[Silvian]

i see. some people might actually like that

well, there are two things. first is the sound, for gs and ps series G-pad helping the expansive sound stage that headphones produce and since grado are very sensitive with the pads, changing between L-pad and G-pad give the listener different sound tuning. and second is comfort. L-pad more like a sit on your ear while G-pad surrounding you ear with it, so it's more like a proper over the ear full size headphone feeling with G-pad

Hm, I might have to get me a pair of G-pads to see about this sound-stage, if I am sensitive to it and if it manifests itself on my 325e.
As for on-ear, indeed the L-pads are, but what I make are over-ear. At least for everyone I tried them on: 20-30 people. That's one of the major benefits compared with the L-pads. For me, as I've said on the website, the Grados are now the most comfortable headphone I ever tried and there have been a few.

 

[Silvian]

Nice work, like @ruhenheiM I would love to see some in the G pads size. I only use the cheap G pads from ebay since they are the softest and they do breath well enough for me in Hawaii where the humidity is higher and living next to a drainage canal and few hundred feet from the beach doesn't help much. The L pads are a bit on the smaller size and like you noted the hard edge which rested on my ear is a problem. The larger G pads while still resting partly on the ears spreads the surface area touching your head to a much larger area making the contact pressure more spread out and there is a larger volume of space so the sound stage seems to be a bit larger and for me the bass is a bit more impactful.

As I replied to ruhenheiM, my earpads are over-ear. At least for the 20-30 people I tried them on.

Let me start with the edge: it is not hard. The leather (0.5mm) or the merino are extremely soft. Actually, using the Grado inserts inside my pads fixes the hardness problem, for me, but they'll still be on-ear. But I can make them even softer by using a soft foam inside - you did noticed that the earpds are open, right? I am actually using mine with a harder foam - my preference right now. But I have the softest memory foam Dunlop NZ can make and this is what I'm going to deliver them with, exactly in order to fix, once and for all, the complains about the Grado pads being hard - which is exactly what I suffered myself from when I had the 225 a few years back. I was also thinking to deliver them with 3 types of foam, so people can choose the softness they like. The foam itself costs peanuts.

Regarding humidity: I don't live in such humid environment, although I am by the beach too. Just been to Hawaii a couple of months back, visited 3 islands, really cool, well, warm, place. Anyway, granted, the G-pads will have more room around your ears. As I said on the website, I chose to go with the thinner edge, exactly to minimize the contact area with the face in order to avoid sweating. Plus, merino especially but leather too, behave really well in that regard. Merino is fabulous. Search.

 

[Silvian]

@Silvian are prices in AUD?

No, they should be in USD. Does it say anywhere AUD? I noticed that the currency is not being mentioned on the Buy page, and so I mentioned in a few places on the website that it's USD. I'll see if it's possible to say it on the Buy page.

 

[Silvian]

No, they should be in USD. Does it say anywhere AUD? I noticed that the currency is not being mentioned on the Buy page, and so I mentioned in a few places on the website that it's USD. I'll see if it's possible to say it on the Buy page.

It's not possible. I added an announcement bar on top of the page.

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

Ok, so I tried my woodied SR60e with genuine L Cush pads and they got their sparkle back (I have some fake L cush pads on order, if they are no good I'll get some genuine ones)

Also A/B'd against the RS1e, and to be honest they held up very well, the RS1e have a slighty fuller sound, but to be honest I personally prefer the slightly airier sound of the Woodied SR60e. Ok the RS1e does come with a leather headband and aluminium gimbals too...

 

[joseph69]

wow looking good! but i have to say changing to leather probably going to alter the sound quite a bit right?

I tried these EarZonk leather cushions on my 325is for 1 minute, they absolutely killed the SQ. I immediately sent them to another H-F member to try and he also found the same results within a minute as well. I'm sure Grado has done their R&D with all types of materials/shapes/sizes for their cushions to find the best SQ for their headphones.

 

[Silvian]

I tried these EarZonk leather cushions on my 325is for 1 minute, they absolutely killed the SQ. I immediately sent them to another H-F member to try and he also found the same results within a minute as well. I'm sure Grado has done their R&D with all types of materials/shapes/sizes for their cushions to find the best SQ for their headphones.

I understand your reluctance. I was the same when I had my previous 225. I tried a few things inspired by others in forums like this one and indeed, the sound was compromised. And of course Grado will have done their R&D, but, like with everything, they will have chosen a compromise. It goes without saying that I respect Grado, I like their sound, and I always regretted that I had to move on because of the lack of comfort. But this question continued to bug me: there must be a better compromise - and this is how we make progress, isn't it?

For a while I looked for info online on the R&D done for earpads - not much at all to be found. I even met a University professor, specialist in acoustics, in order to try to understand the physics that goes on in that small volume of air. I do have some background in physics as well. It took me a year and probably hundreds of tests to get to this solution. And I wouldn't have come to the market if I didn't think that there is something to it, something a lot better than what is already out there.

Anyway, I realize this is all theory and that's why I offer money back after a month of in home trial. In the end, in this game we are all different. But I was very pleasantly surprised and I hope the same can happen to some of you.

 

[joseph69]

I understand your reluctance. I was the same when I had my previous 225. I tried a few things inspired by others in forums like this one and indeed, the sound was compromised. And of course Grado will have done their R&D, but, like with everything, they will have chosen a compromise. It goes without saying that I respect Grado, I like their sound, and I always regretted that I had to move on because of the lack of comfort. But this question continued to bug me: there must be a better compromise - and this is how we make progress, isn't it?

For a while I looked for info online on the R&D done for earpads - not much at all to be found. I even met a University professor, specialist in acoustics, in order to try to understand the physics that goes on in that small volume of air. I do have some background in physics as well. It took me a year and probably hundreds of tests to get to this solution. And I wouldn't have come to the market if I didn't think that there is something to it, something a lot better than what is already out there.

Anyway, I realize this is all theory and that's why I offer money back after a month of in home trial. In the end, in this game we are all different. But I was very pleasantly surprised and I hope the same can happen to some of you.

By all means I wasn't in any way/shape or form trying to discredit you or your efforts in trying to create/sell a more comfortable leather cushion for Grado headphones. I apologize if it came across in such a way. I was specifically speaking of the experience I had with the EZ leather cushions, and have never tried any other after market cushions on my Grados since. This doesn't mean that I wouldn't consider trying another leather cushions either, just because I had a bad experience with the EZ. I hope your leather cushions are exceptional for Grados owners, and you do very well with them for yourself with them!

 

[Silvian]

Oh, the joys of only words! Only then one realizes how critical body language is in communication.

I appreciate your reply. I didn't take it in a bad way because, as I said, I am very well aware of how subjective this whole thing is. And also, because I know most folks on this forum are decent, genuine and encouraging: that's why I'm here. I guess, because it is the first time I'm on this side of the fence, I was trying to explain even more of what I've been through - it really was a lot.

Cheers

 

[Tim Le]

Hey Grado fans, what are some recommendations for an amp under $1000 for my grado rs2e's. I'm looking for something to make the bass punch a little harder, the mids to be a bit more intimate, and for the highs to be a little bit more relaxed without losing detail (songs with trumpets can be really blaring with these headphones). Thanks in advance!

 

[DavidA]

Hey Grado fans, what are some recommendations for an amp under $1000 for my grado rs2e's. I'm looking for something to make the bass punch a little harder, the mids to be a bit more intimate, and for the highs to be a little bit more relaxed without losing detail (songs with trumpets can be really blaring with these headphones). Thanks in advance!

If you feel comfortable to mod your RS2e then the best way to increase the bass is by adding some dynamat in the cups and open 1 extra vent, next I would recommend changing the ear pads to either EarZonk L or cheap ebay G pads since both tend to increase the bass a few dB. Here are a few pictures of my RS2e:

Removing the drivers is not easy so take your time if you do this, using vinegar helps to soften the glue, I used a thin blade craft knife and use 4 blades in the process which took about 1.5 hours to do the removal. I haven't opened up the vent hole yet in these pictures.

you can see the dynamat in the cups, left cup has been treated with Danish wood oil

Finished with SMC jacks for removable cables since the stock 8 conductor is way too heavy for such light headphone IMO and it was a bit short for where my listening space is.

For me the best amp that I currently have to do what you are asking is the headphone output of my Teac UD-301 DAC ($350), another option is either the Polaris SS ($250) or Ember hybrid ($350) from Garage 1217 since you can adjust the output impedance to better match all your headphones, both amps are on the warmer side of neutral but it will also depend on the tubes used in the Ember.

 

[whirlwind]

If you feel comfortable to mod your RS2e then the best way to increase the bass is by adding some dynamat in the cups and open 1 extra vent, next I would recommend changing the ear pads to either EarZonk L or cheap ebay G pads since both tend to increase the bass a few dB. Here are a few pictures of my RS2e:

Removing the drivers is not easy so take your time if you do this, using vinegar helps to soften the glue, I used a thin blade craft knife and use 4 blades in the process which took about 1.5 hours to do the removal. I haven't opened up the vent hole yet in these pictures.

you can see the dynamat in the cups, left cup has been treated with Danish wood oil

Finished with SMC jacks for removable cables since the stock 8 conductor is way too heavy for such light headphone IMO and it was a bit short for where my listening space is.

For me the best amp that I currently have to do what you are asking is the headphone output of my Teac UD-301 DAC ($350), another option is either the Polaris SS ($250) or Ember hybrid ($350) from Garage 1217 since you can adjust the output impedance to better match all your headphones, both amps are on the warmer side of neutral but it will also depend on the tubes used in the Ember.

Great job on those....clean looking job of getting those drivers out of the wooden cups.

I totally agree about the 8 conductor wire on such a light headphone....yours should be feather light with those cables.

The 8 conductor cables weighs more than the headphone, lol

 

[joseph69]

Hey Grado fans, what are some recommendations for an amp under $1000 for my grado rs2e's. I'm looking for something to make the bass punch a little harder, the mids to be a bit more intimate, and for the highs to be a little bit more relaxed without losing detail (songs with trumpets can be really blaring with these headphones). Thanks in advance!

What amp are you using now? I'm asking because the easiest solution to the sound you're looking to achieve is to buy TTVJ flat pads, which will increase the bass and lower the upper frequencies and make the mid-range more intimate.

@DavidA
Nicely done!

 

[Tim Le]

If you feel comfortable to mod your RS2e then the best way to increase the bass is by adding some dynamat in the cups and open 1 extra vent, next I would recommend changing the ear pads to either EarZonk L or cheap ebay G pads since both tend to increase the bass a few dB. Here are a few pictures of my RS2e:

Removing the drivers is not easy so take your time if you do this, using vinegar helps to soften the glue, I used a thin blade craft knife and use 4 blades in the process which took about 1.5 hours to do the removal. I haven't opened up the vent hole yet in these pictures.

you can see the dynamat in the cups, left cup has been treated with Danish wood oil

Finished with SMC jacks for removable cables since the stock 8 conductor is way too heavy for such light headphone IMO and it was a bit short for where my listening space is.

For me the best amp that I currently have to do what you are asking is the headphone output of my Teac UD-301 DAC ($350), another option is either the Polaris SS ($250) or Ember hybrid ($350) from Garage 1217 since you can adjust the output impedance to better match all your headphones, both amps are on the warmer side of neutral but it will also depend on the tubes used in the Ember.

Wow, those look great! I don't know how I'd feel about tearing apart my most expensive headphones though. Maybe I'll start on an SR60 till I'm more comfortable. Thank you for the advice though

 

[Tim Le]

What amp are you using now? I'm asking because the easiest solution to the sound you're looking to achieve is to buy TTVJ flat pads, which will increase the bass and lower the upper frequencies and make the mid-range more intimate.

@DavidA
Nicely done!

I'm currently using a iFi Micro iDSD, but I feel it's rather bright (compared to a FiiO a5 I use as a portable). Thanks for the pad suggestion, I'll do some more reading, but they look like they could be exactly what I'm looking for without breaking the bank