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The Grado HF-2 Review/Comparison Thread - Page 21

post #301 of 1528
7/17/09 at 10:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BushGuy View Post
So when she goes to the racetrack - she picks the horse ridden by the best-looking Jockey...........
No, she picks the cutest horse!

My son wears the skull candies, but he insisted that I upgrade his Zen Micro 4G, so I got him a Cowon iAudio7, and he asked me to load music on it, so there's hope. He's 12. He comes to all of the local meets.

My 17 y.o. daughter prefers the E500's (alas, they used to be called mine) and it took me 3 whole years to convert her from 128kbps to 320. Now she gets it. With bands like Manchester Orchestra, The Black Keys, and Brand New (good bands but horrible quality) 128 doesn't really make too much of a difference. But remasters of The Doors, Zeppelin, and Sarah Vaughan have helped her to see the light.
She took ownership of my X5L and never looked back! Makes a dad proud.
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post #302 of 1528
7/17/09 at 11:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydieselnut View Post
I repeated this same test this morning with similar results. However, the difference between my un-broken-in HF-2 with the bowls vs the GS1000 salad bowls wasn't as pronounced as I imagined it would be. One caveat is that I typically listen at relatively low volume levels. I think that partially explains why I seem to be one of the few people still enamored with the GS1Ki signature.

One thing that seemed consistent across the musical spectrum was that the HF-2 sounded a bit more closed AND a bit more engaging than the GS. I realize that sounds a like a contradiction! The GS1Ki has always seemed to me just a touch "light". Despite excellent bass the entire presentation doesn't always feel like it has two feet on the floor. Depending on your sonic preferences this might sound more neutral to you vs the HF-2 (I know, I just used the word "neutral" in the same sentence with GS1Ki). In contrast, the HF-2 (with either set of bowls) seemed a touch heftier, especially through the midrange. Vocals have a bit more chest but at the same time seem a touch more congested.

As Beagle suggested, the salad bowls aren't for you if you listen at what I'd consider more "normal" levels. At the levels I listen with, I might pick up a pair of salad bowls. I did my comparisons before I read Beagle's comments but I totally agree about the treble with the salad bowls. I'll reiterate my observation though - at lower levels the differences between the regular vs salad bowls on the HF-2 were not as large as I expected.

I also don't feel that an HF-2 with salad bowls is "better" or is a replacement for the GS1Ki. They presented very different pictures. Since at least 60% of my music collection is classical/orchestral I'm not sure I'll ever get rid of my GS1Ki. Low volume listening in that genre with the GS is a very special experience for me.

This was done with 840C => WA6SE maxxed w/Sophia.
I would love to try the salad bowls simply for the comfort of circum-aural vs supra-aural. The PS1000 come with salad bowls, right? I wonder if there is some kind of (non destructive) mod that can be done to make the HF2 sound sonically correct with salad bowls.
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post #303 of 1528
7/17/09 at 12:14pm
Thanks for those reviews, guys. I was interested, I almost had Todd pop a pair of the jumbos into the package with the HF-2, but decided I could wait.
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post #304 of 1528
7/17/09 at 12:35pm
Well I'm getting flats and salad bowls with mine, I also have unmodded comfies sitting in a box that I'll try too. I've got to admit though that the recent posts about salad bowls on the HF-2 confuse me even after reading them a few times, maybe it's just the way they're written. A straightforward 'HF-2 w/ {pad type}' as a header or paragraph intro would make it less confusing.
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post #305 of 1528
7/17/09 at 12:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydieselnut View Post
I repeated this same test this morning with similar results. However, the difference between my un-broken-in HF-2 with the bowls vs the GS1000 salad bowls wasn't as pronounced as I imagined it would be. One caveat is that I typically listen at relatively low volume levels. I think that partially explains why I seem to be one of the few people still enamored with the GS1Ki signature.

One thing that seemed consistent across the musical spectrum was that the HF-2 sounded a bit more closed AND a bit more engaging than the GS. I realize that sounds a like a contradiction! The GS1Ki has always seemed to me just a touch "light". Despite excellent bass the entire presentation doesn't always feel like it has two feet on the floor. Depending on your sonic preferences this might sound more neutral to you vs the HF-2 (I know, I just used the word "neutral" in the same sentence with GS1Ki). In contrast, the HF-2 (with either set of bowls) seemed a touch heftier, especially through the midrange. Vocals have a bit more chest but at the same time seem a touch more congested.

As Beagle suggested, the salad bowls aren't for you if you listen at what I'd consider more "normal" levels. At the levels I listen with, I might pick up a pair of salad bowls. I did my comparisons before I read Beagle's comments but I totally agree about the treble with the salad bowls. I'll reiterate my observation though - at lower levels the differences between the regular vs salad bowls on the HF-2 were not as large as I expected.

I also don't feel that an HF-2 with salad bowls is "better" or is a replacement for the GS1Ki. They presented very different pictures. Since at least 60% of my music collection is classical/orchestral I'm not sure I'll ever get rid of my GS1Ki. Low volume listening in that genre with the GS is a very special experience for me.

This was done with 840C => WA6SE maxxed w/Sophia.
thanks for sharing your experience. i'm waiting on the HF2 and have the
original GS1000 too. i do all my classical listening with the GS1000 as they
present the most realistic and close to the sound you would hear at a venue.
you can modify the salad bowls to get the driver slightly closer to your
ears which improves the weight of the mids, imo. as good as the sophia
is with the gs1000, i prefer the eml 274b with the gs1000. the treble energy
is magical and 3-D aspect is better than with sophia, imo.
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post #306 of 1528
7/17/09 at 1:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadMan007 View Post
Well I'm getting flats and salad bowls with mine, I also have unmodded comfies sitting in a box that I'll try too. I've got to admit though that the recent posts about salad bowls on the HF-2 confuse me even after reading them a few times, maybe it's just the way they're written. A straightforward 'HF-2 w/ {pad type}' as a header or paragraph intro would make it less confusing.
Me...confusing? No...surely you jest...

To summarize the differences I heard between an HF-2 with bowls (normal) and salad bowls (GS1000-type):

Bowls (normal)
1. Less comfortable
2. More balanced, cohesive frequency response
3. Slightly more engaging i.e. more "energy"
4. More "closed" or "muffled" (muffled is too strong a word)

Bowls (salad/GS1000)
1. More comfortable
2. More pronounced treble. I don't think it actually sucks out the mids but that's the way it's perceived once the treble is tipped up (at normal volume levels)
3. Slightly better spacing between instruments/vocalists/etc

Believe it or not, I'm seriously considering sending mine back. I'm going to give them a week (I typically get up two hours before the rest of the family so that I can get my music/coffee fix in before the day officially starts). The AH-D7000's I just got a week ago might just be my ultimate headphone. I'd also like to own the HD800's once the fervor dies down (and maybe the price goes down too?). This is $450 and I don't need an extra set of headphones I never listen to. I assume the most "humane" thing to do from a head-fi perspective is to send them back to Todd for the next guy in line versus selling them for the original price in the FS forum?

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I thought it might do some people that are on the fence some good to hear about someone that has heard them an not fallen in love with them.
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post #307 of 1528
7/17/09 at 2:35pm
If they're not your cuppa tea.......then sending them back is truly the best thing to do.

IIRC - every time Salad Bowls have been tried with std/regular size Grado 'phones - the result has been problematic and decided in favor of reg. Bowls. No harm in trying.....but, not surprised with your results.
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post #308 of 1528
7/17/09 at 2:51pm
wait, if you sent them back, would they just pass them on to the next person? even though it would be technically a used pair? or would they sell them as b-stock/used/demo?
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post #309 of 1528
7/17/09 at 3:27pm
I haven't heard anyone comment on reverse bowls yet! I'm still burning my pair in

I've found with my other grados ~ bringing the driver closer or further to the ear makes a huge world of difference, for me the sweet spot is different for every pair.

I will admit on the models I've heard, the hf-2's are the first time that listening with regular bowls in regular position is the first time I've had a bearable listening exp. with a grado.
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post #310 of 1528
7/17/09 at 3:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcpoor View Post
wait, if you sent them back, would they just pass them on to the next person? even though it would be technically a used pair? or would they sell them as b-stock/used/demo?
I don't have any idea. I just know that Todd is offering a 30-day return policy. If I sent my pair back they'd actually be BETTER than new since I removed half of the wood shavings from the inside of the cup
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post #311 of 1528
7/17/09 at 3:38pm
I've experienced the same things with my MS2i using the Jumbo pads + distancers (the MS-1000 mod), and the treble becomes very peaky and unbearable, while mids and bass just seemed to be sucked right out. Curious to see if the distancers + pads will do the same with the HF-2....or completely synergize like with the MS-1(000)
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post #312 of 1528
7/17/09 at 3:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcpoor View Post
wait, if you sent them back, would they just pass them on to the next person? even though it would be technically a used pair? or would they sell them as b-stock/used/demo?
I would imagine there would need to be some kind of discount to reflect the fact that they aren't new, but used. Everyone seems to indicate that Todd is a stand-up guy, so I'm sure he has it worked out somehow.
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post #313 of 1528
7/17/09 at 4:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydieselnut View Post
I don't have any idea. I just know that Todd is offering a 30-day return policy. If I sent my pair back they'd actually be BETTER than new since I removed half of the wood shavings from the inside of the cup
Have Todd ship them to ME and I'll pass my own ordered (#6106) pair to the next person on the waitlist without accepting a discount! I think that's a win-win..

I'm actually kinda serious about this proposition.
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post #314 of 1528
7/17/09 at 4:48pm
Used? Really not at all...........you'd be more on point to be grateful that they're a few more hours closer to being burned-in.

I'd think anybody would be filled with pure joy at just getting their hot, sweaty hands on them. Yeah, I've got mine and they're now burned-in.......and I'm not sending them back, nor am I going to sell them, or give them to a friend, or...... You got it - they're keepers for me.
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post #315 of 1528
7/17/09 at 7:55pm
Hmm... IIRC people have put electrical tape on the outside or inside of different grado pads with interesting results. If you already have the salad bowls with electrical tape on em would you mind trying it out? I know i am asking a lot of questions, but I want to know that I hear HF-2's at the best they can be.
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