[kugino]

iKonoKlast, i understand your reluctance to get an amp. will the rs1 sound good straight out of the MBP? yes. will it sound better than the sr60? without a doubt. i think most here have conceded both of these points. and it sounds as though you know that both of these are probably true as well.

without an amp you will still enjoy the rs1 and i have no doubts that you will be able to tweak the sound using the EQ. so an amp is not necessary for you to gain enjoyment and if that's true, just do it and be happy. the rs1 are fantastic.

the only other thing i would say, though, is that many who have the rs1 feel that an amp only enhances the sound even more, and some amps to better than others in this regard. but, it's not as though the rs1 are crap without an amp and then magically become great because of an external amp. no, they are terrific headphones to begin with and an amp provides that last bit of oomph, whether it be that last bit of detail or bass or whatever.

so don't let people here tell you that you NEED an amp for the rs1 to sound good. no, they will sound good as long as your source material is good to begin with.

 

[Pangaea]

I think the biggest advantage of getting say a predator is simply getting the RS-1 away from your computer's noisy internals. The better the headphone the better you will hear that HD cranking away.

 

[M0T0XGUY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iKonoKlast /img/forum/go_quote.gif So to those of you saying that using the RS1 without a DAC/amp would be a travesty of justice, I don't see a compelling argument for your case. Seems like almost everyone who is DAC/amp-obsessed always talk about the change in sound signature, especially the tube amp enthusiasts; but to me, I like the Grado sound as is. I don't need even more coloration, and if I did, I could just use the EQ in iTunes. Now you're all going to say that a software EQ is nowhere as good quality as an amp. Fine. Just help me understand. I'm trying not to be judgmental... I'm genuinely puzzled about Head-Fi's fetish with this stuff.

The thing is, a good tube amp is nothing like a Bass + preset on your Macbook's EQ. Rather, its like a bonafide (sp) sonic enhancer; improving everything you already love about your Grado's without messing with their sound signature. Treble detail, for example, is passable on an unamped set of RS-1's. Add a clean amplifier to your system, and the highs remain comparable in terms of emphasis, but bite hard when treble instruments are layered in a song. It's not sibilant nor offputting; just resolving.

I could go on and on, mentioning each aspect of the RS-1's signature, but my point has been made: an amplifier doesn't EQ a sound, so much as improve it exponentially.

 

[dvessel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the biggest advantage of getting say a predator is simply getting the RS-1 away from your computer's noisy internals. The better the headphone the better you will hear that HD cranking away.

This is the main reason I got an amp. It was especially bad on my Macbook Pro. Made odd chirps and beeps. I bought Pangaea's RS-1 and they will sound great without an amp but depending on how clean the output is, your milage may vary.

Driving the RS-1's with and without an amp, I can detect a subtle difference. It's not dramatic but it's there outside the beeping that is..

 

[iKonoKlast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by M0T0XGUY /img/forum/go_quote.gif I could go on and on, mentioning each aspect of the RS-1's signature, but my point has been made: an amplifier doesn't EQ a sound, so much as improve it exponentially.

Think carefully about what you just wrote there, and then think about how credible you sound when you're arguing against the skeptics like me. It honestly sounds like you're trying way too hard to appreciate what little an amp adds to the sound. It's okay. I think I get it: you've devoted so much to this hobby that you have to convince yourself, to no end, that every purchase you've made related to your obsession has been so worthwhile.

Sorry, I might sound cynical or detached, but I'm trying very hard not to fall into the rabbit hole of amp obsession. For my wallet's sake, mainly.

 

[Cankin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iKonoKlast /img/forum/go_quote.gif So to those of you saying that using the RS1 without a DAC/amp would be a travesty of justice, I don't see a compelling argument for your case. Seems like almost everyone who is DAC/amp-obsessed always talk about the change in sound signature, especially the tube amp enthusiasts; but to me, I like the Grado sound as is. I don't need even more coloration, and if I did, I could just use the EQ in iTunes. Now you're all going to say that a software EQ is nowhere as good quality as an amp. Fine. Just help me understand. I'm trying not to be judgmental... I'm genuinely puzzled about Head-Fi's fetish with this stuff.

How transparent is the headphone out of your Mac?? You don't want coloration but you use EQ ??

 

[Jingo Lingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino /img/forum/go_quote.gif the only other thing i would say, though, is that many who have the rs1 feel that an amp only enhances the sound even more, and some amps to better than others in this regard. but, it's not as though the rs1 are crap without an amp and then magically become great because of an external amp. no, they are terrific headphones to begin with and an amp provides that last bit of oomph, whether it be that last bit of detail or bass or whatever. so don't let people here tell you that you NEED an amp for the rs1 to sound good. no, they will sound good as long as your source material is good to begin with.

QFT.

 

[Townyj]

I run my RS-2's straight from my Ipod sometimes and they still sound great! It just depends if you want to risk it and see how they end up straight out of your specific source.

 

[SptsNaz]

Have you heard the MS1's?

I wouldn't get an RS1 without a good amp and source, because (to me anyway) they simply aren't worth $500-$700 unless you've already invested in a good set up or are going to in the near future.

You can try it if you want, but it's going to be a pretty big risk. I would get the MS1's, which I believe are the best budget cans period, or the SR225's. Both also aren't as fragile, so you can throw them around your computer table without worrying too much

 

[Cousin Patty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SptsNaz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wouldn't get an RS1 without a good amp and source, because (to me anyway) they simply aren't worth $500-$700 unless you've already invested in a good set up or are going to in the near future.

Bingo.

 

[M0T0XGUY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iKonoKlast /img/forum/go_quote.gif Think carefully about what you just wrote there, and then think about how credible you sound when you're arguing against the skeptics like me. It honestly sounds like you're trying way too hard to appreciate what little an amp adds to the sound. It's okay. I think I get it: you've devoted so much to this hobby that you have to convince yourself, to no end, that every purchase you've made related to your obsession has been so worthwhile. Sorry, I might sound cynical or detached, but I'm trying very hard not to fall into the rabbit hole of amp obsession. For my wallet's sake, mainly.

I'm skeptical of just about everything in audio; yet I believe in the improvements of amps. Perhaps calling the change an exponential gain is a bit of a stretch, but I've no doubt that amps do their part in enhancing the sound of whatever they drive.

In audio, it's really about how far you're willing to go: sure, an amp isn't some sort of magic box, altering the sound as much as a new pair of headphones would, but in spite of the law of diminishing returns, they do make a difference.

 

[panda]

it seems like you've already made up your mind to obtain something and set it/forget it, so why even bother posing your original question if you're not going to even attempt to see if you might venture further or not? i'm every bit of a skeptic as you are but i usually don't write anything off until i've actually experienced the outcome of something new to me...

 

[pufftissue]

The OP doesn't understand that we're allowing that HE may not like headphone amps.

We will all allow that some people can't hear any difference. What we will not allow is for someone to categorically deny the value of all headphone amps without even trying a headphone amp first. Try one, preferably one that is known to work well with the RS-1. Then tell us that you don't hear a difference and it's all a farce and I can live with that. To me it's not different than saying that all BMWs handle horribly without having ever driven a BMW. I don't understand how despite 28 posts the principle behind these posts hasn't been driven home yet.

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by M0T0XGUY /img/forum/go_quote.gif First of all, let's be clear that you will notice a difference between Grado's top and bottom headphones; otherwise people would never buy RS-1's. The detail of the SR-60's is there, but with less treble emphasis; and the bass, like the mids, becomes more pronounced with a tighter presentation. Lucky for you, an amp is not a necessity with RS-1's. Before I could afford an amp, I was forced to use them straight out of a preamp's headphone jack; which was lacking in power, to say the least. Undoubtedly, though, the RS-1's still sounded damn good. I had used the identical setup with a pair of SR-60's a few months beforehand, and I was blown away by the difference - everything just sounded great, for lack of a better word. Still, you'd be robbing yourself not to try a tube amp at least somewhere during your journey. I won't get into just how much the sound improves, but if you supplement your RS-1's with even a decent tube amplifier, I think you'll find the difference obvious.

I agree with your comments but as you've found out, the RS-1s will sound good without an amp. So while there won't be as much difference between the 60s and the 1s, it is noticeable. When he is ready to try an amp, he will get the grins all over again.

 

[Zodduska]

Higher quality source = Better sound, Higher quality amp = the source's sound ehanced by more power and amp flavor.

Your RS-1 will only sound as good as the macbook's headphone out and also lack power (driver control), if that is ok with you I say go for it.
If, after owning the RS-1 for a while, you decide to try a source/amp upgrade I think you would enjoy them even more.