[marios_mar]

Is the RA1 kind of like an improved and a tad more complicated CMOY as I read at some post here?

 

[gsferrari]

There is only *so much* you can do with op-amps, buffers etc. Ultimately all op-amp based amplifiers are the same...with minor differences...especially the portable ones.

 

[Wodgy]

Yes, the RA-1 is a CMOY. It's a little less complicated than a standard CMOY because it has less power supply bypassing. That's all.

That's not to say it doesn't sound good, though personally I think it's pretty disappointing and colored (I did own a genuine RA-1), but it's not awful.

 

[marios_mar]

So you think its kind of overpriced? I was considering it very very seriously but now you are confusing me....

 

[Jahn]

Well for $200 used I'd say you're getting your money's worth. Clones sell for $100 on ebay, but for $200 you get the nify Grado case and know that Grado Labs put it together for you. Honestly it sounded just fine for the money imho. Never heard a clone tho. I had a cmoy but my memory faded for comparative purposes by the time I got to test an RA-1 out.

 

[Wodgy]

"Overpriced" is all relative. When it was one of the few headphone amps you could buy, it was reasonably priced. Now that there are many competitors with better designs, you have to compare its value proposition with the competition. You do get a nifty wood box though. That's important to some. People also say that there is a magic synergy with the RS-1. I can't comment on that. When I owned the RA-1, I also had the SR-125 and didn't think there was any magic synergy there. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Gopher]

I spent about 3 hours last night listening to the RA-1 in question with HP-1 headphones and I've gotta say, it suprised me. I kinda scoffed at it, and wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be a musical/engaging combo. I think its an amp worth checking out, if only to try it for a while then resell later (I'm big on the buy and try).

 

[drewd]

If it's an opamp-based amplifier, you can't really deviate too much from the datasheets and still expect anything useable to come out, so pretty much any opamp-based amplifier is related to a CMoy. And really, a CMoy is just an amplifier based on the opamp data sheets with slight modifications.

As to whether or not the RA-1 is overpriced, it's probably not fair to compare it to a DIY CMoy. You can't just look at the cost of parts and say that it's too expensive. There are other things that go into the building of an amplifier, particularly one that is sold by a small company through audio dealers. All of the normal corporate overhead has to be covered, the manufacturer has to make a profit, the distributor has to make a profit and the retailer has to make a profit. So, sure, the amplifier may only have $25 or $30 worth of parts, but that's only part of the cost of manufacture. After all, even your time is worth something!

-Drew

 

[marios_mar]

I think I will stay away from the RA-1. I already have a CMOY I made. I will go the PPA way. I hope it will be way better with Senns.

(maybe even Grados?)

thanks a lot though Gopher. you are among the nicest people here. you've been kind and helpful..

 

[Wodgy]

Is the op-amp in your CMOY socketed? If so, you could get a taste of the RA-1's sound by swapping the RA-1's op-amp into your CMOY. For less than a dollar it would be a fun little experiment. If you end up liking the sound and want the pretty wood box, you could then pick up a genuine RA-1.

 

[gsferrari]

marios - go the PPA / Gilmore Lite (used) route.

for $275.00 you can get an awesome PPA
for $250.00 you can get the new line of Gilmore Lites (used)

Speak to Justin (Headamp) because he may (not making any suggestions promises here) have a demo Gilmore Lite that he can let go of for a slightly lower price (still new...with a few more hours on it than usual).

Ask around

 

[Darksyde]

A really great value amp is the M^3. It's about $100, but is the rough equivelant of amps four times its price.

 

[Bojamijams]

Holy freaking thread necro batman!

And an M3 is nowhere near $100

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bojamijams /img/forum/go_quote.gif Holy freaking thread necro batman! And an M3 is nowhere near $100

This. M^3 is about US$200-250 in parts tbh.

 

[elrod-tom]

Wow...talk about bringing a thread back from the dead.