I had the chance to have on loan a pair of burned-in GS1000s to listen on my own system. Don't take this with anything less than a healthy helping of salt, because I feel that there are several caveats with regards to my impression. The most glaring one is amplification: I'm using the headphone jack on my Stello DP200 pre-amp. While there's nothing wrong with the amplification circuit itself (pure discrete, Class-A, SS output), I know there are way better out there. But since my system is mainly geared toward the K1000s, I really have no need for a headphone-only amp, and for those times when I need to hear conventional headphones, the headphone jack on my Stello has served adequately. At the least, it's enough for me to form a somewhat meaningful opinion about a headphone's sound.
First, comfort and construction are pretty good. I like the wood on this specific pair. The finish is very smooth and looks quite good reflecting light. The comfort is first-rate: very light weight, the headband is way better than the cheaper Grado models. Although it doesn't really stand up to the HP1s in terms of durability, I feel that the GS1000 is still much better than the Prestige series.
Sound-wise, these are very interesting. But let me just say this: this is not your regular Grado. In fact, I think if you are a hardcore RS-1 fan, chances are you probably won't really like the GS1000. There is no immediate WOW factor with these. In fact, on first listen, the midrange seems really recessed, but as my hearing adjusted, it slowly filled out, although it's still not where I would like it to be. It is not immediately rich and seductive like the RS-1's midrange on a good tube, and there is a kind of distant feeling with the midrange on first listen.
Bass: probably the first thing people notice. There is a lot of it, and I mean A LOT. As of now, I feel that it's not as textured as I would like, but there is certainly impact. The GS1000 also does not lack for bass extension.
Highs: this can get sibilant, harsh, and tizzy quick if your recording is crap.
Soundstage: very big for a conventional headphone, but after the K1000s, everything else just sounds not as big as I'd like. Still, nothing to scoff at. Imaging is good: there are no obvious 2 or 3-blob effects.
But by far the biggest thing that stuck to me is how recording-dependent the GS1000 is: the difference is literally night and day. On bad recordings, these things are nearly unlistenable. The bass is all over the place, trampling on the mids, the highs are sharp enough to pierce your ear drums. I listened to Californication just to see how bad bad recordings would sound, and oh boy that was a BIG mistake. I literally had to tear the GS1000s off within 10 seconds.
However, once I played some of my best recordings, the GS1000s sound like a totally different animal: the midrange filled out nicely, the bass tightened up dramatically, and the highs, while still a bit tipped up, is no longer sibilant and harsh, but provide a very nice sparkle on top. On excellent recordings, the GS1000 provides a very very very enjoyable listening experience.
I only have two real complaints against the GS1000s so far. First, the bass. While it is textured and tight on good recordings, it still has a tendency to become boomy. To me, the GS1000s produce bass decay that is longer than natural, so there isn't enough air between bass notes to really separate them. This is most noticeable on upright bass plucks in my jazz SACDs. The bass is full-bodied, but I do wish that there is more air between each bass note. There's plenty of separation and air in the midrange and the treble.
Second real complaint: the GS1000 has a tendency to be sibilant. This is greatly reduced, almost to the point of non-existence, on good recordings. But there are still rare occasions when I feel that sibilants are emphasized more than natural.
But like I said, there is a caveat to my listening impressions. I'm sure that with a better amp, both of my complaints can be addressed to an extent, perhaps enough for me to be no longer bothered by them. The slight midrange recession that I was experiencing, in my speculation, can be solved if only the bass would tighten up and the sibilance reduced, because right now I feel that it is these two things that are not keeping the frequency response as even as I like.
Other than those two complaints, I really like the GS1000s a lot, and like I said, my amping definitely made those two problems worse than they probably are. With better amplification, I'm pretty confident that those two problems can be reduced, and when they are, the midrange will come out a little bit better. In other words, I see real potential in the GS1000s to make it worth my while to find better equipment to support them. I think my source is pretty decent, so all I'm really looking for is better amplification. So if you know any synergistic amps, let me know. I will probably end up with my own pair sometimes in the future, but it's good to start thinking about what I am going to drive them with.
And now I can understand why those sensitive to high frequencies don't like the GS1000s, and I wouldn't blame them. But since I'm not as sensitive to HF, I have a better experience. I can also understand why a hardcore RS-1 fan might not like these, because the midrange is not as exciting or seductive, although it might be more "natural" in the objective sense of the word. And if the majority of your recordings are bad, then the GS1000s are definitely NOT for you: they are just brutally bad with bad recordings.
So those are my thoughts, I know, pretty scattered, but this isn't meant to be a serious review or impressions thread.
First, comfort and construction are pretty good. I like the wood on this specific pair. The finish is very smooth and looks quite good reflecting light. The comfort is first-rate: very light weight, the headband is way better than the cheaper Grado models. Although it doesn't really stand up to the HP1s in terms of durability, I feel that the GS1000 is still much better than the Prestige series.
Sound-wise, these are very interesting. But let me just say this: this is not your regular Grado. In fact, I think if you are a hardcore RS-1 fan, chances are you probably won't really like the GS1000. There is no immediate WOW factor with these. In fact, on first listen, the midrange seems really recessed, but as my hearing adjusted, it slowly filled out, although it's still not where I would like it to be. It is not immediately rich and seductive like the RS-1's midrange on a good tube, and there is a kind of distant feeling with the midrange on first listen.
Bass: probably the first thing people notice. There is a lot of it, and I mean A LOT. As of now, I feel that it's not as textured as I would like, but there is certainly impact. The GS1000 also does not lack for bass extension.
Highs: this can get sibilant, harsh, and tizzy quick if your recording is crap.
Soundstage: very big for a conventional headphone, but after the K1000s, everything else just sounds not as big as I'd like. Still, nothing to scoff at. Imaging is good: there are no obvious 2 or 3-blob effects.
But by far the biggest thing that stuck to me is how recording-dependent the GS1000 is: the difference is literally night and day. On bad recordings, these things are nearly unlistenable. The bass is all over the place, trampling on the mids, the highs are sharp enough to pierce your ear drums. I listened to Californication just to see how bad bad recordings would sound, and oh boy that was a BIG mistake. I literally had to tear the GS1000s off within 10 seconds.
However, once I played some of my best recordings, the GS1000s sound like a totally different animal: the midrange filled out nicely, the bass tightened up dramatically, and the highs, while still a bit tipped up, is no longer sibilant and harsh, but provide a very nice sparkle on top. On excellent recordings, the GS1000 provides a very very very enjoyable listening experience.
I only have two real complaints against the GS1000s so far. First, the bass. While it is textured and tight on good recordings, it still has a tendency to become boomy. To me, the GS1000s produce bass decay that is longer than natural, so there isn't enough air between bass notes to really separate them. This is most noticeable on upright bass plucks in my jazz SACDs. The bass is full-bodied, but I do wish that there is more air between each bass note. There's plenty of separation and air in the midrange and the treble.
Second real complaint: the GS1000 has a tendency to be sibilant. This is greatly reduced, almost to the point of non-existence, on good recordings. But there are still rare occasions when I feel that sibilants are emphasized more than natural.
But like I said, there is a caveat to my listening impressions. I'm sure that with a better amp, both of my complaints can be addressed to an extent, perhaps enough for me to be no longer bothered by them. The slight midrange recession that I was experiencing, in my speculation, can be solved if only the bass would tighten up and the sibilance reduced, because right now I feel that it is these two things that are not keeping the frequency response as even as I like.
Other than those two complaints, I really like the GS1000s a lot, and like I said, my amping definitely made those two problems worse than they probably are. With better amplification, I'm pretty confident that those two problems can be reduced, and when they are, the midrange will come out a little bit better. In other words, I see real potential in the GS1000s to make it worth my while to find better equipment to support them. I think my source is pretty decent, so all I'm really looking for is better amplification. So if you know any synergistic amps, let me know. I will probably end up with my own pair sometimes in the future, but it's good to start thinking about what I am going to drive them with.
And now I can understand why those sensitive to high frequencies don't like the GS1000s, and I wouldn't blame them. But since I'm not as sensitive to HF, I have a better experience. I can also understand why a hardcore RS-1 fan might not like these, because the midrange is not as exciting or seductive, although it might be more "natural" in the objective sense of the word. And if the majority of your recordings are bad, then the GS1000s are definitely NOT for you: they are just brutally bad with bad recordings.
So those are my thoughts, I know, pretty scattered, but this isn't meant to be a serious review or impressions thread.
