What Headphones Do You Use With Your Slee?
Printed From: Graham Slee Hifi System Components
Category: Headphone Audio
Forum Name: Graham Slee Headphone Amps
Forum Description: Questions, answers and product information zone for Graham Slee Headphone Amplifiers
URL: https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1100
Printed Date: 19 Apr 2024 at 9:56pm
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Topic: What Headphones Do You Use With Your Slee?
Posted By: Paul P
Subject: What Headphones Do You Use With Your Slee?
Date Posted: 12 May 2011 at 6:34pm
| Hello, I'm just curious as to what Headphones people are using with their Graham Slee Headphone Amp's ? |
Replies:
Posted By: hotmog
Date Posted: 12 May 2011 at 7:35pm
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Sennheiser HD650s partnering my Solo U/L. I also have a pair of Koss Porta-Pros that I use with my Creative Zen mp3 player.
PrxRST();
------------- http://www.victorian-breweriana.uk - Hotmog's Victorian Breweriana |
Posted By: oldson
Date Posted: 12 May 2011 at 8:20pm
denon ah-d7000 for me.
 ------------- pc (foobar) > meier stagedac >GS Solo UL > ah-d7000 / pro-900 |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 12 May 2011 at 11:44pm
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Grado RS-1 and modded SR-80
Denon D2000 w/ MarkL mods, V4 bubinga wood cups, and JMoney leather earpads AKG K501 Sennheiser HD580 Audio Technica ATH-ESW9 Plus ... ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 12 May 2011 at 11:45pm
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Soon the Head Direct HE-500 ortho dynamic cans. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: oldson
Date Posted: 14 May 2011 at 7:24pm
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Miguel
how much did you win on the lottery?  ------------- pc (foobar) > meier stagedac >GS Solo UL > ah-d7000 / pro-900 |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 14 May 2011 at 10:56pm
|
I do not have children which allows me to buy toys! ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: ijohan
Date Posted: 25 May 2011 at 1:27pm
| I'm pairing with HD 650 |
Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 26 May 2011 at 5:54am
That is it. I am telling my wife that we are not having any. ;) I have a feeling I will start building a closed back collection once she overrules my decision though. I use AKG K701 and K501. Have been trying to get hold of a pair of ESW9s for a long time, but since there are fakes it makes it very tricky. Are they as bass heavy as the Denons Miguel? How would you say that they differ? |
mrarroyo wrote:Posted By: shamu144
Date Posted: 26 May 2011 at 11:27am
Closed back will not provide enough isolation believe me
 Late night listening is all is left !
|
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 26 May 2011 at 1:59pm
The ESW9 are lighter than the Denon, specially since mine have the MarkL mods and a pair of his Bubinga V4 wood cups. The ESW9 are a bit uncomfortable since they are supra aural. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 26 May 2011 at 3:24pm
I better enjoy right now then! Thanks for scaring the living daylights out of me lol Oh well, on the other hand it makes a perfect case for getting the HE-500 ASAP ! |
Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 26 May 2011 at 3:25pm
Would you say that the sound of the ESW9 is superior or just different to the Denon AH-D2000? |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 26 May 2011 at 8:20pm
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I prefer my Denon D2000 over the AT by a good margin. Mind you my Denon's are modified as stated above. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 26 May 2011 at 11:24pm
I'm using a beloved pair of Grado GS1000's, and I also have a pair of SR125's. But lately they haven't seen much use since I "quarter modded" them and they became overly bright  , maybe I'll buy new pads someday.
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Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 27 May 2011 at 6:12am
That is good news. It´s nice that great sounding headphones that does not cost a fortune exists. Could you point me in the direction of how to do these mods? I would love to give it a go. |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 27 May 2011 at 9:47am
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The mods can be found in Head Fi, with step by step instructions. Good luck. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: oldson
Date Posted: 28 May 2011 at 8:42pm
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might go for a pair as a 2nd set myself, mainly for ipod though ------------- pc (foobar) > meier stagedac >GS Solo UL > ah-d7000 / pro-900 |
Posted By: TALON1973
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2011 at 9:20pm
| slight hi-jack sorry ... usign a solo srg 2 and senn hd600 ... is it worth upgrading to the hd 650 ? |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2011 at 11:33pm
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It is a matter of taste, I personally prefer the HD580 or HD600 over the HD650 but your ears should decide. Any local shop where you could audition a fully burnt in HD650? ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Chivas
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2011 at 1:41pm
No it's not. I have both and use my 600's more than the HD650, which is slightly too polite. But to be honest, there is not that big a difference between the two.
On the other hand, I also have the Grado PS1000 and need to be very careful with my selection of source material. The combination of the PS1000 and the Solo (SRG I) is extremely transparent - can lean towards the bright side with the wrong source material. I am actually looking for a way to soften it up a tad.
|
Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2011 at 3:55pm
You know you want the UL :D would do exactly that and more. You could experiment with placing various foam inlays (between driver and ear-surface fabric) to take the top of hot treble and sibilance or even mute higher frequencies to some degree. In many cases it will give you added bass as well. Note modding like this comes at a cost, though not permanent, such as sound stage, micro detail, transparency, muffling or muddy bass etc. But finding the right material might get you what you are "listening for" without too much sacrifice. I modded my AKG K701 like this when I had the Solo, and used it for specific listening (such as electronic music) but after purchasing the Solo Ultra Linear, I have removed them as the overly bright instances, hotness and sibilance have vanished almost completely from my K701´s even at only 100+ hours. |
Posted By: Papy
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2011 at 4:11pm
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Hello all,
New member here based in Suffolk, England and owner of the solo Ultra-Linear + PSU for the last month or so. I use it in combination with an Arcam CD73 and the HD650. The UL replaced a Pro-Ject Headbox Mark II which has served me well over the years. I have basically been re-discovering my record collection in this last month, more specifically among my Rock and Acoustic music CDs. A few albums that really stood out with my new combo : Clapton - Unplugged Ray Lamontagne - God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise Bullitt - OST Steely Dan - Aja Pink Floyd - Wish you were here Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini Grant Lee Philips - Little Moon Even Rage against the Machine sounds even more awesome 
The details are so much more refined, the soundstage wider and no harshness in the treble, which was one of my main issues beforehand. everything sounds so much more balanced and natural this time round. This is also the case on Classical solo piano and choral works, where my listening experience has improved greatly. However I am still unsure on the orchestral music side. I still can't put my finger on why exactly but it is as if the wider soundstage with the UL has made the overall sound of the orchestra more distant and a bit more mushy. I found myself switching back to the headbox at the moment with some recordings in this category of works. The UL has been plugged in pretty much consistently in the last month so I think we can rule out it its lack of burning-in. Maybe look at an other headphone for this purpose only ? I was considering the K701 and the DT880 as well when I bought the HD650...It could be an option to look at those again now the amp link has been upgraded in my combo. Or is it just that orchestral music is suffering unfairly against the wow factor I got with pared down styles like acoustic/piano/choral ? ------------- ------------ Olivier |
Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2011 at 5:52pm
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Welcome to the forum :) Great to read your impressions. Your setup is very similar to mine (CD72), what interconnect are you using? Graham recommend 500+ hours of burn in before the UL is really "opened up" and performing to the best of it´s abilities. I don´t know how many hours you have got on it so far, but it might be the answer to the "distant and mushy" orchestra tendencies you describe. |
Posted By: Papy
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2011 at 6:48pm
Hi Kasper. Jolly good question, they are blue ones  I got them from the same Audio shop where I tested/bought the CD73/Headbox at the time. It was a long while back but looking at their webshop now, it could possibly the brand CHORD.
here's a pic of the cable in question - probably paid £30-40 at the time for the pair 
From what I have read here, being plugged in does help/count for the burning-in as well ? If that's the case, I should be close or above the 500 hours. Actual listening time probably near 70-80 hours so far...I'll leave the UL all the time it needs as it's here to stay anyway. The pros do far outweigh that orchestral issue  ------------- ------------ Olivier |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2011 at 8:50pm
|
Papy, welcome and it's good to hear from Suffolk - my parents live there like you. I offer the sound advice others gave me about the UL, it really does open up after 500 hours or about a month of being powered up. The sound is remarkably clear and musical now but it went through periods of being a bit vague or "mushy" whilst burning in.
Jon ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: Papy
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2011 at 10:23am
Hi Jon, ok we'll see how that evolves over time.  ------------- ------------ Olivier |
Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2011 at 5:19pm
I've had my UL constantly running for 600 hours or so now (albeit little more than 100 hours with a signal running through it) and I still feel it's evolving. I'm not entirely satisfied with its lower registers quite yet as I've heard such raving reviews about its tubey warmth  , but it sure is getting better almost day by day.
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Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2011 at 8:20pm
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There's "today's tubey warmth" and "yesterday's tubey warmth", Oh, and there's warn-out tubey warmth. The Ultra-Linear should replicate yesterday's tubey warmth depending on headphones. The best being the HD250 II IMO, but other forums killed those off. The next best sounding headphones are the HD800 IMO. Source and interconnect come into it as well. ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2011 at 9:22pm
HD250, really?  I haven't heard them but they don't strike me as being the dog's bollocks when you look at build quality impression and the price tag, so this was indeed interesting to read. I'm currently using a pair of grado gs1000 and I think they're pretty warm and pleasant sounding as default. But the sound is, for now at least, "warmer" albeit less detailed and impressive when I'm using the onboard regular amp integrated headphone amp than with the UL. But naturally the burn-in isn't complete yet so that may very well swing around. Also it could have something to do with the interconnects I'm using which are made of silver (not pure though) which could brighten up the signal I guess. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2011 at 10:19pm
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Oh no! Not silver? What the world needs is an education... Silver doesn't bring detail. Silver brings distortion. The human ear has great difficulty distinguishing between detail and distortion at higher frequencies. OK. Imagine you're setting up to record a master tape (the tape you master thousands of records from). You, as a musician/engineer want to obtain the best balance for your employer (so that he sells lots because people like the sound and you keep drawing your good salary). You obviously use the best there is but you also use mediocre sounding gear too so it also sounds good for the majority. The last thing you're going to use is silver cables or anything snake-oil. The cables you use are going to be copper simply because all studio's apart from the wacko audoivile firms use them. The balance you're going to get - with all the details there - is a "copper balance". Silver is known to all but those pushing it (and probably they know anyway...) to be excessively bright. As a responsible musician/engineer you'll use copper cables or your sales will plummet! OK. You are using silver. You're also using overpriced scratchy (try them on vinyl and you'll see) antique telephone earpieces IMO (it had to be said and I know I've upset many in doing so). Now I am being kind although my above comments may sound otherwise, and I'm sure there will be many waiting to stick the proverbial knife in me for having said it, but I hail from a different world - a world where we do our level best to get it right - when I say I used to work in broadcast audio design I mean I also used to listen (although some of my peers couldn't give a hang...) - I listened to sound balance, and I have done so for many years - right from the ceramic cartridge days, when I had to get it right for paying audiences... I could go on (and I have in the past and I'm sure I will again). The HD250 and 250II are not lifestyle headphones (hi-fi = lifestyle today - it used to mean high fidelity but not anymore "for satan knows he has but a little time left"). The HD250 must have been the most listened-to headphone in broadcast audio - listened to by sound engineers, musicians, you name it, and also used in studios and on live rigs for what? To get the sound balance right as a second arbiter to monitoring speakers. But we keep judging the ephemeral by its clothes - you cannot hold music in your hands - it is spirit! And if it isn't spirit it is tone and tone is boring - try listening to 1kHz sine wave for more than a few minutes... The HD250 and series II was one of the best spirit begotten headphones this planet was ever blessed with, but the world judged it by the world's material ways. Go and give your silver interconnects to the lifestyle brigade and start living. ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: shamu144
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2011 at 10:32pm
| More information on the HD250 is available in the forum http://www.gspaudio-community.activeboards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=316&PN=1 - here . |
Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2011 at 10:55pm
|
Ouch, so you think silver cables are pure s***? To think one never heard this before too, with all the expensive silver cables at the hifi stores. Well at least I guess it's somewhat ironically fitting that the snake oil merchants (and manufacturers) in this case are called connex. Now I will definitely try some pure copper cables then, maybe even the cusat 50. As for the grados, do you honestly dislike them to such an extent? I can fully agree in them being overpriced, maybe even slightly so in America where I bought them (995 USD), but I still think they're amazing after being burned in properly. Especially when listening at lower volume levels, which I prefer as I'm a bit paranoid about eventually degrading my sense of hearing if I don't. |
Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2011 at 12:46am
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I just dug out some £25 or so reasonably priced high % OFC interconnects from my closet and hooked them up running from my second tape out to the second input on the UL so I could compare the cables with a simple switch flick (very handy this, having dual inputs!) And wow! The sound instantly got more natural and pleasant. With instant comparision I could now hear how the silver interconnects were not just bright but had a slight sort of hollowness to the sound in the highs while also lacking in the lows. How silly do I feel now  Thanks for showing me the light Graham! As for source/grados, I should add, I do listen to quite a bit of vinyl. And naturally scratchy records do sound scratchy, but excellent to mint copies and nicely done new pressings do sound great with the grado gs1000 so I don't think I fully understand what you mean by claiming that they're "scratchy"? |
Posted By: Chivas
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2011 at 9:50am
I believe Graham mentioned somewhere else in this forum that due to the design of the Grados, the music is channeled directly into your ear canal and are thus not very forgiving, especially with scratches and pops that you get with vinyl. I find that I need to be very careful and only tend to listen to new and/or very well recorded records when using my Grados or it can become unbearable. For scratched records, speakers are best or alternatively I use my HD600/650.
Others have mentioned that Grados aren't very well balanced and lack midrange. I've compared the PS1000 to the HD800 at shows and with the limited time available, found that the Grados excited me more and bought them (very) impulsively. If I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with both with my own equipment, my choice might have been different. I think I was perhaps a little biased after becoming frustrated with the "veil" of my HD650's and leaned too far towards detail and transparency. But I must admit that I am addicted to the great soundstage of the Grados and they are very detailed (I believe true detail as opposed to distortion as mentioned above) - like I mentioned earlier, I am looking for a way to mellow them down a bit, perhaps the UL is the answer..? I've also experienced some high frequency distortion and thought it may be due to a bad marriage between my OL Encounter arm and Technics 1210, swapped cartridges and didn't make much of a difference - could be just the recording...???
With the right equipment and recordings, Grado's can be awesome and highly exciting!!
|
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2011 at 10:15am
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Second item first: a few years ago I loaned a pair of RS1's for a number of months and I admit my impression in my last post in this topic referred to those and not the GS1000's I've never heard. I found they almost whistled along with the treble - something I didn't like. However, on some music they scored overall best. I was comparing them with the Sennheiser HD600 and HD250II- the eventual score was 1st place: HD250II; 2nd place: HD600; 3rd place: RS1. Like any "reviewer" that's the way I heard it and the way you hear it may well be different. But when it comes to silver most people who've tried it agree. Silver interconnects are ideal to spice up worn out tubes that have lost it in the upper registers but still have the presence band (in keeping with your findings about hollowness). Silver is a superconductor (no that's not marketing but a scientific fact). There are three "coinage" metals (group 1B in inorganic chemistry), Copper, Silver and Gold - all good conductors and the best of all metals for that, but silver is the superconductor of that group. Man didn't choose silver for wires, although being ductile like copper it can be drawn into wires, but it's a lot rarer than copper and therefore a lot more expensive. So in a way copper was intended for our electrical wires. Everything that's man-made is made to please man (and wo-man), so we balance everything up to please us, but then you'll always get someone who says "thou shalt not surely die", and we should all know who's influence that is? So don't feel silly suede. For all my worldly wisdom I still get taken in - but mainly by builders these days... (more anon) ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2011 at 11:36am
I haven't owned a high end headphone amp before due to Grados being so low impedance and easily driven by those in regular amps. So I don't really have much to compare with, but since my switch to copper interconnects I feel that the sound is quite mellow and musically warm but still have that crisp grado detail. It's actually quite an engaging listen now but I hope to stabilise the soundstage more with better cables, I have just secured a used pair of 2m cusat50's at ebay for £80. A bit lengthier than my current needs but it could be good for the future .Anyway I thought about this review as you have the cans and consider the amp: http://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/zardon/grado-ps1000-headphones-graham-slee-solo-super-ultra-linear-amp-review/ Cheers! |
Posted By: franklin
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2011 at 4:47am
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Hi There is a little experience of mine want to share, about the treble character of RS1. I found people tend to use tube headphone amp to have good result with the Grado. I guessed it is not the "tube sound" but the "output transformer sound" that makes the magic. So I have tried adding a pair of microphone transformers in between and an op amp headphone amp and a pair of Grado. It did sounds better than without the transformers. I don't have enough science to support this. But I guess it could be the same reason people use valve with horn tweeter? |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2011 at 9:52am
 Franklin, you deserve this round of applause! You may not have enough science to support this, but you have more than made up for that by your observations - well done! Output ransformers have frequency response limits. Depending on the output transformer the HF response can start to droop between say 15kHz and 35kHz. After that turnover point is reached, the response falls hopefully at an in-control rate of 6dB (a halving) per octave (a doubling of frequency), and therefore will reach unity gain (where the gain equals 1) octaves sooner than with solid state (or a valve preamp which has no output transformer). Therefore the higher harmonics will not be present with an output transformer. These harmonics shape the music waveform. We could even go so far as saying "crispen the music waveform". Therefore, if a headphone is developed to sound "right" with a transformer inline, then without one the highs are somewhat emphasized - in keeping with your observations. So I wonder if there are other headphones developed with valve amplifiers? [EDIT] I just had a thought. I think the Grado headphone amp which may have been used in Grado headphone development (I cannot say this for certain), although being solid state, used a Raytheon op-amp which wasn't known for wide bandwidth. In fact, and without checking, I believe its bandwidth was a fair bit less than some of the 3-4MHz Bi-FET op-amps introduced in the late 70's/early 80's - and it was probably similar to a much improved 741. These probably also sounded a tad "valvey" but only in response terms and not in other "endearing" terms. ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2011 at 11:27am
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As a norm I find that Grado (currently own the RS-1 and SR-80) sound great out of amps with output transformers. However that does not mean they do not sound good from OTL amps. For example they sound very nice out of the SRGII and the MF X-Can V2. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2011 at 5:38pm
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Very tempted to try this. Is it a home build type of thing or are there suitable ready made mic transformers to use and where can they then be found? |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2011 at 9:14pm
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Now here's a thought - what about silver plated copper cable ??????
Adrian.
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Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2011 at 9:27pm
For hand winding transformers or for cables? ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 21 Jun 2011 at 10:48pm
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Ha, hah! Cables me boy, cables
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Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2011 at 1:22am
| Amusing. I meant for those of us who may not have specially (re)wired headphone cables with XLR males or anything |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2011 at 3:35pm
The query was aimed at Graham Mr Suede 
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Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2011 at 4:21pm
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Oh sorry then , I thought you were just taking the mickey out of me for being a newbie and gullible enough to purchase silver cables thinking that they're fast=good
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Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2011 at 6:59pm
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I found a 6.35 mm jack to 6.35 mm jack transformer on ebay but the impedance values are way above the 32 ohms of my Grados, will it still work properly (the way franklin suggested) or could it even somehow damage teh headphones or amp? I would be most obliged if anyone with a good knowledge of basic physics and electricity could give a reply. Here's the item: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Metal-Screened-Microphone-Matching-Transformer-Bag-and-/310327141091?pt=UK_AudioElectronicsVideo_Video_TelevisionSetTopBoxes&hash=item4840f062e3 |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2011 at 9:04pm
Taking the mickey out of new members is prohibited on this forum... ...it's bad enough them taking the mickey out of me... especially the team here at GSPL HQ... ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2011 at 9:14pm
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Splendid! Then I can safely afford to make a few more stupid questions and various other embarrassments in the future
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2011 at 10:29pm
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I rarely ask questions because mine are really basic, but this is the place to receive expert help
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Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 12:16am
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What is a mickey? ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 12:43am
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Check this definition http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mickey%20take - http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mickey%20take - nothing to do with Disneyland Miguel. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 1:16am
Ooops! I have to ban myself for being racist... Before I go I'll try to get this thread back to almost being back on topic (until somebody else posts "what headphones they use with their Slee"). In asking about silver coated copper wire, Adrian has stumbled upon the topic of "skin effect" whether he realised it or not. Has anyone noticed "skin effect" in other branches of electronics? I know the 16th edition wiring regulations for mains wiring touches on it, possibly without realising it is "skin effect". Something to do with conductor heating depending on the type of insulation used. Insulators being simply poor conductors and the skin in effect of a wire. Rivers also do that... example: how fast does the water flow where it touches the river bank? Adrian, being into fishing, should have observed this. The answer to silver coated copper wire is that if in contact with a tight insulation it may not make any difference at all, but if loosely insulated it will conduct high frequencies "better" on its surface. That answer is quite true for radio frequencies but many argue it cannot be defined for audio. However, we have observed here that silver does make an audible difference, if not an endearing one. Therefore I have to conclude the difference will not be as great with silver coated copper wire but I cannot quantify to what degree. ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: suede
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 1:22am
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I actually thought it was sort of a cockney rhyming slang gone everyday phrase thing and Mickey would then be (have been) some more or less famous person who happens to have (had) a surname elegantly rhyming with piss eg. take the piss out of = mock or ridicule. Seemed to be a slightly less vulgar variation of said expression. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 1:39am
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Yes, it's the nice version. (I just unbanned myself after realising I'm also 1/8th Irish )------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: franklin
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 1:57am
Thank you, this is such an hornor.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 9:43am
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What have I let myself in for now?
Rivers flow more slowly next to the bank, right?
The silver skin of silver plated copper cable, if loosely insulated will allow higher frequencies to travel faster than the copper will allow the other frequencies!!
And does it matter over a few metres?
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Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 10:59am
Enlightenment?
Usually, or to cement the observation, when they don't the bank is washed away because the strength of flow overcomes it. Likewise, "electrical strength" can overcome insulation (as demonstrated in flash testing). [edit] Therefore it can be seen that a form of resistance to electrical flow exists because of what's attached to the surface or skin of the wire (or in the case of silver plating a form of increased conductance). The resistance due to insulation can lead to overheating - hence so many high electrical strength conductors being "flown" between pylons thereby taking advantage of uninsulated cables (and that's at 50Hz which is a low frequency). Hint: Electrical energy is turned to heat energy (as energy can only be changed and not lost).
The theory (or observation) shows that high frequencies take the "skin" route and low frequencies take the core. For certain radio frequencies it was found advantageous to use a silver plated steel core which contributes to the speed of propagation of the highest frequencies. Such cable is available from most professional electronic component stockists.
Give it a try. ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 4:12pm
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I am following this silver debate with great interest. Very happy to read Grahams opinion, I never cared for the very expensive silver interconnects I auditioned myself. Not to high-jack and derail, but while we are at, "do´s and dont´s", is there a short answer to whether magnets before terminator on interconnects are... A: A great idea B: Does not matter C: Is a very bad idea (for a CD + Integrated amp system, not an analogue system, in which case I´d imagine it be pretty counter productive because of interference). |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 23 Jun 2011 at 6:36pm
Please expand on what is meant by "magnets before terminator on interconnects"  ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2011 at 12:09am
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Could he be talking about ferrite magnets? ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2011 at 5:13pm
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Thank you Miguel - I'd have never guessed that. Ferrites on cables are usually used to protect the output stage on the source preamp from reactive loads (too much capacitance) which could send it into high frequency oscillation. They are often used as a crutch or when there is no other choice. On an install a few years ago we needed to drive 50 metres of coax (RGB+S - 4 cables) from a laptop VGA output on a lecture theatre stage lectern to a projector in the roof. The cable although very low capacitance per metre was in total, too capacitive, so the laptop video amps oscillated resulting in a smeared shadowed image. Clipping ferrites on the cable here and there reduced the capacitive load the laptop video amps "saw" sufficient to stop them oscillating, producing a sharp (if not bright) image and the projector brightness and contrast controls made up for the rest. We should have used a video buffer amp able to drive that capacitance but they were too expensive and the client declined. In the home distances are smaller and the use of a low capacitance cable is better than a crutch. ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2011 at 12:48am
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I have also read of ferrites being used on power cables to reduce RFI noise. Any thoughts? Thanks. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2011 at 10:01am
For some reason the cables I own have magnets installed right after the actual plug itself. _______ ___ "Drawing" ===_______| |__| ===============================identical ^ Magnet I thought the plug was called the terminator hehe, sorry for the confusion. There is no description of the exact nature of the magnets. They merely state: "two identical, flexible, medium-strength magnets". I have only tested against Fletcher F200 and Tara Labs RSC Prime, which are the only interconnects I own. Against those there is no doubt which brings out the most music to my ears, the GA-O. Of course I am going to get my hands on the Cusat one day :) |
Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2011 at 10:13am
Thank you for the explanation. I always enjoy hearing your science factual explanations. So how do you reckon this is impairing the sound in my setup? High frequency distortion? These cables are only little more than half a yard (50 cm)? |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2011 at 10:39pm
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Hi Kasper, do you have any technical specifications for your cable please? Has the manufacturer given any details such as the capacitance of the GA-O cable? Otherwise I think your last post shows the cable suits you sir.
And referring back to the effect of transformers on sound, as noted on the previous page. In the guitar amps I have worked on the size and construction of the transformer made a big difference to the sound. ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2011 at 9:49am
True. Radio frequencies are everywhere on the planet's surface and in the atmosphere. Just like bass that "rattles" the trouser leg (at the other end of the spectrum), these unheard high frequencies, far beyond our range of hearing, vibrate (or try to vibrate) everything. When what they vibrate is a radio aerial (or ferrite rod coil) the vibration energy is turned back into electrical energy, tuned with a capacitor (which forms a "tank circuit" with the aerial inductance) we can select the frequency we want and then that frequency is mixed with an intermediate frequency to bring the information down to a range we can hear. That's a simplistic explanation as regards AM - FM is a bit more complicated. In an amplifier or preamplifier there is "stray" inductance and there are "stray" capacitors in the junctions of semiconductors (same goes for valves) and a little known fact that the output of a preamp or amp is also an input for radio frequencies. If the amp has global negative feedback the output is connected, although by a lossy "connection" straight to the amp stage's input. Even if it doesn't have global negative feedback the grounding/power rail scheme will have sufficient inductance and allow negative feedback to the input. If the amp doesn't have sufficient phase margin or gain margin the RF can push the output close to -180 degrees which adds to the 180 degrees of the negative feedback making the feedback positive (or regenerative)... 0 degrees or 360 degrees being one and the same thing. A ferrite clipped to the output lead close to the socket (termination) has a dual effect. 1] it acts as a large resistance to radio frequencies trying to enter, and 2] assists the amp from going unstable due to a reactive (capacitive) load (as explained earlier). However, if the amp or preamp operates with sufficient phase or gain margin then it is more resistant to radio frequency interference. It would take a powerful radio signal to cause interference and generally we don't live next door to a radio transmitter... although some do/did... The "local radio station": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarkstown_radio_transmitter - Atlantic 252 in Ireland at well over 500kW when modulated, interfered with the electrical supply and things like automatic washing machines. The only evidence left of this appears on page 17 of this document: http://www.antennex.com/Stones/st0201/commission.pdf - http://www.antennex.com/Stones/st0201/commission.pdf ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2011 at 11:27am
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Very interesting reading (page 17), thanks Graham. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Kasper
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2011 at 4:15pm
None that I can find. Will send them an email and ask them. A very interesting and advanced read in your last post Graham, thanks for sharing. |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2011 at 7:53pm
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Thank you fellow members and particularly Graham. I have learnt a lot about the sound of different cables from this thread. ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: pompeyexile
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2011 at 12:09pm
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I'm fortunate enough to have a pair of Sennheiser 250 II 's. I found them by sheer luck. After just getting my Solo and reading that they were a favourite of Grahams (whose discerning ear and judgement I trust implicitly) I scoured the internet and found a company stating they had some for sale. I contacted Graham who was a bit dubious and after answering a few poignant questions about the company info on the website (or should that be lack of it) was advised to steer well clear. However, I carried on looking and found a pair advertised as un-used in perfect condition still in their original box on Ebay.
OK it was a risk but I was covered if they turned out to be fake or not working so I wouldn't lose my money. My worries were un-founded, as they were exactly as described.
So £50 and many hours of listening later, i'm as happy as a pig in mud.
At the time I did find a kosha company who sold replacement pads and foam inserts so I bought some just in case in the future they disappear too.
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Posted By: Papy
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2011 at 8:35pm
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is anybody using or has tried the DT880 (preferably the 600 ohm version) with a Solo or Ultra Linear please ? I am looking to get a pair of headphone just a tad brighter to complement my HD650 with my UL and am considering this Beyerdynamic. thank you. ------------- ------------ Olivier |
Posted By: oldagetraveller
Date Posted: 13 Jul 2011 at 8:38pm
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"At the time I did find a kosha company who sold replacement pads
and foam inserts so I bought some just in case in the future they
disappear too."
Yes, I have a new spare set of pads and foam for my HD250IIs just in case. Sourced them from a German company ages ago. I also bought a new cable from an Ebay seller in the states, new in it's sealed packaging. That was cheaper by far, delivered, than a couple of U.K. sellers I found! I'm using the 250s as well as a pair of Grado RS1s during the "burn in" period of my Solo Ultra Linear d.i.y. upgrade. Upgrade being the correct description, even at the first switch on and listen, without any burn in, the difference was astonishing! |
Posted By: jamescodway
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2011 at 7:10pm
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UL DIY upgrade ordered 8 days ago... HD250, RS-1, K701 and DT48 all getting very excited. ------------- Voyager - HD25 |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2011 at 7:41pm
Err, I got staff on holiday right now but you're next in the queue ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: oldson
Date Posted: 27 Aug 2011 at 11:45pm
------------- pc (foobar) > meier stagedac >GS Solo UL > ah-d7000 / pro-900 |
Posted By: oldson
Date Posted: 27 Aug 2011 at 11:46pm
what do you think of the upgrade? ------------- pc (foobar) > meier stagedac >GS Solo UL > ah-d7000 / pro-900 |
Posted By: jamescodway
Date Posted: 28 Aug 2011 at 8:41pm
Hi there. If you scan through the thread below, you'll see a some evolution of comments since receipt. In short... for low impedance cans I found a VERY significant improvement over the '06 Solo (I don't have any Denons!) especially for DT770 & DT48. The RS-1 & K701 also sound pretty good but the real magic is with my newly acquired Shure SRH 940 . Little else is getting any head-time!!
With higher impedance cans (dons tin helmet) e.g. HD250, DT150, HD650, I prefer the '06 solo and I successfully made a DIY amp with its old innards and my voyager power supply Thanks again Graham!
http://www.gspaudio-community.activeboards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=1117 - http://www.gspaudio-community.activeboards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=1117 All in all, a very good outcome and excellent value for money for the DIY upgrade. Best James ------------- Voyager - HD25 |
Posted By: Paul P
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2011 at 8:00pm
| Hello Papy , did you buy the Beyers if so what do you think? |
Posted By: Papy
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2011 at 9:20pm
Hi Paul I have not gone ahead with the DT880, as yet anyway. I might still take the plunge later on to explore a different sound signature to the Sennheiser (the only brand I have ever had : HD 433 then 515 then 650), but truth be told, I got nicely used to the combination UL/HD650 now and really enjoying them throughout... Even for orchestral music to which my initial "warmth" reservation was directed. ------------- ------------ Olivier |
Posted By: jota42
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2011 at 10:01pm
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I have a solo srg11+psu1, fed from a marantz 6003 cd phono output via chord cobra plus cable(freebie with amp) to a pair grado sr325i's, the amp has been switched on continuously as recommended since I got it 5 months ago but only about 15 hours listening, the grados similarly only the same amount of actual use, I'm finding the sound a bit bright with a lack of bass, will it improve with use?, or have I made a bad choice?, I deliberately did'nt go for the linear model amp because of reading here that it produced hiss ALA a valve amp, I also have grado sr80i's which sound much better than the 325's but have a lot more hours on them, can anyone help me on this,
thanks,
Jota.
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Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 10:39am
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Hi Jota, welcome to the forum. I have no experience of the Grado headphones you have, perhaps someone else will have more definite information for you. I would expect your Solo to be properly stabilised by now, so that should not be the issue. You state that your (presumably older) headphones sound OK. Most headphones improve with use as the drivers and their suspension loosen up from use and become more supple. The K701 for example (to my ears at any rate) took an extraordinary amount of work and time to perform well. I would expect your phones to improve after a few hundred hours of use (perhaps less - as I say, I am not familiar with that model). If you read a little on the forum, you may come across a recommendation to warm the phones in a linen airing cupboard or similarly warm place for some time to aid in the loosening up. By reports these are quite a nice HP so I would hope that use will improve them for you. |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 12:33pm
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Hi Jota, I love the sound of Grado cans and currently own the RS-1 and SR80. In the past I have had the opportunity to own others as well as listened to the older Joe Grado designed/built cans and IMO Grado "rock.s". I believe Grado cans benefit from being burnt in to the tune of 100 to 200 hours to settle down and not have an "energetic" top end. I would burn in the Grado SR325i to 100 - 200 hours and then see if they have settled down to your liking. If not you have a couple of options: 1. You could buy a pair of Grado flat pads which would be fine if you live in the USA since they are sold via TTVJ. 2. Sell the SR325i and buy an used pair of Grado RS-2 or RS-1. Good luck. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Paul P
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 4:42pm
| Hello Jota, I have a pair of Alessandro Music Series 2 Headphone's which would be the nearest to your Grado's. I would recommend Sennheisser HD 600 or HD 650's they are the Phone's that work for me. I have tried Beyer Dynamic 880'S , AKG 702's ,Grado SR 60's but for me it's the Sennheisser's .They have the Bass and Warmth of sound that I like , so maybe you could demo a pair of 600'S and 650'S? All the best. |
Posted By: jota42
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 8:33pm
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Hi guys,
thanks for that info, as far as burn in goes for the 325is, is it ok to let them play on their own, or do they need the seal against the head to free up, or can I just let them play at a low volume(without my head), or do they need a realistic level to achieve the desired result,
thamks,
Jota42.
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Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 10:41pm
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Just turn on a music source and let the cans play un-attended. Just keep the kids and pets away from said room. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Paul P
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2011 at 8:16am
| Hello Jota, I just plug mine into Headphone Amp via the source I'm using which is Planet Rock Radio Station and just leave them to it. |
Posted By: Chivas
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2011 at 9:27pm
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Hi Jota, I own the Solo SRG I with PSU1 power supply and I use them with both the Sennheiser HD650 as well as the Grado PS1000. The Grado's are very revealing, they hide absolutely nothing, unlike the HD650's and I also found them very bright, to the point where I wasn't sure I could listen to it any longer. One day I was fettling about with my equipment and swapped the cable from my source to the Solo with the Graham slee Cusat50 and this made all the difference in the world and solved basically 90% of the problem. I say basically, as the combination is still unforgiving of source material and certain cd's like commercial pop still sound too bright for my liking, but that is just the way they're recorded. But well recorded music sounds good, with the previous cable, everything was bright!
I think giving the UL version a go might be worth it - I've never heard one, but believe they might be a better match for the Grado's and give a warmer sound and I don't think you will even be aware of the hum once the music starts. Once I have the funds, I would like to try one!
Hope this helps
Chivas
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Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2011 at 11:21pm
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I must have really bad ears because I can not hear any noise out of the Solo UL w/ PSU1 using the Grado RS-1 or the Sennheiser HD580. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: hotmog
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 9:43am
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Me too - I've never noticed any hiss whatsoever from my Solo U/L + PSU1 through my Senn HD650s or HD250 Linear IIs. ------------- http://www.victorian-breweriana.uk - Hotmog's Victorian Breweriana |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 8:56pm
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It is there but very soft and only just audible when there is no music playing. It's below the surface noise on my records which puts it in perspective.
I can also hear the fridge, the Sky box's cooling fan and many other household noises when there's no music playing... luckily there is a solution. Play music!
------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: Chivas
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 9:31pm
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I'm not concerned about hum, as I'm also a vinyl user and have grown used to the surface noise, and like you said, when you play music, it's all gone!!
Is there a big difference in the presentation between the SRG and the UL? Is the UL warmer?
Chivas
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Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 10:42pm
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I am comparing my 6 month old UL and a couple of days old SRGII loan. The UL is warmer to my ear and it has deeper bass I think and but that could change as the SRGII burns in. Even brand new the SRGII is very good. But I wouldn't give up the UL.
To clarify it's not hum I could hear. It is a soft mid and high frequency hiss, almost inaudible unless the UL volume is up without music playing. Graham warns about this as a (minor) side effect of the ultralinear circuit.
------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: hotmog
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 11:34pm
That's the key - although my missus thinks I'm deaf as a post, I find the sound levels more than adequate with the volume control at 9 o'clock on my Solo U/L. That's only very slightly more advanced than the position required to achieve the same volume level with the pre-upgraded Solo MC module. No doubt if I was to crank it up to 12 o'clock or beyond, I might be able to detect some faint trace of hiss during track intervals. However I would then be at severe risk of accentuating the presbycusis to which I am already succumbing once the next track burst upon my unprotected eardrums. Basically, forget all the paranoia about hiss with the U/L - you won't hear it in practice; just enjoy the experience, and you'll never want to go back. ------------- http://www.victorian-breweriana.uk - Hotmog's Victorian Breweriana |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2011 at 11:25am
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I am definitely deaf since I can not hear the noise. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2011 at 9:17pm
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Wise words. Lets listen to the lovely music at sensible volumes not search for hiss. ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: dillon
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 4:54pm
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a sexy NovoHD600 !! ------------- Nottingham Analogue Hyperspace w Space Arm & Dynavector 10x5 HOMC/GSP Revelation M/John Sampson upgraded Meridian 508.24 CDP/Sony 777ES SACD/ProAc Response D18/GSP Solo ULDE/GSP cables and ICs |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 5:12pm
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Audeze LCD-2's ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: xc70boy
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2011 at 5:27pm
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the superb AH-D7000!!!+solo srgii & soon to arrive cusat50 just bliss
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