This is where Im at currently. afaik, OAE1 shines in a way that any other headphone can not, so I will be keeping despite my main complaint regarding big-head comfort issues. If OAE1 were limited to 1000 units and nothing else in the future was engineered to have both relatively out-of-head soundstage with extended bass then OAE1 would be legend and used prices would become unnatainable for most, so $350 would be a steal. I listened to other headphones yesterday but missed OAE1’s soundstage presentation so Im listening to OAE1 again.
I'm also in a similar place... I haven't posted any impressions so far because I feel fundamentally conflicted with the Grell.
It's both disappointing and intriguing at the same time. I'm disappointed with its ergonomics, and with its fundamental inability to do a good job resolving detail much of the time. It's just OK in resolution. It's also weirdly dark and bright at the same time, and while there is pretty deep bass it's kind of flabby and definitely lacks in definition. But occasionally it sounds simply fantastic (maybe 15% of the time), and its headstage is very interesting.
Recording quality and genre also make a difference... I tried some Bach piano sonatas with Glenn Gould, I also didn't think the piano sounded right. It has sounded good with electronic music and some current Reggae, but not so good with some older rock recordings. I feel like the Grells sound pretty great 15-20% of the time, just OK maybe 50%, and not good or worse about 30% of the time, IDK... YMMV and all that.
It needs a good deal of power, and positioning on the head is crucial. I've yet to dive into EQ'ing with it, so I've been using it as is. It was also an oddly disorienting listen at first, I felt like it sounded out of phase or had too much cross-feed applied. I checked both, and used my trusty Stereophile test CD rip to make sure all was set correctly, and it was. It takes some "brain burn it" to adjust to it I think.
From what I've read in this thread trying to use this with a dac/dongle will result in disappointment, and even a 1W amp is most likely not enough. I've used it with mostly the Flux FA-10 Limited, and to a lesser extent the Nitsch Pietus Maximus, and while it sounds good on both I think the Flux is a better pairing as it more resolving, and has a bit more treble forward tuning.
Several people have mentioned using these with a Lyr+ or Lyr 3, both of which should sound excellent with the Grell (and most headphones), as they have a Schiit-ton of power, and both amps sound great! The Pietus Maximus is also a very good match, it does help bring up the mids on the Grell and has a very pleasing tonal balance overall.
I also had connector issues at first in spite of all the warnings about it!
Push to click really applies here!
I only briefly tried the Grell on the DSHA-3, as I just got a 4.4 to 4 pin XLR adapter (thank you to all who gave me suggestions for one). While the OAE1 sounds marginally best on this amp, I don't feel the headphone "scales" enough to really make a lot of difference what amp (or DAC) you use beyond a certain point. I generally prefer a multibit/R2R type of DAC, and something like a Modi Multibit or Bifrost 2 paired with an equivalent amp should sound great with it, among many others.
TLDR;
The Grell OAE-1 is a worthy effort, and I appreciate the thought and design put into it. I think it looks good, and is of pretty high quality for its price. I definitely would want to see more extension for the arms, and less clamp pressure. The overall look and package is very nice, though the SE cable is a disappointment. From the product description it sounds like both cable are comparable in materials and construction, but they are not. The balanced cable is clearly of higher quality.
Would I recommend the Grell OAE-1? Probably not, as it currently is. If someone is looking at this vs a Sennheiser 600/650/6xx, I think those are a better choice. What they do well, they do much better than the Grell. Yes, the Grell has better bass, and a much bigger/wider soundstage, but tonally it sounds off. The HD 600 series have a much more realistic presentation of what the music sounds like than the Grell.
I will also mention the DCA/Drop Aeon RT/X line, which when on sale would be close(ish) in price to the Grell. Again, they are more resolving, and have a more musically realistic sound (to me anyway) than the Grell.
I will probably keep mine anyway, as it is an interesting design. The only other "ear speakers" I know of are the Raal and the MySphere, but I've not heard either. But I'm still undecided...
What I'd like to see in an OAE-2: bigger cups, more extension and less clamp pressure, a more resolving driver, and a smoother, less wonky tuning. I kind of view the current OAE-1 as a late beta, or a late release-candidate if it were software.
Almost there, but not quite!
