[ClieOS]

Quote:

.... I am okay with the hassle of an extra device so long as the 
improvement is readily discernible.  I don't have Golden Ears
and don't use spectrographs or whatnot to measure
frequencies. I just want to chill out to some impactful
Classical Music and not worry about it.  
 

 
There is no one in the world but yourself that can tell you how much improvement can be qualified as 'readily discernible' or 'worth the effort'. There is also the question on whether your headphone actually benefit from the extra power or not. Anyway, here are two things I want to say:
 
First, O2 is very far ahead of E11 or cmoy.
2nd, get yourself a better headphone first before worrying about amp. Grado is very far from ideal for Classical music.

 

[pixeltarian]

Why No Practical Devices XM4? 

I really wanna see a sub $300 shootout. 

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Why No Practical Devices XM4? 

I really wanna see a sub $300 shootout. 

I believe XM4 is the same sounding as XM3 (which I own), but with bass boost. They both are extremely outdated by today's standard and not something I would recommend since quite E11 or cmoyBB can be on par / out performance it for half the price.
 
Some of the top sounding amps in this review actually match and even outdo many sub$500 amp. Rising the price tag doesn't necessary buy you better amps. $200 is quite a good point before the law of diminishing return kicks in.

 

[Bazirker]

Speaking of $500 amps, how do you feel the Apex Glacier compares to the top amps of this list? Something like the UHA-4 that has a very similar amp/DAC combo and footprint...

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Speaking of $500 amps, how do you feel the Apex Glacier compares to the top amps of this list? Something like the UHA-4 that has a very similar amp/DAC combo and footprint...

 
Apex stuffs are kind of elusive as they can only be found on TTVJ (and I am half a world away). Unless I can somehow borrow one, I doubt I'll even have the chance to review it.

 

[Bazirker]

Apex stuffs are kind of elusive as they can only be found on TTVJ (and I am half a world away). Unless I can somehow borrow one, I doubt I'll even have the chance to review it.

Yeah, I've been watching the for sale section of the forums for one in the US. If the price was right, I would take the plunge but certainly wouldn't get one new without audition first.

Oh well. If the Leckerton had a bass boost feature, I'd probably be sold. Is there an op amp I could drop in if I wanted extra boom?

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

 Is there an op amp I could drop in if I wanted extra boom?

 
There might be some opamp that will sound a little warmer / richer than other, but not actually bass boost in the sense of a change in FR curve.

 

[CanCrazed]

Quote:

 
First, O2 is very far ahead of E11 or cmoy.
2nd, get yourself a better headphone first before worrying about amp. Grado is very far from ideal for Classical music.

 
I realize this may be opening up a whole other can of worms, but...
 
I really don't understand this whole notion that Grado cans are bad
for Classical and only good for Rock.
 
I find the detail and great-mids they provide works quite well with
solo, chamber and orchestral pieces.
 
Try Carlos Kleiber's thrill-riding renditions of Beethoven's
4th, 5th and 7th symphonies.  I'm listening to his 7th as I write.
 
Grado's "punchiness" is on full display here and 
to terrific effect.
 
Stravinsky's Rite of Spring is another great example --
in your face and hair-raising.
 
And I'm not even using an amp!
 
I can only imagine the improvement with a decent one.  Which is why I wondered
if perhaps I haven't yet realized the FULL POWER of the SR80's.
 
Perhaps one should take full advantage of the gear they already have before
deciding to perpetually upgrade ad infinitum?  (Something that hit me just now)
 
Just my respectful two cents.  

  I do appreciate your helpful review and insights!
And I don't doubt there are better headphones.  But I'm just a budding budget audiophile
and can't afford the sort of stupendous equipment you've probably had over the years.  
 
So...
I may just pull the trigger and get this here Objective 2! 

 

[ClieOS]

We all pick our own poison, I guess. My choice for Classical will not be a Grado for sure. I'll pick something more neutral. But if you are sticking to Grado in the long run, you might want to save up for some tube amp down the line. Grado is known to pair very well with tube stuff.

 

[CanCrazed]

Quote:

We all pick our own poison, I guess. My choice for Classical will not be a Grado for sure. I'll pick something more neutral. But if you are sticking to Grado in the long run, you might want to save up for some tube amp down the line. Grado is known to pair very well with tube stuff.

Now that you've wetted my curiosity 

 -- what would be your choice for Classical but also in the same $100 price range?

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Now that you've wetted my curiosity 

 -- what would be your choice for Classical but also in the same $100 price range?

 
I don't use full size much as I do most of my listen on-the-go. My choice of a sub-$100 earphone for Classical will be the discontinued HiFiMan RE-0. If price isn't an issue, I'll pick either K702 or DT880 as my ultimate Classical full size, or ER4S for on-the-go. I also quite happy with MDR-1R as well. As you might have noticed, I tend to pick analytical sounding 'phone for Classical.

 

[ClieOS]

JDS Labs C5 added.

 

[Evshrug]

I loved my ER•6i for almost anything, and the non-i version just as much when I demo'ed it (not sure why I let my dad talk me into the slightly more bass-lifted one, though both are comparatively analytical), and I generally preferred analytical (next headphone was AD700, then years later my current Q701), I still have and occasionally use my beloved Etymotics, but now I'm also highly enjoying my M-100 which is fairly warmer than anything else I have. May become my on-the-go main headphone, since I need to be able to take them off frequently, and of course the AKG Q701 doesn't leave the house.

ClieOS, you just tried out a bunch of new amps recently, didn't you? Hope it was fun!

 

[passion4audio]

I wonder how the Aune T1 would fare amongst these amps?

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

ClieOS, you just tried out a bunch of new amps recently, didn't you? Hope it was fun!

 
A few more are coming as well. Always fun to try new gears.
 
Quote:

I wonder how the Aune T1 would fare amongst these amps?

T1 is a bit out of the scope of this review though.