shawn_low
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2009
- Posts
- 581
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- 10
Ok, I'm not going to revive all the old threads about Grado being a $300 box with $30 worth of parts. Oh wait, in a sense, I just revived it.
In any case, I just took possession of a battery powered RA-1.
The unit is light.
Build quality is ok: the wood is certainly nice but prone to scratches and dings. The fit and finish of the bottom plates aren't great (there's a gap at the top of the plate and I can see a little into the wells where the components are hiding).
The battery connectors look pretty fragile and constant changing of batteries might wreck it one day. It does take a little bit of force to click the batteries in.
Turned it on: POP! Right. That was on the instruction slip. The amp pops when turned on and off.
Connected a source (ipod with LOD into RCA). Cranked the volume up. Silent.
I've had another Cmoy that had hiss when cranked up. This one doesn't.
Connected the Magnum MS2is and also the GS1000i.
I didn't expect much to be honest. But what I heard was surprisingly good. With Diana Krall's Quite Nights album, the Magnums sound very inviting and intimate. Soundstage wasn't large by any means but there's a slight sense of depth to the overall soundstage.
Instrument separation is good. The pluck of the guitars sounds right as does the piano. Cymbols sound crisp and has the right amount of decay.
Diana's voice is inviting and is well centered.
I didn't listen to the GS1ki enough to get a proper impression but what little I heard was good as well.
Call it a placebo effect or Grado synergy. I don't know. But I honestly expected something pretty average and straight out, the damn box was captivating and engaging.
Maybe I'll shell out for a clone to see if it captures the same 'Grado' synergy.
In any case, I just took possession of a battery powered RA-1.
The unit is light.
Build quality is ok: the wood is certainly nice but prone to scratches and dings. The fit and finish of the bottom plates aren't great (there's a gap at the top of the plate and I can see a little into the wells where the components are hiding).
The battery connectors look pretty fragile and constant changing of batteries might wreck it one day. It does take a little bit of force to click the batteries in.
Turned it on: POP! Right. That was on the instruction slip. The amp pops when turned on and off.
Connected a source (ipod with LOD into RCA). Cranked the volume up. Silent.
I've had another Cmoy that had hiss when cranked up. This one doesn't.
Connected the Magnum MS2is and also the GS1000i.
I didn't expect much to be honest. But what I heard was surprisingly good. With Diana Krall's Quite Nights album, the Magnums sound very inviting and intimate. Soundstage wasn't large by any means but there's a slight sense of depth to the overall soundstage.
Instrument separation is good. The pluck of the guitars sounds right as does the piano. Cymbols sound crisp and has the right amount of decay.
Diana's voice is inviting and is well centered.
I didn't listen to the GS1ki enough to get a proper impression but what little I heard was good as well.
Call it a placebo effect or Grado synergy. I don't know. But I honestly expected something pretty average and straight out, the damn box was captivating and engaging.
Maybe I'll shell out for a clone to see if it captures the same 'Grado' synergy.
