Shoot, with your budget, I say go for the gold! The Grado GS-1000s sound better out of an iPod, EQ off, than most people will ever realize with their home sound systems (OK, folks here aren't most people). Yes, my HeadRoom Micro adds to the experience, but really, the main reason I use the Micro...

X3. No having to worry about batteries, and so ridiculously easy to tote. Qualities range from "this'll get ya by for 3 - 7 hours" to, "wow, this is friggin' nice," which is a range I'm not aware that the active noise-cancelling 'phones provide.

Quote: Originally Posted by woopididi congratulations on your new GS1000! does the SQ justify the 1K$ price? Heterodoxical is it may sound, I'd venture this: If all you have is an iPod and $1,000 to burn, and you want the best sound possible, bypass the amps and the mid-range...

Great post by the OP, and great responses, even by those not inclined toward these cans' sound. I agree that the treble can be shrill, the bass overpowering -- not only initially, but upon extended listening. To a point. And then, these phones seem to mellow, and then the clarity is...

This reply may seem kinda random, but here goes... So far as the Shures seeming uninvolving, I can think of two things that might be contributing to this impression. One, if you're used to full-sized headphones, IEM's may have a hard time measuring up. IEMs pump sound directly into your...

Quote: Originally Posted by Amras How does the 580 compare with the 595? I did a quick search online and the 580 seems like it's in the $140-160 used, $180-200 new, range- Wouldn't the 595 be a better deal at $180 new? Believe me, you're preaching to the choir when it comes to...

I liked both my super.fi 5's and super.fi 5eb's (although the latter I returned because I want full sound isolation from an IEM, and the eb's are ported [sound leaks in as the open design extends the bass]). But when I got my e530's, I had no IEM worries. The clarity of the s.f 5's with the bass...

Grados aren't for everyone. Some find them too brash, and between their comfort and mom'n'pop build quality, they can be quirky. But those who love their sound can become quite enthusiastic (one of my nicknames for my wife is "Grado widow" ). I'd say you'd be doing yourself a favor to see if...

Quote: Originally Posted by Mindless GS1000 is definately musical and the soundstage is vast. X2. Plus more than enough detail at low volumes to satisfy one's analytical side, methinks. Note that loud listening is likely to become quickly fatiguing, but for me that's plus, as I...

Quote: Originally Posted by kelvinz The Grado GS1K interest me but from what I've read they are not across the board better than the K701's. I dunno -- in this price range, I think it's more about finding a sound sig that you like rather than one being "better" than the other...

OK, I laid the bait in Tyll's thread announcing the '07 Micro line, but nonebody's taken it, so I'll try, try again. I have an '06 Micro w/Desktop upgrade, and between you and me and the teeming masses in their entirety, I love it to pieces. Despite my humble source (5.5g iPod), between my...

Quote: Originally Posted by Torula Yeast Regarding The Sloth's and Ty's suggestion that if I upgrade in the Micro line, I should leapfrog past the Micro Home and go straight for Micro Max: Recently I read in the amps forum that the benefits of the Max, if I'm understanding correctly...

Quote: Originally Posted by earwicker7 No, you aren't crazy. I smelled the magic myself A lot of the aroma is picked up by the salad bowls. I ordered a spare pair of these cushions, and they quite exuded the woodsy scent. Verra nice.

Quote: Originally Posted by HelmutKohl thanks for the reply! infact being the only reply do you think earbuds can't match the quality of sound made by these portable headphones? Earphones vs. cans is kinda like laptops vs. PC's; you pay extra for the technology that packs all...

Quote: Originally Posted by ilikethetrees I wanted to ask if anyone has good advice about keeping those pesky cheap headphones from dying because of cable failure. I just bought a pair of Shure e3c's and I don't want to go through them in six months like every other headphone I've...

Haveta say, I almost get a kick outta Grado's email responses. Laconic near to the point of being haiku-like. I recently poured my heart out, concerned about a specific build issue, and got back, "Sorry. Sometimes things happen. Return them to us. The quality will be there." Made me wanna...

Quote: Originally Posted by ghezbora I need a second set of headphones to keep at school. Constraints:Must be open Reasonably small is important, it needs to fit in my locker and allow space for books Does NOT need to be rugged enough to survive backpack transport, it will stay at...

Quote: Originally Posted by GiR Thats a good possibility, but then, do they need an amp to get the good sound out of them. I dont wanna get the 'better' ones, and then get worse sound because the player im using can't make use of them properly, Also the Clix2 doesnt have a seperate line...

I just rec'd my new pair of GS1000s, and I can only *wish* my pair had a minor cosmetic blip, like missing buttons (the GS1k, of course, have no buttons, and I prefer the simple black mesh). But instead, I had the left driver unit fall off the connecting rod in the headband as I lifted them out...

Coupla late thoughts... Because of the ear's natural tendency to protect itself from loud noises, whenever I enounter a noisy boo-boo when listening to headphones -- say, I bump the gain setting or the volume knob and get a loud earful -- I always give my ears a brief respite to recover...

Am I the only one that thinks that a speaker that rests on - or better, off - the ear produces a more satisfying sound because it's how we were designed to hear? The individually unique pinnae in our ears, if ya think about, may offer each of us our own "sound signature" in how the sound is...

Quote: Originally Posted by vcoheda i think it depends on the quality of the rig. on a high-end setup, i believe most people who are audiophiles would hear a difference. Didja read the article I linked to? That was some fancy-@ssed equipment they were usin', and 256 files were...

Heh - I was just reading an article about this mere moments ago, then I see this thread. Talk about timing. Seems a few years back a German hi-fi mag brought in a dozen golden-earred sharpies to listen to 128, 256, and original files on some pretty muckety-muck equipment, including Orpheus...

Thanks, y'all, for weighing in. Sorry to stir up the source/amp/hp discussion again, as I know there's a thread addressing that matter. But my I was curious about my rig in particular. Sounds like I can't lose bumping up to the GS1k's and taking it from there, other than some people...

Quote: don't mind bland icky food for the rest of your life, then more power to you. Gotta take exception to that. I *don't* subsist on a bland diet. I know how to cook, I know how to use spices and seasonings, and I only eat food I adore. Hell, I'm trying to lose some weight right...