[beez]

hey all, here's my story:

i discovered head-fi a few months ago and have been reading a few hours every day. got grado sr60s for christmas to replace my bose qc1 (gift from a few years ago), played around with modding them and love them. i got a pa2v2 and like that a lot too. i've since been fascinated by the hi-fi world and now i'm looking to upgrade my system after a nice night of poker yesterday.

i listen to music exclusively out of my macbook. since i like the sound and look of the grados, i'm thinking i'm gonna go straight to the top (pretty much) and get the RS-1. i think they're beautiful looking phones and if they sound half as great as grado fans think i think i'll be happy. i'm open to other suggestions though too. i listen to a lot of acoustic stuff, rap, indie stuff, some rock, some techno. pretty wide range and for the most part have liked how my sr60s have handled most things, especially vocals and acoustics.

tube amps seem really interesting and sweet looking to me, and the whole tube rolling thing seems cool so i think i'm gonna go with a tube amp. i've looked at the little dot series and some others, but since i dont know much about amps even after extensive reading, a lot of it goes over my head. i'll need a DAC too since i listen only from my macbook, but since there are so many out there i'm kind of lost in that area too.

so basically i'd like some suggestions for a set up with nice synergy around $1000, including an amp and DAC. i kind of have my heart set on the RS1 but as i said i'm open to suggestions. thanks

 

[Zombie_X]

Never heard any tube headphone amps, but the portable Little-Dot MK1+ is a great match. Switch the internal jumpers to "closed" and the output current will be tripled. Lower impedance cans need higher current to sound best, and that's why this amp mates good with Grado's. It's high current output makes them sound much better.

Plus it's only $179 for it.

 

[uraflit]

i dont have specific recommendations, but i think looking for a value DAC + a tube amp would be a nice combo for your setup.

however, if you want portability, i'd suggest looking into those USB DAC+amp combos

 

[lmilhan]

Here are some possibilities:

Used RS-1s. shoot for the button model (and grab a pair of flat pads too). ~ $550

If your PC has a toslink or coax audio out, grab a used Entech Number Cruncher 205.2. Otherwise, you are going to want a decent used budget USB DAC, such as the Alien, Go-Vibe, Super Pro 707, Fubar, etc. ~ $50 to $125

For the amp, a musical fidelity x-can V2 or V3 will do the trick nicely. ~ $175 to $250 I would say to shoot for a "Pinky" moded X-Can V2 if you can score one in this price range. Another option would be a maxxed millet hybrid.

Then grab some interconnects from Bluejeans Cable. ~$30

With any extra money you may have left over, grab a few sets of tubes to roll with the X-can.

Plug it all in, sit back and bask in your new found audio bliss.

The RS-1s are not very demanding or picky headphones, and are definitely capable of sounding very good on a modest rig.

 

[tintin47]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zombie_X /img/forum/go_quote.gif Never heard any tube headphone amps, but the portable Little-Dot MK1+ is a great match. Switch the internal jumpers to "closed" and the output current will be tripled. Lower impedance cans need higher current to sound best, and that's why this amp mates good with Grado's. It's high current output makes them sound much better. Plus it's only $179 for it.

There is no reason to go for a budget amp if your budget is 1k. I would look at a maxed out woo audio 6.

Oh. If the budget is for everything, then go for used rs-1s and a woo 3+

 

[beez]

thanks for the quick responses guys. i've seen some threads comparing the button model rs1 to the newer non button model. is the difference really noticeable? i think i would prefer to just buy one new if the difference between new/used is only $100 or so, so i know that it's been taken care of, and also to break em in myself and whatnot.

i dont think my macbook has toslink or coax out, so i think a usb dac will be the way to go. as for amps, the little dot series looks nice, and the I+ is pretty reasonably priced and from what ive read sounds great after replacing the tubes. would it be worth it to look at some of the higher little dot models? or will the difference probably be unnoticeable? the little dot is also kinda cool because its somewhat portable, but am i sacrificing potential sound quality by not going with a non-portable rig?

 

[beez]

hmm the woo 3+ looks real nice. i can stretch the budget a little bit if necessary. i'd rather spring a little more now than cheap out and upgrade sooner. i'd like this rig to keep me happy for at least a few years. i think i can probably do the rs1 and woo 3+ and pick up a budget DAC. would this be a good idea?

the little dot I+ and some new 408A tubes are quite a bit cheaper though. i know it's subjective, but am i better off spending a bit more and going for the woo?

 

[Happy Camper]

Millett Hybrid or EF-1 for an amp and a Pico usb dac/amp. This would give you both tube and ss amp for home and allow you to take your dac/amp portable.

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by beez /img/forum/go_quote.gif hmm the woo 3+ looks real nice. i can stretch the budget a little bit if necessary. i'd rather spring a little more now than cheap out and upgrade sooner. i'd like this rig to keep me happy for at least a few years. i think i can probably do the rs1 and woo 3+ and pick up a budget DAC. would this be a good idea? the little dot I+ and some new 408A tubes are quite a bit cheaper though. i know it's subjective, but am i better off spending a bit more and going for the woo?

this made me chuckle...good luck

 

[beez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino /img/forum/go_quote.gif this made me chuckle...good luck

haha yeeeahhhh. i figure if i spend some good money now i'll be much less tempted to upgrade for a little while. i am only 21 and still a student, with poker my only source of income at the moment. so i don't think i'll realistically be able to start dumping tons of cash into this hobby for a little while. but i figured the RS-1 was going to happen anyway so i might as well not fight it

 

[panda]

great choice of headphone, you're going to be blown away.

don't cheap out on the source, get the best one you can afford. bel canto dac2 is my usual recommendation for ppl just starting out and it will carry you very far until you reach for a top tier source.

you can get by with the amp you have now, worry about that later. or spring for a cheap high current version amp such as a tricked out cha47.

later on save for either a headamp gilmore lite or melos sha-1 (it's a hybrid amp meaning it has tubes and solid state)

 

[s1rrah]

Have to support your consideration of the Woo amps with the RS1's ...

I spent a great deal of time with a Woo 6 (standard) at the Houston meet, listening through my RS1's (my only set of cans at the time) and was utterly floored by the seductive pairing ...

Of course, a lot of that had to do with the fact I was also using an MHDT Labs Havana tube DAC ($900ish) ...

But if you can find a used MHDT Labs Paradisea (also a tube DAC and very similar to the Havana) ... then you will have a match made in heaven for you RS1's ...

MHDT Paradiseas don't come up for sale used to often, but when they do, you can have them for anywhere from $400.00 to $500.00 depending on the seller. They sell for $600+ when ordering new ...

I spent a lot of time finding the right set up for my RS1's as they are, by far, my favorite headphone when properly sync'd up with the rest of my gear.

I found the DAC/Source to be the most critical item (due to the RS1's delicate high frequency demands) and once that was paired with a decent desktop amp (Stello HP100, Headamp GS-1, Woo 3, Woo 6, etc.) ... man ... couldn't be more pleased ... though I'm getting some GS1000's in the next week or so and might have to re consider some of that ...

Good luck ... seriously ... try and demo/find a MHDT Paradisea (see my sig for a good thread) as it has been the best DAC I've heard with my RS1's to date ... (other than the Havana, which I like more ... but which is a bit our of your price range) ...

Best.

 

[tintin47]

I am in much the same situation as you (college student...) I would say go for the amp and phones first. I know that the source matters a lot, but to me, DAC bang for buck decreases rapidly with price. I have heard the benchmark DAC1 through my set up, and thoughslightly better, it was not worth (to me) the 600 dollar price difference over my firestone audio fubar II dac.

Edit: Also, I think that the Rs-1s sound great even out of my laptop's headphone port, so I would say that it isn't necessary to go for the amp immediately/concurrently with the rs1, especially if you just need to save up money for a month or two.

 

[Ampersand]

Don't skimp.

Go ahead and get the RS-1s. They'll still be enjoyable out of your mac. Plus, you'll be keeping them for a long time. Save up for a nice tube amp. Since no one has mentioned it yet, i'm going to suggest the MAD Ear+ Purist HD or whatever version the good Dr is selling nowadays. Then lastly, upgrade your DAC.

Whatever you do, don't settle for anything less than the Rs-1. When i started i wanted the wooden Grados too, but i had a hard time justifying the expense, so i 'settled' on the the 225s. They were great, but i still had that thought in the back of my mind - i wonder how much better the Rs-1s are. Well, long story short, i finally got the Rs-1s, and haven't touched the 225s since.

Anyone want my lightly used 225s?

 

[freakmax]

Probably you may save up a little more and get Grace m902(Amp/Dac combo).
It sounds heavenly with RS1's.
I'm the RS1 user for many years.
I've tried serveral amps with RS1's such as Mad Ear+Hd ,Earmax SE , Grado RA1 ,Lisa III and Grace m902.

Here is my preference.

1.Grace m902 - the sound stage is so deep and 3d like and very airy , bass is tight. The sound is really clear and real.

2.RA1 - Treble is reduced a little bit , and bass is not much.I can listen to them for hrs without fatigue.
Everything is about right.Good synergy.

3.Mad Ear+ HD - Mid is more recessed(which is good in someways), treble is never harsh ,and bass is so good ,a bit too much to my taste.
IMO, sound a bit muddy but you may prefer it.