WHAT THE...!
Grrr, after all these upgrade it still looks like a regular HP2 with a dual cable, but if you tell us this is a factory, brand new HP2, well I think it is incredible, and that you're lucky! "HP2i" is for the full upgrade and "HP2is" is when you add the new pads, right? Chefguru first called that "HP2ii" but I prefer "HP2is".
Nice Joseph Grado logo potentiometer!
You custom made your amp, your setup, around your HP2is? That's amazing I think!
What does integrated mean?
And what do you mean by "(personal collection of Joseph Grado)" in your signature and profile?
This is gorgeous. Why won't grado revive this headphone for every one if so many say it's their best grado ?
Because the heart of the headphone, the driver, isn't being made anymore. Only Joseph still has access to a few of them, but they are definitely old production stock.
Awesome photos. Incredible that joe built you a new one from scratch. I am absolutely in agreement with the hp-2i being the best of the best. I've had my run around with everything (except the sr009), and I have yet to find anything that can match the weight,neutrality, and utter realism.
Are you still up for a review?
i think ive heard every grado made, and the hp1000 is their finest hour.
I dont think it will happen again. John grado has a very different view on how a headphone should sound, and its nothing like the hp1000, sadly.
Everyone should get the chance to hear the hp1000 sometime in their life, its an iconic, unique headphone. One of my all time favourites.
I think that before the GS1000 got into existence Grado should have made his new flagship, above the RS1, a finished version of the PS-1... he could have called it the PS-1000 just as well.
Now that his flagship is that false blooded PS-1000, and that we and Grado are stuck with it (really, what can we do about it? absolutely nothing, we can't remove it or return in the past) (I'm sorry for speaking negatively without even having heard it, but I'm following the general consensus), rereleasing the PS-1 --a headphone, praised by many, but said to be the king all of all headphones, above the R10, by that Chinese dude (
http://www.head-fi.org/t/485286/grado-ps1-vs-ps1000-when-the-dradon-meet-the-tiger, who also owns a HE90, but he made the comparison with R10, L3000, HD800 etc. in his review)--, would only slow the sales of the GS1000i and PS-1000 as we know them, and he would sell less headphones at the end of the day and in general, because people would need a (considered) insane (by the public) amount of money to buy it (as John obviously can't price this thing any under the actual price of the PS-1000, in money-worth-of-sound quality), and it would pretty much repulse his new customer base (maybe not Head-Fi, even though Head-Fi isn't even interested in the high-end Grados anymore)... when the PS-1000 was released asking 1695.95$ for it was already considered insane around here and very much unbuyable, but that was only until the HD800 got released.
I think I'm the one who came up with the idea: what's preventing him from making an all metal, PS-1 inspired (I mean, all the work for the tuning of the driver has already been made for the PS-1, right?), HF-3, and selling it for 2000-2400 dollars only to us via ToddTVJ? made in small quantities, and just as a feel for that market (I mean, people are buying LCD-3s, so why not?) We would buy as much as we can, and if they get sold quickly enough to his judgement, in 2016-17, when Sennheiser will release the HD900, Grado will counter-attack with a PS-5000 (although I'm not even sure if Grado wants to compete with Sennheiser anymore, this used to be huge on Head-Fi in the days), as the very best effort of John Grado, the successor to the RS1, the newest member of the royal family and an homage to the HP-1000. John might just as well retire after that, it would be his ultimate heritage and would represent the legacy of Grado Labs a lot better than the PS-1000, which is such an oddball in the the Grado line-up to me.
Grado are known for their medium sized headphone, that's why most people loved them in the first place! come on. Symphones Magnums are stealing the show already, Grado used to be a lot more popular on Head-Fi,
before the release of the GS1000 and got even less popular after the release of the PS-1000.
But! some also have speculated that a conflict erupted between Joe and John when he made the PS-1 an all metal design, just like the HP1-2-3.
"In my opinion, the PS1 is above the presence of of R10, PS1000, K1000, HD800, T1, ED9, L3000. If I only have a pair of headphones, I have no doubt the most balanced, most listener reference GRADO the PS1 than the R10, PS1 is more qualified to be called the king of the dynamic. R10, or Japanese radish sound, detailed the R10 on the density of the IF is not as the PS1, the low frequency such as PS1 is not strong, as a whole tend to be too bright style, coupled with the R10 thin intermediate frequency than the PS1, so not as good as its totipotency PS1, listen to classical, R10 has a huge sound field than the PS1, however, the high-frequency extension is too exaggerated making Naiting deficiencies R10 vocals and thin female voice a little tooth tone, but also makes the R10 to listen to human voices general. Finally, enjoy the beautiful appearance of the PS1."
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_40f078a90100ihoa.html
