[GreatDane]

Welcome to Head-Fi Celestin.

Not coming here often is a very good thing for your wallet...lots of good people and info so it's a trade-off.

 

[torjeh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celestin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mr. Grado, I love you.

x2

 

[Celestin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordanross /img/forum/go_quote.gif Celestin, just wondering what were you listening to?

It's Chinese so I don't know if it'll do it for you. In fact, I can't really say I really like this artist... but here it is: Wang Lee-Hom - Falling Leaf Returns to Roots ( woot for super literal translations ).

It's hard to explain... but it's like the singing was just on a completely different level from the accompaniment, as if the lyrics were soaring high and above everything else.

But I think my Grados might have a slight rattle or something in the right earphone. I wonder if there's a way to invert the channels to see if it's from the music or the headphones. It's really worrying me ;_;

-- Edit

I've been looking around and I've seen people recommending to gently suck on the inside grill... I've tried this for about 10 minutes and I've had no results... are there any other do it yourself fixes that are easy / won't void warranty, tests I can perform to discern whether I truly have a problem or should I just send it in?

If it was Sony or something, I wouldn't care at all about sending a product in, but Grado is a small family company right, I would feel guilty about sending them in.

 

[paaj]

hah! took more than three weeks but they're in. number #8568. Too bad I've sold my Sr-125 to fund these, still miss them (three weeks with no grado!) and now I can't even make a fair comparison.

 

[HK_sends]

Well, I guess I'm in the club too. #4496 with GS-1000 Donuts, listening to files encoded by FLAC on a Cowon D2, amped by a Practical Devices X4 (with the AD8620/whitecat mod)...bass boost on. With the DSP settings on the Cowon tweaked, I can stand in the middle of the band or orchestra and point at the instrument positions. It doesn't get much better than that!

-HK sends

 

[HK_sends]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HK_sends /img/forum/go_quote.gif With the DSP settings on the Cowon tweaked, I can stand in the middle of the band or orchestra and point at the instrument positions.

Figuratively speaking...

-HK sends

 

[walrusmonger]

Picked up #8401 from J&R in NYC on Saturday, read through these posts prior to purchase to see if these were "worth" getting. I read tons of great reviews and a few negative ones, and the only complaints seem to be of build quality.

Anyway, I own Shure E4C buds that I use for my commute and after 3 years of owning them I felt like it was time to get a pair of good headphones exclusive for home use.

These are truly awesome. I had listened to them about 5 hours so far between break in radio play (which has been about 40 hours worth of break in so far). The sound is just incredible, it's a full sound, the Shures don't really give "full" sound unless they're in really tight and even then it seems to miss a lot of the mids (if that makes sense, I don't really know too much technical stuff).

I am pleased with the feel of the headphones, they're more comfortable than I would have been led to believe.

I am considering getting an amp for them, but don't want to drop a hell of a lot of money. Is there anything worth buying that's $200 or less? I would rather not spend more on the amp then the headphones

Thanks everyone, and I'm happy to finally know why people say Grados are so great!

 

[BrookR1]

Congrats on your purchase. This may sound like blasphemy, but I'm beginning to wonder if these are actually better than my RS-1s. Definitely on the same level.

Regarding an amp, are you running these through your computer or another setup? If a computer, I highly recommend the E-MU 0404 USB. It has an amp and a DAC in one package for under $200. It smooths things out. I'm planning on adding a tube amp to the chain as soon as I save some $$$.

 

[Rednamalas1]

it's been 5 months since I had them, and I have not gotten sick of them yet! This is rare!

 

[rjp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrookR1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Regarding an amp, are you running these through your computer or another setup? If a computer, I highly recommend the E-MU 0404 USB. It has an amp and a DAC in one package for under $200. It smooths things out. I'm planning on adding a tube amp to the chain as soon as I save some $$$.

I'm still using "lowly" SR60s here, but I'll second the recommendation on the E-MU - if and only if you're not using it on a laptop. The 0404 works great on my one XP desktop (AMD X2 3800+), but neither my Thinkpad T30 (1.8 GHz Mobile Pentium 4) nor my folks' Dell (with a Core 2 Duo) can run it without glitching, and I've tried everything I could - no amount of futzing with PCI latency timings or network settings would change it on either machine.

That being said, the 0404 can be used simply as an amp (you'll need a pair of 1/4" 2-conductor male to RCA female adaptors), or as a DAC with its TOSlink and digital coaxial inputs. The input jacks can also accept balanced XLR or TRS connections, and the box provides balanced TRS or unbalanced TR line outs as well as the headphone out.

 

[walrusmonger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjp /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm still using "lowly" SR60s here, but I'll second the recommendation on the E-MU - if and only if you're not using it on a laptop. The 0404 works great on my one XP desktop (AMD X2 3800+), but neither my Thinkpad T30 (1.8 GHz Mobile Pentium 4) nor my folks' Dell (with a Core 2 Duo) can run it without glitching, and I've tried everything I could - no amount of futzing with PCI latency timings or network settings would change it on either machine. That being said, the 0404 can be used simply as an amp (you'll need a pair of 1/4" 2-conductor male to RCA female adaptors), or as a DAC with its TOSlink and digital coaxial inputs. The input jacks can also accept balanced XLR or TRS connections, and the box provides balanced TRS or unbalanced TR line outs as well as the headphone out.

I have been using them on my laptop and my receiver, the laptop is pretty beefy (alienware m15x) so I think it could handle the 0404, but I think I'd rather get a tube amp since it seems easier to use

I saw woo audio has one but they're nearly $500.

I'm so confused :-/

 

[walrusmonger]

I bought a d2 boa, was this a good choice?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walrusmonger /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bought a d2 boa, was this a good choice?

I think you will be fine.

 

[moogoob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walrusmonger /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have been using them on my laptop and my receiver, the laptop is pretty beefy (alienware m15x) so I think it could handle the 0404, but I think I'd rather get a tube amp since it seems easier to use I saw woo audio has one but they're nearly $500. I'm so confused :-/

I'm considering (for the far future, at least, if I can hold onto my wallet

) a WA6 amp from Woo Audio- they look sweet.

One thing I learned yesterday- most portable amps can't power the 325is correctly. I've been using a Total Bithead, and just yesterday my new HR Micro amp arrived. Night and day difference. Vocals that were harsh before are now clear as day with some proper power behind them. Mids and highs (already two of the 325i's strong points) became much clearer and more precise. Bass didn't improve as much, but did perhaps become a tad tighter and deeper.

I can imagine a tube amp would be even sweeter.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moogoob /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm considering (for the far future, at least, if I can hold onto my wallet ) a WA6 amp from Woo Audio- they look sweet. One thing I learned yesterday- most portable amps can't power the 325is correctly. I've been using a Total Bithead, and just yesterday my new HR Micro amp arrived. Night and day difference. Vocals that were harsh before are now clear as day with some proper power behind them. Mids and highs (already two of the 325i's strong points) became much clearer and more precise. Bass didn't improve as much, but did perhaps become a tad tighter and deeper. I can imagine a tube amp would be even sweeter.

The D2 Boa is better with Grados than the stock D2 Viper, but it's not the best (but not bad at all), the HR Micro Amp is an improvement over those by a small margin, but the TTVJ portable Millett hybrid tube amp is the best portable that I have ever heard with Grados. I've reviewed most of these here on head-fi, and the only Grado I haven't owned is the SR-125 and the GS-1000 (PS-1 doesn't count)