[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Hey MalVeauX,
 
How are your balanced Grados on the A-100 using the 500ohm resistor?

I'm fascinated by what you're doing with the A-100 and the 500ohm resistor. I really like the thought of using the A-100 as my sole headphone amp and using a 500ohm resistor for low impedance headphones - does it do the trick with Grados as well?

Thanks!

 
Fantastic actually. I tried them without the resistor adapter and there was a noise floor. I also tested it at max volume to see if I could damage the Grados. There was a rattle. But it seems to have gone away. Dunno what that was. Anyhow, with the resistor adapter, I can listen to the Grado perfectly fine, no noise floor, and it's absolutely energetic, fantastic. Sound stage is actually impressive on the Grado too. Great dynamics. They sounded like speakers pretty much.
 
Quote:

Anyone know how to make the resistor? Is it just in place on the positive leads? 

 
I believe Brian just put them on the positive leads.
 
Very best,

 

[Biscuitz]

Quote:

 
Fantastic actually. I tried them without the resistor adapter and there was a noise floor. I also tested it at max volume to see if I could damage the Grados. There was a rattle. But it seems to have gone away. Dunno what that was. Anyhow, with the resistor adapter, I can listen to the Grado perfectly fine, no noise floor, and it's absolutely energetic, fantastic. Sound stage is actually impressive on the Grado too. Great dynamics. They sounded like speakers pretty much.

Thanks MalVeauX! This is important to me, and I'm relieved to hear that the A-100 and a resistor works well with even Grados. I can't think of any reason not to go this route now.
 
Time to save up!

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Might as well post up some shots of some balanced Grados (old SR80's). They've been recabled to 3.5mm to 3.5mm female dual entry detachable cables that terminate with 4 pin XLR. I'm using a 500ohm resistor with the Emotiva.
 
I expected the treble to be hot, but it actually isn't on my setup. But I have considerable warmth on my overall setup. Perhaps the resistor helps a touch too no that front. Good energy, not dark of course, but it doesn't cut you in half in traditional Grado style. Then again this is an older SR80, not one of the new ones. The mids are excellent, very realistic, very Grado. Tons of energy, great forward nature. The detail is quite nice, tons of separation, not congested, a touch of the Grado grain sound is there, the house sound at least I find with most prestige series, but it's quite clear otherwise. Instruments, melodies and vocal sound great. There is a little edge to the upper mids with vocals, even at normal listening level, the forward nature of the Grado mids comes right through, be it a guitar solo, or a vocalist belting a solo. The energy and emotion is there. Nothing close to flat and boring or dry. Tons and tons of energy, but controlled. Fantastic. The bass is typical for Grado. I'm using L-cush pads, as I prefer them and find they are best for total tone and are the best when it comes to lower frequencies. Without any equalization, the bass is there, nice, tight and strong. It's not a subwoofer naturally, but it drops fairly low for an open air headphone and a Grado in general. Great punch to it. I would not describe it as polite at all. It's not out right bassy, but it's there where it's supposed to be. I'm pretty much a bass-head and this is satisfying enough for the kind of music I like Grados with.
 
So you can definitely use Grados with a speaker amp like the Emotiva with an adapter like the one I described and use. The 500ohms matches great with the Grado. No noise floor at all, no hiss, and it doesn't sound tame either. It actually sounds a lot like a loud speaker does, with focus on mids and just raw energy. Grados really portray what current from an amplifier is all about.
 
When I equalize using my typical setup, I drop most frequencies, flat across the spectrum by a good -10db and leave sub-bass at zero and curve down from there to mid-bass. I drop mid bass too, I only equalize to bring out sub-bass, because I find that is where most open headphones lose their thunder. And I happen to enjoy sub-bass the most. As a basshead I actually dislike strong mid-bass, it's annoying and boomy. But sub-bass that is as volumous as the mids is amazing. So I equalize for flat to slightly emphasized sub-bass, at least, to my ears. Someone else might think it's "bassy." I like it like this because bass guitar and kick drums just really pop with the sub-bass running hot.
 
    
 
Very best,

 

[ToInfinity]

Quote:

Heya,
 
Might as well post up some shots of some balanced Grados (old SR80's). They've been recabled to 3.5mm to 3.5mm female dual entry detachable cables that terminate with 4 pin XLR. I'm using a 500ohm resistor with the Emotiva.
 
I expected the treble to be hot, but it actually isn't on my setup. But I have considerable warmth on my overall setup. Perhaps the resistor helps a touch too no that front. Good energy, not dark of course, but it doesn't cut you in half in traditional Grado style. Then again this is an older SR80, not one of the new ones. The mids are excellent, very realistic, very Grado. Tons of energy, great forward nature. The detail is quite nice, tons of separation, not congested, a touch of the Grado grain sound is there, the house sound at least I find with most prestige series, but it's quite clear otherwise. Instruments, melodies and vocal sound great. There is a little edge to the upper mids with vocals, even at normal listening level, the forward nature of the Grado mids comes right through, be it a guitar solo, or a vocalist belting a solo. The energy and emotion is there. Nothing close to flat and boring or dry. Tons and tons of energy, but controlled. Fantastic. The bass is typical for Grado. I'm using L-cush pads, as I prefer them and find they are best for total tone and are the best when it comes to lower frequencies. Without any equalization, the bass is there, nice, tight and strong. It's not a subwoofer naturally, but it drops fairly low for an open air headphone and a Grado in general. Great punch to it. I would not describe it as polite at all. It's not out right bassy, but it's there where it's supposed to be. I'm pretty much a bass-head and this is satisfying enough for the kind of music I like Grados with.
 
So you can definitely use Grados with a speaker amp like the Emotiva with an adapter like the one I described and use. The 500ohms matches great with the Grado. No noise floor at all, no hiss, and it doesn't sound tame either. It actually sounds a lot like a loud speaker does, with focus on mids and just raw energy. Grados really portray what current from an amplifier is all about.
 
When I equalize using my typical setup, I drop most frequencies, flat across the spectrum by a good -10db and leave sub-bass at zero and curve down from there to mid-bass. I drop mid bass too, I only equalize to bring out sub-bass, because I find that is where most open headphones lose their thunder. And I happen to enjoy sub-bass the most. As a basshead I actually dislike strong mid-bass, it's annoying and boomy. But sub-bass that is as volumous as the mids is amazing. So I equalize for flat to slightly emphasized sub-bass, at least, to my ears. Someone else might think it's "bassy." I like it like this because bass guitar and kick drums just really pop with the sub-bass running hot.
 
    
 
Very best,

What DAC are you using in the pic? And is that your preferred DAC or just a temporary change of pace? 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

What DAC are you using in the pic? And is that your preferred DAC or just a temporary change of pace? 

 
The same DAC, the Maverick TubeMagic D2 (far most left). Emotiva next to it. LDMK3 tube acting as pre-amp on top.
 
Very best,

 

[ToInfinity]

I see, missed it there hiding in the corner 

 

[preproman]

Quote:

What DAC are you using in the pic? And is that your preferred DAC or just a temporary change of pace? 

 
 
Did BTG do the re cable on the Grados?  What kind of cable boot is that at the cups?

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

 
 
Did BTG do the re cable on the Grados?  What kind of cable boot is that at the cups?

 
Nope, I got it second hand pre-done like this from someone else. They sold it for virtually nothing, like $40 or something, so I bought it on the spot. Dunno what any of it is. But it works, and it's detachable and sounds great. If you want detailed photos of the boots, caps, connection, etc, let me know.
 
Very best,

 

[Biscuitz]

Awesome, great write up MalVeauX!

Wishing I lived in Florida now I'm dying to hear that setup. Sounds like it'd be right up my alley.

 

[modulor]

 
Could be a great endeavor to route the speaker taps to the front of the unit and toss in a 4 pin xlr / TRS in front?
 
 

 

Quote:

 
 
No no no.... I was the first one to buy the emotiva and try with HE-6. I was the guinea pig once. Someone else go
 
You could even make two separate connectors on the front. One with the resistors built in, and another without. 

Once I get mine in the next few days, I'll be doing a thorough inspection of it and may consider trying this out (or a variation).  The way my desk it set up it would actually work better from the back connectors, but I'll see how easy it would be to do this...likely a simple rewire inside.  You could definitely implement a switch for both speaker taps and front connector if you wanted to have speakers or two headphones always connected and to switch around easily.

 

[wje]

Quote:

Did BTG do the re cable on the Grados?  What kind of cable boot is that at the cups?

 
They look like standard 3.5mm (mono) connectors - just the + and the - wires connect to each up.

 

[zilch0md]

Hey MalVeaux
 
This is indeed an innovative solution for using a lot of other headphones with a speaker amp!  As others have said, thanks for thinking of this!
Quote:

Heya,
 
So this is a big deal.
 
I just got the XLR -> 500ohm resistor -> XLR adapter that Brian made me (BTG Audio). Wow. 
 
[snip]
 

 

 
These are my balanced Denons with the 500ohm XLR resistor added at the end there.
 

 
On the Meridian Explorer thread, it was suggested that a 6 dB line-level attenuator could be used to solve one user's problem.
 
I just found a 12 dB version of that same product:
 
   

 
I'm not sure which approach would give the best results - attenuating at the amplifier's input vs. at the output, but it's something to consider.
 
Harrison makes 3-, 6-, and 12-dB versions that look like this.
 
Mike

 

[mac336]

my new emotiva amp came in today.  still getting a low amp "humming" when no music is playing.  This is isnt bad at all compared to the last amp, but I would still rather have it dead silent with no music playing.   Is there something wrong with my speakers taps cable (banana plug to female TRS)  ?
 
would getting a banana plugs to xlr fix this issue possibly ?

 

[preproman]

While it may vary from amp to amp.  It's not uncommon with a high gain speaker amp paired with sensitive headphones like the 500s and the 400s.  I didn't get any hum with my HE-6, HE-5LE or HE-4s.  But got a little with the 500s.

 

[mac336]

ok, great.  thanks