ChenaynayC
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2001
- Posts
- 307
- Likes
- 11
The Grado amp came in today. I left work immediately. Afterall, I do have priorities. It'll cost me next week, but I'm a happy camper this weekend. Okay, here's where I am right now:
It's lighter (weightwise) than I thought. Very elegant looking. I can't call it cute - it has more class than that. I was pleased to find that the battery compartment does not require a screwdriver to open. I read that in some old posts. It has two black 'thumbscrews' that screw out. They are very small. I've already dropped one twice. I'll have to make sure I do this change in a stable environment if I carry it portably. The power switch on the back is not functionally good. I think they could have put it on the front and not ruined the aesthetics.
As far as sound, it sounds great. Very, very quiet, clear, and transparent. It is not adding anything to what's there. I'm not set up for a/b testing which would be must to do a good comparison with the JMT. And, besides, I've made too many changes this week to be fair. I'll have to do more listening. I think the DI/O is adding 'warmth' even though I have the 'tube warmth' switch totally counterclockwise. I noticed this with my JMT too. But, now that I think of it, I hooked the Grado up with the Grado interconnects. So, I have way too many variables going on here.
The DI/O makes this amp a powerhouse. I have the volume at 7, and I have all the detail I want. I've been lucky to get the solid green light with no distortion - so no attenuation cables for DI/O and me. I do have the Stancor power supply enroute. It will probably be the only 'mod' I do. I thought about getting Markertek cables - but I think I'll stick with the Grados. I would like to get my hands on some nice gold 1/4" phone plug to RCA adapters though. Let me know if you know of anything.
Yep, my man DIO is working very well. No problems losing sync or distortion. I love it. This purchase was a major step for me. It's making all the difference to my set-up. All in all, I'm happy so far. I'll keep listening this weekend to see how it goes after the new toy phase wears off.
Sorry for rambling . . .
It's lighter (weightwise) than I thought. Very elegant looking. I can't call it cute - it has more class than that. I was pleased to find that the battery compartment does not require a screwdriver to open. I read that in some old posts. It has two black 'thumbscrews' that screw out. They are very small. I've already dropped one twice. I'll have to make sure I do this change in a stable environment if I carry it portably. The power switch on the back is not functionally good. I think they could have put it on the front and not ruined the aesthetics.
As far as sound, it sounds great. Very, very quiet, clear, and transparent. It is not adding anything to what's there. I'm not set up for a/b testing which would be must to do a good comparison with the JMT. And, besides, I've made too many changes this week to be fair. I'll have to do more listening. I think the DI/O is adding 'warmth' even though I have the 'tube warmth' switch totally counterclockwise. I noticed this with my JMT too. But, now that I think of it, I hooked the Grado up with the Grado interconnects. So, I have way too many variables going on here.
The DI/O makes this amp a powerhouse. I have the volume at 7, and I have all the detail I want. I've been lucky to get the solid green light with no distortion - so no attenuation cables for DI/O and me. I do have the Stancor power supply enroute. It will probably be the only 'mod' I do. I thought about getting Markertek cables - but I think I'll stick with the Grados. I would like to get my hands on some nice gold 1/4" phone plug to RCA adapters though. Let me know if you know of anything.
Yep, my man DIO is working very well. No problems losing sync or distortion. I love it. This purchase was a major step for me. It's making all the difference to my set-up. All in all, I'm happy so far. I'll keep listening this weekend to see how it goes after the new toy phase wears off.
Sorry for rambling . . .
