NEW Grado PS 1000 headphones!!!

[coco]

Originally Posted by lowmagnet

Does anyone else have a problem with Grados sticking your head? I have a pair of 225 that I retired because I couldn't listen to them to whilst reclined. They fall right off!

There is a lot to be gained from bending the headband for comfort. Those who claim to experience serious pain while wearing a pair of Grados have rarely experimented with the benefits of the tweaking the metal under the headband. That said, I owned a pair of 325i for a while, liked the sound but had to sell them because I couldn't get them to stay in place when I moved my head around. Very annoying.

[mrarroyo]

Originally Posted by lowmagnet

Does anyone else have a problem with Grados sticking your head? I have a pair of 225 that I retired because I couldn't listen to them to whilst reclined. They fall right off!

You can bend the headband to fit you, there is steel under the plastic.

[jpelg]

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus

I see the PS-1000 as merely another one of Grado's spin off products and not something that represent anything new in terms of design, use of technology, or any matter of substance.

I think these two flagship headphones represent the prime design philosophies (and differences) of their respective companies.

Without having heard them yet, the PS-1000 supposedly embodies the best of its predecessors - the HP-1000, GS-1000, PS-1, & RS-1's - and kicks it up a notch with slightly updated drivers & cabling. For Grado fans, this will be enough technically. To have a TOTL can that incorporates that heritage, and gives the same or better performance, all in a currently produced & supported headphone, means never having to pay insane prices for HP-1's or PS-1's.

Where I think Grado will miss (or be slowed down) is in price. With the HD800 coming in at a nearly 25% less, the PS-1000 represents a significant premium in price, which will undoubtedly cause all but the most ardent (& liquid) headphone fans to hesitate, me included. If Grado wants to simply usurp the used HP-1/PS-1 market, then they will have succeeded. However, if the PS-1000's were in the $1200 range, they could have been the model that woo-ed me back into the Grado fold, and I'd more likely have ordered a pair by now.

[Canman]

Originally Posted by jpelg

Where I think Grado will miss (or be slowed down) is in price. With the HD800 coming in at a nearly 25% less, the PS-1000 represents a significant premium in price, which will undoubtedly cause all but the most ardent (& liquid) headphone fans to hesitate, me included. If Grado wants to simply usurp the used HP-1/PS-1 market, then they will have succeeded. However, if the PS-1000's were in the $1200 range, they could have been the model that woo-ed me back into the Grado fold, and I'd more likely have ordered a pair by now.

Well said. I feel much the same way and I'm glad its being talked about. I don't doubt that I would enjoy the PS-1000 at least as much as any other Grado headphone. I can't get over the price premium and its value proposition, particularly in comparison with the cheaper HD800. It's my opinion that the significant premium over the GS-1000 is to avoid cannibalization of sales among the two top models. Sorry to sour the thread but I think Grado's pricing decision is a very bold move.

[billyearle]

Originally Posted by Lornecherry

I fear that many of us would be driving a $1700 car if Grado came out with a $150,000 headphone.

That is so funny because it's so profoundly true.
Although not unemployed like one guy in this thread, I make alarmingly little money. I think I've spent like a third of my GROSS annual income on headphone gear in the last 4 months, and no, I don't live with my folks. I do have lots of good explanations for this, however.

[Wmcmanus]

Originally Posted by jpelg

Where I think Grado will miss (or be slowed down) is in price. With the HD800 coming in at a nearly 25% less, the PS-1000 represents a significant premium in price, which will undoubtedly cause all but the most ardent (& liquid) headphone fans to hesitate, me included. If Grado wants to simply usurp the used HP-1/PS-1 market, then they will have succeeded. However, if the PS-1000's were in the $1200 range, they could have been the model that woo-ed me back into the Grado fold, and I'd more likely have ordered a pair by now.

Originally Posted by Canman

Well said. I feel much the same way and I'm glad its being talked about. I don't doubt that I would enjoy the PS-1000 at least as much as any other Grado headphone. I can't get over the price premium and its value proposition, particularly in comparison with the cheaper HD800. It's my opinion that the significant premium over the GS-1000 is to avoid cannibalization of sales among the two top models. Sorry to sour the thread but I think Grado's pricing decision is a very bold move.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way.

But of course, I was one of the folks on the HD800 thread who practically begged people to quit complaining about the price of the product. The point I was making there is that the price is what it is. Either you think the product is worth that much to you, or you don't. Either you pay the price, or you don't.

The difference, at least to my way of thinking, is that I can somewhat feel good (or justified in my mind) when I pay $1,400 for a Sennheiser product that was started from a clean slate and represents a tremendous effort on their part to advance the state of the art in terms of headphone design.

With the PS-1000, no such efforts were made by Grado. Moreover, the price set for the PS-1000 is clearly not based on any cost-based formula whatsoever but is instead a direct attempt to exploit a market opportunity based on the prices that have been observed in the used market for the HP-1000 and PS-1, or so it would seem.

I'm not saying that I won't eventually own a pair of PS-1000, because if they sound good enough, I'll definitely consider it. At the same time, I agree with Jimmy that the $1,200 price range would have been far more reasonable (at least given that it's merely a spin off product), not that it's my job to set a price for someone else's product.

Which I guess takes me full circle. When it comes to evaluating the sonic merits of the PS-1000, the benchmark has been set pretty high, and it will have to produce a sound that is worth at least $1,700 to my ears before I'll lay my money down. That's a rather tall order, especially in these market conditions.

But business is business, and I'm sure they understand the basics of cost-volume-profit analysis at Grado Labs. They've never dropped any of their retail prices in the past, at least not that I can recall, so perhaps they know the market better than we do.

[AC1]

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus

The difference, at least to my way of thinking, is that I can somewhat feel good (or justified in my mind) when I pay $1,400 for a Sennheiser product that was started from a clean slate and represents a tremendous effort on their part to advance the state of the art in terms of headphone design.

With the PS-1000, no such efforts were made by Grado. Moreover, the price set for the PS-1000 is clearly not based on any cost-based formula whatsoever but is instead a direct attempt to exploit a market opportunity based on the prices that have been observed in the used market for the HP-1000 and PS-1, or so it would seem.

Fully agree, that is also how I see they priced the PS1000.
Did they even pay attention to the price of the competition in the HD800s? Now more than ever I hope the HD800s change the landscape of headphones especially in contrast to the legendary vintage headphones.

People can spend their money however they please, but the higher the price goes the higher some of these headphones seem to get touted. Hopefully the HD800s will change the tide.

[Azoth]

Yah the aluminum look on these Grado cans are interesting,
but I rather like wood look on the GS1000 I heard midrange
is more forward in these cans, but at 1695 US -$2195 CAD
this is an insane amount to spend on headphoes. This amount
is nearly more than a trip to Cuba !

I haven't even started to save the GS-1000, then Grado
tops themselves again, arg

[crucial]

Maybe it has already been mentioned, but perhaps the GS1000 will now be viewed as only a moderately high priced phone in comparison to the PS1000. It could stimulate sales of the GS1000 (as a PS1000 jr) and leave the PS1000 as the ultimate status symbol to be bought by the affluent (not me) or those obsessed with getting the 'best' and rob their childrens' college fund (me ).

[robm321]

Originally Posted by jpelg

Without having heard them yet, the PS-1000 supposedly embodies the best of its predecessors - the HP-1000, GS-1000, PS-1, & RS-1's - and kicks it up a notch with slightly updated drivers & cabling. For Grado fans, this will be enough technically. To have a TOTL can that incorporates that heritage, and gives the same or better performance, all in a currently produced & supported headphone, means never having to pay insane prices for HP-1's or PS-1's.

It would seem that these have nothing in common with the HP-2s. And if the $1,500 that the HP-2s go for is insane, how much more insane is $1,700 for a phone that will lose value after you buy it and not go up. The HP-2 is exactly inbetween liquid and dry. The PS-1 is definately liquid and the RS-1 is definately dry. The PS-1000 is supposedly liquid sounding like the PS-1.

I questioned Zanth on this in another thread, and he agreed that the PS-1000 is NOT a neutral phone which is the only thing I can see in relation to the HP-2. It's more of the PS-1 "liquid" very much unlike the RS-1 sound with the characteristics of the GS-1000. So, it seems to have nothing to do with the RS-1 sound either which is very different from the PS-1 and GS-1000 sound.

Anyway, my point is, the review that made it seem like all these headphones are put into one shouldn't be taken too literally. If all those sounds (rs-1, gs-1000, ps-1) were put into a headphone, I think it would be a disaster because they are all very different, but his point was a smooth PS-1 with GS-1000 characteristics and sound stage from what I gathered with his posts and questions answered.

The PS-1 is at an insane price, but it's a collector's item at this point. I would say that the PS-1000 may be best suited for the people that wanted a PS-1 but didn't want to drop several thousand on it. With the PS-1000 they only have to drop about $2K

[lowmagnet]

Originally Posted by quane

Head too small?

My melon is huge, that's what's so strange. I'll have to bend them up like others suggested.

I think one of the transducers is fritzing too, I'll have to look closer.

[vcoheda]

Originally Posted by Canman

It's my opinion that the significant premium over the GS-1000 is to avoid cannibalization of sales among the two top models.

yep. my thoughts exactly. if the price of the PS1000 was any lower, it would start to take away from the GS1000 market.

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus

The difference, at least to my way of thinking, is that I can somewhat feel good (or justified in my mind) when I pay $1,400 for a Sennheiser product that was started from a clean slate and represents a tremendous effort on their part to advance the state of the art in terms of headphone design.

totally agree. that's why i have an HD800 on the way, but will hold off on the PS1000 until further review.

Originally Posted by robm321

The PS-1 is at an insane price, but it's a collector's item at this point. I would say that the PS-1000 may be best suited for the people that wanted a PS-1 but didn't want to drop several thousand on it. With the PS-1000 they only have to drop about $2K

a close comparison of the PS1 and PS1000 would be interesting.

[lowmagnet]

Well this thread made me pick out my SR 225s from the closet and try them out again. I didn't realize I missed them!

[GRADOSKI]

Originally Posted by Quaddy

no nothing concrete as of yet, this first of march date was strange as that is today (sunday!) i cant see shipments hitting retailers/vendors today can anyone else

I am inquiring with my local retailer here in Toronto,I will have some news soon.

[ast]

still no news on PS1000's shipping date ???




end of March is approaching ...