GS-1000 Impressions and Pictures (Via Zanth's Loaner Program)

Introduction

I should be clear that these GS-1000's would never have entered my home without Jason's (Zanth) dedication to the Head-Fi community. It's easy to imagine the difficulty of distributing a near $1000 item, but Jason handled the endeavor flawlessly. For the uninformed, I am the third participant in Zanth's GS-1000 loaner program (the details of which can be seen in the sticky thread) and the impressions of the first two can be found elsewhere.

Impressions

Those looking for a professional review here are heading for disappointment. Yes, I've been able to spend more than ample time with Grado's top end headphones, but I entered this loaner program in hopes of finding a new avenue of musical enjoyment; not to painstakingly pin down the flaws of a piece of equipment. To that end, I hope some impressions will suffice:

From the moment I plugged in these GS-1000's, I knew they'd never be my favorite pair of headphones. Frankly, the sound signature just doesn't seem to suit the music I'm most accustomed to. Take Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga for example. My RS-1's seem to place me smack-dab in the middle of Spoon's recording studio; the lead vocal snarls as layered guitars and percussion hit with the intensity of a Zep album and the intimacy of a live performance.

The GS-1000's, unfortunately, miss these two attributes. Yeah, the bass on the GS-1000's is simply remarkable - I was surprised to find it plentiful, yet tight, deep and non fatiguing - but the cold, recessed mid range makes these phones sound distant and uninviting. As others have said, it's the difference between on an onstage performance (RS-1's) and sitting 5th row center with malfunctioning earplugs. The bass and treble are tactile, clear, alive - but the mid range is devoid of any and all emotion.

Of course, I should point out that the GS-1000's never sound muddy. In fact, detail throughout the frequency range is simply fantastic with these Grados; where RS-1's display a "wall of sound" effect, GS-1000's highlight each instrument with clarity. Speaking of clarity, I should also add that, though recessed, vocals on Grado's top end model are never overshadowed (in terms of resolution) by the bass or treble. Regardless of an album's production, in other words, the vocal track always sounds crystal clear - there's never a veil a la Sennheiser.

Sound stage and imaging, of course, are defining characteristics of the GS-1000's. I'll admit that, on certain recordings, the beloved intimacy of RS-1's turns to constraint; ever reminding you of the two wooden corks blasting sound into your auditory canals. On such recordings, the GS-1000's are immersive and effortless by comparison. Any piece of classical music, for instance, can be downright haunting in realism - instruments seem to attack and decay in nonexistent space, and even the softest melody seems to stand in isolation from the loudest percussion. Really, it's the closest you'll get to the concert hall experience in a set of headphones (K1000's notwithstanding ).

And that, my friends, is essentially the GS-1000's in a nutshell. For the right listener, these Grado's are simply unparalleled for their accuracy, resolution, and speaker-like presentation. In fact, were it not for that nasty mid-range recession, perhaps I'd be purchasing a pair as well. Alas, with my rock-driven music tastes, the sizzling guitars and warm pronounced vocals of RS-1's simply suit me better than the "smily-face" frequency response common to GS-1000's.

Glamour Shots







Regards,
Nick

Very true. I noticed as well that the mid-range recession has a much smaller impact on classical music - without vocals, for whatever reason, the GS-1000's never sounded distant or unbalanced to these ears. I should also add that the wood on these GS-1000's is simply gorgeous. It's much darker and richer than my RS-1's, and has a smoother, more even finish (even if pictures suggest the opposite). Oh well, perhaps I'd buy a pair if classical music dominated my listening rotation.

I forgot to add that I used the amp in my signature, a MAD EAR+ HD. The amp has great synergy with my RS-1's, but GS-1000 owners admittedly find it less than ideal. Still, the unit is light years ahead of my iPod Mini's headphone out and a good amp overall; so I think my impressions are still valid.

This I also found true. After a few hours sans RS-1's, the GS-1000's actually sounded quite balanced and natural regardless of the recording. Switching back, however, always reminded me of my fondness for RS-1's.

@MONVMENTVM: I generally agree that squishing the GS-1000's jumbowls warms up the mid range and provides the more traditional Grado sound. As you mentioned though, the bass at that distance loses its finesse - it begins to dominate the rest of the spectrum on certain recordings, and generally lacks PRaT and tactility. Still, this could be a basshead's nirvana.