I am using an IFI Micro ICAN amp with SR 125e and it really sounds very good to me with the Grado. Very natural and easy sounding with a good amount of detail...never harsh. There is nothing at this price to touch it and if you go tubes I would think not a great product especially when looking at output impedance for the Grado. Second option frankly would be the Grado RA-1 battery unit but if you get higher impedance , less efficient cans later may be a problem.
Tube or Solid State Headphone Amp
It's been a while since I've been on here, but I've a question for the brain-trust:
I have been having some issues powering a set of Grado SR60e's with a Bellari VP129. I've attempted to put it in after a Jolida JD9 pre-amp (basically just using it as a headphone input), but the RIAA balancing on both the Jolida and the Bellari are cancelling each other out and making the signal unlistenable.
So I guess I am in the market for an unbalanced headphone amp to power the Grado's. I can't decide whether I should stick with all tubes with something like the Little Dot Mark II or something solid state like the Schiit Magni. I'm trying to keep it under $150-200, if at all possible.
I'm wondering how much of a difference, over solid state, tubes would make in a headphone amp. If I am running a tubve pre-amp and a solid state headphone amp would that be akin to running a hybrid system with a solid state power amp? Would I be getting the "best of both worlds", conceivably, if the two are paired correctly or are tubes the way to go? (I currently have a tube power amp powering my bookshelves and I love the warmth of tubes, but I'm open to a solid state headphone amp if that will work and sound good).
Thanks, in advance
I have been having some issues powering a set of Grado SR60e's with a Bellari VP129. I've attempted to put it in after a Jolida JD9 pre-amp (basically just using it as a headphone input), but the RIAA balancing on both the Jolida and the Bellari are cancelling each other out and making the signal unlistenable.
So I guess I am in the market for an unbalanced headphone amp to power the Grado's. I can't decide whether I should stick with all tubes with something like the Little Dot Mark II or something solid state like the Schiit Magni. I'm trying to keep it under $150-200, if at all possible.
I'm wondering how much of a difference, over solid state, tubes would make in a headphone amp. If I am running a tubve pre-amp and a solid state headphone amp would that be akin to running a hybrid system with a solid state power amp? Would I be getting the "best of both worlds", conceivably, if the two are paired correctly or are tubes the way to go? (I currently have a tube power amp powering my bookshelves and I love the warmth of tubes, but I'm open to a solid state headphone amp if that will work and sound good).
Thanks, in advance
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