Maple Tree Audio (Ear+ HD II Amp) - Anyone heard of them?

[Allswell]

Hello,

I'm looking for something for my Grado RS1i headphones and have run across this company (Maple Tree Audio):
https://hollowstate.netfirms.com/#headphoneamps

Apparently from all the reviews I've read (most links found on the vendors website) this specific amp (Ear+ HD II) pairs quite well with the Grado RS1i...

My own understanding is that the RS1i headphones are low impedance (32 ohms) and the amp above caters to that range (30-600 ohms). Is that all there is to it? What makes this amp so "good" to pair with the RS1(i) headphones?

Is it those specific tubes? (Smoothing out the treble harshness Grado's are known for?)

I'm not sure what role any other electrical components play regarding "sound coloration" (if any) but this is the extent of my knowledge on this subject matter.

So, what makes this a (the?) preferred amp for the RS1 headphones??
Can someone help me understand this further?

Please advise,


Thank you.

 

[beefkabob]

Components don't pair like wine and cheese. Most of what is said to be subjectively good or good together are really just the biased opinions of a bunch of people repeating what they read or heard, usually beginning with effective marketing. Get yourself a THX headphone amp or similar and they'll "pair" with any headphones.

 

[Count Arthur]

I wonder about these "magic pairings", aren't you in effect using one component to ameliorate for the shortcomming of another?

Presumably the Ear+ HD II has a rolled off treble which lowers the top end of the Grado headphones, such that your using the amplifier as a tone control. You might be better to use an actual tone control, either via digital EQ, which would allow you to fine tune the sound to your liking, or perhaps a passive filter: https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/passive-filters/

Alternatively, get something other than the Grados.

 

[Allswell]

Hmmm.....

The thing is, i do like the signature grado sound.
(But i want it to be "better")

So what am I trying to achieve here with an amp then? Why do I need one ?

Sometimes I feel like the more I dig into this world of hifi, the more confusing it gets...

 

[Count Arthur]

What are you using with the Grados at the moment?

 

[Doodski]

Hmmm.....

The thing is, i do like the signature grado sound.
(But i want it to be "better")

So what am I trying to achieve here with an amp then? Why do I need one ?

You need a amp to drive your headphones to the best of their capability and have enough power for dynamics and your preferred SPL. If you need tone adjustments use a EQ not a soft sounding amp. I use a EQ and blast the top end out loud because my hearing is down on the high frequencies. Most peoples' hearing is at some stage of their life.

 

[Allswell]

What are you using with the Grados at the moment?

I use a Matrix M-Stage amp: https://www.headfonia.com/matrix-m-stage/

 

[Count Arthur]

Maybe you could try some different op-amps: https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/headphone-systems/218392-stage-op-amp-replacement.html

A lot of products now use surface mounted op-amps, but it looks like those in the M-Stage are socketed, so easy enough to swap out. I did this with a headphone amp a while back and they do sound subtly different. With a few exeptions, most op-amps only cost a couple of pounds or dollars each so it's pretty cheap to mess about with them.

I liked the LM4562: https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDet...62NA-NOPB?qs=sGAEpiMZZMvu8NZDyZ4K0bBDocacHabE and the LME49720 is an equivalent part: https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDet...=sGAEpiMZZMtxdzBvM0rKcY/v0LwUIpqh3VDjyY3k4gs=

The OPA1612 is another popular choice, but I don't think its available in a DIP 8, socketable, format, but they are available on adapters: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1PCS-TI-OPA1612AID-OPA1612-ON-DIP8-ADAPTER-/223077241948

More stuff: https://www.cycfi.com/projects/six-pack/op-amp-shootout/

If you replace op-amps, make sure that you replace single channel and dual channels with equivalants, most come in both formats.

 

[Doodski]

Isn't most of the change when rolling OP amps due to gain variations in the OP amps?

 

[Count Arthur]

No idea.

All I know is, I spent some time trying several different op-amps, and I settled on the LME49720 as I liked the sound the best in the particular headpone amp I had at the time. They won't transform something that sounds like garbage into something fantastic, but it's fairly cheap and fun to play around with.

 

[Doodski]

No idea.

All I know is, I spent some time trying several different op-amps, and I settled on the LME49720 as I liked the sound the best in the particular headpone amp I had at the time. They won't transform something that sounds like garbage into something fantastic, but it's fairly cheap and fun to play around with.

Yeah, it's a hobby I think going off the theory that I've studied that most of the variation in rolling is due to gain. I could be wrong. Perhaps one of the electronic engineers could contribute a more expert opinion.

 

[Count Arthur]

I can do "electronics by numbers", give me a bare PCB and a bag full of components and I can solder them all in the right place and produce something that works. But when it comes to designing something from scratch or fault finding, I'm lost.

 

[Doodski]

I can do "electronics by numbers", give me a bare PCB and a bag full of components and I can solder them all in the right place and produce something that works. But when it comes to designing something from scratch or fault finding, I'm lost.

Been there done that. I started doing the simple and mundane and eventually became a mechatronics specialist Practice makes perfect!

 

[beefkabob]

Hmmm.....

The thing is, i do like the signature grado sound.
(But i want it to be "better")

So what am I trying to achieve here with an amp then? Why do I need one ?

Sometimes I feel like the more I dig into this world of hifi, the more confusing it gets...

Matrix makes some fantastic products. No idea how good your mstage is. The purpose of getting a new DAC (and you haven't said what you have) and a new headphone amp would be to get less distortion, a lower noise floor, and more amplification. Or to distort the crap out of the signal because you like distortion made by some engineer.

 

[Count Arthur]

I started doing the simple and mundane and eventually became a mechatronics specialist

For me it was a combination of curiosity, and my general love of tinkering. I'd read some positive things about some of the DIY audio kits and was curious to find out for myself how they sounded and I've had some very positive results with some of the things I've cobbled together.

I haven't done more because I only need so many bits of audio equipment.

 

[Doodski]

For me it was a combination of curiosity, and my general love of tinkering. I'd read some positive things about some of the DIY audio kits and was curious to find out for myself how they sounded and I've had some very positive results with some of the things I've cobbled together.

I haven't done more because I only need so many bits of audio equipment.

I've run out of gear and calibration equipment. I think I'm going to start hoarding some of the older stuff I like. (Sorta like @restorer-john ) >@^_*@<

 

[Count Arthur]

I already have sevaral bits of kit in storage.

I have the parts and I was going to make a USB charger for a bicycle dynamo; the ones available commercially are commically over-priced: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/dynamos-charging-devices/

Even with my limited knowledge of electronics, I know that no matter how you configure a bridge rectifier, voltage regulator and a couple of capacitors, it doesn't add up to £200 and the great thing about the internet is somebody somewhere has done it: https://hokkaidowilds.org/diy-bicycle-dynamo-usb-charger-for-smartphones-and-battery-packs

Apologies to Allswell, we've gone way off topic here.

 

[Doodski]

I already have sevaral bits of kit in storage.

I have the parts and I was going to make a USB charger for a bicycle dynamo; the ones available commercially are commically over-priced: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/dynamos-charging-devices/

Even with my limited knowledge of electronics, I know that no matter how you configure a bridge rectifier, voltage regulator and a couple of capacitors, it doesn't add up to £200 and the great thing about the internet is somebody somewhere has done it: https://hokkaidowilds.org/diy-bicycle-dynamo-usb-charger-for-smartphones-and-battery-packs

Apologies to Allswell, we've gone way off topic here.

You're wayyy ahead of me.. I was simply contemplating a couple thousand in standard resister and capacitor cabinets and then take it from there >@^_*@<

 

[Shane D]

Hello,

I'm looking for something for my Grado RS1i headphones and have run across this company (Maple Tree Audio):
https://hollowstate.netfirms.com/#headphoneamps

Apparently from all the reviews I've read (most links found on the vendors website) this specific amp (Ear+ HD II) pairs quite well with the Grado RS1i...

My own understanding is that the RS1i headphones are low impedance (32 ohms) and the amp above caters to that range (30-600 ohms). Is that all there is to it? What makes this amp so "good" to pair with the RS1(i) headphones?

Is it those specific tubes? (Smoothing out the treble harshness Grado's are known for?)

I'm not sure what role any other electrical components play regarding "sound coloration" (if any) but this is the extent of my knowledge on this subject matter.

So, what makes this a (the?) preferred amp for the RS1 headphones??
Can someone help me understand this further?

Please advise,


Thank you.

Just to get the thread back on topic, I own this amp (Ear+ HDII) and I love it. I bought it primarily for my Grado GH2's and that combo is just magical.
Also, I have been hearing about the Sennheiser HD6?? line for years and how wonderful they are. I owned the HD6XX's and was unimpressed. I recently took a set of HD600's in on trade. I ran it through all six amps and was again disappointed. I then plugged them into my new tube amp and WOW! For the first time I got all that fuss about this series.

No, I do not have any measurements or empirical evidence regarding these feelings or statements.
But it is a hell of an amp for Grado's!

 

[jmon]

Components don't pair like wine and cheese. Most of what is said to be subjectively good or good together are really just the biased opinions of a bunch of people repeating what they read or heard, usually beginning with effective marketing. Get yourself a THX headphone amp or similar and they'll "pair" with any headphones.

Agreed.