/clutter/simplicity, so will be running the new headphones straight out of the Duet's headphone socket.

My first thoughts were to get some Grado RS-1's but i've since seen the GS1000's which look like they could give me even more detail. -I'm looking for accuracy rather than warmth as this is a studio set up.

Does anyone have any experience of these working with the Duet or can recommend either? I have a slight concern that the Grado's (particularly the GS1000's) will find themselves underpowered by the Duet...

Any thoughts would be great

Jody

 

[pinkpanther]

Hi Jody,

Unfortunately I didn't get very much of a response from people regarding the GS1K and the Duet. So I chanced it and ended up getting the GS1K to use with the duet. Here is my story: I already owned the duet at the time I was considering the GS1K, and I also had a pair of grado sr220s which sounded fabulous when paired with the duet (i.e. could drive them really well without an amp.) I was pretty set on the GS1K from reading all the fabulous reviews (I brushed off the bad ones--some people don't like the grado sound.) I tried the GS1K at an audio store compared with the Senns 650, and the Grado RS-1. The GS1K blew the other two out of the water (albeit my testing at the store was done with a great source and an amp.) So, I ended up getting the GS1Ks and I find they do indeed sound great when powered via the headphone jack of the duet alone. The Grados in general have a relatively low impedance so can actually be driven fairly well with just being plugged into an ipod. I didn't realize, however, what I was missing until I got my iQube amp and paired it with the duet. The duet alone subjectively power the GS1Ks to probably about 80% of their potential. These phones need extra juice to really sing. The duet is a brilliant source when paired with an amp. The duet's digital to analog converter is IMHO the best quality in the price range--and some even argue better than much more expensive ones. If you can afford to have a duet + GS1Ks + an amp then I think you will be very happy. Without an amp, the bass sounds a little muddy at the low end and the mid-range is a bit recessed. With and amp, the bass sounds tight and the mid-range really begins to come to the front of the sound stage. I just ordered the WooAudio 6 amp, and from what I've read it pairs really well with the GS1K. And that's my long winded story. If you need any more specific questions answered let me know and I'd be happy to answer them.

Cheers

 

[jodyjodyjody]

Hi Jake,

Thanks for the reply, i really appreciate you taking the time to respond.

I guess i have a decision to make then:

1. Get the GS1Ks and use them at 80% of their potential. Then at some point (it might be a while) get a headphone amp. -I'd probably get the Phonitor (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/spl...ce-amp-329765/) as it's part of a studio set up.

OR

2. Get some "less hungry" headphones e.g. AKG K701s or Senn 650s, and drive them through the duet headphone socket.

The question then, i guess, is this:

Would the GS1Ks still give me better results running out of the Duet than the other phones i mention. -Or would i get better results with "lesser" and cheaper headphones that are better suited to the Duet?

Thanks again, if you or anyone else have any thoughts or suggestions i'd love to hear them.

Jody.

 

[panda]

i don't find the duet very good, but you might be fine with it as it's being utilized for studio use. the fones that you should be considering are sony sa5000, they are extremely clean and highly detailed.

 

[rainia]

I have a duet with K701, HD650 and MS-2i. You are better off with grado. K701 and HD650 needs more power than duet alone.

 

[jodyjodyjody]

Thank you for the replies guys.

Panda, i had considered the sa5000 before, but i read that they're not so strong on bass reproduction. Would you disagree? -Have you used them with the Duet's headphone out before?

Rainia, thanks for that, very useful. -Do you think i should assume [as per PinkPanther's thoughts on the performance of Duet+GS1K] that i'll only be getting about 80% out of the potential of the K701 and HD650 using the Duet headphone socket?

 

[Currawong]

Compared to amped, K701s lose a lot of soundstage out of the Duet directly. If the GS1000s have a big soundstage like the AKGs do, then you'd want to have an amp for them for sure.

 

[rainia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jodyjodyjody /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you for the replies guys. Panda, i had considered the sa5000 before, but i read that they're not so strong on bass reproduction. Would you disagree? -Have you used them with the Duet's headphone out before? Rainia, thanks for that, very useful. -Do you think i should assume [as per PinkPanther's thoughts on the performance of Duet+GS1K] that i'll only be getting about 80% out of the potential of the K701 and HD650 using the Duet headphone socket?

Well, They sound ok. Just OK. You won't get any orgasm outta listening K701 and HD650 from Duet socket. However you will with grado line.
So far I have tested duet with k701, hd650, ms2i, ath-pro700.
Duet can drive pro700 to its full potential. for ms2i I would say somewhere between 80~90%. I might get RS-1 and see how it is with Duet.

 

[rainia]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/hea...e-duet-317153/
I found this thread. This might help you out.

 

[blessingx]

I sold my GS1K (for the second time) before getting the Duet, but I'd be shocked if it got the GS1Ks to 80%. Not so much to disagree with PP, but in that the GS1K has such funky signature curve it takes specific amps or tube combinations to counter-balance its midrange issue (and I don't mean compared to other Grados, I mean compared to other headphones). Cheapest I've seen is the WA6 and only then with the right rectifier. And in that configuration I rarely listened to other phones as the combo was wrong for them.

Anyway, you'd be better off with the other Grados, the ATs (depending on how cold you feel they natively are), maybe the Sonys (but I'd never recommend the SA5K with any amp - personally hate their tuning). Most of my listening through the Duet head jack is with the W1000s. I suspect the Grado/Alessandros would sound very nice too.

I'm not much of a Grado fan though. Personal, but I should bring it up. When the GS1K sounds its best, I am a fan of that model, but I agree with many others that the GS1K shouldn't really be thought of as absolutely better than the RS1. 90%+ of the decent to great rigs out there would likely have the RS1 producing a less problematic sound in my book.

And if you're not going the dedicated amp route, I'd give a second thought to even considering any of the flagship models. Not going to be great bang for buck in your situation and even end up problematic. For a variety of sonic issues I wouldn't recommend the GS1K, W5K or AD2K straight out of the Duet.

And forget about powering the HD580/6x0 and K601/701s. You don't want to go that route.

Honestly the RS1/MS Pro may be your best bet unless you have and issue with Grados soundstaging/aggressive sound. Older AT models maybe be an option for you too. I suspect if you weren't extra sensitive to brightness, the old Sony CD3000s would be interesting to mate too, but I've never heard them with the Duet. The Ultrasone 780 would be a closed, lower power "Senn 600 substitute" option.

As I mentioned in the other thread, several have said the Etys and Duet mate well.

 

[jfiveeight]

The SA-5000 are not as bass light as everyone makes them out to be. It's not as bass heavy as the Proline 750s but from a more neutral source (1820m) to a more warm nx-02, they sound pretty good. Before I bought them I read all the threads i could and this one was a great source for how they sound http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/spe...mpared-319009/