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My new Solo Ultra Linear

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loobz View Drop Down
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    Posted: 31 May 2021 at 9:05am
Hello there! I'm a brand new Graham Slee community member with my first Graham Slee Headphone Amp. It arrived last week so not that long time spend with it but I could say from the first moment that this is SOMETHING! Paired with Grado GS2Ke the music comes alive! Beautiful, beautiful music. My references are Crekk OBH21SE (my best so far), Arcam rHead (dissappointed) and Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus (good DAC, bad AMP). The only disadvantage I could think of so far is quite a bit of background hiss. But Creek does it too and I love the sound so much. Looking forward to new adventures in hi-fi! 





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lfc jon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lfc jon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 4:10pm
Great to have you on board.
The hiss issue you are getting I think is the norm for most headphones listening I'm sure, That said I also have speakers and I hear hiss from them when not playing music, As I always keep my HiFi on (powered up) You are right about built in headphone amps they are not always the best sound I had a amp with one built in and it was not as good by a long shot as my Solo.
I see from your pictures that you listen mainly from digital is this right?
What sort of set up have you got?
I have CD player and a record deck, I have just started ripping my CDs so that my change.
It seems you have chosen a good headphone brand to pair with your amp a lot on this forum seem to like them.
Jonathan
Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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loobz View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote loobz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 4:21pm
Hello Jonathan,
thanks for your post! All my listening has moved to work while I currently have 2 little kids running all day at home playing (destroying) everything they come across:) My turntable, amplifier and speakers are carefully packed and waiting for them to grow up a little. Hence "only" a headphone setup: PC - Roon running Tidal - Audioquest Jitterbug - Supra USB cable - DacMagic Plus - Chord RCA to Graham Slee SUL - Grado sr325e / Sennheiser HD600 / Grado GS2000e. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lfc jon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 5:14pm
Young kids are not the best thing to have around with vinyl records!!!! 
I also have HD600s but the 2019 models and they are great, a bit lacking in bass for me but the Lautus cables I replace the old ones with made a big difference (from the amp to the Solo) I have just put a order in for two pairs of Cusat50 cables to go from the turntable to the Reflex M to the amp so that's going to make a difference to my vinyl listening. I have all read got Cusat50s from the CD player to amp.

Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 6:21pm
I may be wrong but audible hiss seems to be a typical thing with low impedance loads like Grados and speakers. Most of my headphone selections in the past have been high impedance, typically 300 Ohm, and have been dead silent from headphone amps. It's signal to noise ratio vs impedance. Speaker loads are always low impedance and can't be adjusted in this respect like a headphone load. My headphone of choice is 15 Ohms but I use a resistive potential divider cable with it to drastically increase its impedance and drop its electrical sensitivity so that it is dead quiet with speaker amps. I also have a resistive cable to use with a headphone amplifier, changes 15 Ohms to 110 Ohms for a slight drop of sensitivity. So I can adjust the headphone for whatever equipment I wish to drive it with.
We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lfc jon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 8:43pm
Ash
that's gone well over my head (understanding) I have always had the hiss issue and have taken it as part of listening to music (the quit parts), As long as it does not interfere WITH the music I don't mind. As we all know even listening to live music you have had noise in the quite parts it's just something you put up with. It's also something listening to vinyl you have to put up with (back ground noise), But with GS phono amps that is reduced a lot.
Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote loobz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 8:43pm
Hello Ash!
I must admit I don't understand half of what you are saying but I am genuinely interested!:) I have the same experience that low impedance Grados do hiss but higher impedance Sennheisers (like HD600) don't. So you are saying that using a voltage divider cable can lower the hiss without compromising the sound? How would I go on about doing that in my case? I tried googling to no avail. Thanks in advance! 
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