Killercrush Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Hi guys ! As you may know, I've always wanted a pair of HP2 but never got around to purchase them. I got my SR100 with HP1000 drivers and I'm wondering if I should sell them to fund a HP2 or just build a ~$1500 rig around my SR100 and wait till I have even more money to buy the HP2 without selling the SR100, I have always kept only the best headphone and sold the worst but in this case, it's harder to sell such a nice rare piece of gear that is the SR100. Any thoughts ?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_maher Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Hi guys ! As you may know, I've always wanted a pair of HP2 but never got around to purchase them. I got my SR100 with HP1000 drivers and I'm wondering if I should sell them to fund a HP2 or just build a ~$1500 rig around my SR100 and wait till I have even more money to buy the HP2 without selling the SR100, I have always kept only the best headphone and sold the worst but in this case, it's harder to sell such a nice rare piece of gear that is the SR100. Any thoughts ?! No advice but if you decide to sell the SR100's I might be interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killercrush Posted January 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 No advice but if you decide to sell the SR100's I might be interested. There would be at least 100 people interested but Jin would get first dibs for sure. eBay isn't the right place for such cans, HC & HF it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_maher Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 On a more serious not what is it about your current rig that you feel needs upgrading? Source? Amp? Both? And since we don't have profiles here and you don't list any gear in your sig it would be helpful if you laid out what you're currently using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killercrush Posted January 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I'm currently using my SR100 with flats directly out of my computer or pcdp, pretty minimalist crappy setup. I used to have a Melos but sold it due to not having a decent source to play with. I thought about getting a CI Audio VDA-2 with an Oppo as a transport paired with a fully discrete amp from Purity Audio, called KICAS. All of this is just pending in the air cause I don't know if I would stay with this rig for long cause my desire to get the HP2 grows stronger everyday. Basically my question is, should I spend $1500 on my favorite cans and build a rig slowly around them or build a complete SR100 rig right here, right now ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_maher Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I'm currently using my SR100 with flats directly out of my computer or pcdp, pretty minimalist crappy setup. Have you ever tried to hear the 100's out of a decent rig? Maybe you've never heard their full potential, maybe they don't require anything other than a minimalist setup? Sounds to me like you're making a pretty uniformed decision so far. Who's to say you'd prefer the HP2s regardless of what rig you put them in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ojnihs Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 doesn't sound like you've really utilized the SR100's. you should wait and see if you can find the sound you want out of an amp and source before deciding to plunge into getting an HP2 and then realizing you aren't getting the sound out of them that you want because you don't have what it takes to use them well. should have held onto that melos instead of selling it because you didn't have a good source to use it with. you got to add slowly to your rig, it doesn't happen all at once like magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postjack Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 should have held onto that melos instead of selling it because you didn't have a good source to use it with. nah, there's better amps then the Melos for Grados IMO. I preferred the Dynahi to the Melos with both the HP2 and RS1. I can't speak for the SR100, but I could assume my findings would be similar. I concur with orenthal james and nato crisp though: currently your cash would be most effective on your upstream components. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killercrush Posted January 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Have you ever tried to hear the 100's out of a decent rig? Maybe you've never heard their full potential, maybe they don't require anything other than a minimalist setup? Here's a few setups I tried them in : Melos DVT CDP > Melos SHA Gold Monarchy Audio M22 > Melos SHA 1 CI Audio VDA-2 > Purity Audio KICAS Meridian 508.24 > RSA B-52 / Apache Beresford TC-7510 DAC > Singlepower PPX3 Eastsound CD5 CDP > Lossless 2004 > McAlister Massive Attack Iriver HP-140 > HR Microdac > Millet Hybrid Sony D-303 > Larocco PRII They did reach full potential with the Meridian/Apache (not to my liking tough) or VDA-2/KICAS, anything above that, like the B52, was way overkill for them. They did showed me each system's signature and many higher-end setups highlighted the SR100 deficiencies. Who's to say you'd prefer the HP2s regardless of what rig you put them in? Because I took a quite nice listen to them in a very silent place and they blew away my SR100, even unamped. One thing I would like to do is compare my SR100 in a $1500 setup against an unamped HP2. I concur with orenthal james and nato crisp though: currently your cash would be most effective on your upstream components. I think I heard a million times that the transducers come first, upgrades will be more noticeable if you have an exceptional pair of cans than a mid-fi one. The HP2 is known to take the flavor of upstream components, why not make it the first step ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killercrush Posted January 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 That being said, I only heard the HP2 with the JGSUWBRC on one setup and that was : CEC CDP (don't remember it's name) > CEC DA53 > Melos SHA 1 & CEC CDP (don't remember it's name) > CEC DA53 > Unamped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiWire Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I would agree with the suggestion above... improve your upstream components while keeping an eye open for HP-1000 deals. I've heard the HP2 is noticeably better than the SR-100, but I think your cans are "good enough" for most setups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killercrush Posted January 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 The problem is, Joseph Grado is getting older and I think it's about time I get my pair to send it to him so he can perform his magic and get a pair of back-up HP1000 drivers. I just want to be done with open-air dynamic headphones choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ojnihs Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I concur with orenthal james and nato crisp though: currently your cash would be most effective on your upstream components. snap, i'm being called by O.J.'s real name...this is either really good (hall of famer good) or really bad (crazy lunatic bad). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postjack Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 snap, i'm being called by O.J.'s real name...this is either really good (hall of famer good) or really bad (crazy lunatic bad). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Chalk Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 The drivers contain most of the magic, I say keep them. That said, have you heard them in a really nice rig, yet, perhaps at a meet, or a nearby headfier or headcaser? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jinp6301 Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 There would be at least 100 people interested but Jin would get first dibs for sure. eBay isn't the right place for such cans, HC & HF it is. you are my best friend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ojnihs Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 you are my best friend *cough* kiss ass *cough* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philodox Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 The drivers contain most of the magic, I say keep them. That said, have you heard them in a really nice rig, yet, perhaps at a meet, or a nearby headfier or headcaser? Well, he's heard them in my rig. Not sure if that qualifies, since it's not really designed with Grados in mind. I agree though, keeping the SR100 and building a nice rig around them makes more sense for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killercrush Posted January 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 Yep, I'll keep them for now and do some reversible mods to upgrade them to my likings. Some SR325/MS2 cups & a standard joe grado cable should do the trick, I want my poor's man HP1000 !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killercrush Posted January 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 That's something I promised myself I would never do with my SR100 or the old SR200 I had... You want wood ? Go RS2, RS1, GS1K... HF-1, that's it. Also, Larry and Ken are out of the picture for me, not much other options out there except DIY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postjack Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 cantsleep is selling his SR100s right now. $400 is pricey though. You feel the cans are worth $400 Julien? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jinp6301 Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Julien's SR-100 has hp-1000 driver so its different then cantsleep's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killercrush Posted January 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 His pair's not as good as mine cause it only has the SR100 drivers (Version 3 or 4). AFAIK, there was only 4 versions of the SR100 : 1 - Red letterings, metal mesh, HP1000 drivers & the Grado Signature Laboratory Standard Audio Cable 2 - Silver letterings, metal mesh & HP1000 drivers, never saw one like this except mine. 3 - Silver letterings, metal mesh & SR100 drivers 4 - Silver letterings, plastic mesh & SR100 drivers I had some SR200 with SR200 drivers and it was not worth $400 at all. I do feel that my pair with the HP1000 drivers is worth at least $500 to my ears. Better than RS2 for sure and about on par with the RS1 (Sonic preferences dictate which one you like best here), which I didn't like that much, actually preferred the GS1K to it, never heard a vintage RS1 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postjack Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 His pair's not as good as mine cause it only has the SR100 drivers (Version 3 or 4). AFAIK, there was only 4 versions of the SR100 : 1 - Red letterings, metal mesh, HP1000 drivers & the Grado Signature Laboratory Standard Audio Cable 2 - Silver letterings, metal mesh & HP1000 drivers, never saw one like this except mine. 3 - Silver letterings, metal mesh & SR100 drivers 4 - Silver letterings, plastic mesh & SR100 drivers I had some SR200 with SR200 drivers and it was not worth $400 at all. I do feel that my pair with the HP1000 drivers is worth at least $500 to my ears. Better than RS2 for sure and about on par with the RS1 (Sonic preferences dictate which one you like best here), which I didn't like that much, actually preferred the GS1K to it, never heard a vintage RS1 though. Right on, sounds like cantsleep's SR100 is more for collectors then. Thanks for your response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salt Peanuts Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 cantsleep is selling his SR100s right now. $400 is pricey though. You feel the cans are worth $400 Julien? Then there's this. http://buy.audiogon.com/cgia/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1205303348 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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