[stacker45]

CanadianMaestro, funny you should say that you have to bite your tongue, regarding XERO's comment about the LCD-2 having a ''puny soundstage'', because I felt the same way after reading your comment where you say that ''for half the price the LCD-2 kick the PS1k's tail by a mile''. Also unless I'm mistaking the LCD-2 doesn't cost $850.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  CanadianMaestro, funny you should say that you have to bite your tongue, regarding XERO's comment about the LCD-2 having a ''puny soundstage'', because I felt the same way after reading your comment where you say that ''for half the price the LCD-2 kick the PS1k's tail by a mile''. Also unless I'm mistaking the LCD-2 doesn't cost $850.

stacker, good to hear from you. I was referring to Xero's remark that his LCD-2 sounded "harsh" as well as the "puny SS". I've never heard an LCD-2 sound harsh; smoothness is its strength to a fault.  Price: I had paid $950CAD after taxes for LCD-2, in-store special. PS1000 costs $1795 before GST here. Close enough to double.
 
cheers,

 

[MacedonianHero]

 
That's not my experience.  The sound stage of the RS-1i is bigger than the LCD-3 and significantly bigger than the LCD-2.  Most orthos have small to medium sized sound stage.  The LCD-3 is the only one that I have heard that offers more than that.

Yeah, that's simply not correct based on my experiences of owning all the headphones mentioned here. The PS1000s have larger sound staging than the RS1i/LCD-3/2. But put a few watts into the LCD-3s and their imaging is considerably better than the RS1i's (which is not their strong suite either).

 

[stacker45]

Damn quote that doesn't work, anyway, Canadian Maesstro, even though I oubviously prefer the PS1000 to the LCD-2/3, I couldn't agree more about the LCD-2 being very good sounding headphones, that beign said, I would never say that they kick the PS1000's tail,
 
By the way, the PS1000 retail for $1695 in my neck of the woods, and I paid  $1462 CAD before taxes for my PS1K, and the LCD-2 were retailing for $1195 at the Montréal Hi-Fi show, that's far from double, Audeze has made a few ''reviews'' with the LCD-2, so, at  $850 with taxes, perhaps you've bought a demo pair of the former version.

 

[KG Jag]

 

 
That's not my experience.  The sound stage of the RS-1i is bigger than the LCD-3 and significantly bigger than the LCD-2.  Most orthos have small to medium sized sound stage.  The LCD-3 is the only one that I have heard that offers more than that.

Yeah, that's simply not correct based on my experiences of owning all the headphones mentioned here. The PS1000s have larger sound staging than the RS1i/LCD-3/2. But put a few watts into the LCD-3s and their imaging is considerably better than the RS1i's (which is not their strong suite either).

I own them all too, so we'll have to agree to disagree.  The GS1000i has the largest sound stage of any Grado (haven't heard most of the e's yet though). 
 
At about $2,000 the LCD-3 is a whole different universe than the RS-1i

 

[MacedonianHero]

 
I own them all too, so we'll have to agree to disagree.  The GS1000i has the largest sound stage of any Grado (haven't heard most of the e's yet though). 
 
At about $2,000 the LCD-3 is a whole different universe than the RS-1i

I would agree that the GS1000 has a wider sound stage over the LCD-3s (as does the PS1000e), but sorry, the RS1i has an overly collapsed soundstage (part of its charm methinks) and no where as close to the LCD-3s on my GS-X Mk2/BDA-2.  

 

[stacker45]

The biggest soundstage of any Grado that I have heard is that of the GS1000 non''i'', from what I have read, some people complained to Grado, that the RS1's soundstage wasn't wide enough, so he built the GS1000, then some people complaine that the mids were too recessed, a consequence of having a wide soundstage, they then came out with the GS1000i wich had a slightly less recessed midrange, but also had a slightly narrower soundstage than the first gen GS1000.
 
Notice I said SOME people complained, I don't want every RS1 owners to be P.O at me.

 

[Claritas]

I don't think the somewhat recessed mids on GS1k results from the improved soundstage. I think they retuned the driver.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

with the LCD-2, so, at  $850 with taxes, perhaps you've bought a demo pair of the former version.

 
No, sealed box with Audeze tape, LCD2.2 from Cali. My dealer is a pro musician (symph orch) who takes really good care of his long-time customers (3 yrs now). For him, the sale is secondary to customer satisfaction.
 

x 1000
 
 
Just listened to Grimaud's "Emperor" on BHA-1 and HD650. The warmth of the 650 suits piano and orchestra very well, especially in pieces with lots of crescendos like the "Emperor"'s first mvt. Highly recommended, a lyrical pianist with passion and intellect in abundance.
 

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  but sorry, the RS1i has an overly collapsed soundstage (part of its charm methinks) and no where as close to the LCD-3s on my GS-X Mk2/BDA-2.  

 
agree. not always a bad attribute. I always go for loudspeakers if I want max realism and soundstaging, anyway.
 
gettin' late, time to drift off into the neural ether......

 

[whirlwind]

 

 
I own them all too, so we'll have to agree to disagree.  The GS1000i has the largest sound stage of any Grado (haven't heard most of the e's yet though). 
 
At about $2,000 the LCD-3 is a whole different universe than the RS-1i

I would agree that the GS1000 has a wider sound stage over the LCD-3s (as does the PS1000e), but sorry, the RS1i has an overly collapsed soundstage (part of its charm methinks) and no where as close to the LCD-3s on my GS-X Mk2/BDA-2.  

 
This is exactly as I see the RS1 sound stage.....pretty narrow.....but textured really well when paired with the mad and the right tube....and i agree , that it is one of the RS1's charms

 

[Loving[MAX]Sound]

   
This is exactly as I see the RS1 sound stage.....pretty narrow.....but textured really well when paired with the mad and the right tube....and i agree , that it is one of the RS1's charms

 
Although narrow, instrument separation is still there. I find that with some albums/genres the RS1i to be better than the GS1000's, because the bass is not as resonant and does not overtake the the higher frequencies. Depends on taste though.

 

[stacker45]

Claritas, like you said, they might have retuned the drivers, but I don't believe that this alone can do the trick. A few years ago I read an interview, in wich John Grado stated that you can't have an intimate midrange, and a big soundstage. That's why the RS1 for exemple, wich have L-cush, also have an intimate midrange, also have a narrowish soundstage, and it's also why the GS/PS1000 both of wich have G-cush, also have a wider soundstage, and more recessed mids. Pretty logical, if you ask me. You can't have the impression of siting in the 10th row, and expect the signer to be wispering in your ear.
 
Altough we can't have our cake, and our glasses of milk, we can, to a certain extent, cheat,  by swapping pads, that's a great thing that I think that after a while, we start taking for granted. I have swapped the comfies, for the TTVJ flats on my SR80i, and I also swapped the comfies for the L-cush on my Bushmills X.

 

[neverdien]

Hi guys,
I'm gonna receive my RS1e soon, and after swimming through this threat, it still confused me about its soundstage.
Does the soundstage narrower because of the depth of the new cup or just because of the new pads?? And anyone tried G-cush on the new RS1e??

 

[Claritas]

Claritas, like you said, they might have retuned the drivers, but I don't believe that this alone can do the trick. A few years ago I read an interview, in wich John Grado stated that you can't have an intimate midrange, and a big soundstage. That's why the RS1 for exemple, wich have L-cush, also have an intimate midrange, also have a narrowish soundstage, and it's also why the GS/PS1000 both of wich have G-cush, also have a wider soundstage, and more recessed mids. Pretty logical, if you ask me. You can't have the impression of siting in the 10th row, and expect the signer to be wispering in your ear.

Altough we can't have our cake, and our glasses of milk, we can, to a certain extent, cheat,  by swapping pads, that's a great thing that I think that after a while, we start taking for granted. I have swapped the comfies, for the TTVJ flats on my SR80i, and I also swapped the comfies for the L-cush on my Bushmills X.

Maybe--I'll have to think about it more. In any case, it's interesting. (The only exception I can think of is K501, one of those exceptions that proves the rule.)