I got my Grado SR325s thanks to you guys and was quite happy. Then I heard Vertigo's Ety ER4B; I was in heaven! Now those (with Vert's advice) ER4Ps are the cans for me! If I scrimp and save, I could get em in two months. The last cans I'll ever buy! Finally!
NOW, I read this review. NOW, I GOTTA get some RS1s or HP1000s. I mean if I can save for two months, I can save for four or five months right?
You guys ARE the headphone mafia! Everytime I try to get out, you guys keep bringing me back in!!!!
millerdog<~~sleeps with the fishes

That was a wonderful review! I got to A/B the HP-1000s and the RS-1 s at Hirsch's head-fi meeting in D.C., and I really liked the HP-1000s better. They were my favorites on the Grado table. I used the headroom amps. At least on a short-run A/Bing, the HP-1000s sounded more accurate and the RS1s sounded unrealistically bright. Just me though. But that was a great review!!! Thanks Zanth! Do some more reviews, please!

Great review.

Biggie.

Thanks Zanth for taking so much time to do the comparison and review.

My personal findings have been a little different than what has been relayed in this thread both by Zanth and everyone else replying. I wonder a little bit if there may be quality control issues between older Grado HP headphones and also how their sonic characteristics are effected by aging and usage.

My thoughts:

The HP-1000 has to my ears the closest to flat frequency response and the most neutral sound of any dynamic headphone I have yet heard. To me, it bests even the Etymotic ER-4S in these regards and by a significant margin.

For my taste, the RS-1, while certainly smoother than the SR-325, is still too bright to be of real interest to me. Its bright treble, I believe, can give the illusion in AB that it has higher resolution but I believe the gist of Zanth's review proclaiming the HP-1000 as "too analytical" betrays this belief. The HP-1000, provided there's nothing wrong with it, is truly of higher resolution. That you hear more high frequency detail is not surprising, though, given how exaggerated the high frequency response is of the RS-1.

The HP-1000 does not, in my opinion, have rolled off treble. Of course, it may seem as such when comparing to the RS-1. It may even seem so when comparing to peaky headphones like the HD600 or even the Sony R10 but I believe long term listening tells a different story.

The flat pads, in my experience, offer deeper bass than the bowl pads. The sound of the headphone is slightly brighter with the bowl pads and the flat pads, approriately yield a more flat response. At this point, I do not believe the HP-1000 bass is exagerated but is very approriate.

The HP-1000 is a very quick and punchy headphone. Its bass is very tight and focused compared to the phones like the HD600. I believe this is something that Grado fans old and new love about the Grado brand. If you're not used to getting such a good bass response, I could see how it could be viewed as over-emphasized but disagree that it actually is. The HP-1000 is missing the lower midrange bloat of most other consume headphones (V6, HD600, ER-4P) but has greater and, as Zanth said, natural bass extension.

What I feel is overlooked by most Grado fans in reviews is the fact that to most other people, these headphones aren't really very comfortable. If the R10 and W2002 were a 10 in comfort, the Beyerdynamics might be a 9 or an 8, with the Grados being maybe a 5. However much effort Joseph and John put into designing their drivers and cables they're idea of headband design is lacking to say the least. It is how it looks - a simple band that rests on the top of your head. Lean over and they may slip off entirely. And, in my view, no pad - bowl, "comfy" or flat actually ARE comfortable.

I do think it is a real shame that Grado does not feel this product is worth producing currently. Whichever Grado headphone you may prefer, the HP-1000 is undeniably a VERY different phone from any of their current models and I think it would easily find a following in today's marketplace. Hell, they might even have invented a way to keep the red lettering on the metal by now.

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Back in the day when you audiophiles had a mid/lo-fi receiver with tone adjustment controls, did you ever turn the 'treble' knob up to the max? The first thing you'll notice is tinniness- but if you compensate for this by adjusting the 'bass' and 'midrange' knobs, you'll reduce the tinniness and get the sensation of more detail and 'clarity.' But after a while your ears will hurt. I fear this tone control knob situation is similar to many modern Grado headphones. And no, it's very likely not a good thing. But you know what? I still love Grados. I *love* them. Correction: I love the RS-1. And maybe one day I'll love the Great Sennheiser 600, but for the time being I only like it. And yes, I now MUST have the HP-2. Blah, I say. Blah.

Thanks Kelly,

Not sure if you picked up on this in my review but just in case:

Kelly said:
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but I said in the review:

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This is why I went after the clarinet pads hitting and peeling, because this is out of the exaggerated treble of the RS-1's and into a different air-space which one can compare. I agree that with strings, the impression can be enhanced by the treble so I tested a lower frequency and I still felt they had better resolution.

As for the pads issue, I believe the secret is the fit and seal around the ear of the bowls. Better seal to the head the more bass one gets. I have small ears and so, when the headphones are on, they are tightly clasped against my head, which I like (as kelly stated, grados can slip off if you put your head forward). This provides more bass, at least to my ears.

Clicking clarinet pads would register largely in the upper octaves that are accentuated on the RS-1.

In my experience, pushing the HP-1000's drivers closer to your ear makes the bass stronger relative to the treble. I understand you heard this differently.

Kelly: Quote:




Nope I agree with you 100%. BECAUSE my ears are small, they are right up against the transducer, literally touching the plastic, whereas with the flats I have a few centimeters. With the driver right there, more air is channeled down into my ear...and it hurts like an SOB.

If I had larger ears, I could extend the distance and perhaps gain from the properties of the bowls (if any). But alas, nope, got these tiny things.

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Agree absolutely!

Quote:

For my taste, the RS-1, while certainly smoother than the SR-325, is still too bright to be of real interest to me. Its bright treble, I believe, can give the illusion in AB that it has higher resolution but I believe the gist of Zanth's review proclaiming the HP-1000 as "too analytical" betrays this belief. The HP-1000, provided there's nothing wrong with it, is truly of higher resolution. That you hear more high frequency detail is not surprising, though, given how exaggerated the high frequency response is of the RS-1. The HP-1000 does not, in my opinion, have rolled off treble. Of course, it may seem as such when comparing to the RS-1. It may even seem so when comparing to peaky headphones like the HD600 or even the Sony R10 but I believe long term listening tells a different story.

Here I have to disagree, in part. IMO the HP-1000 is extremely high resolution, with great tonal accuracy. BUT, the RS-1 is the faster headphone, and can pick up minute detailing that the HP-1 can miss. I don't believe this to be due to the bright high end of the RS-1, which I have modded the pads and carefully chosen interconnects to minimize. I don't think the HP-1000 rolls off at all. I do believe that the greater tonal accuracy of the HP-1000 in the midrange can lead to an illusion of greater detail...things simply sound more real. But I still think that ultimately, fine detail is the RS-1's strength.

Quote:

What I feel is overlooked by most Grado fans in reviews is the fact that to most other people, these headphones aren't really very comfortable. If the R10 and W2002 were a 10 in comfort, the Beyerdynamics might be a 9 or an 8, with the Grados being maybe a 5. However much effort Joseph and John put into designing their drivers and cables they're idea of headband design is lacking to say the least. It is how it looks - a simple band that rests on the top of your head. Lean over and they may slip off entirely. And, in my view, no pad - bowl, "comfy" or flat actually ARE comfortable.

The R10, and the AT cans that I have heard so far are a 7, maybe an 8, on the comfort scale. Top marks go to the Sony F1 (nothing really comes close to this in comfort, IMO), with second place to the Sennheiser HD-560II.

Hirsch, I agree, most comfortable heaphones ever....F1's, bar non.

What the hell is a Sennheiser HD560II ?
(Got a pic/link?)

It seems like you should be able to EQ the RS-1 to something closer to flat with some tuberolling in your microZOTL. That'd probably be worth hearing.

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The 560II was the predecessor to the 580, IIRC. The round shape fits much more comfortably.



I'm almost ready to give up an buy an equalizer (j/k). Cheaper and faster than tube rolling. It takes a couple of days at least to roll a set of tubes...the sound can change rather dramatically in the first couple of days.

As I said previously, the HPA-1 really brings out some of the best in the RS-1. The Joe Grado amp is smoother than the RA-1. It presents a liquidity with RS-1 that's really nice to listen to.

The 560II looks a lot like a Beyerdynamic in the pic.

Isn't the HPA-1 a little bright with the RS-1 since it was designed for the HP-1000? (I know the RA-1 has a somewhat rolled off treble that maps to the RS-1 better than most amps.)

HPA-1 is fine with RS-1...IMO better than RA-1 actually. Frequency response is pretty good but still a bit bright. Less so with HPA-1 than many. RA-1 doesn't roll off treble, incidentally. If you're hearing that, look to your interconnects, or possibly the batteries.

Excellent review! Based on your review, I think the RS-1 has got the sound I am looking for right now.