[Anatman]

RME

Eh, what is RME?

 

[mobbaddict]

Eh, what is RME?

Oh no I meant Audio GD sorry Chris' dac-amp.

 

[Anatman]

Oh no I meant Audio GD sorry Chris' dac-amp.

Ok, but what is RME? Is it at term for something, cant find in when Google?

 

[mobbaddict]

Ok, but what is RME? Is it at term for something, cant find in when Google?

It's another brand of audio gear. The RME adi 2 is supposedly a good reference in the €1000 bracket.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Yeah yeah I know and that's why I like the balance of the leather pads, but then I lose some transparency To me the Quad sounds like a high-end can with the velour pads. I'm not even sure there's a high-end planar with the kind of signature I'm looking for. Maybe the Empy. I'd have to hear the Abyss models again (maybe Diana V2). Or Susvara but come on it's 10 times the price of the Quad, it's ridiculous.

Does the audio gd tame the top end of the Quad? I was thinking of switching to a topping L30 based on the reviews.

Imo, yes.
It gives them a more natural flow.
My vocabulary isn't the best to descibe how it sounds in detail.
But i like the sound out of the AGD R28 more than from the Atoll, the V30 and the BTR5.
Sadly it is such a big unit to call 'em desktop friendly. ^^

But it drives my Elac Air-X 407 floorstanding speakers as well beyond expectations, even the dealer i've bought the Elac was very surprised of it.

 

[mobbaddict]

Imo, yes.
It gives them a more natural flow.
My vocabulary isn't the best to descibe how it sounds in detail.
But i like the sound out of the AGD R28 more than from the Atoll, the V30 and the BTR5.
Sadly it is such a big unit to call 'em desktop friendly. ^^

But it drives my Elac Air-X 407 floorstanding speakers as well beyond expectations, even the dealer i've bought the Elac was very surprised of it.

Quite a beast indeed.
I like the little blanket headband by the way

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Eh, what is that? My Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digitals? The "r2r" is is news for me, could you give me a hint? What's better if ex my Pro-Jects are not r2r?

The Audio-GD R28, a fully balanced discrete r2r ladder dac, will be a love-or-hate relationship for the most, i think.
It's not build for design, it is more build on a technician background, imo.
While on asr the measurement doesn't look that good, the sound out of it is fabulous and the build quality is really good.
It tends to bring a more tubey sound, while in NOS-Mode, in comparison to a delta/sigma-dac.

Other examples are Denafrips Ares II or the legendary Rockna Wavedream DAC/Amp.

 

[Anatman]

The Audio-GD R28, a fully balanced discrete r2r ladder dac, will be a love-or-hate relationship for the most, i think.
It's not build for design, it is more build on a technician background, imo.
While on asr the measurement doesn't look that good, the sound out of it is fabulous and the build quality is really good.
It tends to bring a more tubey sound, while in NOS-Mode, in comparison to a delta/sigma-dac.

Other examples are Denafrips Ares II or the legendary Rockna Wavedream DAC/Amp.

Thank you! That make sense to me. I am not so "educated" in this world yet, but I'm learning I hope.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Quite a beast indeed.
I like the little blanket headband by the way

Haha.
Me too.
I've put a little piece of foam on the bottom of the headband to achieve a better fit.
It works quite well.

 

[Anatman]

But it drives my Elac Air-X 407 floorstanding speakers

Hmm, I have thoughts about that one, can buy one used if I will. Are you happy with it? Have the ELAC SUB3030, and like it alot! Have always stayed total loyal with B&W, so this is the first "loudspeaker" I've bought that isn't B&W.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Yeah.
I like them a lot.
Compared them with the CM10's of a friend of mine, powered by a Denon X7200 avr.
The Jet-5 tweeter on the Air-X is awesome.

 

[Anatman]

Denon X7200

I have Denon AVR X4500H in the living room, and Denon AVR-X4300H in the man cave. Bought the 4500 just for the eARC. But, I must admit that now I listen to music 99,99% in the headphones. The 4500 give me Atmos, 7.1 and what I need on my LG Oled.

 

[Anatman]

I can not say this strongly enough, but if anyone has a set of "Gradopads" of the type I will insert a picture of here, then you MUST test! And feel free to say how it was.

I put the foampads straight "on" the other pillow, without attaching them other than with the clampingforce from the headband. An amplifier is a must. Then, it had be so nice to hear other meanings. After Frankenstein-testing different unspeakable combinations, the combo of the ”Gradopads” are the winner in this absurd competition…

The picture of the "Gradopads" I use, is from the web, the other is the combo I'm deeply surprised over.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

How much does the sound change due to using it with the beyerpads staged on the grado ones?
What's the main pleasant difference in your opinion?
How does it change if you'd switch the grado pads with leather pads?

Thanks for all the testing.

 

[Anatman]

How much does the sound change due to using it with the beyerpads staged on the grado ones?
What's the main pleasant difference in your opinion?
How does it change if you'd switch the grado pads with leather pads?

Thanks for all the testing.

When using the triple hamburger consisting of #original-Leather-grado-beyerdynamic#, too much of everything I can say. The tunnel becomes too long and unmanageable purely practical. That also is the same for the #original-velour-grado-beyerdynamic#. The sound is all over a bit muffled, just a tiny bit that is, and when given proper juice, its open. The lower mids, and the bass are slamming, deeeeeep, detailed and powerful as hell!

All over can I say this, and I really hope there is someone else who can test this, but:

1. The whole sound picture opens in a totally new way. This is only possible with an amp/dac. When given so much juice you can here – and I tested other cans also – the cans wake up from the low juice sleep. The are not anaemic in any way anymore! I think its all due to the physical distance to the eardrums. That I was most concerned about, was over how much the tunnel of foam etc, will destroy/muffled/stealing the highs/midst etc – and I was deeply surprised over that even the small tunnel of the Grados doesn’t steal anything from anything.

The combination of Grado+original, both velour and the other, is the best combo all over, both practical and sonic.

2. Practical it is a mess. Even when said that, my next experiment will be to carve out a so big as possible hole in the Grados small opening and see if that effects the sound in any way.

When given the right amount of juice, and when can doing that without deep frying the ears, something magic happens. Its stunning I think! Therefor I am extremely interested in if other have the opportunity to try out, and see if I am completely out of orbit, or not.

The combination of distance to eardrum, the increased juice one can give here, is the key. “Shitcans” does not have a chance here. They distort and become weird in the sound. This is almost a quality test in my opinion. Or – am I becoming rambling crazy here in the Frankenstein-cave?