New Grado GR8 In-Ear Earphones!

[CB1990]

wow i honestly cant believe noone has bothered to put up impressions or reviews.

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by abellaw

I think that i would be very interested in the lower end model the more i hear of grado the more i like their sound sig...and i think than an in ear model would really help round out their line

Yeah, I would be interested in the lower priced IEM as well, not gonna spring for the $300 model. If the lower priced one sounds anything like the 60s or 80s, great. I just wonder if that's possible, to be honest, because of the differences among those two types of phones. In short, can Grado really deliver its signature sound to an IEM?

Update: So I pre-ordered a pair. Take one for the team.

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by CB1990

wow i honestly cant believe no one has bothered to put up impressions or reviews.

Maybe no one owns them yet. Apart from Michael, that is.

[TheMarchingMule]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

Update: So I pre-ordered a pair. Take one for the team.

Many thanks! Looking forward to hearing your impressions!

[f00fighters]

I have never heard of such a lack of enthusiasm behind a product launch, which is suggesting to me that maybe the GR8's aren't so gr8. If they were, we would have heard a thorough review by now, if not many. There are still no reviews of this product anywhere online, aside from product descriptions.

[mrarroyo]

Could it be the economy is hurting the sale of this gear?

[f00fighters]

Originally Posted by mrarroyo

Could it be the economy is hurting the sale of this gear?

I'm sure that's a contributing factor, but still not "ONE" review, with the exception of an authorized dealer.

[greenhorn]

Should I be allowed to buy a pair, I would gladly write a review.

[Michael M]

The Igi should be shipping at the end of this month into early October. Photos and specs will be available shortly.

[VDM]

My first Grado GR8 impression: nice!

Grado has managed to sqeeuze their signature rythmic sound into two tiny earbuds, that seal from the outside world in a great way and feel like true quality. When unpacking the box, although the packaging is ok, the first impression is one of mixed feelings. Grado's competitors like Shure or Jays provide lots of accesories and make you feel like you've made the right choice. Grado, on the other hand, continues their traditional packaging ethos and has chosen the easy way out. Nothing new and nothing fancy, just a box with the GR8 earphones and 3 sizes of silicon sleeves.

Burning in took a few hours (and they took around 20 hours to loosen up a bit) but then they started to sing. Voices and instruments are separated nicely, with lots of texture and air around them. I have to say, I'm impressed. Although I have to say the GR8 will probably will be a lot better using a dedicated amplifier, which I do not have at my disposal right now. They tend to sound a little "grainy" without some power behind them.

Have listened to many headphones and earphones, these are among my favorites for now. I really love my long-time buddies, the Etymotice ER4's, because they simply are addictive. The Grado GR8's are probably better at a lot of things, they do not lack in the bass-department and have a lot more texture overall, now it's just waiting if the prove to be as addictive as my ER4's.

If you love the Grado sound I think these are the earphones for you. They really have managed to retain the specific Grado sound in these earphones. Everything is balanced in a way that reminds me of the GS1000, maybe not as polished and laidback, but definitly the same sound signature.

I just grabbed the box and threw it in my bag when I left for my vacation, so I'm not at the office but on a sunny terrace writing this, therefor I have to keep it prompt. Expect a more detailed and in-depth review in a few weeks, when I get back

Cheerio!

[greenhorn]

Thanks for the nice review!

However, I'm a bit confused after reading this:

Originally Posted by VDM

If you love the Grado sound I think these are the earphones for you. They really have managed to retain the specific Grado sound in these earphones. Everything is balanced in a way that reminds me of the GS1000, maybe not as polished and laidback, but definitly the same sound signature.

Because the GS1000 are not exactly belonging to what is considered as being the traditional Grado sound signature... so do these earphones sound like, let's say, the RS1 or rather like the GS1000?

Thanks again!

[VDM]

Could have guessed there would be someone to ask me this

They remind me of the GS1000 in their coherence and texture, although the sound signature is probably midway between the two. Can't really compare in-ears with headphones I think.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by VDM

Could have guessed there would be someone to ask me this

They remind me of the GS1000 in their coherence and texture, although the sound signature is probably midway between the two. Can't really compare in-ears with headphones I think.

Thanks Would you recommend them to a RS1 and PS1 lover?

[VDM]

Definitly, would recommend them to anyone seeking in-ears with more than just good reproduction of the original recording.

That beeing said, it's still quite early to judge since my pair isn't fully broken in.

[greenhorn]

Any direct comparison with Shure E5?