[campj]

  I did exactly the same only did the opposite at the end.  Sounds like the 500s would be a match for you.

So why did you end up liking the 325 more than the 500?

 

[bbophead]

 

  I did exactly the same only did the opposite at the end.  Sounds like the 500s would be a match for you.

So why did you end up liking the 325 more than the 500?

I found the 500 to have just a little more mid-bass than the 325i which already has a slight emphasis.  I listen to quite a bit of classical piano and the bass seemed just that much too much, but, it was a close call.  I was O.K. with both on the highs but the 500 is definitely less bright.

 

[campj]

Cool, thanks

 

[Elmambo]

Disclaimer: As you will read/see I'm not a "reviewer". These are just my impressions from the past three days. I hope you find them interesting.

I know peeps will want to know how the PS500 compares to the HF2, RS2, RS1, etc. I don't know these models, never heard them. I have some experience with the GS1000 but don't have them on hand to compare. Let's do some pics first.



The JMoney headband is on the 325is.

















So there you have the comparo pics. I like the matt gray finish on the 500's but I like the silver on the 325is, too. Not too nit-picky about those sorts of things.

When I first did some listening, I was underwhelmed by the PS500. I fell into the trap of thinking about double the price of the 325is and expecting, foolishly, a night and day diff. Nope, they're both Grados. Oh, and BTW, they both come in the same high-end pizza box.

I was disappointed initially. I wanted that extra 300 bucks to whack me up side the head, instead, it gently massaged my brain/ear apparati for more of the subtler pleasures. Oh, I ran them both out of the Ming Da (pictured) with a 15' Grado extender and a Grado Y adaptor so I could get a sense, pretty much instantly, of the diffs between the cans. Why did I use the Ming Da instead of the Peachtree Nova below it, I don't rightly know. Maybe I just like to gaze at the magic tuning eye rectum fire gizmo tube. Is there a better reason?

Right off the bat, the 500's sound a little bit louder, which surprised me, an uneducated guess would be plus1-2db which kind of tends to make it sound better. You know the drill in the hi-fi store (remember hi-fi stores?), the louder speaker almost always sounds better somehow. BTW, the 325is have about 300 hours (a wild guess) on them and the 500's about 6, so hardly burned in but since there's been some interest in this can, I thought early impressions were better than none, doncha know. The 500's sound warmer, there's a little more (I kept thinking all the time that "little" was a word that came to my mind frequently) low-mid bass but without the thump that the 325is can exhibit. Mids were of a finer texture on the 500's, imagine rubbing your thumb and index finger together, that kind of fineness, and there seemed to be a bit more separation of instruments and I got a little(!) better sense of the hall on acoustic recordings. Incidentally, I'm an acoustic/fusion jazz and classical incl opera snob. I'd list the recordings but I think most head-fi readers don't listen to this stuff. No biggie. With the 500's that goldarned 2.5k peak that makes the 325is a little(!) harsh seems to be gone. As you by now have guessed, the 500's are a keeper although I think 495 would be a little fairer that 595. But, I paid, I got. Thanks to Mark Lyon of Audio Systems in Austin for emailing me immediately that they had come in. I drove up the next day (60 miles) and he advised me to go ahead and take them home on trial and get a good listen in the quiet of my stereo room. (Yeah, I have a "stereo room", actually it's a stereo building, no, not two buildings, one building with stereo equipment in it, and no computer in there, just listened to red book ceedees, didn't even trot the vinyl out, yet.) It was an excellent suggestion since a brick and mortar establishment can be a bit noisy, ehh?

Well, think I'm done. Hope readers find this .... whatever ...... helpful, interesting, infuriating .....

Chow

 

[Elmambo]

Once a flood life throws you a straight ball and today I caught mine. After 3 months of cheshire cat satisfaction with the Grado 325e's curiosity got the better of me and a websearch of the 500's demanded a listen. At the same time i came across a 'like new' pair of 500e's for ahem...£200. Too good to be true and a 3 hour round trip were my reasons not to but I took the plunge anyhow. (Pristine condition and hard case thrown in too!!)

Test tracks; (Played through Audiolab Mdac Plus and Fiio x5ii)
Yello - "On the run" (Perhaps their finest piece, Afro Cuban fury!)
Lindsay Buckingham "Great Day" (Sonic brilliance)
Elton John "Are You Ready For Love" (cheesy but nice 70's vibe)
Robert Palmer "Every Kinda People" (Works every time I hear this)
Steel Pulse "Handsworth Revolution" (Great test for range)
Eagle "Lligai" (Quite possibly made for Grado's)
Guy Garvey "Courting the Squall" (Feel the bass and delicate mids)
Buika "Sueno Con Ella" (Open, precise and emotive)
Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudsi "Wasakara" (Simply gorgeous presentation)
Robert Hohner "La Bamba" (Timing and rhythm)
Toto "Africa" (Old favourite that never fails to please)

(L cushions with electrical tape mod) Switching between the two it's immediately obvious that the 500's are slightly louder. But that's not all. There's a warm, subtle lift in the bass department. Not sloppy at all but full and energetic. Mids that are out of this world - they are truly spectacular and the star of this product.. The high end has been panned on these for being too bright. There's no escaping that they are 'up there' but not in a way that I found harsh or unpleasant. They are definitely doing different things from the 325's but in a way that I find way more engaging. That lower end warmth and wider frequency response is so totally noticeable....
500's - Frequency Response: 14 - 29,000 hz
325's Frequency Response: 18 - 24,000 hz

I find the 500's significantly more engaging and user friendly. They are more open and transparent than any other pair of cans I have ever had the pleasure to audition (Buika track good reference). They seem to hold onto every detail and place it exactly where the engineer hoped it would land. Interestingly, they are toted as being good cans to mix down music with studio wise. They are definitely not 'neutral' but rather pure, pure Grado loveliness.

I notice the drivers are housed in hard wood casings and set in the metal outer housings. This might be why there is noticeably more warmth than the 325's. As far as I am aware, the drivers themselves are higher spec so perhaps taking both those on board you would expect more. As a test I threw some G cushions on the 500's and they sat well together in a way that the 325's didn't. No need to eq or add any volume either which was a pleasant surprise.

Just switched between the two and no mistaking the difference. More 500e poise, finesse and pure musicality. Professional? Absolutely.

Holy cow, if these are not even burned in then even greater things await!