[whirlwind]

Worms......this one is for you  

 

 

[Amish]

Just today received my grado 325's back from Grado from a service. They took over 5 weeks to do this service once received by them, but they are performing like new.
 
I tossed on some larger pads and I couldn't be happier. My biggest complaint with my 325's are the small pads that after awhile my ears would start to hurt. These larger pads are way comfy and after about 1.5 hours I can say that the pads did just what I needed. More comfy and highs are slightly tamed.
 

 

 

 

 

[Amish]

  Worms......this one is for you  

 

 
 
I'll play. Been drinking this a bit this afternoon.
 

 

[donlin]

  Thanks for your great comparison/impressions/opinion between the GH-1/PS500e!
I was really lost with the GH-1 being I've only heard the GS1Ke for a couple of days and didn't care for them, and I had no experience with any other (e) series (RS2e/PS500e). So far (about 12hrs in) I find the bass on the GH-1 to be very, very nice but mine still need to tighten up.

 
 
+1
 
The wood has a natural look with a black headband.

@jospeph69, what amp are you mainly using for your GH-1 (I see a Woo in your signature)?  I find that my Cary tube amp is ideal while my solid state amps are just ok.

 

[Amish]

I have found that SS amps seem to work very well with my Grado cans. I prefer it over my hybrid tube amp anyway.

 

[sling5s]

Is the plastic gimbal like the RS2e or RS1e?  Looks like the RS2e gimbal. Too bad. RS1 has better gimbals.

 

[joseph69]

  @jospeph69, what amp are you mainly using for your GH-1 (I see a Woo in your signature)?  I find that my Cary tube amp is ideal while my solid state amps are just ok.

Yes I'm using MBP>Rega>WA6 with the Brimar-5Z4G/NU-6F8G's>GH-1. I haven't tried them with the GS-1 because they still need plenty of burn-in I only have about 12hrs on them so far. 
 

  Is the plastic gimbal like the RS2e or RS1e?  Looks like the RS2e gimbal. Too bad. RS1 has better gimbals.

  The GH-1 has plastic gimbals.

 

[stacker45]

When even DarthVader gets teary eyed you know the force is with ya. I just listen to John Lennon Starting Over thru a 50$ Marantz 2230 I just recapped and deoxited and OMG I had no idea it could out sing my little dot1 hybrid. It never ceases to amaze me what can be discovered once you know what you ate looking for. Brought a tear to my glass eye!

eyes you know

 
I'm not surprised, my Marantz 2220B and 2226B, both sound awesome, and everytime I use their heaphone outputs, I start to wonder why I have bought so many dedicated HP amps.
 
Who am I kidding, I know why...cause I'm at an advanced stage of the desiese, that's why!. We should start a support group...don't you think so, John!

 

[stacker45]

  I just got my GH-1's and she's the first thing I listened to. I'm listening on my ALO Pan AM with Cifte tubes.
 
 
Right out of the box, the 'phones are a little compressed and in the treble overall and a little recessed in the upper-mids. There's a little sibilance and the decay seems short.
 
I'm going to see if I can tear myself away to do what I need to get done today and let them burn in a little.

 
Hmmm!, you got me worried here, ''compressed'', ''decay seems short'', I see this as a lack of, ''air'', wich is exactly why I took the RS1i back, and decided to start searching for some vintage, or classic RS1.
 
 

  I agree with your opinion. I should specify that the defination of the word "neutral" here is only in terms of tonal balance, while I still want them sound fun and exciting, just like every Grados.

 
Grado's HP1000 have a very neutral sound, but they don't sound as exiting as my other Grados. I guess we can't have our cake and eat it too.

 
However, the HP1000 sound awesome with well recorded female vocals, especially when they're paired with their soul mate, the mighty HPA-1 and 2, amps.

 

[pdrm360]

  @joseph69 - My appreciation for prodding me to go listen again to the RS2e in stock form... I've been pleasantly greeted with a headphone who's worst attribute has mellowed significantly, I just didn't realize it till now because I had dialed in my EQ when they were still relatively new (<100hrs).  I still find the RS2e treble a couple dB too hot for my taste so will still tape / EQ them, but the shouty character they initially possessed which made them fatiguing to me seems to have mostly gone away.  As such, I have no trouble listening to them 'straight up' anymore, and have done so for the past 3 days while preparing this review.
 

So without further ado... here is take 2 of my RS2e / GH1 comparison - stock ear pads, no EQ:
 
As previously mentioned, my RS2e are thoroughly broken in through regular use - I estimate somewhere around 400 hours (2-5 hours every weekday for the last 6 months).
 
My GH1 are now at about 90 hours total, roughly 25 of which have been listening hours - I've been burning them in almost continuously (with intermittent breaks) since they arrived, contrary to John Grado's "relax and enjoy the ride" recommendation ... I'm keen to see how the GH1s sound after burn-in, and I've not been disappointed.  As I go along, I am periodically comparing against the RS2e as a reference to see how the GH1 evolves.  I've noticed that most of the midrange improvements occurred by 30-35 hours, with bass improvement continuing a bit more through 60 hours and tapering off through 90 hours.  Based on the trend, I think they will be pretty much fully settled by 150 to 200 hours.  At this stage, the GH1's are exhibiting very good tonal balance - still slightly prominent mid/upper bass, but well balanced mids and treble.  I wouldn't quite declare them neutral, but they're pretty close... close enough that I forget about it and just enjoy listening.
 

Bass:
 
The GH1 is on the bassier side of neutral, but not by much - the bass is stout but not overblown, solid and snappy, with good texture.  The bass is sounding a bit tighter and more balanced than straight out of the box, though it still seems to have a mild bump (I estimated 80-100Hz before, but I think it's more like 65-70Hz - not sure if it shifted or I didn't peg it the first time, or both).  This bump seems pretty innocuous - it doesn't reveal itself much except on certain recordings which already have a similar bass coloration such as Wes Montgomery's "A Day in the Life" (the bass guitar note repeated throughout the song).  Classical music seems unaffected by this, and based on the breakin changes so far, I'm optimistic this little bump will continue to smooth out.  Time will tell.
 
The RS2e's bass is slightly lower in overall level compared to the GH1, but smoother (no apparent bumps in the response) and while also well balanced with the midrange, is slightly on the lean side of neutral.  In terms of extension, the GH1 is perhaps a bit more extended than the RS2e, but neither headphone delivers a potent 25Hz.  The RS2e bass' lighter character remains a bit more articulate than the GH1, but the gap seems to have narrowed by a whisker as the GH1's burn in.  On very bass-heavy recordings like Robert Plant / Alison Krauss - Raising Sand "Killing the Blues" and "Stick With Me Baby", I find the GH1 borders on overbearing, while the RS2e delivers a more satisfying balance.  Such recordings are the exception however, and one can equally point to bass-light recordings which do not carry sufficient weight with the RS2e.  To me, most material sounds reasonably well balanced through the bass registers on either headphone, so this is a matter of preference.  I think many people will enjoy the robust bass the GH1 delivers.
 

Midrange:
 
The GH1 has a glorious midrange - sweet and natural, with a very realistic timbre.  Compared to my initial report, the midrange is sounding a bit less recessed now, and the slight initial congestion has faded - it's possible that both the midrange and lower bass balance are benefitting from a relaxation of the upper bass prominence I noticed when these were brand new.
 
The RS2e still exhibit a more open & spacious midrange.  The GH1 is not deficient by any means, but the RS2e is exceptional in this aspect.  I think the bass-midrange-treble balance plays into this somewhat ... the bass to midrange taper gives the GH1 a slightly darker/warmer midrange tone, whereas the RS2e possesses a slight rise from bass to midrange, and a significant rise from midrange to treble.  The extra energy in the 4-6kHz range gives the RS2e midrange an airier, more forward sound, while it's bass-midrange rise gives the midrange a lighter character.  I would be very surprised if this character difference will fade with further break-in on the GH1, as this is pretty fundamental to their respective tonal balances.
 
If I try and 'listen through' (disregard) the frequency response difference, the GH1 manages to extract very good detail and clarity, but not as good as the RS2e - it's a touch softened, with less acoustic space, detail, and instrument separation.  Both sound very natural and musically engaging throughout the midrange, and in this respect are among the best of any headphones I've heard.  I would say the GH1 leans towards a slightly warmer, more natural sound compared to the RS2e's lighter, more vivid and textured presentation.  For example, the RS2e delivers a better rendering on Thelonius Monk's "'Round Midnight" (Misterioso, 24/96 release), illuminating more of the ambient background sounds and revealing more texture and body in the instruments.  However, the RS2e's midrange airiness combined with it's prominent treble can become a shade brittle and thin sounding with some recordings, whereas the GH1 maintains it's midrange composure very well at all times.  For example, on the Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter album "1+1", the GH1 outshines the RS2e, presenting a faithful and very enjoyable reproduction of Wayne's exuberant soprano sax while the RS2e struggles not to sound shrill.  Orchestral violins tend to sound a tad reedy on the RS2e, but very convincing on the GH1.
 

Treble:
 
As should be obvious from my prior comments, I find the RS2e too bright in stock form.  Knock back the treble by about 2 or 3 dB, and that's pretty close to the GH1.  Other than level, the overall treble character is very much the same on these two headphones - dynamic, smooth, clear, and extended, without any harshness.  Truly superb.
 

Overall:
 
Both of these headphones are extremely good, outperforming almost everything else I have heard.  I could easily live with either, in part because I can tape the bowls on the RS2e or use a little EQ to reign in their excess treble.  The GH1 has a warm, rich, solid tone (neutral, not dark), whereas the RS2e has a lighter, airier, bright sound.  I would sum up their relative strengths as: "timbre vs. resolution & dimensionality".
 
If I give the RS2e the advantage of taped bowls, I think it pulls ahead with some genres & specific recordings on the strength of it's midrange clarity and spaciousness, and slightly better behaved bass.  But it's not a slam dunk, as the RS2e falls short on some recordings where the GH1 does not, and does not render timbre of many instruments quite as naturally as the GH1.
 
In stock form, I think the GH1 is clearly a better all-rounder, having a more neutral presentation, especially in the treble.  The GH1 sounds absolutely fantastic with classical and instrumental music, never sounding harsh, shrill, or thin.  It's solid bass is an asset on bottom-heavy genres.  In fact, the GH1 sounds superb with just about everything.  On the other hand, I find the RS2e's ability to pull more detail from deeper in the mix and throw a more palpable, wider soundstage a bit more engaging - the RS2e works better on pop, rock, big band, jazz and similar energetic genres where a slighly brighter midrange coloration isn't an issue.  Vocals are delightful on both.
 
I had purchased the GH1 with the thought that I would choose which one to keep and sell the other.  But now I am torn, and may well just end up keeping both!

 
Great review!    
 
It looks like the GH1 sounds something between the RS1e and RS2e, like what Grado said.

 

[Zuqi]

   
Hmmm!, you got me worried here, ''compressed'', ''decay seems short'', I see this as a lack of, ''air'', wich is exactly why I took the RS1i back, and decided to start searching for some vintage, or classic RS1.
 
 
 
Grado's HP1000 have a very neutral sound, but they don't sound as exiting as my other Grados. I guess we can't have our cake and eat it too.

 
However, the HP1000 sound awesome with well recorded female vocals, especially when they're paired with their soul mate, the mighty HPA-1 and 2, amps.

I understand there must be some trade off by being neutral sounding. They used to have the MSpro'i', which is quite close to neutral while still possess the Grado magic, but the new MSpro'e' sounds similiar to the RS1e, not good at all.

 

[joseph69]

  Hmmm!, you got me worried here, ''compressed'', ''decay seems short'', I see this as a lack of, ''air'', wich is exactly why I took the RS1i back, and decided to start searching for some vintage, or classic RS1

  Unfortunately you must have gotten a bad pair of RS1i's because they definitely don't lack "air"…with either tube/SS amps.

 

[dr cornelius]

 hifizen, Thanks for the RS2e / GH1 comparison.  
 
I think you really described the RS2e really well - I haven’t heard the GH-1’s yet, but I definitely have a good idea what to expect.

 

[sling5s]

Can't believe I placed an order for the GH1. I guess I will be selling the RS2e if the GH1 is what everyone says it is. 

 

[stacker45]

  I understand there must be some trade off by being neutral sounding. They used to have the MSpro'i', which is quite close to neutral while still possess the Grado magic, but the new MSpro'e' sounds similiar to the RS1e, not good at all.

 
I guess it's a fine line between neutral and exiting.
 
 

    Unfortunately you must have gotten a bad pair of RS1i's because they definitely don't lack "air"…with either tube/SS amps.

 
I'm willing to accept that possibility regarding my RS1i, but please tell me that you don't find your GH-1 compressed and, or, lacking of decay.

 
 

  Can't believe I placed an order for the GH1. I guess I will be selling the RS2e if the GH1 is what everyone says it is. 

 
You and me both,...like I need another pair of Grados!