[dweaver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berlioz /img/forum/go_quote.gif While I'm still a student and have only worked at relatively unskilled jobs, I have never been allowed to wear earphones while working.

I think you may be experiencing jobs where headphones are not a good idea for that type of work. It is not uncommon in jobs where your focusing like the lady in the picture is to wear earphones or headphones while working. I am in the IT profession and I wear earphones to block out outside sound and concentrate on my work. Now having said that I don't listen to distracting music while I do this but music that helps me stay focused.

 

[TwoTrack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sakhai /img/forum/go_quote.gif I like Grado headphones and all, but there's something to be said about quality products. I know we want superior sound, but that does that mean it has to come at the expense of other things? Is is so wrong to ask for both quality sound and a solid build? Perhaps if Grado upgraded their WWII gear, they could build their headphones more efficiently, cut costs, and charge their customers a lower price. Imagine what it'd be like if the GS1000 costs us $600, the RS1 $350, etc. Modern machinery are more efficient. There's no denying that.

I have been using Grados for ten years and I have never had a quality problem. Several friends have them and have not had a problem. I don't see any evidence they are an inferior product.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvrboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I never understood why Grado had those factory pictures on its webpage. They don't make me feel better about owning Grado headphones, they make me feel worse..... I supposed to be impressed by these?

Don't ever eat in a restaurant.

Wow, yet another thread to bitch on Grado. Well done. Have at it one more time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry I think Sennheiser's look a toy, lots of moulded plastic, cheaply made, no design or character to it. Much like a budget Japanese car dash board.

And cost only $1400!

 

[Sakhai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoTrack /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have been using Grados for ten years and I have never had a quality problem. Several friends have them and have not had a problem. I don't see any evidence they are an inferior product.

You may have to look outside your own world here. A sample size of 4 or 5 isn't enough. Do a simple search and you'll find all the things that have gone wrong with their products. Look at the near flawless presentation of the iGrado's. Mass manufacturing made it look highly appealing.

I'm a big Grado fan too. They sound amazing, but that hardly excuses sloppy presentation.

If Grado upgraded their machines, perhaps they can make the same quality products for less. I would love to see the GS1000 retail for $600.

 

[wang228]

I'm wondering whether the senn pics are really representative of the actual assembling process. I'm a working scientist, and the real lab bench never look quite like what they portray in magazines/advertisements.

 

[tvrboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beagle /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't ever eat in a restaurant. Wow, yet another thread to bitch on Grado. Well done. Have at it one more time.

I usually don't respond to comments like these but........

First, why do you have a problem with people saying negative things about Grado? Last time I checked that is the way capitalism works. Consumers complain about products they don't like. Either those products are changed, or the company goes out of business. We would be doing Grado a huge disservice if we didn't point out their every flaw. Seriously.

Second, just because we don't like these pictures doesn't mean that we hate everything Grado. I bought a Grado brand new because I wanted it, in spite of everything bad about it. Personally I think the build quality is an insult to its customers, but I still bought it, and have recommended Grado to many people here. Like I said, it's our duty as consumers to point out flaws in products. Grado headphones are not some holy grail that we are lucky to be allowed to buy. It's just a product like anything else.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

I wanted to add, the hd800 is far from a "perfectly built" headphone based on my firsthand experiences with two different pairs, evident by minor imperfections here and there, squeaking, etc.

I've come to accept this but it's not like because of the fancier production techniques and facilities that they are by default built any better.

 

[gevorg]

Guess in what conditions Stradivari made his instruments? Its all about the sound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pkshan /img/forum/go_quote.gif [img]http://www.head-fi.org/forum... [/td] [/tr] [/table] Earbuds? Major FAIL!

 

[jwbrent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvrboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I never understood why Grado had those factory pictures on its webpage. They don't make me feel better about owning Grado headphones, they make me feel worse..... I supposed to be impressed by these?

I agree. The Sennheiser pics give you a sense of competence where the Grado pics look like they could be in a garage.

I've had lots of experience with most models of the Grado line and have even owned a few. Their sound is top notch and the people behind the company have a great story, but the build quality is not consistent and the tiny details are sometimes ignored. Now with that said, I am picky about the details in build quality, more so than most. If you care primarily about the sound quality and aesthetics/build are not as important, you can't go wrong owning their product.

 

[cwilson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pkshan /img/forum/go_quote.gif C£ô£ò£ì ¡Ü Z -¥¢¥ó¥É¥¥- Grado vs Sennheiser ¥Ø¥Ã¥É¥Û¥óÀ½Â¤É÷·Ê Vietnam army vs German army?

These pics make me think that John to be the winner of profit earning against all his rivals. I don't find any John's heavy investment on the capital from the pic.

 

[tenzip]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gevorg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Earbuds? Major FAIL!

I'm pretty sure I've read about this particular picture before, and it's not headphones/earbuds, it's a phone bud with the microphone on the cord.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sakhai /img/forum/go_quote.gif I like Grado headphones and all, but there's something to be said about quality products. I know we want superior sound, but that does that mean it has to come at the expense of other things? Is is so wrong to ask for both quality sound and a solid build? Perhaps if Grado upgraded their WWII gear, they could build their headphones more efficiently, cut costs, and charge their customers a lower price. Imagine what it'd be like if the GS1000 costs us $600, the RS1 $350, etc. Modern machinery are more efficient. There's no denying that.

Let's examine this thought a bit.

If Grado is using a WWII lathe, I guess I don't see the problem. The equipment built in that era was built to last much longer than the majority of crap built these days. As long as the current equipment will hold the tolerances required, how can it be "better" to use more accurate equipment?

As far as the cost, and efficiency, you are completely wrong, and right. It would be more efficient to buy a CNC lathe and milling machine with a robot arm to load/unload/transfer the parts between the raw stock conveyor belt, the machines, and the unload conveyor belt. All very clean, with a programmer standing by to make changes between different models.

The problem arises, of course, with the cost of these shiny machines. Exactly how many of these headphones do you think they make each year? If they were making several thousand a month, it might, and I stress might, make sense to buy these machines. Last time my company bought a CNC lathe, milling machine, and the robot arm to load/unload/transfer, I think the bill was just a bit over $1.5 million. Grado would take 25 years or so to service that loan, I think. It doesn't make sense any way you look at it.

I've worked for a big company that was $10 billion or so/year, and now I'm working for a little company that's about $10 million or so/year, and even if we don't have the sterile, spotless facility with lab-coated workers standing by shining machines, the product produced is of the same quality, and in some cases, I think, better.

The first product the company I work for now made was a reel-to-reel copy machine, that would copy a master tape to 6 tapes. It was the standard for many years. The facility it was made in would probably make you pass out. No running water or toilet facilities, no A/C, busy railroad track 6 feet from the side of the building. When I say building, I use the term somewhat loosely. It was a quonset building. The company next door made porta-potties, and they gave one to us when they found out that there wasn't any toilet. All the equipment, lathes, milling machines, press brakes, etc., really was WWII surplus equipment.

I find it quite amusing that people judge the quality of the product by the environment it was made in.

 

[Sakhai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gevorg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Guess in what conditions Stradivari made his instruments? Its all about the sound.

What century was this?

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

The Grado pics look like they are a small-scale operation. Something for people who care about sound first, and pretty marketing pictures second. The photos appear to show the operation as it's run. That looks honest to me.

 

[spahn_ranch]

The first time I heard a pair of RS-1, old buttoned, I did briefly wonder what the Grado factory looked like and the images that popped up weren't far off from these pictures. I was so impressed with the sound, that I immediately came to think of the world renowned luthier shop I once worked at as a helper; a little place with let's say no particular resemblance to the Senn floor.

 

[Sakhai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenzip /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm pretty sure I've read about this particular picture before, and it's not headphones/earbuds, it's a phone bud with the microphone on the cord. Let's examine this thought a bit. If Grado is using a WWII lathe, I guess I don't see the problem. The equipment built in that era was built to last much longer than the majority of crap built these days. As long as the current equipment will hold the tolerances required, how can it be "better" to use more accurate equipment? As far as the cost, and efficiency, you are completely wrong, and right. It would be more efficient to buy a CNC lathe and milling machine with a robot arm to load/unload/transfer the parts between the raw stock conveyor belt, the machines, and the unload conveyor belt. All very clean, with a programmer standing by to make changes between different models. The problem arises, of course, with the cost of these shiny machines. Exactly how many of these headphones do you think they make each year? If they were making several thousand a month, it might, and I stress might, make sense to buy these machines. Last time my company bought a CNC lathe, milling machine, and the robot arm to load/unload/transfer, I think the bill was just a bit over $1.5 million. Grado would take 25 years or so to service that loan, I think. It doesn't make sense any way you look at it. I've worked for a big company that was $10 billion or so/year, and now I'm working for a little company that's about $10 million or so/year, and even if we don't have the sterile, spotless facility with lab-coated workers standing by shining machines, the product produced is of the same quality, and in some cases, I think, better. The first product the company I work for now made was a reel-to-reel copy machine, that would copy a master tape to 6 tapes. It was the standard for many years. The facility it was made in would probably make you pass out. No running water or toilet facilities, no A/C, busy railroad track 6 feet from the side of the building. When I say building, I use the term somewhat loosely. It was a quonset building. The company next door made porta-potties, and they gave one to us when they found out that there wasn't any toilet. All the equipment, lathes, milling machines, press brakes, etc., really was WWII surplus equipment. I find it quite amusing that people judge the quality of the product by the environment it was made in.

Lets get an opinion of someone who runs these companies you work for. Someone who's in charge of determining the cost/benefit decisions of corporations. I'm not convinced by any guessing done by someone who works for a major company. Fortune 500 companies hire how many blue collar workers?

Would you be more convinced if people judged the product not by the environment that it was built in, but by the actual product itself? Perhaps, spill over glue here and there. Chips and dents on the metal casing of headphones, perhaps. Such defects are very rarely present at any retail store. There aren't many ways mess up a headphone, and customers have loyally given Grado infinite leeway. Short of putting a sledge hammer to the product, idolizing customers will be happy.

Is it too much to ask for good workmanship?