[Aizura]

Hey all,
 
I greatly enjoy my HD600's out of my Schiit Asgard amp. It sounds wonderfully smooth and non fatiguing. But for some music, they are just too laid back and i miss that great sparkle and forwardness that i get from my MS1i's.
Now, I'm looking for a higher end Grado to replace my MS1i's. I'm curious what the legendary RS-series can do for me. I have a hard time choosing between the RS2i and RS1i.
My guess is the RS1i's would sound a bit better overall, but i've read that the RS2i's have a more forward and aggressive sound signature compared to the more laid back RS1i which also seems to have a slighty larger soundstage.
 
Considering I already have an HD600, and want the most aggressive high end Grado to complement the laid back HD600, would the RS2i be a better choice?

 

[fatcat28037]

Go with the RS-1i or step back to the 225i. The RS-1i being better that the RS-2i and the 225i being very close to it's equal.

 

[Clicker7]

I just got a Grado RS2 to complement my Shure SRH840s, and I love it. It is rich, and full, with more clarity than my 840's, and really shines with vocals. 
 
It is very close to the RS2 in sound, and if anything a tad less bright, but definitley more detailed, clearer, and brighter that my 840's, Denon AHD5000, and Senn HD600. Lots of professional reviews find the RS1 and RS2 very close, as well as forum members. I chose it because it did the job beautifully and helped my budget being $200 less than a RS1.
 
These are excellent reviews that objectively compare  the Grado 325, RS1 and RS2:
     
       http://www.goodcans.com/HeadphoneReviews/gradobig3.htm
 
      http://www1.epinions.com/review/511775_Grado_Labs_RS2_Open_Air_Headphones/content_423106481796 
 
 
There are lot of threads out there singing the praises of the RS2 so just run some searches. If you have the bucks get the RS1 consider it, but I would seriously try to get out and audition both of them to see your preference before buying because of their clarity they do come across brighter.
 
Joseph

 

[daveDerek]

not everyone who has lived with them think the rs-1 is necessarily better than the rs-2, myself included.

 

[flaming_june]

RS1 will exceed the HD600 in most ways 

 

[Slaughter]

Skip the 225. The MS1 and 225 sound very similar.

 

[Aizura]

How would you compare the MS1 to the RS1/RS2? I like the MS1's sound sig alot. A little more bass would be nice, but absolutely no more treble. I think i'll find them too fatiguing if they're brighter than MS1. Do the Grados have even more pronounced treble? If so, maybe I should consider the MSpro...

 

[120717]

Specific comparisons...not so important?
You're looking for something different to compliment the HD600.
When I had HD650s, and heard the RS1 at a meet the conclusion I came to was that I'd want them as a second pair, to compliment my HD650s. The only thing holding me back was the prices I had seen for used RS1s in the classified ads (new price..no thanks!).
They are quite fun to listen to, with great mids. Their brighter sound does mean more treble than the HD650, but if the HD600 is something like a newer version of the HD580 (which I found more natural/soft sounding and less bassy than my HD650 (better for acoustic etc, than electronic)) then you'll probably notice more treble in the RS1 than I did. I'm not a fan of harsh treble either but I liked the RS1s.
Hopefully at this meet I'll get to compare some to my AD2000s.
 
I'd really just give them a try. If you don't like them, sell them on or trade them

 

[TheMiddleSky]

if you love MS1i so much, why not just go straight to MS Pro?
 
I love my MS1, and I really like MS Pro too.

 

[daveDerek]

Quote:

How would you compare the MS1 to the RS1/RS2? I like the MS1's sound sig alot. A little more bass would be nice, but absolutely no more treble. I think i'll find them too fatiguing if they're brighter than MS1. Do the Grados have even more pronounced treble? If so, maybe I should consider the MSpro...

the alessandros are more neutral sounding versus their counterpart grados, eg. the ms pro is certainly more neutral than the rs-1. for example the tone of a violin sounds more natural on the ms-pro than the rs-1. the rs series can be a very effective tool for blues based rock in particular though, and some will find the rs-2 preferable to the rs-1!  the ms-1, being an entry level phone is nice, but not nearly as refined as the rs series cans. the following review comparing the rs-1 to the ms-pro may be of some interest ( http://www.headfonia.com/grado-rs1-and-alessandro-ms-pro/ ). there are others here on head-fi if you care to search for them.
 
please note that there can be a lot of unit to unit variability with grados, probably much more true with the woodies. i've done side by side comparisons, along with others, of different sets of rs-1s and rs-2s and there were real differences between/amongst them. i think it's more a function of the wood than the drivers as one of the nicest rs-1s i heard was my vintage set (black headband, but as per john grado this set was made just after the changeover). when i acquired them the cans were not functioning properly. grado labs refurbished them with new drivers and cable. these sounded better than any newer set that i listened to.  it was not an easy decision to sell them and multiple listeners thought they were an exceptional sounding set. i've been told that old growth mahogany was available up until about 10 years ago, but what's available now is farmed wood. this may have something to do with the sonic differences (perhaps it's density differs?) but doesn't account for everything. at one time i owned two vintage rs-2s simultaneously that sounded different.
 
maybe what would suit you is making an ms1000.  ( http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/323271/alessandro-ms1000-and-ms-ultimate-diy-modding-56k-warning )
of course there's always the hf-2 (http://www.headfonia.com/grado-hf2/).......
if you enjoy grados it's hard to go wrong with any of these fine phones.
good luck!

 

[Aizura]

Hmm i've read just about anything about the MSpros now and i think i'll like the RS1/2 more as they have the more aggressive sound. They also seem to have tamer highs compared to the SR-series so I suppose I wouldn't have to worry about any harsh treble. I don't really think going for the more neutral Alessandros is going to be a good choice as I already have HD600's.
 
Any more opinions on RS1 vs RS2? Which one offers the biggest difference from the HD600? i.e. the most forward and aggressive sounding.

 

[daveDerek]

Quote:

Any more opinions on RS1 vs RS2? Which one offers the biggest difference from the HD600? i.e. the most forward and aggressive sounding.

hmmm, it's been quite a while since i've done that comparison. perhaps the rs-2 will be more forward sounding (but don't hold me to that).

 

[priest]

If you can afford a few hundred for slightly increased performance, go for the RS1i. Otherwise, the RS2i is probably going to make you very happy. The only downside is that for me the RS2i was less comfortable and comes in a more infra dig pizza box. The RS2i is the Grado headphone I regret parting with the most, and I will probably own it again someday.

 

[daveDerek]

Quote:

If you can afford a few hundred for slightly increased performance, go for the RS1i. Otherwise, the RS2i is probably going to make you very happy. The only downside is that for me the RS2i was less comfortable and comes in a more infra dig pizza box. The RS2i is the Grado headphone I regret parting with the most, and I will probably own it again someday.

i'm not sure what an 'infra dig pizza box' is but they come in the same pizza box. i don't recall a difference in their comfort level as they're build is very similar. the sound was a bit different though. two somewhat different, but both enjoyable flavors, and one not necessarily better than the other. if you like grados it's hard to go wrong with either. if you don't like the way grados sound or fit than neither is a good choice (duh).

 

[wilyodysseus]

I love my HD600 and my RS2i.
 
However, I was surprised at the laid-back the sound of the RS2's. They're less laid-back than the HD600, but much more so than the SR225i (and head-fi reviews) lead me to expect. Maybe my particular RS2's are atypical, or maybe it's gear matching, but you might want to look for something besided the RS2 if you want a forward and aggressive contrast to the HD600.