# Portable amp for Grado SR80i



## avilamillar

Hi, i just bought a Grado SR80i and im using it on my ipod, would it sound better if i use an amp? i dont want to spend too much money. something like this:

Amazon.com: FiiO E5 Headphone Amplifier: Electronics

 Thanks


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## tjumper78

i'm sure there will be other members who will disagree with me but i did not notice much difference/improvement when i drove sr60 sr80 with amps (pico, headsix, littledot mk4, gilmore lite, etC). i noticed a little bit of improvement from amped sr325i compared to unamped (in bass department).

 i currently have a fiio 35 also, and i dont like it at all. it takes away transparency and details.
 so, my suggestion to you is just use sr80 unamped with ipod.


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## mteorman

As someone who owns the SR-80 and a portable amp, I agree with tjumper78. To me, the amp (RSA Predator) makes little difference with an iPod, or any other source for that matter. Unamped sounds fine... I suggest you save your money instead for the inevitable Grado upgraditis...


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## carledwards

I generally agree with the above, however, I find that the Total BitHead does somewhat improve the SR60 from the iPod. Seems to smooth out the mids a bit. Still, I usually listen without it!


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## JayJay22

I've heard that the SR-80i requires an amp to sound good. Is this true?

 And if I'm listening with my computer, would the FiiO E5 help at all? (I don't have a sound card, and I have some crappy speakers.)


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## stringgz301

I have the SR80i's with an iPhone (3GS) and adding an iBasso D10 was significant upgrade. Much fuller sound and punchier base. Worth every penny. You can also connect it to your computer for listening to the SR80's at home (huge upgrade over your computer headphone out).


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## JayJay22

I don't have that kind of money to spend. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Any relatively cheap amps that are worth buying?


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## fraqture

Look around on eBay for allsorts of CMoy amps. With some luck you can tailor them to your own taste (not just their appearance, but also the op-amp). 

 They cost about $50 on average and can do pretty much everything the twice as expensive 'commercially available' entry-level headamps do. Personally, I find their form factor to be more convenient as well (for my situation anyway). The tins are only slightly larger than my Fuze.

 I'm very satisfied about biosciencegeek's work. He delivers a very customizable and sturdy solution and you can always PM him for advice on e.g. putting in a different op-amp. At the moment he doesn't seem to be selling any cmoy's, though I'm guessing this is only temporarily.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *JayJay22* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I don't have that kind of money to spend. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Any relatively cheap amps that are worth buying?_


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## JayJay22

I'm sorry, I didn't quite understand what you said. I'm new to this sort of stuff.

 What are CMoy amps and op-amp?

*Edit:* Is this the type of amp you're talking about?
Bass Boost cMoy v2.02 Amp - Premium Headphone Amplifier - eBay (item 130343763804 end time Nov-17-09 16:44:59 PST)


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## claybum

I own 3 portable amps and the sr-80s. I don't find the very slight benefit of amping the sr-80s worth carrying around the amp along with my ipod. Purchasing even a low end amp seems like a waste. If you catch the grado fever like I did, then you will need that money for some 325i or rs1i. Then you'll need an amp.


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## fraqture

A CMoy amp is basically a well-known design of DIY headphone amplifier originally designed by a guy named Chu Moy (hence the name CMoy), which is small enough to be housed in a mint tin. Because it requires little and low-cost parts it's usually quite cheap (between $30 and $60). Don't let the low-cost DYI image fool you though. With quality parts and a skilled builder you will have an excellent low- to mid-fi portable amplifier for little money. Your best bet is to find them on eBay. 

 Example:









 An op-amp, short for operational amplifier, is the chip inside amplifiers that does most of the amplifying work. There are many different types of these op-amps, each with their own subtle influence on the sound signature. Some make the sound warmer, others more neutral.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *JayJay22* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I'm sorry, I didn't quite understand what you said. I'm new to this sort of stuff.

 What are CMoy amps and op-amp?

*Edit:* Is this the type of amp you're talking about?
Bass Boost cMoy v2.02 Amp - Premium Headphone Amplifier - eBay (item 130343763804 end time Nov-17-09 16:44:59 PST)_


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## debitsohn

I dont like the Fiio e5 either. not sure what im going to do with it but it seems to muddy things up. the PA2v2 sounds much better than the Fiio but i have not used a CMoy b4 so i cannot compare.


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## beez

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *JayJay22* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I've heard that the SR-80i requires an amp to sound good. Is this true?)_

 

nope. definitely not true.


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## Bilavideo

The Grados don't need an amp to be driven, or to be enjoyed. But until you hear them through a strong, warm amp, you don't know what you have - or what you're missing. Grados have an open-air design, which is great for reducing HF resonance. Unfortunately, because there's no acoustic suspension, bass leaks out of them. They're not bass anemic; they're just not overwhelming the bass department. The GS1K has the best bass (even better than the PS1K, at least according to the graphs) but you won't know what your headphone is capable of until you run it through a powerful amp.

 I have had an assortment of portables - including several Cmoys, several Pimetas and the Mini3. They all did nice things but nothing like my M^3 with variable bass boost. When the M^3 ran my Grados, even the most bass-shy of my Grados rumbled like the floor amp in a rowdy club. The bass was ominous, as if I were standing next to a pipe organ going down, down, down to Chinatown. 

 I'd had no ideas my Grados could drive so low and with so much power. To pull this off, you need an amp, and not just any amp. You need a strong amp. I used my M^3. Surely, it's not the only desktop model that could pull that off. I don't know of any portables with that kind of power. I wish I did.


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## q_buzz

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Bilavideo* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_The Grados don't need an amp to be driven, or to be enjoyed. But until you hear them through a strong, warm amp, you don't know what you have - or what you're missing. Grados have an open-air design, which is great for reducing HF resonance. Unfortunately, because there's no acoustic suspension, bass leaks out of them. They're not bass anemic; they're just not overwhelming the bass department. The GS1K has the best bass (even better than the PS1K, at least according to the graphs) but you won't know what your headphone is capable of until you run it through a powerful amp.

 I have had an assortment of portables - including several Cmoys, several Pimetas and the Mini3. They all did nice things but nothing like my M^3 with variable bass boost. When the M^3 ran my Grados, even the most bass-shy of my Grados rumbled like the floor amp in a rowdy club. The bass was ominous, as if I were standing next to a pipe organ going down, down, down to Chinatown. 

 I'd had no ideas my Grados could drive so low and with so much power. To pull this off, you need an amp, and not just any amp. You need a strong amp. I used my M^3. Surely, it's not the only desktop model that could pull that off. I don't know of any portables with that kind of power. I wish I did._

 


 Hi..i just join this forum and a newbie to this hobby as well..
 I have a SR80 with me, and I always use it with my iPod/Mac un-amp..it always sound great to me.. but surely enough, this kind of feeling will not last, there always an urge to seek more heights.. so for the last month, i've been thinking a lot of having an amp for my SR80. I am not really sure which path i wanna go atm.. but i'm kinda leaning toward having a desktop amp (which is relatively cheaper compare to their portable compatriot), a desktop tube amp to be precise..

 do you know what kind of amp i should be getting to get the full potential out of SR80..? not necessarily a tube amp...
 i manage to narrow down to Travagans white, Darkvoice 336i, and Little Dot MKIII....

 appreciate your opinion................

 Thanks...


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## Azathoth

For another cheap alternative, the Mini3 is a good option. It had great synergy with the Grado SR80 which I owned in the past (more/tighter bass, a smidge more detail).


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## mace2

I bought a PA2V2 a couple years back, to go with my SR-80. At first it didn't seem to really do much, but I realize now that is because I was using a crappy MP3 player with it.

 Recently I pulled it out of my desk and hooked it up to a newer Sony Walkman MP3 player, and the difference in sound is absolutely noticeable (to me anyway!). I am very happy with it--the songs have more "oomph!"

 Don't know if this helps, but thought I'd share. (I got the PA2V2 for $60 including shipping.)


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## Bilavideo

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *q_buzz* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Hi..i just join this forum and a newbie to this hobby as well..
 I have a SR80 with me, and I always use it with my iPod/Mac un-amp..it always sound great to me.. but surely enough, this kind of feeling will not last, there always an urge to seek more heights.. so for the last month, i've been thinking a lot of having an amp for my SR80. I am not really sure which path i wanna go atm.. but i'm kinda leaning toward having a desktop amp (which is relatively cheaper compare to their portable compatriot), a desktop tube amp to be precise..

 do you know what kind of amp i should be getting to get the full potential out of SR80..? not necessarily a tube amp...
 i manage to narrow down to Travagans white, Darkvoice 336i, and Little Dot MKIII....

 appreciate your opinion................

 Thanks... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			



_

 

I've had several Cmoys, several Pimetas and a Mini3. While each of these added something to the mix, none of them came close to what I got with an M^3. With or without a regulated power source (STEPS was much more refined than the Wall wart that came with it), the bass I got was out of this world. I had no idea a Grado could rumble and thunder like that. My M^3 had a variable bass boost (bass knob) which allowed me to adjust the amount of bass warmth and rumble I added to the mix. I found the experience absolutely amazing. The Grados use the open-air design to maintain a clean sound in the upper register. A strong bass amp (preferably one with variable bass boost) lets you add just the right amount of bass - and if you want to tear it up, you can tear it up with the best of them.

 Long story short, I wouldn't buy the lite amps, as the Grados don't need help with volume. They run fine without - and even the bass, itself, which is nice and clean, isn't bad. It's just that you may miss some of that rumble the closed-can people take for granted. Rather than muddy up your presentation by imitating them, just get an adequate bass amp. Grado, himself, doesn't even listen to the Grado RA-1 (an amp of Cmoy-like quality). He listens to a Melos (an old tube amp that's out of production but cherished). His amp is so warm that his headphones are tuned to it. So, without the amp, you're fine (more or less) but in some ways, you're missing some of the presentation your phones were meant to provide.


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## q_buzz

wow...thanks so much guys.. 
 really nice insight. 
 but 1 question... mini3 is a diy thing right ? and will that make them somewhat diff from one piece to the next one.. ? or is there a pre-made model sold ?


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## gabe294

I started with the SR80i's as well. Explore the Amplification for sale forum, find amps that might interested you (in terms of price and size, etc) then use the search feature and see what people have to say about them.

 I've seen a mini3 for sale now and then.


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## q_buzz

thanks....


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## depichu

I've owned a pair of SR80s for years now, they recently went out of commission due to a fall I had while listening (oops). Bent the head of the 3.5 and the cord got sliced by my chair. First time I was legitimately heartbroken over the loss of a inanimate object. Eventually I scraped the money to buy the sr80i. Nothing too new and improved after breaking them in, from memory (and without amping) the sr80i captured the same magic in my music as the 80s did, no more no less and that's not a bad thing. Immediately I was wondering what the point of the upgrade was anyways. It wasn't until hooking it up to my cmoy that it became apparent. I never amped my 80s too much because there wasn't much of a noticeable difference to me, it became a little more flat and drowned the bass slightly (even after my mods), but it didn't improve or detract from the sound so drastically that I needed to take it with me everywhere. When I amped the 80is with the same amp though, it became slightly unbearable. It was just too bright, and I actually prefer the 80s for that reason, but when I say too bright, oh my.
   
  One of my first purchases with my upgrade in payscale was of course headphones. After my first paycheck I immediately bought a pair of AKG K702s and Sr325s. Big mistake, but a great one at that. It wasn't until I broke the Sr325s in that I finally caught the "Grado upgraditis". I've heard my friend's vast collection of headphones, and because I could only detect slight differences between them all, I never thought I was that much of an audiophile, that my ears had already been numbed enough from all the years of 10$ ear buds and loud gaming speakers. But after spending extra time with the 325s, I want more.
   
  I dont know why I decided to rant on like that, Im at work and theres a dead period right now. I guess all I can say is if you do like grados, be wary of upgrading to anything higher than the 125s, make sure you have money to spend afterwards because you'll get addicted.
   
  Oh, and back to the original topic, you really don't need an amp for the 60, 80 and 125, I mean it's all going to be preference, but it won't do so much that it'll be worth carrying around with you. And DO NOT amp with the fiio e5, not saying it's a bad pocket amp (great for my IEMS), but it kind of trudges over that sweet grado sound.


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## disastermouse

I don't know if the E7 did much (but then, I've run the SR80i with the E7 since I got it).  I just hooked them up to the E7/E9 combo and the bass is definitely a good bit 'more' there now.


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## PinoyPogiman

how does the Fiio amps do to the SR80i sound?
   
  im planning to get a Amp to run my, and my Future cans


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## Focker

I honestly can't say I noticed much difference when I paired the 80s with my Fiio E11, but just recently I happened to plug the 80s into my Meier Corda Jazz amp and it was pretty clear that they scaled up a bit. This isn't really a feasible pairing, though, since spending 4x the price of the headphones on the amp doesn't make a lot of sense, but it did sort of prove to me that, while the Grados sound really good with just a modest source such as an ipod, they are some gains to be had with better quality amps. But I'm not sure the Fiio really did much...although I am very much a fan of the E11 for portable use.


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## superhoho

I would suggest go for 18v CMOY which has a very similar circuit to RA1.


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