new source comes on Monday...

[NicksPicks]

and i'm pumped.

I've been running an oppo 970 ...which sounds super given its price ..., but is by far the weak link in my system.
Monday, mr. UPS is bringing me a nice new Grace m901 headphone amp / DAC. I will be using this as my new front end, directly driving my Odyssey Stratos mono's. Silly thing even has an analog input for the ol' phono action.

I've used this unit in the past for an afternoon. best sounding DAC i've heard.

 

[David Matz]

and i'm pumped.

I've been running an oppo 970 ...which sounds super given its price ..., but is by far the weak link in my system.
Monday, mr. UPS is bringing me a nice new Grace m901 headphone amp / DAC. I will be using this as my new front end, directly driving my Odyssey Stratos mono's. Silly thing even has an analog input for the ol' phono action.

I've used this unit in the past for an afternoon. best sounding DAC i've heard.

Congratulations. Please share your thoughts when you receive it.

I would also love to hear your opinion on head phone amps. I have heard people claim that they can get the results of a $50,000 Wilson system with a $600 set of headphones and a fairly low priced head phone amp.

 

[music again]

Oppo 981 and TV on

and i'm pumped.

I've been running an oppo 970 ...which sounds super given its price ..., but is by far the weak link in my system.
Monday, mr. UPS is bringing me a nice new Grace m901 headphone amp / DAC. I will be using this as my new front end, directly driving my Odyssey Stratos mono's. Silly thing even has an analog input for the ol' phono action.

I've used this unit in the past for an afternoon. best sounding DAC i've heard.

I have the Oppo 981HD and I have a question for you.

I have it connected to the TV via HDMI, but if I want to play music only on my two channel system I have to have my TV turned on and I get the blue Oppo screen. Am I doing something wrong? I can't figure out how to use the Oppo to play music without the TV on! This can't be right.

Thanks!

JM

 

[Joey_V]

Grace m901 or 902?

I was thinking about getting one for my Senn HD650 a few years back... that's a well received headphone amplifier there.

Let us know how you like it!

Joey

 

[Rich]

I have the Oppo 981HD and I have a question for you.

I have it connected to the TV via HDMI, but if I want to play music only on my two channel system I have to have my TV turned on and I get the blue Oppo screen. Am I doing something wrong? I can't figure out how to use the Oppo to play music without the TV on! This can't be right.

Music Again,

I would connect a coaxial digital cable from your Oppo's digital out to your stereo system (or, alternatively, an analog cable from the analog outputs to the stereo inputs) and then change the audio output in your Oppo settings menu. I believe they explain how to do this in the manual. Good luck with it.

 

[kcl]

I've been running an oppo 970 ...which sounds super given its price ..., but is by far the weak link in my system.

I picked up an Oppo 970, too, and its comments like this that decided me to have it upgraded/modified by Reference Audio Mods. I'm really happy with the results.

 

[ralflar]

Joey,

This thread might interest you. The guy uses two CIAudio headphone amps and a CIAudio DAC with balanced cabling to create a fully balanced setup for the HD650.

Grace m901 or 902?

I was thinking about getting one for my Senn HD650 a few years back... that's a well received headphone amplifier there.

Let us know how you like it!

Joey

 

[tonepub]

Congratulations. Please share your thoughts when you receive it.

I would also love to hear your opinion on head phone amps. I have heard people claim that they can get the results of a $50,000 Wilson system with a $600 set of headphones and a fairly low priced head phone amp.

Sorry, there isn't a headphone system out there that competes with a good set of speakers. I get way more details with my Summits than I've ever had with phones, and I have a pretty good headphone setup. (not to mention five very good pairs of headphones...)

Headphones are definitely cool, but I can't listen to em for long. I miss the dynamics you get with speakers.

Anyone that says they are getting better results than a pair of 50 thousand dollar speakers with a 600 dollar pair of headphones and a cheap amp hasn't spent time with the Wilsons or they weren't setup right....

 

[NicksPicks]

its the m901, the "older" model.
the 902, while having better features, just doesn't sound exactly the same as the 901 did/does.

Ok...
so far, i'm very impressed. the Grace drives the Stratos mono's easily and the amount of bass energy has to have doubled in my system!
I took the modwright 9.0se preamp out of the chain and just use the Grace.

Its analog inputs....superior !
running the oppo analog out into the Grace, I can push a button and switch between the digital output (also from the oppo) for A/B ...
says a lot for the Oppo. Its not exactly night and day.
the Grace does best it, but not by 10x (which is the price difference between the two).
In any case, i'm way satisfied. this will be my new front end for a long time to come (right).
Now I just need to pick up a phono pre (going to try out an Audio Experience Concerto after having such wonderful experiences w/their symphonies preamps) an a new cart for the ol' Thorens and give that a go.

This coming week, i'm sending the Grace out to the Oade Brothers. Doug Oade, audio guru extraordinare...and one who's ears I TRUST more than my own..., says a little mod on this unit will bring it *very* close to the performance of his Meitner DCC2.
now that...I gatta hear.

 

[NicksPicks]

oh..
and as for headphones..., it sounds surreal.
and thats just through my crappy sure e2c's.

I need to get myself some new cans. for the money...., hard to beat those silly Sennhieser hd201s. $20 !
dont laugh.
just listen.

 

[Joey_V]

Congratulations. Please share your thoughts when you receive it.

I would also love to hear your opinion on head phone amps. I have heard people claim that they can get the results of a $50,000 Wilson system with a $600 set of headphones and a fairly low priced head phone amp.

Sorry David my friend... I have owned the HD 650s ($500) and a Class A headphone amp ($800) and it sounded good, but to compare it to a Wilson or an ML system is silly....

Those who said that statement above have not heard the MAXX2s or have some serious bias.

BUT, a good pair of headphones lends a helping hand to enjoying great music in the wee hours of the evening/morning.

Joey