Grace Design x Massdrop m9XX DAC/Amp

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by AllanMarcus, Oct 25, 2015.

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  1. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    Any thoughts? Jude gave it a very good first impressions review at HF. Immintrigued by the cross feed, but if it's just a chord license, maybe getting a chord amp is the way to go. I already have a peach tree DAC IT that I like. I have a crack, but I have an ether-c coming, so I need an amp that pairs well with the C.

    Info on the drop. It starts Monday, and they are only selling 500
    https://www.massdrop.com/buy/grace-design-x-massdrop-m9xx-dac-amp
     
  2. Judeus

    Judeus Facebook Friend

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    Crossbred in my experience is poop. Sounds fake and only helps bad headphones makes good ones sound worse
     
  3. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    I find that cross feed for some older material can be very beneficial.
     
  4. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    I saw an email about this this morning. Just looked at the Massdrop site and it seems they are all gone!

    I'm happy to have cross-feed as an option. Just looking at the pictures and seeing no switch, I thought it might be an unoptional option, but there is a setup menu, and it can be turned on or off. A bit more configurable would be nice... but then, I always fancied a Phonitor, at least for its looks and fucntionality; I never heard one.
     
  5. tiberiantwilight

    tiberiantwilight New

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    the crossfeed of my m920 sounds OK and doesn't alter the original music too much. i owned meier and headroom amps a long time ago and their crossfeed implementations were quite strong so i definitely understand why judeus thinks it sounds fake. still, there is no crossfeed like no crossfeed IMHO.
     
  6. Ferrum

    Ferrum Acquaintance

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    My Grace 920 sounds fantastic in my opinion and I suspect that this is due to the analog implementation since the DAC chip is crap according to some members here ;). The crossfeed is very easy to disconnect so if you dont like it, just forget it. In my view the effect is pretty subtle.

    cheers
    Ferrum
     
  7. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    It says drop finished, but apparently it doesn't open until tomorrow o_O

    I just came from the HF thread. Might have caught a touch of fotmitis :eek:

    Anyway, if it is up for grabs tomorrow, I might take a look and see if it is available for international shipping, and how much that adds, contemplate an extra 30% customs this end... and see if it still looks good and if I fee like a blind purchase at that price. I did have a small windfall: I'm looking for a treat! :piratemug:
     
  8. tiberiantwilight

    tiberiantwilight New

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    no offence to grace design, let's hope the m9xx's performance is going to justify its hype and price. i understand it is not cheap to manufacture a product in the US and back it up with a 5-year warranty, but the massdrop o2 + dad combo is only $200...i really like my m920 so far but i most likely wouldn't pay $1895 for it.
     
  9. Xen

    Xen Friend

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  10. joch

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    Anybody dropped in on the drop for this?

    I'm on the fence because don't need another DAC, but the volume/menu wheel looks cool. If it sounds like the m920....
     
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    General philosophical statements:
    1. Don't get crap you don't need. New stuff +/- $500 of what you already have is likely to be of a different flavor than actually be better. Avoid endless sidegrades of mid-fi purgatory.
    2. Desire is endless. Resist, or buy a motorized scooter and helmet and have fun around the neighborhood.
    3. Just because Jude says some nice things about yet another shiny new product doesn't mean you have to get it. Jude gets paid or is hoping to get paid in the future (in the form of sponsorships, gifts, all expense paid factory visits, etc.) for his services. Also, I don't trust any of project86's reviews. He's one of those guys that gets endless amount of free gear for writing positive or nebulous reviews. This is not to say that the Grace M9XX isn't a good product. It very well could be.
    4. $499 for the M9XX seems like a fantastic price compared to a similar offering from Chord. The risk is relatively low.
    5. Always buy used. Unfortunately, really good stuff is hard to find used after a product's sales have stabilized. But sometimes a good deal can be found on Massdrop. ;)
    You already have a decent DAC. Why get another piece of gear that is a DAC/amp combo unit. The parts cost will be split into those two sections. Get a good amp to go with your PeachTree DAC. A dedicated amp like the Lyr 2 for $449 would be an awesome and notable improvement with the Ether-C compared to any built-in amp of a combo unit. Push it a bit more to $849, and ZOMG!, you'd have a Mjolnir 2. Mjolnir 2 and Ether-C!!! (I specifically mentioned these two amps because I feel they would have good synergy with the Ether-C).
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2015
  12. AustinValentine

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    All great advice. Especially the motorized scooter. Also, IIRC project86 = John Grandberg right?
     
  13. insidious meme

    insidious meme Ambivalent Kumquat

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    Yeah, thats John Grandberg.

    Excellent advice from purrin. I've stabilized to having two desktop headphone amps for the foreseeable future. Sure I like to hear about new stuff and maybe get a good listen to them. But I'm done with midgradeitis.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2015
  14. udin

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    Midgradeitis is the worst. Nothing really makes it better, especially buying more mid-fi gear. The m9XX looks interesting, but as with most things, it is surely not groundbreaking nor will it "punch above its weight", as people will surely claim. Regardless, the hype train for this product was fast and immediate, with Head-fi releasing a big statement and then a review being posted as well by a different member. It reeks of some sort of underhanded advertising meant to elicit a buying fervor from those of us who can't control ourselves (a group which I am a member of at times).
     
  15. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    We've all been there. Resistance is not futile.
     
  16. rschoi_75

    rschoi_75 New

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    Good points... for people who have already past the mid-fi range.

    But why such a negative tone for the grace, but a positive one for LH Labs GO V2? Both are mid-fi purgatory type gear are they not?
     
  17. udin

    udin Acquaintance

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    My post may have seen a bit negative towards it, but was really more a comment about side-grading and the endless pursuit of "better". If I didn't have something already, the m9XX would be high on my list of amps to try.

    @rschoi_76, I realize your post may not have been directly referencing mine, but thought I would comment as I realized mine seemed a bit harsh about an amp I haven't heard.
     
  18. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    No negative tone against Grace. Simply negative tone against sidegradeitis and reviewers who like everything. You did read number #4 of what I wrote, no? $499 for the M9XX seems like a fantastic price compared to a similar offering from Chord. The risk is relatively low.

    Also I've heard GOV2. While I liked the sound, it didn't stop me from criticizing how LH Labs seemed to always fall 30% short in terms of the user experience. (In this case, lack of information on the TRRS and balanced out.)

    Also, you have to take into context the OP's question. Had the OP asked the same thing about the GOV2, I would have responded similarly. With the Ether-C, better to get a really good amp that synergizes if one already has a decent DAC, rather than a combo DAC/amp unit.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2015
  19. rschoi_75

    rschoi_75 New

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    I did read all the points. I just find it odd that those points were posted here, and not in a more general thread about the overall nature of upgrading. I think it makes people hesitant to discuss the item on its own merits as a piece of mid-fi gear, that's all.
     
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    As I've said, those points were brought up in the context of the OP's question which can be summarized in the following points:
    1. Jude says it awesome.
    2. I have Peachtree DAC IT.
    3. I want to run Ether-C.
    4. Any thoughts on m9XX?
    5. 4Maybe getting a Chord amp is the way to go?

    My response was as follows: 1) Don't trust Jude; 2) Don't sidegrade; 3) Keep Peachtree DAC, get a good amp for the Ether-C instead of any combo unit; 4) The Grace seems like one heck of a deal compared to the Hugo.

    And since you brought up the GOV2, WTF does GOV2 have to do with any of this?

    Had the OP simply asked "Has anyone heard the Grace m9XX", I would have said nothing, or very little. Sorry if I am not up for indulging people into confirming what they may have already set their sights on because of Jude's infomercials.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2015

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