What happened to Grado's reputation? - Page 3

People's listening preferences change over time. Some may have started listening to Grados ten years ago now find that there are other newer cans that meets their preferences and decided it's time for a change. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just different strokes for different folks.

I think it is just that not many people are actually trying grado's high end models, and are using the low end models to form their decision about the company. This is has caused people to form the belief that they are only good for rock. But this cannot be more untrue the further you go up the grado line up. Particularly when you reach Grado's mainstream top model, the RS1 / MSPro. These sound fantastic for a huge range of music, From rock, hiphop, to classical. I Know several people that prefer the MSPro to the T1.

To be honest, I enjoyed my Sr80i more than my Sr225i.

I don't care what my decade old SR80s look like, they sound wonderful. Contrary to popular belief around here they sound amazing with well-recorded classical music.

Quote:Originally Posted by T.R.A.N.C.E. 

"I think it is just that not many people are actually trying grado's high end models, and are using the low end models to form their decision about the company. This is has caused people to form the belief that they are only good for rock. But this cannot be more untrue the further you go up the grado line up. Particularly when you reach Grado's mainstream top model, the RS1 / MSPro. These sound fantastic for a huge range of music, From rock, hiphop, to classical. I Know several people that prefer the MSPro to the T1."



I've owned every Grado from the SR-60 up to the HF2. I've heard the RS1 and even did an A/B with the HF2. The two are quite different. My preferences aside, I think the RS1 is certainly cut from the same cloth as the 60/80/125/225. The RS1 is just better overall. My issue is that at the price range of the RS1 there is some serious competition. Where I think the 80 has a broad appeal, the RS1 is limited in scope. It's really a one (or two) trick pony. A good trick but singularly appealing. The T1 (at almost twice the price) is much more versatile. The LCD2, at a closer price, is broader than the RS1.

Quote:

Originally Posted by warubozu 

People's listening preferences change over time. Some may have started listening to Grados ten years ago now find that there are other newer cans that meets their preferences and decided it's time for a change. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just different strokes for different folks.

Entirely possible. It's also possible that some folks may have spent a lot of money on newer and flashier cans (flagship and otherwise), only to find that none of them can replace the RS-1 at the top of the food chain. As you say, diff'rent strokes.

Grado excels with Rock but they are very very good with a wide range of genres. E.G.....Listen to a well recorded female vocal, it's as if she's sitting on your lap. Rebecca Pidgeon's Spanish Harlem comes to mind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by baka1969 

I've owned every Grado from the SR-60 up to the HF2. I've heard the RS1 and even did an A/B with the HF2. The two are quite different. My preferences aside, I think the RS1 is certainly cut from the same cloth as the 60/80/125/225. The RS1 is just better overall. My issue is that at the price range of the RS1 there is some serious competition. Where I think the 80 has a broad appeal, the RS1 is limited in scope. It's really a one (or two) trick pony. A good trick but singularly appealing. The T1 (at almost twice the price) is much more versatile. The LCD2, at a closer price, is broader than the RS1.

I agree with that, yes the T1, HD800, LCD2 are all, technically superior, but are all fairly more expensive, the MSpro is $700 new, does not need an amp unlike all said models, and sounds fine with mp3's and crap sources (straight out of portable or laptop). So it does have its own perks and I think is very worth the money. Of course sound will improve with a good source and music, but the point is that lower quality is simply played as is, and isn't mutilated. So in the grand scheme you get what you pay for, I can't think of a phone that costs less or equal to $700 that sounds better than the MSPro, this means its worth the money, sure when you start looking at 1K + phones you would expect to get better sound, but the RS1/MSPro does very well in its own segment in my eyes.

I can find plenty of posts from folk here who have tried an individual phone (K70*, DT880 are prominent examples), promptly announced that its not for them and left it at that. Because lower end Grados are reputed to have a common house sound, people who dont like one write off the entire line. Personally, I dont think that is 'fair', but there you have it - dont see too many threads bemoaning the lack of engineering brilliance at AKG, but where have they been for the last 3 years ? Where is there answer to the orthos ? Where is Sennheiser's equivalent of the DT440/AD900 - genuinely good mid-priced headphones ?

The 598 of course, if you count keeping everything the same as the 595 except the housing and increasing the price tag!

Quote:

Originally Posted by keanex 

The 598 of course, if you count keeping everything the same as the 595 except the housing and increasing the price tag!

My point exactly - its cynical and its not what Sennheiser's customers deserve.

Yeah it really bugged me when I found out they were no better than what they replaced other than the new housing, which admittedly looks great, for double the price.

sr60 and sr80 are still the most common over ear headphone i see in real life, apart from beats

Quote:

Originally Posted by keanex 

Yeah it really bugged me when I found out they were no better than what they replaced other than the new housing, which admittedly looks great, for double the price.

I could understand if it was a faceless corporation, but Sennheiser is still owned by the Sennheiser family - one can only assume that they have lost interest in their product range.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikongod 

I would say its more a reflection on head-fi

 

Its not that anything has changed in grado-land. Well the truly high end headphones cost more now, and sound worse than the older high end grados, but the real problem is the forum.

 

Where people used to discuss headphones here, and look for their next upgrade people now seem to be coming to head-fi to find an entry into the hoby and are totally happy with low-end-rubbish, and mid tier jokes. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by spaceconvoy 

Don't forget those who need their hand held through every agonizing decision... I seriously just read someone asking which music he should play when he gets his new headphones. WTF is wrong with people?

I agree with the above. It's why many of the original members don't even bother anymore.

Far too many folks buy far too many headphones, pay far too much attention to what other people think, lose their traction on what "correct" sound is, and, drowning in a deep pool of various sounds, they forget why they enjoyed music in the first place.