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If U were buying RS1 today... - Page 2

post #16 of 47
4/15/09 at 8:23pm
I'd go with the newest model. Vintage seems overrated and I like the new look.
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post #17 of 47
4/15/09 at 9:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by troymadison View Post
I'd go with the newest model. Vintage seems overrated and I like the new look.
I think it's really the kind of thing that you need to hear to make a judgement on.
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post #18 of 47
4/15/09 at 9:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by troymadison View Post
I'd go with the newest model. Vintage seems overrated and I like the new look.
It doesn't make any sense to discount a headphone because it "seems overrated." What does that even mean? That it can't be as good as people say it is or something else?
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post #19 of 47
4/15/09 at 9:32pm
Seriously, though, go for lowest cost RS-1 you can find. Mr. Grado knows he has a perennial success and the wisdom to know it shouldn't be monkeyed with. Get a good deal on a used one if you can, but I don't think you'd go wrong buying new.

As for the cost of mahogany, it's probably less than most think. Check prices at www.rockler.com; you can get an awfully big stick for a lot less than a RS-1. Computer controlled lathes can make short work of cups and the "curing" thing is probably drying it to a certain humidity before sealing it with what appears to be a water based urethane finish.
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post #20 of 47
4/15/09 at 9:39pm
I'd save a little bit of money and get the RS1, like what others have said, the vintage ones are already established as a great sounding 'phone.
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post #21 of 47
4/15/09 at 11:03pm
Sorry, there is more to the vintage headhone craze than just out of production status. I mean, it definitely gives them a certain charm. But not that much charm, considering I can't afford them. I would love to find something that sounds like the HP2, but costs 100$ and is currently made...

and what concerns me about the new grados is not some general "worserness", but something specific. Bigger peaks in treble. Because the more time passes, the bigger the peaks seem to get.

HP1000
SR100
vintage RS1
semi vintage RS1
button RS1
GS1000

you could just watch the treble go from flat, to mount everest if you graphed this progression....so why would I assume the RS1i wouldn't continue the trend. Not that that is "worse" but that if they do continue the trend, it is not what I am looking for.
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post #22 of 47
4/15/09 at 11:16pm
I would definitely go with original vintage , there i just something about the dark wood and the smell ... oh the smell.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhinosaur View Post
Not to derail the thread, but was it around 2002 that the RS1s began to have serial numbers? I bought a pair a few weeks ago that turned out not to have any and I was interested as to how old they were. All I really knew was that they were ex-display.

I had a thread a while ago investigating the different versions
and this is what I came up with >>>.

------------
I think we are getting somewhere. Versions listed from oldest to newest.

1) Super-Vintage Brown Headband/Gold Lettering/Wood Box A


2) Vintage _A) >> Brown/Black?? Headband/ Silver lettering/Woodbox B
/Circle Cable Notch/ No Serial #

3) Vintage (B) >> Black Headband. /Pizza box w/ Green velvet./Silver
Lettering/ Circle cable notch/

4) Semi-Vintage >> Black headband/ New Cardboard box/ Serial # /
Circle Cable notch/

5) New-School >> Black headband/ Soft plastic rod cap/ Serial #
square cable notch.

You can read through the thread here

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/mr-...rsions-244402/

Quite interesting.

--
........
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post #23 of 47
4/15/09 at 11:23pm
edit: ^^^ Thank you Mr. Whiskers!

Can somebody clarify this:

Vintage RS1's are the models with the pinkish red drivers but what is considered semi vintage? Are they (semi vintage) the ones without the serial numbers? While the buttoned RS1's are the cans that are numbered? Did the numbering come after or did someone get lazy?

Also what year was Grado RS1 created? It'd be nice for Grado to post the RS1 lineage on their website.
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post #24 of 47
4/15/09 at 11:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tintin47 View Post
I would get a buttoned one from the forums. I heard the buttonless and the rs-1i and I didn't enjoy either as much as my older model.
Can someone please explain the distinction between the "buttonless" and "buttoned" RS1s? I've seen this reference before but don't understand. Thanks.
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post #25 of 47
4/16/09 at 1:23am
Buttonless are the newer RS-1s, starting in early 08, I think. They removed the circle of wood on the middle of the grill that said "RS-1".

Buttoned:


Non-buttoned:
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post #26 of 47
4/16/09 at 1:25am
I've referenced that thread to a number of interested people, and I'm really grateful for the research that you put into it!

I haven't seen Vintage (B) listed before though, that's definitely what my phones fall under. It's also interesting to note that mine initially had gold lettered L&R, so that exists in Vintage B RS1s as well.

From now on, I'll refer to mine as Vintage B.

Quote:
Originally Posted by adanac061 View Post
I would definitely go with original vintage , there i just something about the dark wood and the smell ... oh the smell.




I had a thread a while ago investigating the different versions
and this is what I came up with >>>.

------------
I think we are getting somewhere. Versions listed from oldest to newest.

1) Super-Vintage Brown Headband/Gold Lettering/Wood Box A


2) Vintage _A) >> Brown/Black?? Headband/ Silver lettering/Woodbox B
/Circle Cable Notch/ No Serial #

3) Vintage (B) >> Black Headband. /Pizza box w/ Green velvet./Silver
Lettering/ Circle cable notch/

4) Semi-Vintage >> Black headband/ New Cardboard box/ Serial # /
Circle Cable notch/

5) New-School >> Black headband/ Soft plastic rod cap/ Serial #
square cable notch.

You can read through the thread here

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/mr-...rsions-244402/

Quite interesting.

--
........
Reply
post #27 of 47
4/16/09 at 2:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cheemo View Post
edit: ^^^ Thank you Mr. Whiskers!

Can somebody clarify this:

Vintage RS1's are the models with the pinkish red drivers but what is considered semi vintage? Are they (semi vintage) the ones without the serial numbers? While the buttoned RS1's are the cans that are numbered? Did the numbering come after or did someone get lazy?

Also what year was Grado RS1 created? It'd be nice for Grado to post the RS1 lineage on their website.
I think the RS1 is from 1996 or 1997, but that's just a guess. I don't know the exact year.

It does SEEM that nearly all vintage RS1s have pink drivers, though I've heard of some that have white. This could be from repairs though, as Grado will use whatever current parts they have to repair old pairs when they come in.

Semi-Vintage seem to be the first ones with this box:

There are definitely many un-numbered RS1 with this box, and I think as soon as they started to have the square cutouts on the gimbals they're not Semi Vintage.

As for numbering, I still assert that I think it began around 2003ish. I believe this was for warranty purposes when they began producing RS1s in larger numbers for an expanding audience. Grado most likely keeps track of the number when it's sent to a dealer, and then when it comes back for repair you've got not only a receipt but they know how old they are.

Now, just to muddy the waters of "What is Vintage, and What isn't" a little more, here's a very interesting picture I turned up recently:

Exhibit A:


Check that out. Wood box, dark brown headband, but the cups have the font and style of mine, rather than this style, as seen on most Super Vintage and Vintage A phones:

Exhibit B:


So, it looks like the newer style as seen in Exhibit A began while the wood box RS1 era (Vintage A). This would actually mean that the difference between Vintage A and Vintage B may only be the wood box...
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post #28 of 47
4/16/09 at 2:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by adanac061 View Post
I would definitely go with original vintage , there i just something about the dark wood and the smell ... oh the smell.




I had a thread a while ago investigating the different versions
and this is what I came up with >>>.

------------
I think we are getting somewhere. Versions listed from oldest to newest.

1) Super-Vintage Brown Headband/Gold Lettering/Wood Box A


2) Vintage _A) >> Brown/Black?? Headband/ Silver lettering/Woodbox B
/Circle Cable Notch/ No Serial #

3) Vintage (B) >> Black Headband. /Pizza box w/ Green velvet./Silver
Lettering/ Circle cable notch/

4) Semi-Vintage >> Black headband/ New Cardboard box/ Serial # /
Circle Cable notch/

5) New-School >> Black headband/ Soft plastic rod cap/ Serial #
square cable notch.

You can read through the thread here

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/mr-...rsions-244402/

Quite interesting.

--
........

Thanks so much for the hard work you put in.

My RS1 is -Brown Headband/silver Lettering/Wood Box A so not sure if they are supposed to be super vintage. They have the pink drivers too.
Going back to the question- If I was looking for a pair at the time when Music Direct was selling off new RS1 for $545 to make room for RS1i, I would go for the RS1.
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post #29 of 47
4/16/09 at 2:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcf View Post
Thanks so much for the hard work you put in.

My RS1 is -Brown Headband/silver Lettering/Wood Box A so not sure if they are supposed to be super vintage. They have the pink drivers too.
Going back to the question- If I was looking for a pair at the time when Music Direct was selling off new RS1 for $545 to make room for RS1i, I would go for the RS1.
I think by "wood box A" they mean the dark brown / black wood box. I'm not sure if there's really supposed to be any difference in sound between Super-Vintage, Vintage A, and Vintage B. I know that among those some are championed as sounding better than others (NikonGod's is supposed to be particularly good, I'd heard).
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post #30 of 47
4/16/09 at 5:05am
What's the difference between wood box A/B and which is which? Is A older than B?

"dark brown / black wood box"

I've never seen a black wood box.
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