[dima1109]

Right now I have a pair of Grado SR225s which I'm hopelessly in love with. So now I need an amp. As I said in the title, I was looking at Meier Move and RSA Hornet. I am leaning more towards the Hornet because it has a reputation of a controlled bass beast, and my SR225s can use some extra punch (even with the tape mod). But the Move attracts me because of the DAC (by the way, how good is it?) and smaller size.

Also, I realize that The Curse will eventually catch up, and I predict and upgrade to either RS1 or Darth Beyers (stationary) and UE Triple.fi 10 or Shure E500/SE530 (portable) within next two years. So I would like the amp to be able to do well with those cans.

I am also open to other options. I'd prefer to stay in the Hornet price range (~350), less is better of course, but not essential.

 

[kamal007]

is portable a must?

 

[mamboman]

Or better yet, buy both the Move and the Hornet for a few weeks to try both of them out. Keep the one you like. You might just end up keeping both. This is the Headfi curse.

 

[dima1109]

Yes, it has to be portable, or at least, easily transportable (for example, Hornet is OK, SR-71 might be a little too big).
It will be used with an iriver clix2 and a desktop/laptop, planning on getting a decent soundcard(s) in near future (haven't decided on that yet, Chaintech AV710 for now)

 

[dima1109]

Haha, that's how I got my SR225s. They were a little expensive for my budget at the time, but I thought "what the heck, I'll try them and return if they are not worth it"

I prefer knowing beforehand though. Right now I don't have that much money available. So it's only gonna be one.

 

[rhymesgalore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dima1109 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Right now I have a pair of Grado SR225s which I'm hopelessly in love with. So now I need an amp. As I said in the title, I was looking at Meier Move and RSA Hornet. I am leaning more towards the Hornet because it has a reputation of a controlled bass beast, and my SR225s can use some extra punch (even with the tape mod). But the Move attracts me because of the DAC (by the way, how good is it?) and smaller size. Also, I realize that The Curse will eventually catch up, and I predict and upgrade to either RS1 or Darth Beyers (stationary) and UE Triple.fi 10 or Shure E500/SE530 (portable) within next two years. So I would like the amp to be able to do well with those cans. I am also open to other options. I'd prefer to stay in the Hornet price range (~350), less is better of course, but not essential.

The Move is a bit bigger than the Hornet actually:

But if the size of both of them is no problem for you, you really can't go wrong with either of them. They're both very, very good portable amps, and both easily worth their money.

If you haven't already done it, read Skylabs review-roundup of 24 portable amps. Really helpfull.

 

[itsborken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dima1109 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Right now I have a pair of Grado SR225s which I'm hopelessly in love with. So now I need an amp. As I said in the title, I was looking at Meier Move and RSA Hornet. I am leaning more towards the Hornet because it has a reputation of a controlled bass beast, and my SR225s can use some extra punch (even with the tape mod). But the Move attracts me because of the DAC (by the way, how good is it?) and smaller size.

I have a Move and HornetM and prefer the Move for it's less grainy, musical tone. The Move is no slouch on bass either. You should be able to pick up either on the FS threads.

EDIT: You may want to consider the iBasso D1 also. It has a touch more bass than Move in my opinion and the DAC side (USB, optical and coax) is outstanding. It is rechargable too. I'd rate the SQ of the D1's amp on par with HornetM, so slightly below that of Move.

 

[lerio]

rhymesgalore, from where did you get that pics ?

 

[dima1109]

Wow, ok. For some reason I thought the Move was smaller than the Hornet.
Either way, I figured when I'll be carrying an amp with me at all, I'll be carrying it in my backpack. So unless it weighs ten pounds, size doesn't matter too much.

I've read the roundup. He seems to be praising both the Hornet and the Move equally.

How is the Move with bass compared to the Hornet? Like I said, I find the SR225s lacking in that department, so I need some extra punch.

lerio, you can generate them here

 

[wakeride74]

I've owned the Hornet M and the Move and I'd take the Hornet in a heartbeat. Better imaging, tighter bass with more impact, smoother top end and clearer vocal presentation.

I think the Move is great for the price but if you are comparing Move to Hornet I'd take the Hornet. The Move did not have more bass to my ears but this may also be because I found the move to be too bright with the ES2's and I'd say that the Move and 225's might not be the best combo but that's just my 2¢.

If you really want a bass increase you may want to hunt down a Super Marco IV in the FS forums.

If you can wait I'd go for the Pico over all of the above.

 

[bhd812]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhymesgalore /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Move is a bit bigger than the Hornet actually: But if the size of both of them is no problem for you, you really can't go wrong with either of them. They're both very, very good portable amps, and both easily worth their money. If you haven't already done it, read Skylabs review-roundup of 24 portable amps. Really helpfull.

could you put a SP SDS XLR in that pic also? serious...

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakeride74 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've owned the Hornet M and the Move and I'd take the Hornet in a heartbeat. Better imaging, tighter bass with more impact, smoother top end and clearer vocal presentation. I think the Move is great for the price but if you are comparing Move to Hornet I'd take the Hornet...

I would take The Hornet over the Move as well. Would you consider the SR-71? IMO is better than either The Hornet or the Move. However it does not have a gain switch nor a built in charger.

You may find the following thread useful: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=252667

 

[mcmyers]

From what I've read, they're about equal in sound quality, depending on your preference, but while the Move is less expensive, it doesn't include an AC adapter, nor does it have a built in battery charger. So you'd have to figure out whether you want to use rechargable batteries, which ones fit, and how to charge them. The built in charger of the Hornet is extremely convenient. It's one of the reasons I bought one.

The one thing the Hornet lacks that the Move has is a DAC, so you'd have to weigh that. But I get the impression it doesn't sound that great compared to the amp.

And check the FS forums. A lot of Hornets have gone up for sale recently, as people get excited about the Move and the Xin Reference, and prices are extremely reasonable. Of course, Ray is great to deal with as well.