[StevenTam]

Thank you rgs9200m, your review is very nice and useful for me.
I now using RPX33 for my PS1000 and D7000, and planning to get a MD1 because I love the sound signature of Rudi. You provided detail imformation for me as reference.

 

[rgs9200m]

to Rosgr -- It is the pure white cable (and adapters).
StevenTam -- thanks for that!
 
A followup on the soundstage--The soundstage is such that it does the job nicely. No, it is not the kind of micro & macrostaging of the HD800s that I think may be in a class by itself,
but when listening, I don't feel a need for anything more, as it is a very good "headphone-appropriate" space, which is the best that I can describe it. It is not flat or in-your-head or over-compacted,
and it is significantly better spatially than, say, 650s or AKG 701s.
 
I keep coming back to 650s because, to reiterate, these were the headphones I turned to when I wanted to calm things down a bit if a recording needed it. Now, the Chromas do that
with far better resolution and much better tonality and soundstaging. I think of them as a really fine monitor loudspeaker, coherent with no annoying pounding bass, or too-forward midrange,
or piercing highs. I think they stand out for what the crimes they do not commit, while still allowing the message of the music to get through.
 
Another point in further listening is the very nice texture of musical instruments and vocals: not edgy nor blunted or overly smoothed out.
It is almost an electrostatic-style texture, as if they were designed with this kind of sound in mind, but without the traces of "buzziness" I sometimes hear in Staxes I owned.
I remember in a review long ago by Wes Phillips in Stereophile (Feb 1998) on the Stax Lambda Nova Signature/SRM-T1W (that I owned back then):
 
"At first I thought the Staxes revealed more texture, but the longer I listened, the more I came to feel that that texture lacked specificity—it was more like a slightly grainy overlay that simulated texture, reminding me of the textured anti-glare glass sometimes used to frame photographs: While it gives the appearance of increased clarity, it comes at the expense of fine detail."
 
Well, the Chromas have fine texture without this problem, and I really appreciate this.
 
One last sin they do not commit is to sound "squirmy" which I think is some sort of lack of control or loose foundation that some headphones have (at least this is something I have heard,
like in Beyer 880s/990s and Audio Tech. W5000s). They sound very solid and grounded.
 
OK, thanks again for reading this. I still need to try them with tubes and see what happens.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Thank you rgs9200m, your review is very nice and useful for me.
I now using RPX33 for my PS1000 and D7000, and planning to get a MD1 because I love the sound signature of Rudi. You provided detail imformation for me as reference.

Steven as a side note the PS1000 is not a very good match for the RPX33, or vice, but if you like that combo, you will love the MD1/Chroma for sure....This is hte least pair I would like to see together...maybe is a matter that I do not like the Grado sound too much...Grado need some kind of compensation here and there, than the Rudi amps will not give you, they are like more flat or universally designed...There are certain amps that goes well with them though, Rudistor are not among them...but as i said before, maybe is that I'm not very found of the Grado sound...  

 

[StevenTam]

Quote:

Steven as a side note the PS1000 is not a very good match for the RPX33, or vice, but if you like that combo, you will love the MD1/Chroma for sure....This is hte least pair I would like to see together...maybe is a matter that I do not like the Grado sound too much...Grado need some kind of compensation here and there, than the Rudi amps will not give you, they are like more flat or universally designed...There are certain amps that goes well with them though, Rudistor are not among them...but as i said before, maybe is that I'm not very found of the Grado sound...  

Thank you for your advise Sovkiller. I agree with you that PRX33 is not very good paring with PS1000, however, I found this combo are great when connected to niam CDP, not really Hi-Fi but with excellent musical experience, fascinating sound on Jazz and Blues.
Actually, I ordered a MD1 this morning. Can't wait for it.

---

Great review rgs9200m, thanks again.

 

[rgs9200m]

 I found the PS1000 to be a great match for the RP010B amp. The music just flows. It's a main combo that I use all the time.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

 I found the PS1000 to be a great match for the RP010B amp. The music just flows. It's a main combo that I use all the time.

The RP010B is a more robust amp, not surprise here, I'm assuming that the RP1000 will be able to hadle everything you connect there as well...maybe is a matter of taste as I stated, OTOH I found it to be magical with the Editions, CD3K, R10, Chroma, etc...for the ones who like that sound of course...
As you know, I'm not too fond of any of the Grado house sounds, for me they are either too colored, or too bassy, or extremely bored, they go from one exteme to the other leaving nothing in between for my personal taste...

 

[rgs9200m]

I actually think Rudi's RP010B has a special synergy with the PS1Ks.  I like them better than the HD800s, T1s, and 650s on the Rudistor. The sound is big and bold, but the bass is tight with no boom and the highs are smooth.
And the whole spectrum sounds flat and balanced and right to me. Vocals are about the best I have heard on any headphone system, very real and rounded and full, with no ringing.
The RP010B has a tubelike signature, and I kind of feel like I have a tubey experience with the Rudistor-PS1K combo.
The RP010 just takes full control of the the PS1Ks and makes them sing.

 

[Jian]

I don't think t1 is bad with ss amp, in fact I prefer the ss than tube when driving t1. The md1 seems to be very interesting, wondering how it compares to the ed10.

 

[MrSpenkelink]

The retro design of the transducers is Grado-like but those enormous pads are overwhelming them. I suspect that build quality is where any similarity to Grado ends. These "sound" promising.   

 

[lmswjm]

Is there another way to purchase these besides direct from Rudistor for 990USD?

 

[Sovkiller]

I do not think that they are even in stock, they are made in small quantities and preordered...and as far as I know Rudi stopped distributing using any channel but the website and Amazon...And if I'm not mistaken the price will go up in the next days, something related to the currency exchange...

 

[dongringo]

.

 

[budx3385]

I ordered the Chroma MD1 yesterday.  I had been waiting for them to become available, because Rudi had told me about them when I purchased an RP8 last spring.  Silly me, I had seen the big image go live but hadn't done a mouse-over and clicked it!  I finally emailed him yesterday and wised up.  Can't wait to hear them! - I love my RP010B, it has scaled up with every new item beautifully, and it is the only amp I have heard that delivers real presence, like I'm listening to a live mike feed. 
 
rgs9200m, many thanks for your detailed and vivid commentary.  Sounds like Rudi did it right again!  I have a DNA Sonnet here, too, which rose to near the level of the RP010B when I added the right tubes, and I look forward to hearing the MD1s with it - balanced, of course.
 
Question for you, rgs9200m --- did you have to request the SE + XLR termination combo, or is that standard?

 

[budx3385]

+ one more comment
 
Rudi also told me yesterday that a price increase is coming soon - he said the current USD price was set when the euro was 1.2, and now it is 1.4.
 

 

[alota]

i know it will be marketed only the standard chroma in two version: with normal jack or balanced.
the signature will no longer be produced.
aldo