Best Grado for hiphop

Honestly...None of them. They're all pretty terrible for Hip Hop. There's much better options at any price range.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorbidToaster 

Honestly...None of them. They're all pretty terrible for Hip Hop. There's much better options at any price range.

Not true.

The PS500, HF2, PS1000, and PS-1 are actually really well suited for hip hop and heavier, beat-driven electronica. Magnum drivers are also a possibility if you're into DIY.

I felt the HF2 was great with hip hop and pretty much all genres. Maybe the PS500 too but I've only had a short listen with that one.

I too would not recommend Grado's but if you must I'd say PS500 or HF2 with flats.  Bowls will not do.  But the flats will give you some bass.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorbidToaster 


Haven't heard the PS1000 or PS-1 but I've heard near every other Grado can under the tip top and still stand by another headphone in every price range being a better choice.
The PS1000 is nearly an LCD 3 at MSRP. It would also rip apart poorly recorded hip hop. YMMV I guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorbidToaster 


While they were the best Grados I heard with hip hop the biggest issue was with it tearing it apart recording wise. Like good ol' Public Enemy records.

 

 

By tearing it apart, you mean the HF2 and PS500 will be too revealing of poorly recorded material? Personally I don't find this sort of thing to be a problem in and of itself (hell, I listen to YouTube recordings with an SR-009) unless the overall tonal balance of the headphones in question are tipped in the treble region too much or are too sibilant, in which case it becomes physically painful. I find the HF2 and PS500 to be fairly laid back compared to other Grados, with a slight warmth and bottom emphasis that leaves them forgiving enough for poor recordings to be a non-issue. They'll reveal imperfections more than, say, a B&W P5, but on average I'd say there are plenty of other more analytic choices out there. Of course milage varies as you say.

Value for money is always going to be one of those slippery slopes in head-fi discussion, however setting such considerations aside, in terms of whether there are Grados which sound good with hip hop, the answer I feel compelled to give is yes. I think the HF2 and PS500 are actually very good choices for such an application, and it's an opinion I feel obliged to voice especially given the "Grados have no bass" myth that gets circulated a lot 'round these parts. Also worth a consideration is the Fidelio L1, and the HiFiMan HE-400 is an even better choice in my opinion.

The PS1000 is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of good values in this hobby. But then neither is the LCD-3. Given my own personal preferences, if I had $2k to spend I'd take a TH900 over either in a heartbeat, or a used HE60 or SR-007. Still, that doesn't detract from the fact that the PS1000 and PS-1 sound good to my ears with a lot of beat-oriented music. : P

I would give a nice Magnum setup a try, i love mine they have tricked me a couple of times to thinking i still had my speaker system on when it was off. Bass wise its not like they are going to rip your head off anything  but the bass is deep and really just a great presence over all.  Mine are well broken in id say just about 20 days of 24 hour use with either Music or bass tones, pink tones, white tones while not on my head.  i built mine just over 400 dollars total.

Natural, warm, slightly bassy phones meshes pretty well with hip hop and male vocals.  It matches the organic, natural tones generally found in that genre and accentuates it better.  The Hifiman HE-400/500, LCD2 I think are good examples of that tonality.

Grados are known for being bright.  I can see why some wouldn't see them as ideal.

Not all Grados are created equal. The RS-1 and SR325is are probably what people are thinking of when they've got the stereotypical "Grado sound" in mind. The PS500 and HF2 on the other hand are pretty much what I'd describe as warm and bassy.

I figured Grado had to have a few phones of that coloration.  It just gets drowned out by their other phones.  Can't help but think the OP is specifying Grado because he doesn't know what his options are, though, and because Grado is a household name.

I sat down and listened to the new Kanye album, Cruel Summer with my grado sr60is. Ive had them for about a month, and when I paired them with my fiio e11. It was a really fun experience. Honestly I didn't know what to expect, but after listening to "one mic" by nas, and with the foward vocals. WOW. It was like he was directing all his anger toward me and it was a revelation. I know many Hip Hop fans would like more bass, but with these mids, it truly feels you are front row at a private recording session. IMO, it was fun, but when I want bass, my xb500 and fiio e11 will do that with ease,