GRADO GH2 - IMPRESSIONS
Apr 8, 2017 at 12:43 AM Post #16 of 130
Thanks for sharing your initial impressions. I agree that the GH2 is a another model that is going down a slightly different sonic path. I also think the bass is top notch in depth, impact and detail. I felt that like many Grados 100 hours is where they settled in.

They certainly reflect what they are being fed.

I hope both of you find yourself as happy with them as I am.

:)
 
Apr 8, 2017 at 12:20 PM Post #17 of 130
Have you tired the GH-2 with the Pan Am much?  Curious as to the synergy there.


Yes I have. The PanAm is a very nice match with both the GH1 and GH2. I have the full stack with battery and upgraded power supply, both worthy options in regards to the sound of the amp.

The GH2 also works well with the TEAC HA-501, Mad Ear HD Plus and Schiit Valhalla. Still have a few more of my amps to try.
 
Apr 9, 2017 at 3:01 PM Post #18 of 130
Yes I have. The PanAm is a very nice match with both the GH1 and GH2. I have the full stack with battery and upgraded power supply, both worthy options in regards to the sound of the amp.

The GH2 also works well with the TEAC HA-501, Mad Ear HD Plus and Schiit Valhalla. Still have a few more of my amps to try.


Could you talk about sonic differences between the GH1 and 2? I used to have RS1i, GH1 and RS1 with buttons. I miss the sound of RS1i the most but could not stand that the trebles were too hot and fatiguing. Thanks.
 
Apr 23, 2017 at 11:26 AM Post #19 of 130
I am planning to do a better review of the GH2 soon, however, I can start with a mini-review first.
 
After 100 hours of breaking into the Grado GH2 in my Audio GD NFB-12.1 Dual WM8781 Amp/DAC and my newly arrived FiiO X5 3rd Gen with the A5 Portable Amp, I can say that the GH2 has taken Grado into a different direction of sound, which I liked very much.  I was very disappointed on the early run RS1e (no bass, not the biggest fan of the highs) when compared to the RS1i that I owned in the past.  The GH2 to me was what I was hopping for when I purchased the RS1e a few years ago.
 
Some of the points of the sound of the GH2:
 
*The Highs are tamed, it is like they adjusted it slightly so it doesn't sound too hot on the top. 
*The Mids are still Grado, Forwarded Mids with a little more soundstage, but it seems like you are sitting in the third row (where with Grados I feel like I am sitting in the first row).  Could be veiled, but I kind-of like that sound. 
*The Lows are actually there with this Grado.  More low-end response from the RS1e and my current cheap SR225e pair.  This helps with tracks where you are focusing on the bass guitar or even electronic music beats.  However, bass-heads will still be disappointed since the GH2 won't overpower you with low end.  While I like more low end with my music, too much of it hurts my ears.   
 
All in all, I found the GH2 to be a very smooth headphone, with the highs tamed a bit and better low end response.  I'll have more details on another date. 
 
May 11, 2017 at 5:31 PM Post #24 of 130
I just got a used pair of GH2's today. My immediate opinion is that there is too much mid-bass muddying up that end of the spectrum. My listening chain is jRiver-LH Labs GO2a-Moon Audio Silver Dragon-Objective2-GH2. Using jRiver, I eq'd them at 170hz -2.5db and that, at least to me, fixed the mid-bass issue. Mind you, without EQ, they don't sound bad. Many would love them the way they are. Just not me and my ears. It's early in the game, however.

One cup has a slight blemish where they missed with the wood stain. Grado is infamous for this sort of thing. You just say 'Oh Grado, you scallywags, there you go again' and just go on loving the brand.

I have on hand a pair of vintage Grado RS2's. When compared with the GH2's, the RS2's are leaner and quicker sounding. The GH2's aren't as fast. Without any EQ, the bass on the RS2's is tight and goes deep and can kick when called upon to do so. The RS2's have a Moon Audio Blue Dragon cable on it, which also helps taming the highs just ever so slightly bit. The upgraded cable is probably helping to tip the scales in the RS2's favor.

No hate posts about cables making a difference, please.

The GH2's have been burned in over 100 hours. I'll keep listening to them and if I come up with any other aural observations, I will post them.
 
May 11, 2017 at 7:04 PM Post #26 of 130
Just from listening to my GH1 w/G cushions (and loving it) I bet the GH2 would benefit even more with G cushions due to the overall bass presence. I'll try it out soon.
The G cushions tones the bass down on the GH2. I don't actually think I can go back to the L cushions now. I tried and thought it sounded boomy with the L's, which is weird since I didn't feel that it was boomy at all when I first got the GH2s. I need to do more testing.
 
May 11, 2017 at 7:47 PM Post #27 of 130
The G cushions tones the bass down on the GH2. I don't actually think I can go back to the L cushions now. I tried and thought it sounded boomy with the L's, which is weird since I didn't feel that it was boomy at all when I first got the GH2s. I need to do more testing.
I'm not surprised you like the GH2 w/G. I also feel their is too much bass with the L which bleeds into the mid-upper frequencies as I've mentioned before on The Grado Fan Club.
 
May 11, 2017 at 9:46 PM Post #28 of 130
I'm not surprised you like the GH2 w/G. I also feel their is too much bass with the L which bleeds into the mid-upper frequencies as I've mentioned before on The Grado Fan Club.

I totally agree...I was gonna pick up a pair of GH-2s, but now methinks I'm good with what I have. I'll continue to go "Grado-less" for the time being.
 
May 21, 2017 at 1:31 AM Post #29 of 130
I for one didn't mind the boomness of the GH2, it works quite well for electronic music and albums with a focus of the bass guitar. Also, the GH2 works well at times when taming bright highs. In my honest opinion, this Grado pairs quite well with the GH1 that I also own. Currently I use the GH1 for Rock while I use the GH2 for bass focus albums. I use the L-Pad for both cans.
 
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May 26, 2017 at 7:30 PM Post #30 of 130
Burning my new Gh 2s in now, and I have to say Im really liking the signature of these. Using stock cable and Schiit Joutenheim amp right now. Ill hook it up to my Burson in a week or two. Probably have about 20 hrs on them. I also just ordered a set of the Zonk G cush pads and will post results after i get them. If i don't like the Zonks I'll buy some Original Grado g cush. Ive heard very little reviews of these with g pads. Thought it might be interesting . This is my first pair of Grados, I've listened to them in the past, just never bought any. Im comparing them to my Focal elear, and Shure 1840s. Fun stuff.
 
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