[realityclouded]

Hey all. Are there any stores in Manhattan (midtown, preferably) that have the RS-1 in stock? Someone here mentioned Harvey's Electronics, but I just gave them a call and none of their stores stock them. I need to hear these before forking over $600-700 for 'em.

Or.. Has anyone successfully used any particular website's "money back guarantee" on a high priced item such as the RS-1?

 

[joelongwood]

Both Headroom's and Todd The Vinyl Junkie's policy is iron-clad. You have 30 days to audition........if you don't like it, you're only out the shipping.
Both are reputable and trustworthy.
Hope this helps.
BTW...Welcome to Head-Fi, realityclouded!

 

[realityclouded]

Thanks for the welcome.

I decided to go with Headroom to save $75 over the Vinyl Junkie's site. This is the first time I've chosen Overnight shipping on anything so, with luck, I'll have my RS-1 by Wednesday morning!

Thanks a bunch for assisting me with the draining of my bank account!

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally posted by realityclouded Thanks a bunch for assisting me with the draining of my bank account!

I think I can speak for joe on this one, No problem there are lots of people here ready and waiting to lend a hand! Welcome ot Head-Fo, Sorry about your wallet...

 

[realityclouded]

This is actually my first "audiophile grade" purchase, and I have a feeling it won't end here.

Strangely, my obsession with the arrival of my RS-1 is drowning out the pitiful cries of my wallet. Let's see how long before buyer's remorse sets in.

 

[Welly Wu]

Just have a listen to your Grado RS-1s and come back to tell us about your "buyer's remorse!"

 

[Leo]

There are no regrets with getting the RS-1's. Of course mating it with a nice RA-1 is a welcome choice. But just listen to your music with these cans and enjoy. It has a way of conveying music that I just love to sit and listen. Music is a beautiful thing and it's great when you have a beautiful set of cans like the RS-1's to channel that sound thru.

 

[Welly Wu]

I do not want to belabor the point but I feel I must do so. The Grado RS-1 cans ended my search for a "better" pair of dynamic headphones. I admit that I have only got into Headphone Hi-Fi about a year and a half ago but you do not have to be an audiophile to know when good sound (and looks) come in a nine ounce package. I know that is a lot to say about a pair of old headphones but that is exactly what I feel.

A few tips:

1. Gently bend the headband outwards if your ears feel any discomfort or pain. Take three thick textbooks and stack them up vertically next to one another. Take a pair of bookends to secure these textbooks from falling over. Put the RS-1 ear cups around the width of the textbooks and leave them for two days (while they burn in if you believe in that sort of thing).

2. Get the Joseph Grado Flat Pads (while the supply still exists) from Todd the Vinyl & Headphone Junkie. They will tame the shrill treble region while adding better body and definition in the luscious lower midrange region. Bass will firm up as well: notes will sound faster, tighter, and bass slam will be enhanced. Yes, they are expensive at $35 USD (or more in your case) for a pair of foam pads but they are worth every penny. You do want the best sound from your investment in the Grado RS-1s, no?

3. Get the best source component you can afford. You will appreciate the return on investment in sound oozing out of the RS-1 drivers into your ears. Depending on your preferences, SACD and DVD-Audio are noteworthy of your audition time.

4. Get a decent headphone amplifier with an eye toward upgrading it AFTER you have acquired the best source component that you can afford. There is a camp that firmly believes there is synergy between the RS-1s and the RA-1. Others find the RA-1 lacking especially given its price. I recommend either the Ray Samuels Emmeline HR-2 or the HeadRoom Cosmic (Reference Module + Base Station One) should you want to take your sound with you on the go.

 

[Leo]

I'll agree with Welly, I did end my search for dynamic cans once I owned the RS-1.

One thing he left out above was, music. The whole reason we purchase headphone and the rest of the equipment. Seek out music. Listen to a wide variety. Listen to your favorites as well as experiencing new music. If you've never listened to classical, try it. Listen to a small jazz quartet. Put on some blues. But music is the key to overall enjoyment. That is why we listen.

 

[realityclouded]

Great advice guys, it's not going ignored.

I'm not sure if I believe in the whole burning in thing or not yet, but enough people seem to swear by it, so I'll give it a try and compare out of the box and a few days later.

Where could I find a picture of those flat pads? I'll most likely end up ordering them, but it would be nice to see what they look like first, and Todd's site has no picture

Shortly after placing my order for the RS-1, I started thinking about my sources. I've come to the conclusion that I could probably use a serious upgrade, but I have no idea where to start. Head-fi Source forum, here I come

As for the headphone amp, I'm still not sure which I'll try first. Most likely the RA-1, but I'll need to do some more research (and rebuilding the bank account) first.

I enjoy pretty much everything except hiphop/rap and country. I primarily enjoy rock, which probably explains my Grado preferences.

 

[Leo]

Yeah, the RS-1's can put a significant dent in the old wallet (we warned you

) but the nice thing is they can be driven without an amp which should give you some time to build up the funds. Check out Grado as they still show their RS-1's with the flat pads on a few of their pages (but the don't sell them of course). Yeah, do some research on your source. There are some sources that can be modified for greater fidelity. Decide if you only want CD or do you want something that plays SACD or even DVD-Audio. There aren't many SACD/CD only players left but some can be found onsale here, Audiogon, eBay. Some that fall in this category are the Sony 555ES, 222ES. Some of the newer units also include a DVD video section. Let us know if you have any other questions. There are plenty of folks who have been down this path before and can possibly save you some mis-steps.

 

[Zanth]

Congrats on the RS-1 purchase! I'm certain you will be elated once you strap them to your ears.

The RS-1's really benefit from an amp. They need lots of current which headphone jacks from cd players and most receivers/stereo amps just can't provide. The RA-1 is always my top recommendation under $1k (in fact it may be my final recommendation under 3.5k...mmmm Ear HP4).

I've heard the creme de la creme for dynamic cans (though I admit I am at a loss with the K1000 (ear speakers) and AT line...) and I feel the RS-1's are on par with the best. Sure some do things they can't but they are never embarassed. In fact, the only other dynamic headphone I was really interested in after owning the RS-1's were the HP-1's (old school Grado). Now I own both. I feel very fortunate.

RS-1's....a b-line to musical ecstacy.

 

[realityclouded]

Well, I got my RS-1. Out of the box, my first impression was "wow, for $700 headphones, this is horrible". About five hours later things are beginning to sound slightly better, so maybe the process of "burning in" new headphones isn't some sort of myth. I guess I'll know for sure in a couple of days.

I'm curious about build quality.. There's a mess of yellow glue around the earpieces, underneath the foam. The little circular wooden pieces that say "RS-1" aren't properly centered and the foam pads look and feel poorly made - some parts are softer than others, not consistently. The cut marks on the foam aren't consistent either. On both earpieces, underneath the glue and sides, underneath the foam, is handwritten a 3 digit number (under 500), as well as on the box it came in. Does this mean only about 500 of these phones were made? Does this affect quality assurance somehow?

Please excuse my paranoia. I realize these are just cosmetic problems. After dropping $600+ on these phones, I don't feel I'm being *too* analytic as these things kind of stand out on such a pricy purchase.

Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[realityclouded]

Oh, something worth noting. For the first time, I believe I've heard the stepping artifacts of "CD quality" audio. That threw me back for a few seconds.

It would be interesting to see if I'd notice the same artifacts on an SR-325 or lower.

 

[Zanth]

realityclouded, can you post some pics of your cans? Or email them to me? I just want to make sure I am understanding you clearly and I will compare with my RS-1's.