[WarriorAnt]

Quote:

Thanks for the kind words, guys. I like that combo too. It was interesting to see someone walk up and put on some cans, get an enthused look in their eyes, and then start reading the specs and realize that what they were listening to was a kit. There is this moment of uncertainty that appears in some expressions, "oh no, I can't do that!"
 
I assure you that just about anyone can do it. Hopefully we can get more of you guys to try out a soldering iron in the coming year.

What is a good kit for a novice to start with?
 
 

 

[john57]

At the Bottlehead web page the Crack OTL is the easiest to build. Bottlehead puts a rating on how much effort or experience you need to built the versions amps that they sell.

 

[Audio Addict]

If anyone is interested, Playback just released their first report on CanJam at RMAF:
 
http://www.avguide.com/blog/can-jam-rmaf-2011-report-part-1?utm_campaign=Weekly+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-248&utm_content=Playback+Reports+on+Can-Jam+RMAF+2011,+PSB+Imagine+Mini

 

[JIGF]

This guys look nice. They were at RMAF this year, did any of you get a listen?

 

[craiglester]

Quote:

Did anyone listen to the Grado PS 500? 

I did.. wasn't impressed at all. I cannot recall what they were connected to, but they didn't sound good to me at all.. Stylistically they reminded me of the Head-F1 2, but didn't sound as good as the pair I had. Might have been the amp but they just seemed a bit flat sounding. I'd be interested if anyone else heard them, what they thought?
 

 

[barleyguy]

Quote:

I did.. wasn't impressed at all. I cannot recall what they were connected to, but they didn't sound good to me at all.. Stylistically they reminded me of the Head-F1 2, but didn't sound as good as the pair I had. Might have been the amp but they just seemed a bit flat sounding. I'd be interested if anyone else heard them, what they thought?
 

I listened to them on my own portable rig (iRiver optical to iBasso D10).  I actually liked them.  They seemed a little more airy than most Grados, maybe halfway between a Grado and a Sennheiser.  They were a little bass light to my ears.  Though it was a 10 minute listen in a noisy room, so all I can say is that I liked them enough that I'd be interested in another listen in better conditions.
 
Whether I'd be at all interested in a pair though depends on price.  I liked all of the orthos as well as the Beyer T70 better, so the PS500 would need to be in the $300 range for me to be even curious from a purchasing perspective.
 

 

[saisunil]

for $1000 plus or minus once can get top class orthos ... of course they demand serious amplification - but they raise the bar above the conventional phones ...
Orthos are more neutral sounding in general but some people may like the house sound of - let's say grado and also it depends on the genre of music one prefers to listen ...
 
If PS 500 are more like HF-2 (which I expect them to) then it is good news for those who missed out on limited edition HF-2 but disappointing for those who did not care for HF-2 sound ... also HF-2 had a demand cause they were limited edition ... more people wanted a piece of that pie ... so HF-500 with higher price and non-limited edition nature may not be an attractive offering for most head-fiers on head-fi ...
 
Cheers

 

[Maxvla]

PS500 and HF2 sound absolutely nothing alike.

 

[Radio_head]

Absolutely nothing alike or just not as similar as some would have you believe?  

 

[MorbidToaster]

Well they are Grados... 

 
Quote:

Absolutely nothing alike or just not as similar as some would have you believe?  

 
 

 

[Maxvla]

Absolutely nothing alike or just not as similar as some would have you believe?  

To me the PS500 is somewhat like taking a HD650 and applying a bit of a Grado curve to it, but not too much. The HF2 is unlike anything I've ever heard. Piercing harsh upper mids/treble. It's like the typical Grado sound to an extreme. Really bad. You can see the notes from my listening to both headphones by clicking the link in my sig.

 

[purrin]

 
Quote:

To me the PS500 is somewhat like taking a HD650 and applying a bit of a Grado curve to it, but not too much. 

Isn't that called an HD558/598? 

 

 

[Maxvla]

Isn't that called an HD558/598? 

Somewhat, yes. I thought about posting that, but with the HD598 a relatively new phone I thought not enough would know it's characteristics so I went with the HD650 + some Grado curve.

I would say the HD598 and PS500 are similar in quality overall. To my tastes the HD598 is the better phone.

 

[barleyguy]

Quote:

Somewhat, yes. I thought about posting that, but with the HD598 a relatively new phone I thought not enough would know it's characteristics so I went with the HD650 + some Grado curve.
I would say the HD598 and PS500 are similar in quality overall. To my tastes the HD598 is the better phone.

That's why I thought that the PS500s are "halfway between Grados and Sennheisers".  I do think the HD598 has better bass definition than the PS500, though I didn't compare them side by side so I'm going by memory.
 

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

To me the PS500 is somewhat like taking a HD650 and applying a bit of a Grado curve to it, but not too much. The HF2 is unlike anything I've ever heard. Piercing harsh upper mids/treble. It's like the typical Grado sound to an extreme. Really bad. You can see the notes from my listening to both headphones by clicking the link in my sig.

Are you sure those where HF-2s? Or at least un-modified? I would classify the HF-2s the "darkest"...i.e. least bright Grado can I've owned (SR60/SR125/SR225i/SR325is/RS1/RS1i) and still quite a bit less bright than the GS1000s and PS1000s.