Jeremy
100+ Head-Fier
This is my first upgrade since I got the SR-60 two years ago, which I still love. My main source is a Karma, so I purchased a Ray Samuels SR-71 amp also. The amp is excellent. It even brightens the SR-60.
But I have my doubts about the RS-1. Maybe I was expecting more, maybe it's because they haven't burnt in yet, but the highs hurt my ears, even with the volume low, which never happens with the SR-60s. (The sound of the RS-1 is otherwise warm and beautiful.) Also, these cans are really uncomfortable, which has never been an issue with the SR-60. The RS-1 pads are hard and burn my ears after a few minutes. Also, the headband is too big. I have adjusted the band to the shortest length possible, but the cans still sit low on my ear and I don't feel a tight secure fit around my head. It feels loose.
I am now asking myself if this is truly worth $1000 (cans and amp) to upgrade from where I was with my Karma / SR-60 pairing, which was also a lot simpler.
But I have my doubts about the RS-1. Maybe I was expecting more, maybe it's because they haven't burnt in yet, but the highs hurt my ears, even with the volume low, which never happens with the SR-60s. (The sound of the RS-1 is otherwise warm and beautiful.) Also, these cans are really uncomfortable, which has never been an issue with the SR-60. The RS-1 pads are hard and burn my ears after a few minutes. Also, the headband is too big. I have adjusted the band to the shortest length possible, but the cans still sit low on my ear and I don't feel a tight secure fit around my head. It feels loose.
I am now asking myself if this is truly worth $1000 (cans and amp) to upgrade from where I was with my Karma / SR-60 pairing, which was also a lot simpler.