[matt120]

Hi Guys

I've been reading this site quietly for a while now, and well I feel even more confused about what I should buy compared to when I started

I love my music and currently have a B&W / Quad / Arcam setup but due to an imienent move that's all going

I also currently have some Grado SR125s which im planning on leaving at work from now on.

I've pretty much decided on the 325i's as my new phones for home and are looking at ripping my extensive cd collection to computer as lossless format. This is where I get confused.

I'm wondering whether to get a dac and seperate amp to match the grados for around $700 or whether to just buy an Apogee Mini-Dac and connect this straight to the grados. Obviously $700 dollars sounds like a lot of money to spend just on one dac, but if that will give me the best results then so be it.

The only thing pulling me away from it is I used to produce lots of music, and with the last digital studio I was in music started sounding very digital to me, and the answer to that was uadding tube based mic preamps and outboard gear to add a bit of warmth into the mix (but these did cost thousands upon thousands).

Basically I'm looking at seeing what anyone elses views are on how I should spend my money, everytime I read this forum I find more and more products and get more and more confused. Any help to put me back on the right path would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Matt

 

[rb67]

There are plenty of excellent DACs out there. What I would do is spend more money on an amp than a DAC. The Mapletree Audio Purist is a $500 tube amp that many find absolutely wonderful with Grados. Then I would put the rest of the money into a nice USB DAC or if you have a good sound card, use the SPDIF or optical on that to a stand alone DAC or use a USB > SPDIF and run it into a standard DAC.

This method gives you flexibility when choosing an amp and honestly I feel that the sound you would get out of the combo would be much better than the Apogee solution, although I personally haven't heard it.

If you are willing to spend upwards of $700 on an amp/dac system, I would rather get a pair of Grado RS-2's ($350 used, $450 new) + $150 DAC + $200 amp. You'll get much more enjoyment out of that. Plus the 325i's are heavy

 

[vcoheda]

the 325i headphones are supposed to be overly bright. are you sure you want those. have you listened to them extensively or just read about them. an rs1 or rs2 would probably be a better choice. if you want to start a really nice system, get the best right away. this will save you time and money in the long run. as for a dac, lots of people say, source first. good advice. but you will also need a good amp, so i advise against spending your remaining funds soley on a dac, unless you plan to also buy an amp in the near future.

 

[granodemostasa]

I don't consider the 325i to be bright... (don't listen to people who havn't heard the gear they are talking about). the 325i has a tendency towards boominess and musicality, and its notthe most refined sound in the world. Even if you put a benchmark on the thing, i highly doubt that i'll come out "digital" sounding.. if for the only reason that the 325i is such a musical and fun can.

for 700 you can get a modded Dac-ah, and a mapletree rig... and i know i'll sound spectacular.

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by granodemostasa /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't consider the 325i to be bright... (don't listen to people who havn't heard the gear they are talking about)

you can't really mean that.

are all reviews/impressions of others pointless then? if i read ten reviews that say a headphone has a certain characteristic, then are those statements pointless unless i have also come to the same conclusion first hand?

 

[granodemostasa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vcoheda /img/forum/go_quote.gif you can't really mean that. are all reviews/impressions of others pointless then? if i read ten reviews that say a headphone has a certain characteristic, then are those statements pointless unless i have also come to the same conclusion first hand?

it's hard because everyone's vocabulary is so different.. even among those who have been in this hobby for many years, it's remarkable how we can all hear the same thing and describe it differently.

 

[mrarroyo]

I am a major Mapletree Fan Boy! The Ear + Purist HD is a fantastic amp at $600 assembled or $500 and you put it together. For a Dac I would recommend a non-oversampling from MHDT Labs, they have models from $395 to $595. I have been eyeing the Paradisea but it sells for $595 which would put the combo at $1,300 with S&H. However if you can swindle it ...

Another thing you could do is get the Mapletree Ear + Purist HD now with a real cheap DAC like the Silverstone EB01 till you can get a great DAC down the line. BTW the Silverstone is a really nice unit and sometimes you can pick it up for under $100.

Edit 1: Sometimes you can pick up an RS-2 here used for $375. IMO that would be a better choice than the SR325i.

Edit 2: If you computer has a soundcard with a coaxial or optical out then you could get an X-Dac for under $200. Heck send me a PM if interested.

Totally shameless.

 

[echo1]

How about a darkvoice 336i for the amp. For a Dac try a Paradesea. Headphone try Barydynamic DT-880 New Edition.

 

[matt120]

Thanks for all the input guys, sorry I haven't been quicker to reply, busy moving house. I have heard the 325is and the rs-1/2s but didn't find the 325is 'overly' bright. I found their sound a touch more neutral than the rs-1/2s which seemed to have a distinct colouration which wasn't detrimental to the cans, but coming from a production background they deffinetly weren't 'reference'.

I had heard that the apogee was 'dark' so was hoping to it would soften the 325is ever so slightly. Finding somewhere you can listen to the apogee is near on impossible, hence asking for your opinions.

With regards to the mapletree ear + purist, what's the differnce between the hd and hd2

Many thanks again

Matt