The Ultimate 2009 Match: PS1000 vs. HD800

Have the HD800 so they get my vote. I heard the PS1000 for a little bit at CanJam and they didn't impress me in the slightest, but I don't really care for any Grados. The HF-2 were the best of all of them in my opinion.

For the pricetag, I really suggest you audition them.

Isn't ED8 in this league for top king?
Or it's only portable king?

I presently own the HD800 and hope to have the PS1000 some time this week. I will certainly write about my impressions but obviously they will be very subjective and equipment and recording dependent. But I also would like to have them compared to the other flagship phones including the Ultrasone Edition 8 (I own the 9), L3000, Stax Omega, etc. This should keep us busy for a while

I will be very interested in your impressions Crucial, although grado has never really be my think (dont like their cosntruction, earpads and price) I was at a demo store recently where i heard the gs1000 and although it was not as good as the hd800 i was still pleasantly surprised (not taking the price into account of course!). Sadly they did not have the hp1000 yet.
Greetings, Anouk,

i'm definately keen to follow this one

Wow! Received the PS1000 phones last evening (SN# 140). The death cage match between the HD800 & PS1000 I predict will endure a long time with additional contestants being thrown into the ring including the Stax Omega, L3000 and others. I have listened to the HD800 for about 50 hrs but I have not spent much time with the PS1000. They are both great headphones but certainly exhibit different sound signatures, which I’m sure surprises no one. The major difference that immediately jumps out at you is the bass, the PS1000 is reminiscent of the PS1 in the prodigious amount of bass but it seems to be significantly tighter and does not intrude on the higher frequencies (note that it has been a few years since I sold the PS1). The bass on ‘So What’ (Miles Davis – Kind of Blue 50th Anniv remaster) is really deep and upfront but others may prefer the more delicate and perhaps more detailed presentation of the HD800. Listening to a lesser audiophile recording, Treetop Flyer by Stephen Stills, I thought that the guitar was great on both phones but the PS1000 adds more ‘meat’ to each note (I apologize for my descriptions). As I mentioned above, the HD800 is more delicate. Which is correct? Well both don’t sound like real live guitars in front of me so it will be down to personal preferences. The PS1000 is likely sensitive to the quality of the input signal just like the HD800. For kicks last night I plugged the PS1000 into the headphone output of the Denon 5000 Cd player and the midrange and treble became very harsh, particularly at higher volumes. Obviously the amp on the CD player is of very poor quality but it does suggest that the PS1000 is amp dependent and that the harsh midrange/treble that some individuals hear in other Grado phones may be lurking in the PS1000 if not presented with a quality signal. But to date, I’m really enjoying listening to music from both headphones. The best complement I can make for both headphones is that I want to listen to the whole song and enjoy the music rather then play snippets of each song to discern the audiophile characteristics. This does make reviewing the phones difficult. Life’s rough, eh?

I will add additional thoughts later, but I’m very interested in other opinions as different equipment and music will likely result in diverse interpretations of the headphones.

sounds interesting. look forward to more impressions.

Cool! The first comparison with no fanboy element added (he owns both )

Let me put it this way: I went CanJam with zero intention of buying the HD-800 or PS-1000. I thought they were ridiculously overpriced and decided to invest in the Quad ESL-63s and Orions instead.

After CanJam, I still was not quite able to justify those prices.

However, I decided to sell a bunch of other headphones - ones I loved and had zero intention of selling - to buy the HD-800. I have number 960 now and couldn't be happier. The HD-800 is balanced, neutral, detailed, fast, and has that magical transparency you rarely find in audio gear. That transparency is what sold me. It is rare and I prize that quality. That's why I sold stuff to get them.

The PS-1000? It wasn't bad and I liked it. But most of its praise is of the OMGBASS! variety. If I want tuneful bass, I'll fire up the ProAc Response 2.5 clones. Which, incidentally, cost about half what the PS-1000 costs. In other words, there are less costly substitutes for the PS-1000. I like the speakers better, too.

The HD-800 is a singular product, one of the finest headphones I've heard. A few listens and I realized that it would give me things I couldn't get elsewhere - it was enough to sell the beloved HD-600 and K-501 for. The PS-1000 isn't bad, but it provoked zero emotional reaction to the music.

I almost hate to say it, but I thought the HF-2 had better balance and presentation. Buying one was a no-brainer.

As for others at CanJam, I did try the Ed. 8. Maybe it's just me, but I don't "get" Ultrasones. I don't hate them, but can't find a reason to get a pair. The Ed. 8 didn't sound special to me, especially not for its price. It had nice fit'n'finish, though. The other headphone from CanJam I'll be buying is the Audez'e orthodynamic. It sounded wonderful and is only $400. Quit a deal considering the sound quality and the whiff of transparency I caught. I didn't get as much time with them as I wanted, but enough to know.

I will add one more thought. Both headphones are very revealing. This observation has been duly noted for the HD800 but I also find the same result with the PS1000. I am listening to AC/DC. Their early albums are not well recorded. I was playing tracks from Powerage from a 90's German boxset and supposedly remastered. The sound is very 'hot' with a grating and prominent treble (cymbals) from both headphones. The PS1000 adds substantially more bass. Being a fan of early AC/DC, this result is rather disappointing. While this observation may not be surprising to most, it was to me as I found the ‘Powerage’ album very listenable with the PS1 or L3000 headphones. Similar problems were found with the latest AC/DC album 'Black Ice' exhibiting a prominent and unpleasant barrage of cymbals. The cymbals were more upfront on the PS1000 while the music was more listenable on the HD800 (although it was bass light). In addition, the vocals were more upfront in the Grado and they are more ‘recessed’ or more in the background with the Senns. Either way, Black Ice will not be a Stereophile or Absolute Sound recommended disc.

This is why I am eager to hear other opinions. Because mine often differ considerably and readers will need a variety of opinions before they can come up with one of their own. For example, in my initial listening sessions I am deriving more emotion from the PS1000 and I don't think the bass is overwhelming (which is how I felt about the PS1 bass). I also like and own the Ultrasone Ed 9. So it's likely we have difference tastes in audio equipment. It may be due to different preferences in music. I listen mostly to rock (many genres: classic, prog, punk, hard rock, post-rock, folk, shoegazing etc) and Jazz. When present, I want to hear the kick drum and bass guitar (the rhythm section). As for the balance of the PS1000, I really think that depends on the music and recording. To my ears the Miles Davis music I have listened to 'Kind of Blue' and 'Jack Johnson', the balance is superb meshing the different horns, guitar and bass. But to some the bass may be too distinctive. On the other hand, as mentioned above Black Ice by AC/DC is better on the HD800 since there is less emphasis on the cymbals. Finally, I can't fire up any speakers at work. You should have seen the reaction when I set-up a subwoofer in my office . Consequently, I will have to stick with headphones.