[j14mp]

Own both. Gs1000i

 

[jbarr1989]

I have owned both and would personally recommend the Gs1000 as well. I actually prefer them over the PS1000 and they are easily my favorite HPs Grado offers at the moment. Never understood why they get so much negative feedback around here.

 

[j14mp]

I have owned both and would personally recommend the Gs1000 as well. I actually prefer them over the PS1000 and they are easily my favorite HPs Grado offers at the moment. Never understood why they get so much negative feedback around here.

I think it's because some people rely too much on graphs rather than feel and sound. They are skewed by a review before they listen and the effect dominos. Then again, some may really love the lcds. None of us hear the same though. Matter of fact, I use smaller ear pads on my gs1ks which some would burn me for, but it's how I like to listen. Also, the gs1ks sound great plugged into anything. I used to complain about LCD comfort, but I tried them with the microfiberish pads... Oh man..

 

[Canadian411]

I have owned both and would personally recommend the Gs1000 as well. I actually prefer them over the PS1000 and they are easily my favorite HPs Grado offers at the moment. Never understood why they get so much negative feedback around here.

 
I was a big fan of Audeze LCD2.x and my ears improved over the years (or got old, lol)., 
I prefer GS1000 over LCD2 or even LCD3,x,xc etc.
 
When I a/b ed both GS and PS I found PS had much cleaner details, GS sounded bit dark compare to PS IMO.
I will get both if I have the money,
 
and ...
 
WHAT IS WRONG with Grado jacking up the price every time I see on Amazon !
 
PS used to be $1299. now $2000+ ????

 

[rgs9200m]

Grado GS1000e is my strong preference. It's a sweet, live, dynamic phone with solid bass and direct satisfying mids. It's very much a non-planar experience. There is no glassiness to these phones, no curtains between your ears and the music. I sold my LCD2s (but now have LCD3s).

 

[cpetrillo]

I would like to add that if you listen to vocals and acoustic at low volume the GS1000 and a tube amp can be a magical combination. The GS1000 is also a featherweight with almost no clamping force which makes it very comfortable to me.

 

[jrflanne]

I gave LCD-2's at home and GS 1000's at the office. The LCD's are more sensitive to source I think. I have them hooked up to a pretty good DAC and amp (Gungnir and Valhalla2). I'm thinking about getting a different amp and moving the Valhalla to work. Although they sound different, I really enjoy both of them and wouldn't replace one with the other.

 

[jrflanne]

Oh, and as a shameless plug, I really like what Grado (for a long time), Audeze and Schiit are doing. All make just top notch products. After years of buying ear buds, I blew $400 on some GR10's and they are great. Small, light, comfortable, sound. These are three great companies. Hope Audeze finds who stole their stuff.

 

[HPiper]

I have owned both and would personally recommend the Gs1000 as well. I actually prefer them over the PS1000 and they are easily my favorite HPs Grado offers at the moment. Never understood why they get so much negative feedback around here.

Really quite simple, they are made by Grado.

 

[HPiper]

   
I was a big fan of Audeze LCD2.x and my ears improved over the years (or got old, lol)., 
I prefer GS1000 over LCD2 or even LCD3,x,xc etc.
 
When I a/b ed both GS and PS I found PS had much cleaner details, GS sounded bit dark compare to PS IMO.
I will get both if I have the money,
 
and ...
 
WHAT IS WRONG with Grado jacking up the price every time I see on Amazon !
 
PS used to be $1299. now $2000+ ????

That is because you are looking on Amazon. Why they do that is beyond me because you can buy them anywhere else for a lot less.

 

[HPiper]

I much prefer the LCD2.2 to any Grado made. There is really no comparison at all. You name it and the Audeze does it better.

 

[UNIF]

Never have liked the GS1000 that much personally, I like the PS1000e, PS500 and RS1 buttoned though. I'd take an Audeze over any of them though myself.

 

[jrflanne]

Well, one vote I can give the LCD2's, Motown. Toned down the hot, defined bottom, yeah, when Diana sounds good, she is good.

 

[drdrmike]

Hello All -- 
 
This is my first Head-Fi post... I've appreciated all of your help in my research on where to spend my money so I thought I'd pay it forward with my own experience.
 
I've had Grado SR125s for a decade or more and then a couple of years ago got the headphone bug and couldn't shake it, so researched and picked up the AKG 702s, recabled with Cardas and run through a NuForce HDP.  I've been super happy with this combination which I've kept in my office playing mostly 16/44 flacs of a wide range of music -- classical, jazz, electronica, rock.
 
The problem was my home listening was gravitating to headphones as well and I just had the old Grados plugged right into the iphone playing the same files streamed over iPeng.  So, I decided to move the office system home and shop for a new amp/headphone combination.  Here follows my odyssey.  
 
First up was the Marantz HD DAC -1 with the Grado PS1000s vs. Audeze LCD-2.2F.  I liked both 'phones, but found that after 30 or 40 min I began to have some fatigue with the Grados; that sandpaper on the ear drum feeling.  The Audeze's I can listen to for hours w/o fatigue.  I'd read that the PS1000s could be a bit bright and that the Grado GS1000 was the winner of the Grado line, so I returned the PS1000s and got the GS1000s.  I have the same problem with them.  
 
The things I really like about the Grados are an excitement to the sonic presentation and pretty good sound staging.  But, there is a bit of a boomy upper bass that you notice eventually and then that low grade hash that finally drives me away.  I think I'm going to take the Grado GS1000s back as well, but I do have a warm spot in my heart for them for some reason I can't quite peg.  I like the simplicity of the design, the beautiful mahogany chambers around the drivers.  But really the sound is in the same family as the SR 125s.  The latter have a narrower sound stage and a bit less detail, but still have that immediacy.  NB  All the phones are are well broken in -- each are "used/demo" and then I ran them for 48 hrs over the weekends while I was away to make sure.  
 
So, what about the Audeze's besides that they are non-fatiguing?  Well, they're just really uncolored from the very deep bass through the lower treble.  I have read about the "dark" description of the sound and seen the measurements of the phones that show the roll off from ~3000 Hz on up.  For my ears, I still hear plenty of treble.  The low level information and dynamics are just gorgeous.  To my ear, what I miss most with the Audeze is the big sound stage I got spoiled with from the AKG 702s.  Particularly with orchestral music, the scope of the hall and large ensemble are not nearly as good.  The Audeze stage is pretty much btw the ears.  The Grados (both) have them beat there, but if that is an important feature for your headphone experience, I'd encourage you to listen to the AKGs which have a miraculously wide and nuanced sound stage.
 
A bit more on these 'phones, though it may be off thread.  Had I never heard another 'phone, I would have died content.  I would still say they are better 'phones than the Grados -- again b/c they are also utterly non-fatiguing.  I can listen to them all day without noticing any discomfort to my ear drums.  Their treble is a bit more pronounced than the Audeze but not as much so as the Grados and the bass rolls off a bit in comparison to the Audezes, but it is natural sounding.  No upper bass hump to fool you (for a while anyway) like the Grados.  There is a smoothness and unveiled quality that the Audeze's bring to the music that I would never have missed in comparison to the AKGs if I'd never gone looking for other headphones.  But now that I've heard it, I can't let these 'phones go. 
 
Comfort:  A big factor for all of us.  All these phones are physically comfortable.  The AKGs are the most comfortable of the four. They're pretty light for a big 'phone and adjust easily.  The pads are firm but soft velour.  The Audeze are the most isolating of the four and really encase your ears.  These are heavy phones, but I only notice the weight when I put on something else.  No neck strain or slumping of the phone out of position.  The Grado G cush pads used with the GS and PS 100s provide a space btw the driver and my ears and are pretty comfortable to wear.  I picked up a off-brand pair for my old Grado 125s for $8.99 (ebay) and they improve the comfort of these phones and give me that Grado immediacy that I like.  But again, I can only stand these phones for about an hour before the fatigue sets in.  The only thing about the Audeze that gets me sometimes is that the snug fit of the pads somehow causes me to hear/feel my temporal artery pulse which can be distracting.  I carefully bent them out just a bit with some improvement.  
 
Finally, also off thread, but interesting.  I read good reviews of the Marantz HD DAC and in comparison to my NuForce HDP did hear a bit more air and low level detail.  But, it somehow sounded artificial; crisp; disintegrated; distracting.  The HDP had a more legato presentation that I missed in comparison.  I found a Wu Audio WA7 demo and bought that as well tocompare.  With the Wu, I get the smoothness I like in the NuForce and a bit more detail and air.  It is a gorgeous little amp that looks great on the desk.  I am a bit worried that the switch that allows selection of HP amp (RCA in)  vs. passive DAC (with RCA outs to your pre-amp in) vs. HP amp/DAC is going to break one of these days, so be careful if you get this one to treat it nice.  The fit/finish on the Marantz was fantastic and for listeners looking for ultimate sonic clarity/air/detail, this would be the amp to get, I think.  I like a little euphonic distortion in my day-to-day listening (I'm a big vinyl guy and have tubes for my home systems as well...).
 
All that said, if you're on a budget, I think that the NuForce HDP (available used for about $250) and AKG 702 are a fantastic combination for about $500 total.  If you can, I'd recable the AKG.  I was frankly shocked what a big difference this made when I succumbed to my obsession and dropped another $300 on that Cardas cable, but it really was something.  More on that some other time.  Any one want to give me advice on LCD 2.2F cables?  I'm using the Audeze stock cable that was supplied for now and am happy in my current state of ignorance, but if anyone can point to a <$300 replacement cable that will be the same revelation as that Cardas for the AKGs, drop me a line.
 
drdrmike

 

[Canadian411]

  Hello All -- 
 
This is my first Head-Fi post... I've appreciated all of your help in my research on where to spend my money so I thought I'd pay it forward with my own experience.
 
I've had Grado SR125s for a decade or more and then a couple of years ago got the headphone bug and couldn't shake it, so researched and picked up the AKG 702s, recabled with Cardas and run through a NuForce HDP.  I've been super happy with this combination which I've kept in my office playing mostly 16/44 flacs of a wide range of music -- classical, jazz, electronica, rock.
 
The problem was my home listening was gravitating to headphones as well and I just had the old Grados plugged right into the iphone playing the same files streamed over iPeng.  So, I decided to move the office system home and shop for a new amp/headphone combination.  Here follows my odyssey.  
 
First up was the Marantz HD DAC -1 with the Grado PS1000s vs. Audeze LCD-2.2F.  I liked both 'phones, but found that after 30 or 40 min I began to have some fatigue with the Grados; that sandpaper on the ear drum feeling.  The Audeze's I can listen to for hours w/o fatigue.  I'd read that the PS1000s could be a bit bright and that the Grado GS1000 was the winner of the Grado line, so I returned the PS1000s and got the GS1000s.  I have the same problem with them.  
 
The things I really like about the Grados are an excitement to the sonic presentation and pretty good sound staging.  But, there is a bit of a boomy upper bass that you notice eventually and then that low grade hash that finally drives me away.  I think I'm going to take the Grado GS1000s back as well, but I do have a warm spot in my heart for them for some reason I can't quite peg.  I like the simplicity of the design, the beautiful mahogany chambers around the drivers.  But really the sound is in the same family as the SR 125s.  The latter have a narrower sound stage and a bit less detail, but still have that immediacy.  NB  All the phones are are well broken in -- each are "used/demo" and then I ran them for 48 hrs over the weekends while I was away to make sure.  
 
So, what about the Audeze's besides that they are non-fatiguing?  Well, they're just really uncolored from the very deep bass through the lower treble.  I have read about the "dark" description of the sound and seen the measurements of the phones that show the roll off from ~3000 Hz on up.  For my ears, I still hear plenty of treble.  The low level information and dynamics are just gorgeous.  To my ear, what I miss most with the Audeze is the big sound stage I got spoiled with from the AKG 702s.  Particularly with orchestral music, the scope of the hall and large ensemble are not nearly as good.  The Audeze stage is pretty much btw the ears.  The Grados (both) have them beat there, but if that is an important feature for your headphone experience, I'd encourage you to listen to the AKGs which have a miraculously wide and nuanced sound stage.
 
A bit more on these 'phones, though it may be off thread.  Had I never heard another 'phone, I would have died content.  I would still say they are better 'phones than the Grados -- again b/c they are also utterly non-fatiguing.  I can listen to them all day without noticing any discomfort to my ear drums.  Their treble is a bit more pronounced than the Audeze but not as much so as the Grados and the bass rolls off a bit in comparison to the Audezes, but it is natural sounding.  No upper bass hump to fool you (for a while anyway) like the Grados.  There is a smoothness and unveiled quality that the Audeze's bring to the music that I would never have missed in comparison to the AKGs if I'd never gone looking for other headphones.  But now that I've heard it, I can't let these 'phones go. 
 
Comfort:  A big factor for all of us.  All these phones are physically comfortable.  The AKGs are the most comfortable of the four. They're pretty light for a big 'phone and adjust easily.  The pads are firm but soft velour.  The Audeze are the most isolating of the four and really encase your ears.  These are heavy phones, but I only notice the weight when I put on something else.  No neck strain or slumping of the phone out of position.  The Grado G cush pads used with the GS and PS 100s provide a space btw the driver and my ears and are pretty comfortable to wear.  I picked up a off-brand pair for my old Grado 125s for $8.99 (ebay) and they improve the comfort of these phones and give me that Grado immediacy that I like.  But again, I can only stand these phones for about an hour before the fatigue sets in.  The only thing about the Audeze that gets me sometimes is that the snug fit of the pads somehow causes me to hear/feel my temporal artery pulse which can be distracting.  I carefully bent them out just a bit with some improvement.  
 
Finally, also off thread, but interesting.  I read good reviews of the Marantz HD DAC and in comparison to my NuForce HDP did hear a bit more air and low level detail.  But, it somehow sounded artificial; crisp; disintegrated; distracting.  The HDP had a more legato presentation that I missed in comparison.  I found a Wu Audio WA7 demo and bought that as well tocompare.  With the Wu, I get the smoothness I like in the NuForce and a bit more detail and air.  It is a gorgeous little amp that looks great on the desk.  I am a bit worried that the switch that allows selection of HP amp (RCA in)  vs. passive DAC (with RCA outs to your pre-amp in) vs. HP amp/DAC is going to break one of these days, so be careful if you get this one to treat it nice.  The fit/finish on the Marantz was fantastic and for listeners looking for ultimate sonic clarity/air/detail, this would be the amp to get, I think.  I like a little euphonic distortion in my day-to-day listening (I'm a big vinyl guy and have tubes for my home systems as well...).
 
All that said, if you're on a budget, I think that the NuForce HDP (available used for about $250) and AKG 702 are a fantastic combination for about $500 total.  If you can, I'd recable the AKG.  I was frankly shocked what a big difference this made when I succumbed to my obsession and dropped another $300 on that Cardas cable, but it really was something.  More on that some other time.  Any one want to give me advice on LCD 2.2F cables?  I'm using the Audeze stock cable that was supplied for now and am happy in my current state of ignorance, but if anyone can point to a <$300 replacement cable that will be the same revelation as that Cardas for the AKGs, drop me a line.
 
drdrmike

 
 
I was going to say stay away from Audeze due to comfort issue but looks like you have no problem wearing it for long hours.
So Audeze it is for you.
 
For me sound quality-wise Grado PS1000e is few thousands miles ahead of Audezes. Just IMO. And... uh... cable.. I stop upgrading after many many blind test, I found not significant increase in SQ with cable upgrade.  I think it's a scam. Anyways, good luck !