Supernait2 with Grado GS1000 - will it work well?

I would be surprised if the SN2's headphone amp matched a dedicated headphone amp of $1-1.5k.  The Grado headphones you mention are a) worthy of something dedicated, b) will leak sound and be quite loud still, although clearly less so than loudspeakers.

if you want to use the SN2's amp - it's the same as in the XS2 apparently (which is what I have) - and it is okay, but I would save some $ and look at other h/p options.  If you want the 1000s I'd think about a headphone amp in the long term.

I use Grado RS2e and Shure 1540 with a Lehmann Black Cube Linear fed from my XS2's rec-out.  I also have some AKG 150 closed back and 451 folding closed back h/p for travel , Grado 125i and Sennheisser M2 in-ear (used with AK70) for other duties.

I happen to use both SN2 as well as a Headline (fed from 252). Difficult to separate the impact of 252 from the Headline though. But the difference between the outputs is significant (headphones used - AKG K812).

When I had a SN2, I hoped that the headphone out from it would be sufficient to drive my Grado RS-1i's to a good standard. It was OK, in a pinch, or for watching TV/ movies. But there was a huge difference going to a dedicated headphone amp - I used an Icon Audio HP-8 with Chord cables then, and there was a big change in soundstage/ clarity/ presence/ realism and the sound was much much improved. I demo'd it to a non-hifi friend, who was highly sceptical about the point of a dedicated headphone amplifier, and he was impressed in seconds. Now I use a Headline with a NAC282/ NapSC, and I would have to say the Headline punches well above it's weigh, especially with an improved amp circuit and source - NDX/ XPS/ SL. I now use it primarily with Focal Elears, which are a good match for the Naim sound.

Boaz posted:

Hello all,

sometimes when I'm unable to play my music loud, they way I like, mostly at nights when the children and wife are asleep, I wish for a decent earphones. I use Grado 80 with my IPod and it sound great, so I was thinking getting myself the Grado Gs1000 for my main system.

I understand that the headphone output on the SN2 consider to be good (Maybe even very good?). Is it really so?

here is what I have founded on the Net:

'Yes, the Supernait 2 comes with a headphone output. I plugged in the Grado GS1000i, the HiFiMan HE-400, and the Beyerdynamic DT 800 and 770. You are getting a $1000 to $1500 headphone amp not unlike a Burson thrown in to this mix".

any opinion will be greatly appreciated!

The SN2 HPA is not great. I tried it with my HD800's and found it quite unlistenable. Not a perfect comparison I know but I would not want it as my primary HPA. I use my V1 via USB with my headphones and it sounds great. The real difference is the ability to apply DSP before sending the bits to the amp. [Cross fade (i think it is called) makes headphone listening 100x more enjoyable with long sessions (I used to listen to music while working 8-10 hours a day)] 

Maybe it is good enough for casual listening but it never worked for me.