[wooja978]

Hi guys,

I'm an audio-noob, but I am trying to get into your wonderful world of portable audiophilicity. I have spent hours reading these forums, it's been exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I think I've decided on getting the sflo2 as my source paired with some grado rs-1's, as I have spotted a 2nd-hand for sale (2 years old, thus well-burnt, right?). Then of course I will be playing FLAC files. I'm hoping this will be a case of plugging the expensive "parts" together and getting an awesome sound. However, to get a good sound I will probably need an amp too, and this is where it gets tricky for me. The grado rs-1's have low impedance right? Does that mean it needs a certain type of amp to drive it? If so, what do you recommend goes well? I am looking for something portable and low-budget. What sort of cables will I need? Are there any basic tips that you can give me? Like hot/cold etc. I am not familiar with the lingo. Your help is appreciated! Thanks very much.
 
Jason

 

[adktitan]

I would say to put way more then just a couple of hours research on this forum and others first. Learn to use the search and advanced seach functions. Many here, myself included, think the reading, research, and knowledge buildng phase is very rewarding and just as important as the components bought. Ask dumb questions, keep reading, keep reading, and try to make an informed decision. There will be a million different answers depending on a million different current and future scenerios that only you know. I know this didn't help answer your question, but I feel it's worth mentioning. Welcome, sorry about your wallet.

 

[FRGus723]

I am somewhat of a noob as well.  You have less to worry about with low impedance cans then high impedance cans.  It is typically a scenario where you have high impedance cans and an amp that is not powerful enough to drive the cans.  You thankfully have the opposite.  I love the Protector but that's a little out of your price range. 
 
Portable Amps you could use and that are fairly popular are:
Any of the HeadAmp portable Pico, Pico Slim (prepare for a wait on the Slim)
Any of the Portable Ray Samuels amps (I love the Protector but you'll need a special cable built if you want balanced which I suggest)
My first cheap but solid portable dac/amp was the Headroom Total Bithead.  Very strong reviews for entry level portable DAC AND amp.