For many years I have used three sets of headphones, all from Grado Laboratories: the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/796grado">Reference RS-1</A> ($695), the SR-125 ($125), and the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/532">SR-60</A&gt; ($60). I've always favored Grado headphones because the minimal-resonance design philosophy that I feel is responsible for the uncolored midrange of their moving-iron cartridges extends throughout their headphone range as well. Recently, however, I've achieved a new perspective regarding the SR-125 'phones that I felt would be of interest to <I>Stereophile</I> readers.

It's hard to know what to call the SHA-Gold. It <I>is</I> a superb headphone amplifier&mdash;maybe even the target all future headphone amps need to shoot at&mdash;but it's also a full-function preamplifier. At two grand, it's not exactly a unit you'd add to your current system just to get a headphone connection...<I>Wait a minute!</I> What am I saying? I'm sure that there are folks out there who would add this to their existing reference systems as casually as I'd buy the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/796alchemy">Audio Alchemy headphone amplifier</A>&mdash;but they'd be missing out on a great line stage.

It's hard to know what to call the SHA-Gold. It <I>is</I> a superb headphone amplifier&mdash;maybe even the target all future headphone amps need to shoot at&mdash;but it's also a full-function preamplifier. At two grand, it's not exactly a unit you'd add to your current system just to get a headphone connection...<I>Wait a minute!</I> What am I saying? I'm sure that there are folks out there who would add this to their existing reference systems as casually as I'd buy the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/796alchemy">Audio Alchemy headphone amplifier</A>&mdash;but they'd be missing out on a great line stage.

It's hard to know what to call the SHA-Gold. It <I>is</I> a superb headphone amplifier&mdash;maybe even the target all future headphone amps need to shoot at&mdash;but it's also a full-function preamplifier. At two grand, it's not exactly a unit you'd add to your current system just to get a headphone connection...<I>Wait a minute!</I> What am I saying? I'm sure that there are folks out there who would add this to their existing reference systems as casually as I'd buy the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/796alchemy">Audio Alchemy headphone amplifier</A>&mdash;but they'd be missing out on a great line stage.

It's hard to know what to call the SHA-Gold. It <I>is</I> a superb headphone amplifier&mdash;maybe even the target all future headphone amps need to shoot at&mdash;but it's also a full-function preamplifier. At two grand, it's not exactly a unit you'd add to your current system just to get a headphone connection...<I>Wait a minute!</I> What am I saying? I'm sure that there are folks out there who would add this to their existing reference systems as casually as I'd buy the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/796alchemy">Audio Alchemy headphone amplifier</A>&mdash;but they'd be missing out on a great line stage.

For headphone listeners, this is truly a golden age&mdash;we have multiple choices at many different price levels. During the course of this review, I had as many as five headphone amplifiers (and, in several cases, multiple power supplies) set up for comparison. Yet many people don't understand why we might want a headphone amp in the first place.

For headphone listeners, this is truly a golden age&mdash;we have multiple choices at many different price levels. During the course of this review, I had as many as five headphone amplifiers (and, in several cases, multiple power supplies) set up for comparison. Yet many people don't understand why we might want a headphone amp in the first place.

For headphone listeners, this is truly a golden age&mdash;we have multiple choices at many different price levels. During the course of this review, I had as many as five headphone amplifiers (and, in several cases, multiple power supplies) set up for comparison. Yet many people don't understand why we might want a headphone amp in the first place.

For headphone listeners, this is truly a golden age&mdash;we have multiple choices at many different price levels. During the course of this review, I had as many as five headphone amplifiers (and, in several cases, multiple power supplies) set up for comparison. Yet many people don't understand why we might want a headphone amp in the first place.

<I>What,</I> I hear you asking, <I>is an integrated drive?</I> The MID is part of McCormack's much lauded "Micro" series (see my review of their Micro Line Drive in Vol.18 No.6), which are designed to offer the same dedication to quality as McCormack's full-size components, but at a lower price (and in a smaller package). The MID was initially the Micro Headphone Drive, sporting two &#189;" stereo phone-jacks on the front panel, a two-position input switch, and a volume control. The rear boasted two inputs and an output (controlled by the volume pot). It was designed to be a high-quality headphone amp and a minimalist preamp. In this configuration, I ran into it at the 1995 WCES where&mdash;almost as a gag&mdash;Steve McCormack had made up a few &#189;" stereo phone-plug to 5-way binding post connectors. He could, he explained, run small speakers from the headphone outputs. There was a serious purpose behind the joke, of course. Showing that the MHD could drive speakers spoke volumes for its ability to drive headphones.