[pickerdd]

I received my pair of GH-1's about 2 weeks ago. Really, really nice headphones. Joseph, yes, I have tried the G cups with the GH-1's and they are exactly as you mentioned. Thanks for the recommendation!
 
I have compared the GH-1's with my PS-500e's, RS-1's (with buttons) and my PS-1000e's. The GH-1's are most definitely my favorite of the bunch. They are clearer in the mids than the PS-500e's. They have better clarity and volume in the bottom end (sub-bass) than the PS-1000e's and the high's aren't as strident as the RS-1's. I'm not saying that is the case with all of every model, just the ones I have. My PS-500e's have at least 100 hours of use on them. The PS-1000e' have 50-75 hours on them and the RS-1's - not really sure if they were used when I bought them, but I have used them probably 15-20 hours. The GH-1's have at least 20 hours of use on them.
 
I listen to a wide variety of music, except for metal and such as that. I listen to acoustic jazz - not fusion other than Pat Metheny (his stuff is usually poorly recorded), but played incredibly well. Classical (symphonic and individual instruments, Bluegrass (most isn't recorded well) , Swing, classic rock (I grew up in the '60's and '70's so that stuff is my music)  and have recently been into listening to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. The recording is spectacular. My current favorite recording is The Goat Rodeo Sessions with Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Stuart Duncan and Edgar Meyer. Classial strings music meets bluegrass (sort of...). The recording quality is great and the music is better. The PS-500e's are muddy around the mid region on the mandolin. The GH-1 is clear as a bell and not strident (harsh).
 
The PS-500e is the most forgiving of all my headphones. The PS-1000e the least forgiving. Great recordings sound spectacular on it. Crappy recordings - you can picture the headphones laughing at you for playing it. The GH-1 is probably the most enjoyable of all my headphones. Rock screams (in a good way), Miles Davis' So What, sounds sublime.
 
Thanks for the recommendations! I love it.
 
So, how do the GH-1's compare to the RS-2e's? I'm thinking about buying a pair of RS-2e's and wanted you all's take on them. I had a pair of RS-1e - my pair were terrible - muddled mids and no highs. I sold them on ebay about 2 weeks after I bought them.
 
- David

 

[joseph69]

  I received my pair of GH-1's about 2 weeks ago. Really, really nice headphones. Joseph, yes, I have tried the G cups with the GH-1's and they are exactly as you mentioned. Thanks for the recommendation!
 
I have compared the GH-1's with my PS-500e's, RS-1's (with buttons) and my PS-1000e's. The GH-1's are most definitely my favorite of the bunch. They are clearer in the mids than the PS-500e's. They have better clarity and volume in the bottom end (sub-bass) than the PS-1000e's and the high's aren't as strident as the RS-1's. I'm not saying that is the case with all of every model, just the ones I have. My PS-500e's have at least 100 hours of use on them. The PS-1000e' have 50-75 hours on them and the RS-1's - not really sure if they were used when I bought them, but I have used them probably 15-20 hours. The GH-1's have at least 20 hours of use on them.
 
I listen to a wide variety of music, except for metal and such as that. I listen to acoustic jazz - not fusion other than Pat Metheny (his stuff is usually poorly recorded), but played incredibly well. Classical (symphonic and individual instruments, Bluegrass (most isn't recorded well) , Swing, classic rock (I grew up in the '60's and '70's so that stuff is my music)  and have recently been into listening to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. The recording is spectacular. My current favorite recording is The Goat Rodeo Sessions with Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Stuart Duncan and Edgar Meyer. Classial strings music meets bluegrass (sort of...). The recording quality is great and the music is better. The PS-500e's are muddy around the mid region on the mandolin. The GH-1 is clear as a bell and not strident (harsh).
 
The PS-500e is the most forgiving of all my headphones. The PS-1000e the least forgiving. Great recordings sound spectacular on it. Crappy recordings - you can picture the headphones laughing at you for playing it. The GH-1 is probably the most enjoyable of all my headphones. Rock screams (in a good way), Miles Davis' So What, sounds sublime.
 
Thanks for the recommendations! I love it.
 
So, how do the GH-1's compare to the RS-2e's? I'm thinking about buying a pair of RS-2e's and wanted you all's take on them. I had a pair of RS-1e - my pair were terrible - muddled mids and no highs. I sold them on ebay about 2 weeks after I bought them.
 
- David

 
Glad you tried the (G) cushions. 
I agree when you say the GH-1 is most enjoyable…they do everything well and have a relaxed yet very involving sound-signature which makes them easy and enjoyable to listen to at the same time!

 

[stacker45]

   
Glad you tried the (G) cushions. 
I agree when you say the GH-1 is most enjoyable…they do everything well and have a relaxed yet very involving sound-signature which makes them easy and enjoyable to listen to at the same time!

 
And here we have yet, another satisfied customer Buddy!

 
I'm happy for you pickerdd.

 

[pickerdd]

Thanks guys! Any thoughts on comparing the GH-1 to the RS2e?

 

[joseph69]

   
And here we have yet, another satisfied customer Buddy!

I'm happy for you pickerdd.

Yep, another happy GH-1 owner! I'm going to be listening to mine tonight!
The GH-1 is such an exceptional HP I can't believe it hasn't sold out. I believe one of the reasons its not sold out is because it can't be demoed being it is a "Limited Edition".
I think if people were able to demo it against others Grados side by side they would purchase the GH-1.

 

[joseph69]

  Thanks guys! Any thoughts on comparing the GH-1 to the RS2e?

Never heard the RS2e, but I have the RS1i and to me they are two different sounding HP's.
@kayandjohn has both (I believe) he has so many models I've lost track...maybe he'll chime in.

 

[nspindel]

Lots of listening lately, now that I've got the Prime dialed in.  Very different sound coming from the Ortofon than my previous Grado Sonata cart.  Naturally the Grado cart and the GH-1 played really nicely together.  I've encountered one or two recordings, and to be honest I've lost track of which ones, that sound a bit too bright with the Ortofon through the GH-1's, but I've heard the Ortofon described as bright before.  Swapping out the L's for the G's didn't help.  I'm still not finding myself reaching for those G cushions more than about 20% of the time, the rest of the time I still love these with the L's.  Listening to Keith Richards Cross Eyed Heart, it's just fantastic through the L cush, and that's with the 299D running triode.

 

[krud484]

The PS-500e is the most forgiving of all my headphones. The PS-1000e the least forgiving. Great recordings sound spectacular on it. Crappy recordings - you can picture the headphones laughing at you for playing it. The GH-1 is probably the most enjoyable of all my headphones. Rock screams (in a good way), Miles Davis' So What, sounds sublime.

The word you might be looking in calling the PS-1000e the least forgiving is: transparency. A transparent headphone doesn't colorize the poorly recorded music to make it sound well recorded. But that is just one definition.
 
I posted my impression of the GH-1 earlier in another thread, but all I got was crickets. Here it is anyway,

I got a pair of the GH-1s this week, and so far I’m really digging their sound. They have a very natural sound to them but of course with an electric guitar boost. The treble has a nice presence that isn’t too forward or too recessed. The bass is clear and controlled but it isn’t tight, wound, rumble-y, or bloated. It has this nice analogue quality to it, that’s the best way I can put it. The mids and vocal separation again have this natural quality that fits the vocals perfectly atop with pleasant clarity. Guitars and particularly the electric guitar have this euphonic quality to them that is vividly detailed, engaging, and very intimate. Soundstage seems to be as wide as my Sennheiser HD600s, but burn in and cushion swaps will decide that better later. The imaging and decay isn’t overtly pinpoint or analytical, it too has this nice natural analogue quality to it.  
I’ve got under 10 hours on them and have chosen to burn them in as I go. I did buy the G-cush and tried them out for about 1 hour but I felt they weren’t ready yet. The highs in the mids get attenuated a little too much, and I found myself fidgeting with volume frequently throughout each and every song. I’ll need to try the G-cush again because I felt it expanded the soundstage and changed the focus away from the guitar. As for overall comfort, once I put them on and fitted them just right, I didn’t feel like I was wearing them at all! The same goes for the G-cush.

 

[joseph69]

  I posted my impression of the GH-1 earlier in another thread, but all I got was crickets. Here it is anyway,

I had read your impressions on the GH-1 but at the time the H-F site was acting up on me and I couldn't reply that I thought your description "nice natural analog quality" was well said!
I've been listening to mine for the past 4hrs…nothing but pleasure!

 

[Bonobo Loco]

  I had read your impressions on the GH-1 but at the time the H-F site was acting up on me and I couldn't reply that I thought your description "nice natural analog quality" was well said!
I've been listening to mine for the past 4hrs…nothing but pleasure!

 
I was curious to get your opinion on something. My only complaint, and it's a small one, about the Grados that I've heard, is that I think they do their best at medium to low volume. Unamped, they kill everything else I've heard, but I can't take them too high because the treble overwhelms and they start sounding a bit congested. Headphones like my Senn HD650s start out sounding recessed at low volume but at high volume the mids and treble catch up. When you connect the Grados and the Senns to the same amp, you want to crank the Senns way up and they sound great, but you don't ever have the urge to crank the Grados (or at least I don't). I get to my 'happy place' with Grado volume and stop. Basically I only like the sound of the Grados at low to medium volume and the Senns sound their best at medium-high to high volume. For me this doesn't really matter because the music I mostly listen to benefits more from the Grados because they do so well with vocals and strings, particularly guitar, violin & cello (the GH1 also has surprisingly good bass).

Anyway I started out this comment with a question to ask but I guess I'm just curious if you've had a similar experience. It's probably a good thing that I like the Grados so much because it will help me preserve my hearing. If I got an ultra high end amp setup with something like Sennheisers or any of the planars, Audeze etc., I'd spend all my time cranking the hell out of them and blowing my eardrums. With the Grados I just want to listen to acoustics and chill. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

[joseph69]

   
I was curious to get your opinion on something. My only complaint, and it's a small one, about the Grados that I've heard, is that I think they do their best at medium to low volume. Unamped, they kill everything else I've heard, but I can't take them too high because the treble overwhelms and they start sounding a bit congested. Headphones like my Senn HD650s start out sounding recessed at low volume but at high volume the mids and treble catch up. When you connect the Grados and the Senns to the same amp, you want to crank the Senns way up and they sound great, but you don't ever have the urge to crank the Grados (or at least I don't). I get to my 'happy place' with Grado volume and stop. Basically I only like the sound of the Grados at low to medium volume and the Senns sound their best at medium-high to high volume. For me this doesn't really matter because the music I mostly listen to benefits more from the Grados because they do so well with vocals and strings, particularly guitar, violin & cello (the GH1 also has surprisingly good bass).

Anyway I started out this comment with a question to ask but I guess I'm just curious if you've had a similar experience. It's probably a good thing that I like the Grados so much because it will help me preserve my hearing. If I got an ultra high end amp setup with something like Sennheisers or any of the planars, Audeze etc., I'd spend all my time cranking the hell out of them and blowing my eardrums. With the Grados I just want to listen to acoustics and chill. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

I agree with you…all Grado models have their limit with the volume control (also recording quality).
The only Grado I've been listen to loudly and still sounds great the louder it is, is the PS1K (the PS1Ke is still burning-in).
But exactly like you said, it 6 in one and 1/2 a dozen in the other with the volume control so it doesn't matter, and its even better you don't have to turn up the volume so much when you can hear everything just fine at mid volume and enjoy it! So yes, Grado's need to find a happy/medium to sound their best.

 

[Bonobo Loco]

  I agree with you…all Grado models have their limit with the volume control (also recording quality).
The only Grado I've been listen to loudly and still sounds great the louder it is, is the PS1K (the PS1Ke is still burning-in).
But exactly like you said, it 6 in one and 1/2 a dozen in the other with the volume control so it doesn't matter, and its even better you don't have to turn up the volume so much when you can hear everything just fine at mid volume and enjoy it! So yes, Grado's need to find a happy/medium to sound their best.

 
Cool thanks for the feedback. I'm hoping to get a nice tube amp sometime in the next year or so. It's nice to have different cans for different experiences. Someday I'll probably get a set of planars to get the most out of EDM & the like. For now I'm listening to my GH1's direct from my macbook and they sound amazing. I just got out of school and don't have a ton of money. I'm lucky to have found headphones like these that don't require a bunch of additional investment to sound amazing. I am so shocked at how good they sound. The only reason I'd even need that big investment would be for certain types of music like EDM, Hip Hop, metal etc. For most of what I listen to, the Grados unamped are mesmorizingly amazing.

You were right by the way that when I got them I wouldn't be able to let them go. I got them (for anyone who didn't see my earlier comment) as a present for my brother's 30th birthday. I just bought a second pair. I'll be keeping these and sending him the unopened pair. Too good to let them go, especially being that they're a LE and might not be available in a month or two. Had to pull the trigger on a second pair.

 

[joseph69]

   
Cool thanks for the feedback. I'm hoping to get a nice tube amp sometime in the next year or so. It's nice to have different cans for different experiences. Someday I'll probably get a set of planars to get the most out of EDM & the like. For now I'm listening to my GH1's direct from my macbook and they sound amazing. I just got out of school and don't have a ton of money. I'm lucky to have found headphones like these that don't require a bunch of additional investment to sound amazing. I am so shocked at how good they sound. The only reason I'd even need that $8-$10k investment would be for certain types of music like EDM, Hip Hop, metal etc. For most of what I listen to, the Grados unamped are mesmorizingly amazing.

You were right by the way that when I got them I wouldn't be able to let them go. I got them (for anyone who didn't see my earlier comment) as a present for my brother's 30th birthday. I just bought a second pair. I'll be keeping these and sending him the unopened pair. Too good to let them go, especially being that they're a LE and might not be available in a month or two. Had to pull the trigger on a second pair.

Good for you! 
I'm glad your enjoying the GH-1 and I'm sure your brother will be as well.
After sufficient burn-in you'll love them even more.

 

[Bonobo Loco]

  Good for you! 
I'm glad your enjoying the GH-1 and I'm sure your brother will be as well.
After sufficient burn-in you'll love them even more.

 
You do have me curious about the PS1k(i/e/etc) and the GS1k is to me the mystery phone of the Grado line. It's not to be found anywhere (I live in Seattle) and it gets mixed reviews online. I don't think I need more burn-in on the GH-1, I am already in love. When I said previously that I prefer them to the LCD3 I wasn't just talking crap, I meant it. They're absolutely wonderful.

I wish there was some way I could show my appreciation more to these forums for helping me find the best things in the world. You guys probably don't know how cool it is what you do. I would have loved to own a pair of Grados when I was a kid in the 90s but I didn't know they existed. Now I do, and it's only because of the internet and this website. Most people who see my headphones will have no idea that they exist. My brother, when he gets his pair, will not have ever heard of Grado. It will be like receiving a magical unicorn in the mail. I'm sure he'll love them. If he doesn't I'll disown him forever.

 

[joseph69]

  You do have me curious about the PS1k(i/e/etc) and the GS1k is to me the mystery phone of the Grado line. It's not to be found anywhere (I live in Seattle) and it gets mixed reviews online. I don't think I need more burn-in on the GH-1, I am already in love. When I said previously that I prefer them to the LCD3 I wasn't just talking crap, I meant it. They're absolutely wonderful.

I wish there was some way I could show my appreciation more to these forums for helping me find the best things in the world. You guys probably don't know how cool it is what you do. I would have loved to own a pair of Grados when I was a kid in the 90s but I didn't know they existed. Now I do, and it's only because of the internet and this website. Most people who see my headphones will have no idea that they exist. My brother, when he gets his pair, will not have ever heard of Grado. It will be like receiving a magical unicorn in the mail. I'm sure he'll love them. If he doesn't I'll disown him forever.

Well the GH-1 is right there with the GS/PS1Kx but just a different signature. I personally didn't care for the GS1Ki/e they just weren't for me, but many people love them, and to each his own. The PS1K/e for me is just an amazing HP, but once again, just a different sound, neither is "better". Grados need plenty of burn-in to reach their full potential, so you have a lot more to look forward to as they open up and evolve. And by doing what your doing by expressing your experiences either good/bad is how your showing your appreciation for the forum as we all do. I don't want to put you over the top, but if you can swing a Little Dot 1+ hybrid amp with some NOS tubes it will sound beautiful with the Grados.