Amp/DAC recommendation for D2000 & DT990

[Hopstretch]

My memory might be wildly off base but I'm pretty sure it was discussed somewhere here not that long ago.

EDIT: Here's we go.

Gotta love good ole' Joe...

Let me see, I sent my current HP's last May or so, and Joe charged me $300 for drivers and cabling and $50 for his "tune-up" process, which he mentioned was essentially his very thorough break in process, in which he hooks up the cans to the output of some oscilloscope and runs 20-20 frequencies at specific time intervals to completely break in and distress the driver. In addition he put some of his "magic" compound inside the outer rim of the enclosure. When I received the things well I swear it was the absolute best set of HP's I had ever heard, out of 6 total I have owned I think even two of them had received similar Joe treatment. When I called Joe he said he did every tweak/modification on mine that he had developed at that time, but when I pressed further he simply replied humorously that "he put a little spice here, a little paprika there, you know the usual".

Reading through the above thread, I think the stuff he is doing now is essentially the same as what he did for me but charging $1500 vs. the $350 which was his more normal rate.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Hopstretch

[CherryBomb]

He has this whole pitch where he offers three different services:

(1) bring them to "close" to NOS for $300 to $400;

(2) bring them to NOS for $1200; or

(3) bring them up to new and improved for $2000.

Number (1) means he will clean them up, and fix anything broken, but no new parts without an additional fee.

Number (2) is like (1), but includes new drivers, new headband and new everything else except the metal frame is the same and he does not put new letters on the cup.

Number (3) is like (2), but includes extra tweeks to allow sufficient resolution to hear all the details that are present in his "holographic microphone." He states "this is many standard deviations better" than a stock HP1, 2 or 3. Apparently, this option includes tweeks to the drivers, and by his estimation takes at least 10 hours of work to complete.

As for me, I'm skeptical. I've read posts here on HC that suggests that each of the above options are the exact same thing. Its in the HP1 vs HP2 thread.

Edit: Stretch nailed the quote I was referring to above.

[Hopstretch]

I think we can safely posit that no Grado family member was ever in too much of a hurry to stop and pick up a penny spotted on the sidewalk.

[CherryBomb]

The guy told me that you can drive three miles from his house and point his microphone at a tree in his backyard and hear birds singing. No joke. I know absolutely nothing about microphones, and I suppose I could have misheard him (I don't think I did), but that sounds like a fantastic claim.

[manaox2]

The guy told me that you can drive three miles from his house and point his microphone at a tree in his backyard and hear birds singing. No joke. I know absolutely nothing about microphones, and I suppose I could have misheard him (I don't think I did), but that sounds like a fantastic claim.

Yeah, a few of us got his 45 min. spill at the Charlotte Canfest last year. He said a lot of stuff that sounded like fantastic claims. I'm not sure what to think about that thing. Thats on a whole new level then what he was telling us though.

[Voltron]

No melos? Why?

I have posted my thoughts on this elsewhere on this site, and would recoemdn quite strongly against it.

fixed it for you.

sorry to maybe be the first to say to you that grado does not use the same crap cables as everyone else. Bummer. Sorry, I didnt read the rest of your post the first sentance had the essence of the rest in it for me.

Agree as to HP1s but I put a balanced Equinox on my PS-1s and think it is an improvement over the stock. I kept the stock for later, although this is one set of cans I intend to will to my kids.

[CherryBomb]

He has this whole pitch where he offers three different services:

(1) bring them to "close" to NOS for $300 to $400;

(2) bring them to NOS for $1200; or

(3) bring them up to new and improved for $2000.

Number (1) means he will clean them up, and fix anything broken, but no new parts without an additional fee.

Number (2) is like (1), but includes new drivers, new headband and new everything else except the metal frame is the same and he does not put new letters on the cup.

Number (3) is like (2), but includes extra tweeks to allow sufficient resolution to hear all the details that are present in his "holographic microphone." He states "this is many standard deviations better" than a stock HP1, 2 or 3. Apparently, this option includes tweeks to the drivers, and by his estimation takes at least 10 hours of work to complete.

As for me, I'm skeptical. I've read posts here on HC that suggests that each of the above options are the exact same thing. Its in the HP1 vs HP2 thread.

Edit: Stretch nailed the quote I was referring to above.

Based on this quote from HF, number (3) may be more involved than my previous post (quoted above) indicates. Specifically, it may involve a double cable:

FS: Joseph Grado HP-1000 (HP2) - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

[Dusty Chalk]

The guy told me that you can drive three miles from his house and point his microphone at a tree in his backyard and hear birds singing. No joke. I know absolutely nothing about microphones, and I suppose I could have misheard him (I don't think I did), but that sounds like a fantastic claim.

Three miles is a bit much, but parabolic microphones can do some great distances.

[CherryBomb]

Anybody think this looks like a decent Beta? I don't know of oneplustwo; do they do good work?

FS: Three Channel Beta22 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

[Beefy]

Nice guy, but I wouldn't buy it.

[Voltron]

FWIW I see a single-ended B22 on Head-Fi right now . . . FS: Three Channel Beta22 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

Ehhh... no.

Not to derail the Stax Mafia's strong-arm recommendations, which are very worthy, but the Rockhopper balanced M3 is a very fine idea and there may be a very worthy B22 posted soon but the one linked above is NOT worth consideration because of the builder. *snip*

Anybody think this looks like a decent Beta? I don't know of oneplustwo; do they do good work?

FS: Three Channel Beta22 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

You already got your answer on that one a few days ago. No.

[CherryBomb]

Missed that. Thanks.