Could use some advices

[Spychedelic Whale]

Hi, this sounds like a knowledge community sharing the same interest thats why I decided to come here, this my first hello to you.

Going to the point I bough first and MS1, and to me doesn't sound near to what I would call decent hi.fi so I decided to go with the RS1 and the same happened. There was an improvement but not much.

But this is straight from a 20$ Creative Stone Plus Mp3 Player and laptop. I ordered a minimax and gamma 2 when bought the rs1, the amp arrived but waiting for the dac to use it.

The rs1 at least with crappy source doesn't make for me it just sounds 2 cheap speakers (sorry grado fans) .

So I'm preparing my self for the eventuality of the grado sound isn't for me and pick another cans to use with Minimax and Gamma y2.

I have eared good things about HD600 650 and the k701. I mostly listen to acoustic and rock, Phish Live concerts , whitestripes, animal collectice etc.

What are your thoughts on these ?

[Hopstretch]

Definitely the 701s. The best thing about them is how easy they are to drive.

[morphsci]

Plus they're white.

[mypasswordis]

^ True, it's for that reason that iPods and K701s go hand in hand together.

Btw, proofreading should be in your interest. IMO.

[Spychedelic Whale]

I Appreciate de jokes =)

[Beefy]

Wait for the DAC, then listen to your new setup - and nothing else - for about a week. Then go back to your current crappy player and earbuds. It will give you a better perspective once you are fully adjusted to how it is supposed to sound.

[grawk]

my advice is to reread your welcome pm

[GPH]

If you expect headphones to sound better than speakers, it'll be a long series of disappointments. Once you appreciate headphones for what they are though, it can be a very enjoyable experience. With that said, I'm not a big Grado fan myself except for the HP-1000 and PS-1, but I have not heard their newest offerings (HF-2, PS-1000) which seem to be appreciated by many. Spend some time reading here and you'll find most of your questions have already been answered. And welcome btw!

[MexicanDragon]

What I told you in the chat, except in forum formatting.

**BRENT**

[Spychedelic Whale]

my advice is to reread your welcome pm

Yeah don't worry I have been told.

What I told you in the chat, except in forum formatting.

**BRENT**

What did you say I can't recall.

[MexicanDragon]

What did you say I can't recall.

I believe I said something to the effect of

Oh, wait, I remember what else. You are wanting to know about all these cans, but you've been listening out of your laptop's headphone out, or out of a 20$ MP3 player. I told you to wait until you get your dac and spend a couple weeks with the REAL rig with the headphones you have, and also throw down for a pair of HD580s, 600s, or 650s to compare to your RS-1s. See if you like the RS-1s with your amp/dac as opposed to just the headphone out. Then sell whichever you like the least, since you were going to dump the RS-1s anyways. Sell your MS-1s right now, as you know you don't like them. If you want portable cans, get some Senn PX100-II or just PX100. You could get Koss Porta Pros, but as many think they kinda fall in line with the Grados that you don't seem to like, then just skip them.

Once you sell the RS-1s (which you seem inclined to do anyways), buy the 600s or 650s, whichever you didn't buy previously, and listen to those two cans for about a month. See which you like best. Sell the other. Then when you sell those, buy the K701s and put them up for a month or two against the 650s (which is what I figure you'll keep out of those 3).

Then, in about 6-7 months when you've gone through 4 sets of cans and you kinda know what you like and what you don't like, sell all your gear (amp, dac, cans) and get JH13s or JH16s and listen out of your laptop or portable.

That's pretty much what I told you last night, I just don't think you were listening.

**BRENT**

[boomana]

I told you to read your welcome pm and get rid of your crappy source before deciding what your headphones sound like.

[MexicanDragon]

I told you to read your welcome pm and get rid of your crappy source before deciding what your headphones sound like.

He's getting a y2, but IIRC, using 320 -v0 MP3. I told him last night he should use FLAC or ALAC, or just some sort of lossless. But I agree, and that's why I said to give the RS-1s a chance once the DAC comes in and use them with the amp for a month or two.

**BRENT**

[manaox2]

-v0 or better is not as good as lossless IMO, its easily noticeable, but its not going to probably make or break the experience with those cans. I think they would be fine for comparison testing. I definitely would wait a while on selling them just yet, I think the gamma 2 and minimax sound like a pretty good combo in a grado rig, most hybrid amps I've tried had good synergy with them. Sounds like you have already had some good advice. I think you have a decent choice with the Grado from your description of what you listen to, if you still can't stand them after you get your gear, maybe try the HD600. The HD650 is a bit demanding to give it the control to tighten up the sound and the K701 needs some pretty serious stuff too to bring out the bass more IMO. Though, not surprisingly to people that know me, my honest advice would be to sell everything but the gamma2 and go with Stax. JH13 is a little pricy, but its ok I guess.

[Beefy]

I think the gamma 2 and minimax sound like a pretty good combo in a grado rig

Well I don't know how it sounds with Grados specifically, but I use the MiniMax/y2 combo as my work rig and it is pretty damn good with the ESW9.

I don't really notice the handful of MP3s amongst my FLACs while I'm working, so it really depends on how you listen.

[manaox2]

Well I don't know how it sounds with Grados specifically, but I use the MiniMax/y2 combo as my work rig and it is pretty damn good with the ESW9.

I don't really notice the handful of MP3s amongst my FLACs while I'm working, so it really depends on how you listen.

Yeah, there have been times where I noticed the difference while listening with lower bitrates, but -v0 or higher is not easily noticeable to me unless I'm actively trying to compare. Definitely recommend having the lossless for archiving and reference listening whenever possible though, its just less to worry about.

[n_maher]

I don't really notice the handful of MP3s amongst my FLACs while I'm working, so it really depends on how you listen.

I'm with you on that one. Fidelity is already compromised in my office setting with phones ringing, computers humming, office mates yacking, etc. I don't notice the handful of FLAC's amongst all my MP3s. Oh, the horror.

[Spychedelic Whale]

Yes I will wait, I'm going to follow Mexican advice. As a last resort if neither the HD600 or a stax do it for me I will sell everything but the gamma2 as you said and probably buy the jh13.

As for the electrostatic headphones I know nothing, I have found out that there is dealer not too far from me and I may be having a visit and try some. What models in the 500$ range should I ask to audition ?

[manaox2]

Yes I will wait, I'm going to follow Mexican advice. As a last resort if neither the HD600 or a stax do it for me I will sell everything but the gamma2 as you said and probably buy the jh13.

As for the electrostatic headphones I know nothing, I have found out that there is dealer not too far from me and I may be having a visit and try some. What models in the 500$ range should I ask to audition ?

If you decide to buy, most Lambda variaties can be bought used for under $500 (SR-404LE is the only one not in that category yet). The dealers charge a large amount more then the used market and they have proved to be very durable, I doubt you will notice a difference between a lambda used for a week or used for 30 years if intact and the pads are still decent. Try the SR-202 and SR-404 if your dealer has them. Also, I don't know where your at, but check for meet locations on head-fi.org so that you can audition some of those no longer being sold new and all those other phones you've mentioned will hopefully be available there as well.

[mypasswordis]

-v0 or better is not as good as lossless IMO, its easily noticeable, but its not going to probably make or break the experience with those cans.

I don't really notice the handful of MP3s amongst my FLACs while I'm working, so it really depends on how you listen.

Yeah, there have been times where I noticed the difference while listening with lower bitrates, but -v0 or higher is not easily noticeable to me unless I'm actively trying to compare.

I'm with you on that one. Fidelity is already compromised in my office setting with phones ringing, computers humming, office mates yacking, etc. I don't notice the handful of FLAC's amongst all my MP3s. Oh, the horror.

I'm using my $20 AL iM716 in bass mode straight off a school Mac listening to stuff off youtube right now and sorry but I just don't care that everything sounds like crap. It's still music, and that's good enough for me. Not to say that high(er) end rigs aren't worth it, but mp3s really aren't a big deal to me.

[manaox2]

There are times when I really love something and would like to hear it in as high of quality as possible. Its not really a problem of good enough, its more that there is noticeably better for what appears to me to be only a little more. And that is where a problem is found with this hobby sometimes.

[mypasswordis]

I totally agree that sometimes you just gotta go balls out and pull out all the stops for awesome sounding music, since that's something you should experience in your life. But once you get there, imo it shouldn't make low end gear or low bit rate music "unlistenable."

[manaox2]

I totally agree that sometimes you just gotta go balls out and pull out all the stops for awesome sounding music, since that's something you should experience in your life. But once you get there, imo it shouldn't make low end gear or low bit rate music "unlistenable."

Oh yeah, I completely agree. I'm not upgrading my car stereo, which is pretty crappy. I don't mind listening through computer speakers while working at a desk. Some music also sounds more listenable to me without exposing all of its flaws, but I don't find much audio gear or formats disgusting in sound quality.

Many nights, I use a little 1st gen iPod shuffle full of mp3, t-amp, SRD-7SB, and SR-Lambda to listen as my bed rig, its pretty darn satisfying and something I could be close to perfectly happy with in a main headphone rig. It takes a lot to make good music unlistenable, something that only a few surprisingly bad products (full size bass boosted skullcandy) have proven possible.

[Tyll Hertsens]

I don't notice the handful of FLAC's amongst all my MP3s. Oh, the horror.

Manfession: My most commonly listened to source is streaming radio off the interweb with an average bitrate of about 96kbs.

What can I say, I want to listen to music I haven't heard before.

[Dusty Chalk]

Pandora?