[joelongwood]

I got the RA-1 back today...........it's definitely a different unit (different wood grain), and it looks brand new. No matter.......the hiss is gone.....well, almost!
Let me explain. I immediately popped two fresh 9V in and hooked up the CD-3000s. At first I thought the hiss was gone completely, but when I pressed the headphones against my ears tightly, I could hear a very, very slight hiss.....the hiss was so low that I had to really strain to hear it. So is the CD3000 revealing?......you bet! Then I put on the MS Pros......dead silence. Same with the RS-1s and 325s. Absolute dead silence at all volume levels. I'm happy. Now I think I'll put on some music. Thanks to all for their suggestions and responses.

 

[coolvij]

YAY! I'm very glad to hear that Grado took care of your hiss....

 

[disturbed]

Happy Days are here again

So how come I didnt get any party invitations for the return of your amp?

 

[flashbak]

joelongwood,
Glad to hear Grado resolved the issue for you!

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

So how come I didnt get any party invitations for the return of your amp?

Actually, disturbed, there really wasn't much celebration. The RA-1, after testing for hiss and a short listening session, went back to it's rightful place on the shelf, replacing the Creek, which went back to the living room stereo cabinet. Both remain silent while I listen to the MS Pros hooked up to the latest Penguin CHA47 amp sent to me by JMT this week. I know people here will think I'm crazy, but for acoustic vocals, I have yet to hear anything better.........this new amp and the MS-Pros is, to my ears, a match made in Heaven......detailed, revealing, smooth, dynamic.....it's got it all. Maybe it's the weather?

And flashbak, I was very pleased with Grado service. Speaking to them on the phone gave me the impression of a small, customer-oriented family business.

 

[flashbak]

joelongwood,
That's reassuring to hear about Grado especially since I'm a Gradohead!

 

[disturbed]

Quote:

Originally posted by joelongwood Actually, disturbed, there really wasn't much celebration. The RA-1, after testing for hiss and a short listening session, went back to it's rightful place on the shelf, replacing the Creek, which went back to the living room stereo cabinet. Both remain silent while I listen to the MS Pros hooked up to the latest Penguin CHA47 amp sent to me by JMT this week. I know people here will think I'm crazy, but for acoustic vocals, I have yet to hear anything better.........this new amp and the MS-Pros is, to my ears, a match made in Heaven......detailed, revealing, smooth, dynamic.....it's got it all. Maybe it's the weather? And flashbak, I was very pleased with Grado service. Speaking to them on the phone gave me the impression of a small, customer-oriented family business.

Damn no party

Well about the JMT amp
Ill soon know how good it is when I get it
Thanks JMT

NOw all I need is some cash forthe headphones

And im pleased to know that Grado service is good

Maybe you can give me your RA-1 as a return gift on your birthday

lol

 

[JMT]

Quote:

NOw all I need is some cash forthe headphones

You don't even have the cans yet? I thought that you had some SR-325s. I do believe that this is a first.

 

[pigmode]

Well, it might be a second. One day after I recieved my JMT amp, I had to pack up and send my Senns to its new owner. I went without till I got my HD580s about a month later.

 

[disturbed]

Quote:

Originally posted by JMT You don't even have the cans yet? I thought that you had some SR-325s. I do believe that this is a first.

LOL I think this is a first.

I audtioned a few pairs of Senns and Grados (Had a headphone dealer visiting the U.A.E. as a tourist and somehow entered my shop

) and I immediatly fell in love with the 325's so I borrowed them for a few days and unfortunately had to return them

as the customer was leaving the country NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Anyways I decided that I will buy a pair of 325's no matter what but maybe a portable amp would be nicer to go with my MZ-R900 and my 5 year old Aiwa discman (The old ones have really good quality dedicated line outs) so in comes Head-fi and headwize and finally I was convinced to get a DBSE amp namely JMT
There you have the full story now.

EDIT: and thats the problem...I wont get to test your amp until I have the green stuff to buy the cans

 

[Vertigo-1]

Pity I didn't read this thread before, I might have solved your problem without you having to send the RA-1 back and forth with a simple suggestion...

I had the exact same problem with my RA-1, and the hiss was BAD. I thought I could live with it, until I tried a little experiment...which was to simply move my RA-1 away from my monitor. Instant dead, DEAD FLAT silence, even with the knob all the way up. Moral of my story...the RA-1 is rather poorly shielded, and can pick up stray signals very easily. If you get hissing out of the RA-1, the first thing you should suspect is your surrounding equipment, before suspecting the amp. Grado's reply that "nothing is wrong with the amp", and how even your replacement still contains even a small amount of hissing makes me even more suspicious it's your surrounding equipment, and not the amp's fault.

Try just disconnecting the RA-1 from your stuff, plug in some sensitive 'phones, crank the knob up, and walk around the house a bit...you'll see what I mean. I managed to get mine to sound like a ham radio, complete with the old style whirling sounds that came of of those radios, at certain points in my room.

 

[Beagle]

Grado phono cartridges also pick up hum from turntable motors, amps and CD players, as they are not shielded.

 

[coolvij]

JMT - remember when you sent me your amp a while back? I'll be getting my 495s THIS weekend....

 

[dhwilkin]

Quote:

Vertigo-1 said... Try just disconnecting the RA-1 from your stuff, plug in some sensitive 'phones, crank the knob up, and walk around the house a bit...you'll see what I mean. I managed to get mine to sound like a ham radio, complete with the old style whirling sounds that came of of those radios, at certain points in my room.

Heh, now that would be a neat way to pick your ideal listening location. BTW, pick up any conversations?

 

[JMT]

Quote:

coolvij wrote JMT - remember when you sent me your amp a while back? I'll be getting my 495s THIS weekend.

Alright Vij!! Let us know how they sound.