I was looking into some CD3ks for a while but I'm starting to think their size is going to be annoying. I currently have some w100s and after an hour or two of listening, I pull them right off and say "enough". It's certainly not a comfort issue, so I suspect it's a size/heat one.

In looking for alternatives I'm considering RS-1s. I ignored grados for long because they don't "look" comfi and I mistakenly thought they couldn't really go beyond rock. I listen to rock but it's not what I most want to enjoy.
I understand that these two phones are two completely different solutions, but I haven't really concluded what type of headphones are really for me, so I don't mind testing. I like all kinds of music but the ones I'd like the phones to shine most on are jazz, classical, female vocals and techno/house/trance (e.g. oakenfold, sasha).

Note: If I do end up getting them, I'll be sure to get vwap/senn pads.

Questions:
1. Are RS-1s too upfront to allow for "background listening." I listen to music a lot while working and I'm worried that the RS-1s might no blend in, and distract me. I want to be able to concentrate on the music when *I* want to, not when the phones tell me to. (Of course, they'll also get a lot of time of listening with just me and the phones)

2. Comfort:
- There's no consensus on this issue with grados. I wondering if having a small head and ears might increase the chances of comfiness. (?)
- Do the RS-1s kinda staple your ears to your head? That might hurt after a while.
- Is the padding on the headband sufficient?

3. RS-1 seem to capable of putting you really close to the stage, which could be great. But can the RS-1s really put you "in the zone" with oakenfold/sasha type music (e.g. expander)?

4. Alessandro MS Pros:
- A headwize post is always cited, which paraphased is something like:
"RS-1s are clear water and honey, MS Pros are clear water".
But what does 'honey' refer to here? Is it simply viscosity/thickness/muddiness or does it also add the sweet (musicality?) characteristic of honey?
- Are MS Pros just as "fun" as RS-1s?
- What do MS Pros sacrifice vis-a-vis RS-1s?

Damn that was a lot longer post than I had anticipated. Btw you don't need to welcome me; I can't remember that login or email I previously registered with, but my wallet already has a growing hole

thanks

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I'll attempt to answer #4, since I have both 'phones in question:
To my ears and my way of thinking, the "honey" in the RS-1s translates into a thicker, more full-bodied lower midrange which results in a more "musical" sound. The MS Pros, lacking this lower midrange thickness are more analytical, as they were designed this way by John Grado, who also considers the RS-1s to be "more musical."
As far as the fun factor goes, I would rate the MS pros higher on the scale than the RS-1s, simply because, the type of music I listen to (acoustic, folk, sparse instrumentation, a lot of vocals) seems to cry out for detailed headphones, and I find the MS Pros to fit the bill in that regard rather nicely. They also seem to have a bit punchier, more detailed bass.
If the Pros sacrifice anything to the RS-1s, I guess you could say it would be warmth. Compared to other Grados, the RS-1s are surprisingly on the warm side of things.
As with all headphone descriptions, it's very difficult to convey what one hears. Hopefully, you'll be able to audition both so that you can make an informed decision.
I'll leave the other questions to others here.

If you're looking for isolation, Grado's are not for you. They don't have much isolation since they're open-air. In other words, you'd be able to hear your surroundings and your surroundings would be able to hear you.

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Probably. K501 or DT880 would put more distance between you and the music.

Grado comfort issue is hit and miss. RS1 is the best out of Grado line. How large is your head ?

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Absolutely! This is one of RS1's strength. Whist it is pidgeoned holed into rock only 'fones, it can do wonderful vocals as well as acoustic material. Creating the most spacious stage isn't its forte. Get you closer to the music, i.e. 'in the zone' is.
Most critisised regarding RS1, is its sometimes *shouty* personaltiy. That depends on what's driving the phone. It is lot more capable than what people give it credit for.

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RS1 is full boddied. That's probably they mean by 'honey'. It's very easy for it to sound bloated and full. You just need the right gear for it. It can also maintain clarity albeit less top end extension than others I have heard. With resolving gear/cabling, it remains civilised. It also doesn't have the surgical precision of other transducers. But, do I want my music disected and pinned down like a butterfly all the time? hell no.
It is transparent enough to pass through whatever fed to them, however.

RS1 has a strong flavor of its own. Sounds like Alessandro sits on the opposite side from it.

Get the RS-1's. They look really cool, and their mahogany chambers are supposed to give the music an excellent soundstage, like you're on the stage with the band instad of in the audience.

Soundstage will depend on the pads you use. If you take a pair of modded Senn pads and put them on normally, the drivers will be right on your ear and you will have an extremely small soundstage, and I feel that everything is extremely congested and dark. You can then flip them so the thick part of the pad is the hole exposing the driver, and you will get a wider soundstage. The bowls will give you a more three dimensional soundstage.

I found that I had to do more to the Senn pads than just cut a hole to get them to fit the RS-1 cups to my liking. The inner diameter of the pads ends up stretching, so the hole will stretch and, when flipped, the outer face will slope downward rather than laying flat. I had to widen the inner diameter so that the outer face of the pad would be flat.

Frosty:

Are those vwap modified or modified by you?

For your tastes...the RS-1's are for you. The RS-1's are in my humble opinion and that of fellow Head-fier and golden ear boy....carlo...they are the penultimate electronica headphones. The zone? Yeah man, you're spinning right next to Paul and the boys.

Leo, these are just the Senn pads. I really don't like the sound of them normally oriented, so when I use them I flip them with the factory cut hole exposing the driver. Without any further modification, the face slopes inward and ends up placing the driver fairly close to the ear and also makes a poor pocket that eats up the highs. I had to enlarge the inner diameter of the inside of the pad that holds in in place, not the hole, so that the diameter of the rim of the cup wouldn't cause the pad the stretch. After doing so the pad no longer stretches and the face is flat. I like the soundstage better and I like the balance better as well.

I have been listening with the bowl pads for the last couple days, though. I like the three dimensional soundstage, the highs aren't killing me, and with some different cables I think that I could get the tonal balance to shift to my liking. Each pad choice has its tradeoffs.

Yeah, color me strange, but I like the RS-1 just the way they are - stock. And I like how it mates with the RA-1.