Grado’s RA1 gets our nod for its amazing power and subtlety—not to mention its good looks.
Grado’s RA1 won’t look like anything else in your entertainment center, unless you’re a steampunk fan who’s built custom enclosures for your gear. The RA1, is housed in a block of solid mahogany. We wondered if it was that rare rain forest wood that accounted for this amp’s lusciously warm sound. And the amp’s bass response is nothing short of remarkable. Upright bass tends to turn to mush when reproduced on many audio systems, but the RA1 delivered every pluck of every string. The amp performed well with Paul Thorn’s rockin’ blues. Listen to “Crutches” on this amp, and if you aren’t nodding your head and tapping your feet within the first two bars, you better check your pulse. The fact that the amp is powered by two 9-volt batteries (an AC version is also available) means you can take it from the drawing room to the boudoir without having to mess with power cords. Exquisite.
The Grado RA1 is a glittering jewel of a headphone amp.
Delivers enough warmth to rival a tube amp.
Rechargeable battery would be nice.