[pcf]

Quote:

 
 
 
"Recently"? I will look it up... but I think I've read everything Head-Fi ever said about the HPA-1 and -2 twice. Including the recent thread "Best amplifier for the HP-1000" by ChefGuru.
 
 

That's the thread I was think of. Sorry about the confusion.
About the Melos and the HPA-1/2. I like the lush mids and the deep bass the Melos seems to be able to get out of the HP1000. HPA-1/2 doesn't offer that.
I like the idea of using amps that were perpose-built for certain headphones and don't really feel I miss out on anything by not upgrading them.
In any case ( the real reason 

), I have my hands in too many pies- my two channels system; my home cinema...$50,000+ later ,there are still a few things I want to sort out before spending money on headphone amps. 

 

[scootsit]

I don't know about the HP-1000 drivers, but the conventional wisdom regarding most Grados is high current, there are a number of new-ish DIY designs that fit that bill as well as some off the shelf ones. For a while, Dsavtik (I always misspell his name) was saying the Szekeres (http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/projects/szeke1_prj.htm) was about the best for Grados. Parafeed amps are supposed to pair very well with Grados as well.

 

[LCfiner]

What about a GS-1 for the HP1000? supposed to be lots of current. very clean sound.

 

[alota]

Quote:

To me the Magnum is not a poor man's HP1000 and I am sure that is not Rhydon's intention. 
Do you know what Joe's headphones and Rhydon's headphones have in common? Anyone?

i agree.
in my opinion, hp-1000 and magnum have a different sound signature but i have no doubt that these two headphones are at the same level of quality.
i know that rhydon know very good the hp-1000 series and its history

 

[pcf]

Quote:

i agree.
in my opinion, hp-1000 and magnum have a different sound signature but i have no doubt that these two headphones are at the same level of quality.
i know that rhydon know very good the hp-1000 series and its history

I am really looking forward to Rhydon producing his own headphones. I think he has the right approach- trying to build the best product he could at the right price point. Whereas Joe would just build his man's toy without paying too much attention about the business side of things.

 

[alota]

Quote:

I am really looking forward to Rhydon producing his own headphones. I think he has the right approach- trying to build the best product he could at the right price point. Whereas Joe would just build his man's toy without paying too much attention about the business side of things.

For the second time, i completely agree with you.
sometimes fate is strange: these are headphones with several problem but they are sold in large quantities and exist one canadian headphone that has a best Q/P relationship that should be ranked first in sales 

 

[devouringone3]

Lol, Joseph Grado is tired of using El Cheapo headphones = the HP-1000 is born... basically the same thing happened for his Scalera microphone.
 
Wait why are you all speaking about Rhydon making his own headphones? isn't that just speculation? Someone threw in the idea but didn't that came out of nowhere, and isn't funded?
 
Upgrading an existing popular headphone is something, making your own complete product is a lot different. He needs to give its product a certain appeal... I'd like to see something a lot better than that Chroma MD-1.
 
 
Quote:

I don't know about the HP-1000 drivers, but the conventional wisdom regarding most Grados is high current, there are a number of new-ish DIY designs that fit that bill as well as some off the shelf ones. For a while, Dsavtik (I always misspell his name) was saying the Szekeres (http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/projects/szeke1_prj.htm) was about the best for Grados. Parafeed amps are supposed to pair very well with Grados as well.

 
Doug Savitski something like that, lol. But his forum name sounds like Davidski. I'd definitely buy his DSHA-1 product, made-for-Grado, and sold under his company ECP audio, if I didn't have any other amps already.
 
I'd like to hear Doug's take on my HPA-1
 
 

That's the thread I was think of. Sorry about the confusion.
About the Melos and the HPA-1/2. I like the lush mids and the deep bass the Melos seems to be able to get out of the HP1000. HPA-1/2 doesn't offer that.
I like the idea of using amps that were perpose-built for certain headphones and don't really feel I miss out on anything by not upgrading them.
In any case ( the real reason 

), I have my hands in too many pies- my two channels system; my home cinema...$50,000+ later ,there are still a few things I want to sort out before spending money on headphone amps.

 
Cool! Then I won't either, or I'll try not to feeling like I'm missing out. I also like dedicated combo headphones system very much . I'm using Grado reference interconnects and looking for the Power Supply now.
 
Me my hands are in only one pie, but I would like to just stop for a second, take a break from Head-Fi, listen to the music and simply not care for upgrading at all. With HP-1000 + HPA-1 I feel like I can do that, totally.
 
Though I'm still looking for a HPA-2 , and praying that the owner also has the PS H/P-1 power supply to sell me along. I want a HPA-2 because if I am to settle myself on that amp I'll want a backup... even if the thing just won't die, I'm just insecure.
 
So basically you think there would be something better out there for the HP-1000, but HP-HPA combo has many advantages and is good enough for you for now.
 
Myself if I find a second HPA I think I'll just stop altogether and live all my life with that combo, because it's good enough and because perfection is too hard to achieve and I'd rather start focusing on something else, or saving, lol.
 
Joe invented the... Ping putter?

wow, his genius also prevails outside of the audio/music world.

 

[scootsit]

I'm actually considering building a Szekeres for a friend of mine in the future. I'm always curious how fun little builds like that stack up against big name stuff (though discussion there-of is for obvious reasons, a big no-no around here). Anyway, when I build that one for my friend, if one or both of you would be willing to give it a listen, I'd gladly send you one. I have no idea when I would do this, just sometime later this year, basically the cost of the parts is about the same as the cost of shipping them. I always feel guilty placing small orders so if I can build a few and get feedback, that could be a lot of fun.

 

[pcf]

Quote:

 
 
 
Joe invented the... Ping putter?

wow, his genius also prevails outside of the audio/music world.

Apparently. He was a watch maker too.

 

[LCfiner]

Quote:

 
Joe invented the... Ping putter?
 
wow, his genius also prevails outside of the audio/music world.

 
 
http://www.ping.com/about/default.aspx
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ping_(golf)
 
or maybe he didn’t. you can easily check before believing that stuff. unless you were joking around. in which case, never mind.

 

[pcf]

Quote:

 
 
 
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ping_(golf)
 
or maybe he didn’t. you can easily check before believing that stuff. unless you were joking around. in which case, never mind.

Joe did design the putter for them. 
Anyway, we should talk more about the Magnum in this thread.

 

[devouringone3]

Quote:

I'm actually considering building a Szekeres for a friend of mine in the future. I'm always curious how fun little builds like that stack up against big name stuff (though discussion there-of is for obvious reasons, a big no-no around here). Anyway, when I build that one for my friend, if one or both of you would be willing to give it a listen, I'd gladly send you one. I have no idea when I would do this, just sometime later this year, basically the cost of the parts is about the same as the cost of shipping them. I always feel guilty placing small orders so if I can build a few and get feedback, that could be a lot of fun.

 
Thank you but I'm not very much interested in trying out new gear right now. I'm rather close minded when it comes to showing me a new better sound that I do not own, when the day before I was thinking I was perfectly happy with my optimal sound. You don't have to have it when you don't know it, you know . I'm also trying to quit upgrading. I'm very content about my current set-up and now is the time to appreciate those thousands of dollars worth of headphones.

 

[scootsit]

We've talked a bit about soundstage here. I'm generally not one for digital processing, but I'm going to see if I can't start crossfeeding in foobar. I'll report back.
 
Edit: Actually, I lied. I'm an idiot! I just realized I've had the downmix to mono DSP active this whole time...oy.

 

[sling5s]

I have Version 4 Magnum. The left side just went out.  I get music coming in and out but it's distorted.   Going to have to email Rhydon.  
 
Edit: No response from Rhydon.  Has anyone gotten in touch with with Rhydon?  Hope he is still responding to questions and problems.

 

[scootsit]

Quote:

 
Every single pair of HP1000 was finished and tested by Joe Grado. Just like if you send your SR325 to Rhydon for an upgrade, you know he is the one who is doing it. That is what their headphones have in common- hand finished by the makers. Can't say that about John's phones.
Of course this is probably not the ideal way to run a business. Especially in Joe's case. He wouldn't tell a soul about how things were done and he invented many things (including Ping putter; Stereo moving coil phono cartridge etc...). Nothing was documented. When he goes everything goes with him. No one knows how his microphones are made (and he has made a few). I have no doubt that all Joe's creations will increase in value big time when he leaves us.

I've been thinking a bit about this. Well, actually I was before having my cans modded and just never got around to saying anything. I've noticed that there seems to be more people in the mods thread that were less enamored with the drivers than there are over here. It occurs to me that the drivers sent to them were the magnum drivers, with whatever Rhydon does to them done. But, they were not fully assembled and tested. Some said that the drivers were sibilant and not all that different sounding from the originals. That may have been true, and because Rhydon did not fully assemble the can he wasn't able to catch it, if that makes sense. I have a hunch that before my cans came back to me, Rhydon had a bit of a listen, and if there was any sibilance or any issue, that would have been fixed. When he's sending out just the drivers, that's not the case. Ultimately, that's why I let him do it, and didn't do it myself. Perhaps more important than even the specific design (all aluminum) of the Magnum is the personal inspection, which catches imperfection. Something that cannot be done by mailing parts.