[blackwolf05]

So I'm a big fan of the Grado sound and I think it is that time of the year to upgrade! I currently own a vintage pair of original grado 325's driven by a RSA mustang amp and I love their detailed sound, and even though many people find them too "bright" I think it adds that extra crispness to every song. Again, these HP are the highest I've gotten on the never-ending HP hierarchy and I've spent way too much time on this forum feeding my curiosity. So I've been saving and reading about these 3 contenders:
 
1) PS500 - The mysterious new kid on the block
2) RS1i - The Grandaddy of the Grado family 
3) HF-2 - The cool kid 
 
Right now I am leaning towards the RS1i because of its established legacy, but the PS500 sound too good to be true when they are advertised as being very similar to the PS1000's and the HF-2 look a lot like the PS500's.
 
Are there any head-fiers out there that have made a similar jump and/or own these beauties and could enlighten me on where to put my starving-college student savings? 
 
 

 

[Chris_Himself]

If you're a starving student... I would strongly advise getting the Magnum upgrade on your SR-325's. You can sell the drivers for cash to help pay for them.
 
The upgrade consists of:
 
1) One pair of Symphones Magnum V4 drivers
2) One pair of aluminum chambers for said drivers
3) Basic desoldering and soldering of your stock cable
 
You end up with a headphone that sounds like it should be a competitor to the HE-500 and LCD-2

 

[San Raal]

Havnt owned the RS1 for a few years but have the PS1000 and SR225, hope its of some use....
 
I had the honour of listening to the PS500 this morning for about an hour or so. My dealer has decided to try selling higher end Grado cans in a hi-fi shop front (good on him given the climate with Grado can's in the UK)
 
Bearing in mind these were not burnt in, were running off a headphone amp (Edwards Audio) that I hadn't heard before, I was surprised as to how close they sound to the PS1000. The same top end sparkle and detail retrieval was there. However gone was the bloomy fat upper bass frequencies the PS1000 sometimes suffers from replaced with a faster tighter bass. These also don't have the comfort issues associated with the PS1000 (well at least for the hour that I tried them on)
 
Top end could be unforgiving with brighter recordings as with the PS1000, PS500 mids where fantastic, textured. Subsonic performance as with the PS1000 is not the best. Detail retrieval is on another level compared to the SR225, the prestiege cans have more romantic traditional Grado house sound whilst the PS500 like the PS1000 are a step away from that - almost like a cousin rather than a direct sibling
 
Ill be taking my Mapletree HD150 to my dealer in the new year to give them another spin along with my PS1000 for some direct side by sides.
 
YMMV

 

[bbophead]

Quote:

So I'm a big fan of the Grado sound and I think it is that time of the year to upgrade! I currently own a vintage pair of original grado 325's driven by a RSA mustang amp and I love their detailed sound, and even though many people find them too "bright" I think it adds that extra crispness to every song. Again, these HP are the highest I've gotten on the never-ending HP hierarchy and I've spent way too much time on this forum feeding my curiosity. So I've been saving and reading about these 3 contenders:
 
1) PS500 - The mysterious new kid on the block
2) RS1i - The Grandaddy of the Grado family 
3) HF-2 - The cool kid 
 
Right now I am leaning towards the RS1i because of its established legacy, but the PS500 sound too good to be true when they are advertised as being very similar to the PS1000's and the HF-2 look a lot like the PS500's.
 
Are there any head-fiers out there that have made a similar jump and/or own these beauties and could enlighten me on where to put my starving-college student savings? 
 
 

Here's my take:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/577145/grado-325is-and-ps500
 
There's talk of another meet in Austin.  In case you're not aware:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/577331/central-texas-meet-shooting-for-early-mid-2012
 
I'll certainly try to bring my gear.
 
Don't know the RS-1's or the HF-2's but I've read where the HF-2's are similar to the PS500's.  My dealer in Austin is Audio Systems (Mark Lyon).  They'll let you listen to the Grados they have.  They have store hours for the public(!).
 
Good luck in your quest.

 
 

 

[blackwolf05]

Thanks guys for the input!!
 
To: Chris_Himself
I've never heard of the upgrade, but I was browsing through the Symphones website and they do a sr325 upgrade for $399 (I assume this is what you are talking about) because I couldn't find just the drivers alone, maybe if I contact the company. But is $399 worth it? I've been reading their description on the upgrade and to my understanding they change the drivers' material to all aluminum, apply their proprietary coating (I assume this is the glue that holds the drivers to the chambers), and they get cleaned. I mean I could almost buy a brand new pair of PS500s with that!! so I'm very skeptical.
 
Also, since I see you own a pair, is the change that dramatic? I'm very intrigued now since this seems to be an up-and-coming company and if it provides a quality product it might be as big as Ray Samuels Audio. I haven't read all of the comments on these Grado upgrades, but it sure seems like a neat upgrade if it delivers LCD-2-notch sound, even though I've never heard a LCD-2 

 
 
To: San_Raal
Thanks for your great input first of all. I have read before that the PS1000 is a league of its own and it is great to confirm their similar performance to the PS1000. Hopefully one day I can hear them, but for now the PS500 are in my reach and if they sound as good as the top notch PS1000, then I might go for them. Grado is making a lot of hype about them, even if you go to their website they automatically pop up and are even giving them away as sweepstakes on facebook as a marketing tool.
 
From your pointers on enhanced detail retrieval, tight bass, and fantastic mids, I think the PS500 and I could be a great pair. I listen to a lot of indie rock and folk music, so these words are right up my alley!
 
To: bbophead
Great review! It's nice to hear a simple and direct review without all the mumbo-jumbo over-the-top diction that most users like to use when reviewing a pair of HP or maybe I just need to educate myself with some sound engineering vocabulary. Anyways, I got from your review that you were satisfied with your purchase, but you used the word "little" a lot, which signals that there was a small improvement from your sr-325s. I mean obviously there's a point on high end headphones when the ratio of improvement to price gets very low as you go up this curve.
So as stereotypical and head-fi newbie as I might sound, was the improvement worth it?   
 
On the head-fi meet note, I would love to attend. As a Texas resident, I had given up a while back on finding a meet, so it's great that there's more interest now! 

 

 

[San Raal]

Quote:

Thanks guys for the input!!
 
<snip>
 
From your pointers on enhanced detail retrieval, tight bass, and fantastic mids, I think the PS500 and I could be a great pair. I listen to a lot of indie rock and folk music, so these words are right up my alley!
 
 
 

Your welcome
 
I spun Metalica's black album, the PS500 rock and then some, toe tapping glory! In my experience if you partner these cans with a tube amp such as Dr Lloyds headamps you'll get a great synergy - tame the top end, and the mids - well just heavenly even with SR225's the Mapletree's are fantastic.
 
Check out the Mapletree front page, there's a link back here with his tube amp and the PS1000's
 
 
 

 

[bbophead]

So as stereotypical and head-fi newbie as I might sound, was the improvement worth it?   
 
 
 

Was it worth $300 more for the refinement in the upper mid-range and a bit more fun in the mid-bass?  For me, yup.  You?  I think an audition is required.  However, you need to be undistracted and have maybe an hour of the old back and forth before you decide.  Lots of peeps here don't mind spending your money.

 
 

 

[MacedonianHero]

I've owned both the RS1 and RS1i and loved them both. But my favourite John Grado headphone is the HF-2. Not by a huge margin by any means, but enough to prefer it.

 

[Chris_Himself]

To the OP, there is a DIY option for the Magnum upgrade available from the company for $250 to obtain the same headphone which involves them shipping you the components required to assemble the Magnum. Just basic soldering skills are required.

 

[blackwolf05]

Quote:

Your welcome
 
I spun Metalica's black album, the PS500 rock and then some, toe tapping glory! In my experience if you partner these cans with a tube amp such as Dr Lloyds headamps you'll get a great synergy - tame the top end, and the mids - well just heavenly even with SR225's the Mapletree's are fantastic.
 
Check out the Mapletree front page, there's a link back here with his tube amp and the PS1000's
 
 
 

That's my favorite Metallica album! Tube amps are out of my monetary reach for now, but that will be the next step down the road. I really like my recently acquired RSA mustang portable amp and it has been great for driving grados.
 


Quote:

Was it worth $300 more for the refinement in the upper mid-range and a bit more fun in the mid-bass?  For me, yup.  You?  I think an audition is required.  However, you need to be undistracted and have maybe an hour of the old back and forth before you decide.  Lots of peeps here don't mind spending your money.

 
 

 
I agree and audition is required! Hopefully this Austin meeting happens and I would love to test your PS500. Right now I am very interested in this magnum upgrade, since from what I've read it takes the 325 to ps1000 status for $300, so this is very tempting at the moment. 
 


Quote:

I've owned both the RS1 and RS1i and loved them both. But my favourite John Grado headphone is the HF-2. Not by a huge margin by any means, but enough to prefer it.

I've heard good things about the HF-2, I'm always looking for some used ones at a reasonable price here at the sale forum.
 


Quote:

To the OP, there is a DIY option for the Magnum upgrade available from the company for $250 to obtain the same headphone which involves them shipping you the components required to assemble the Magnum. Just basic soldering skills are required.

I contacted Rhydon to get a bit more explanation on what his upgrade consists of. I have no soldering skills, but I've read there's a lite version of the upgrade where you send him the 325's and he puts the drivers, but not the aluminum gimbal replacement. So if I decide to do it, I'll probably do that and still enjoy the sound improvement. At the same time since my 325 are the original vintage ones, I would be kind of sad of saying good bye to their vintage status, but I guess I could always switch back to their original drivers. 
 
 

 

[Chris_Himself]

He's very busy but basically the upgrade consists of their branded drivers, new gimbals, installation, and new inner cups (basically aluminum sleeves)
 
The drivers have an aluminum ring around them and combined with the sleeves and the existing SR-325 outer cups, the sound is completely encased in aluminum from the moment it leaves the driver. I haven't experienced an aluminum Magnum quite yet, but they were actually designed for that material as opposed to the wood cups we've been using on the "mod threads".. it should absolutely sound fantastic and as an RS-2 owner, I have another RS-2 equipped with Magnums basically, and the Magnum'ed drivers beat that. I don't know about the RS-1 or PS500 since I am not in possession of those models though.
 
Either way it's a win/win/win scenario

 

[blackwolf05]

Quote:

He's very busy but basically the upgrade consists of their branded drivers, new gimbals, installation, and new inner cups (basically aluminum sleeves)
 
The drivers have an aluminum ring around them and combined with the sleeves and the existing SR-325 outer cups, the sound is completely encased in aluminum from the moment it leaves the driver. I haven't experienced an aluminum Magnum quite yet, but they were actually designed for that material as opposed to the wood cups we've been using on the "mod threads".. it should absolutely sound fantastic and as an RS-2 owner, I have another RS-2 equipped with Magnums basically, and the Magnum'ed drivers beat that. I don't know about the RS-1 or PS500 since I am not in possession of those models though.
 
Either way it's a win/win/win scenario

I'm going to try it! I contacted him and chose the lite version (without the gimbals, so I can save $100). I hate to get rid of the vintage original status of the 325's, but I think it's the right move at a good price after the great reviews I've read of this upgrade . Thanks for recommending this, I had never heard of it! We'll see how they sound!
 

 

[Chris_Himself]

Quote:

I'm going to try it! I contacted him and chose the lite version (without the gimbals, so I can save $100). I hate to get rid of the vintage original status of the 325's, but I think it's the right move at a good price after the great reviews I've read of this upgrade . Thanks for recommending this, I had never heard of it! We'll see how they sound!
 

If you don't like them, you can always sell them to someone here who does not want to wait for their pair (people with money in hand hate waiting to burn it, myself included).
 
But considering you're choosing betwen the RS, PS, and HF line, I think the magnums will perform quite handsomely. I have not auditioned the HF or PS before but the complaint about the PS is that the sound doesn't warrant the price, and the HF has a very loyal following and can be see as an alternative not superior to the RS-1 by many circles much more experienced than I with this thing. I just talk the most about Grados haha!
 
Well enjoy them and update me on the process, I haven't really had to have them build me anything due to the nature of my business but their craftsmanship and service look rock solid from all accounts!

 

[blackwolf05]

So guys, I finally got the magnums in and I am very pleased with them. Just out of the box they sound more detailed than my 325s and have a tighter bass, but they are still burning in. I was skeptical about spending so much in an upgrade, but now that I have them, it was worth it. I was just going to get the driver upgrade at first, but then decided to go full magnum and these aluminum gimbals are insanely good looking. Here is a pic. Thanks Chris for recommending them! 

 

[wullymc]

Quote:

Havnt owned the RS1 for a few years but have the PS1000 and SR225, hope its of some use....
 
I had the honour of listening to the PS500 this morning for about an hour or so. My dealer has decided to try selling higher end Grado cans in a hi-fi shop front (good on him given the climate with Grado can's in the UK)
 
Bearing in mind these were not burnt in, were running off a headphone amp (Edwards Audio) that I hadn't heard before, I was surprised as to how close they sound to the PS1000. The same top end sparkle and detail retrieval was there. However gone was the bloomy fat upper bass frequencies the PS1000 sometimes suffers from replaced with a faster tighter bass. These also don't have the comfort issues associated with the PS1000 (well at least for the hour that I tried them on)
 
Top end could be unforgiving with brighter recordings as with the PS1000, PS500 mids where fantastic, textured. Subsonic performance as with the PS1000 is not the best. Detail retrieval is on another level compared to the SR225, the prestiege cans have more romantic traditional Grado house sound whilst the PS500 like the PS1000 are a step away from that - almost like a cousin rather than a direct sibling
 
Ill be taking my Mapletree HD150 to my dealer in the new year to give them another spin along with my PS1000 for some direct side by sides.
 
YMMV

 
I'd love to hear more of your comments after you've examined both using your amp.  I am stuck between RS2i and PS500.   Thanks!...please report back ok?