[colgatetotal]

   
I tried the SR60e and loved it so much but not sure whether the SR80e or the SR225e would be best for me. I really enjoy the in-your-face sound, makes it stand out like a sore thumb from everything else I own. 

 
225e. Going from pads to bowls makes all the difference. You can get the 60e + bowls, but the 225e driver is tuned for a bit of extra bass to compensate for the bass leakage with the bowls. At least, that was the case with the 60i + bowls I tried.

 

[xylin6]

Quote:

  my biggest problem with grado headphones were the ease of damaging the cable with how the cans earily twirl and twist the cable, and the inability to easily replace damaged cables. E series appears to still have this problem, so not going to get any unfortunately.

 
Quote:

   
I completely agree with this statement. I have an original pair of SR-80s that developed a short in the cable when they were about 5 yrs old. I put them in a drawer and let them sit for another 5 yrs before having them repaired and giving them to my daughter. Then there's the infamous comfort issue. I really couldn't wear them more than about 45 minutes without discomfort.
 
I think Grados sound fantastic and would love to own something higher up in their line, but not until they completely redesign the housing and cabling. Something like a Sennheiser 6xx with Grado drivers would get my attention.

 
I had my Grado SR60i recabled from GradoLabs last year after they took 5 years of abuse and was very pleased with the fact they only cost $25 to recable (including return shipping) and I had them back in eight days. I believe the SR80i would cost $40 to recable, but definitely would be worth the price.though as you've already had yours repaired  I just wanted to suggest (for both of you) and anyone else with the same issue that there is also the option of adding rod locks to keep the rods/gimbals from twisting,
 
you can order a 4pack of 18' plated wheel collars which slide onto the rod and can be tightened using the included screws and allen wrench which will prevent the rods and gimbals from moving and twisting the cables http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXK188
 
or if you want to go another slightly more involved route you can drill the rod blocks and install the locks into them as such http://www.head-fi.org/a/adding-rod-locks-to-grado-headphones

 

[joseph69]

   
I had my Grado SR60i recabled from GradoLabs last year after they took 5 years of abuse and was very pleased with the fact they only cost $25 to recable (including return shipping) and I had them back in eight days. I believe the SR80i would cost $40 to recable, but definitely would be worth the price.though as you've already had yours repaired  I just wanted to suggest (for both of you) and anyone else with the same issue that there is also the option of adding rod locks to keep the rods/gimbals from twisting,
 
you can order a 4pack of 18' plated wheel collars which slide onto the rod and can be tightened using the included screws and allen wrench which will prevent the rods and gimbals from moving and twisting the cables http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXK188
 
or if you want to go another slightly more involved route you can drill the rod blocks and install the locks into them as such http://www.head-fi.org/a/adding-rod-locks-to-grado-headphones

Shaft collars do not prevent the the cups from turning 360 degrees, they will only keep the desired height adjustment.  

 

[xylin6]

  Shaft collars do not prevent the the cups from turning 360 degrees, they will only keep the desired height adjustment.  

damn it you're right.(thank you for catching that) -note to self,never recommend mods you've only read about and not tried
now...where is a 'facepalm of shame' emoticon when i need one?

 

[Nada190]

SR80e on the way

 

[joseph69]

  damn it you're right.(thank you for catching that) -note to self,never recommend mods you've only read about and not tried
now...where is a 'facepalm of shame' emoticon when i need one?

No shame, I use these on all of my Grados…the one thing you must be careful of is the end of the set screw (which is very sharp and does not sit flush with the shaft collar) will definitely rip the headband if the cup is turned and shaft collar/set screw tries to pass through the headband.

 

[joseph69]

  The PS1000e are in the house!.
 
Alright  regarding my comment about the PS500, I have been Lucky enough to hear the whole Grado ''i'' line, from the SR60i to the GS1000i, and the PS500 are the only headphones that makes women voices sound chesty.
 
Now, these are my first impressions about the PS1000e. The firrst thing that I noticed is that the 15' extension cable is now the same size as the headphone's cable. wich means it's big enough to be used to boost your car.
 
Second thing I noticed is that they are much less comfortable than my ''old'' PS1000,  The way the new earpads are shaped meant that my ears were touching the drivers. Maybe it's because  I have Grado ears.
 
I started my comparison with female vocals, Sofia Pettersson's version of Hallelujah, and Rebecca Pidgeon's Spanish Harlem, on SACD. The new ''e''  have deeper bass, a smaller soundstage, and a little less treble extension. Not surprising considering that they have bigger drivers, that also portrudes, and are therefore, closer to your ears.
 
Then being the genius that I am , I swapped the pads, and something a. mazing happend, With the old G-cush the ''e'''s drivers weren't touching my ears anymore, so comfort was back. The bass was not as deep and powerful, the soundstage got bigger, and the treble was slightly more extended.
 
With the new ''e'' pads, the old PS1000  played a little louder, had deeper bass, a very slight treble rolloff, and a bit smaller soundstage.
 
If I would have to rate what I just wrote in percentage I'd say that, with their respective pads, it would be, 70% vs 30%, and when the pads are swapped, it becomes 55% vs 45%., very close to the 50% mark.
 
That tells me that, again, the pads play a huge role in the way these two headphones sound. The good news is that you can buy the PS1000e and if they're not comfortable, you can just buy some old G-cush to put some distance between tour ears and the drivers. And if you own the current PS1000, and want to get a different sound from them, you just get some of the new G-cush, and you'll be that much closer to the new ''e'',,'s sound.
 
I will do some more comparison, with different kinds of music, and report back.

Congratulations on the PS1Ke's!
I find your experience with swapping the pads to be very interesting, and really leaves me puzzled!
I would definitely like to hear more about what you think about the (e) series with the previous PS1K (G) cushions, to hear if the difference is mainly in the cushions/drivers…and which model/cushion you prefer with whatever combos you try.

 

[oryan_dunn]

  damn it you're right.(thank you for catching that) -note to self,never recommend mods you've only read about and not tried
now...where is a 'facepalm of shame' emoticon when i need one?
 

Very handy and easy to remember
http://picardfacepalm.com/

 

[stacker45]

Well! so far it's just more of the same, and if I'd have to guess, I'd say that the new pads are mostly responsable for the differences between the PS1000 and the new ''e'' version. And as of now, I'm preferring the new pads with the old PS1000. I'll do some more listening tonight, but if nothing changes, the PS1000e will go back tomorrow, and I'll just have to figure out how to make shure that when I order the new ''e'' G-cush, that's what I'm going to get, and not the old ones.

 

[XLR8]

  The PS1000e are in the house!.
 
Alright  regarding my comment about the PS500, I have been Lucky enough to hear the whole Grado ''i'' line, from the SR60i to the GS1000i, and the PS500 are the only headphones that makes women voices sound chesty.
 
Now, these are my first impressions about the PS1000e. The firrst thing that I noticed is that the 15' extension cable is now the same size as the headphone's cable. wich means it's big enough to be used to boost your car.
 
Second thing I noticed is that they are much less comfortable than my ''old'' PS1000,  The way the new earpads are shaped meant that my ears were touching the drivers. Maybe it's because  I have Grado ears.
 
I started my comparison with female vocals, Sofia Pettersson's version of Hallelujah, and Rebecca Pidgeon's Spanish Harlem, on SACD. The new ''e''  have deeper bass, a smaller soundstage, and a little less treble extension. Not surprising considering that they have bigger drivers, that also portrudes, and are therefore, closer to your ears.
 
Then being the genius that I am , I swapped the pads, and something a. mazing happend, With the old G-cush the ''e'''s drivers weren't touching my ears anymore, so comfort was back. The bass was not as deep and powerful, the soundstage got bigger, and the treble was slightly more extended.
 
With the new ''e'' pads, the old PS1000  played a little louder, had deeper bass, a very slight treble rolloff, and a bit smaller soundstage.
 
If I would have to rate what I just wrote in percentage I'd say that, with their respective pads, it would be, 70% vs 30%, and when the pads are swapped, it becomes 55% vs 45%., very close to the 50% mark.
 
That tells me that, again, the pads play a huge role in the way these two headphones sound. The good news is that you can buy the PS1000e and if they're not comfortable, you can just buy some old G-cush to put some distance between tour ears and the drivers. And if you own the current PS1000, and want to get a different sound from them, you just get some of the new G-cush, and you'll be that much closer to the new ''e'',,'s sound.
 
I will do some more comparison, with different kinds of music, and report back.

Wow,
Very interesting Stacker and many thnx for the detailed reply.
 
Going by your comments and percentages the new e-series is a slight setback on the older Grado series.
I am keen to try the g-cush pads and am still awaiting them to arrive.
 
I can also recommend you try the sennheiser HD414 in reverse quarter mod. I find them exceptional compared to the L-Cush factory Grado pads. They give extra top end detail and open the soundstage compared to stock. I also get the synonymous Grado mid bass thump with them.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  Well! so far it's just more of the same, and if I'd have to guess, I'd say that the new pads are mostly responsable for the differences between the PS1000 and the new ''e'' version. And as of now, I'm preferring the new pads with the old PS1000. I'll do some more listening tonight, but if nothing changes, the PS1000e will go back tomorrow, and I'll just have to figure out how to make shure that when I order the new ''e'' G-cush, that's what I'm going to get, and not the old ones.

Pads? Both my PS1000 and PS1000e had the exact same pads. Sorry, am I missing something?

 

[XLR8]

  Pads? Both my PS1000 and PS1000e had the exact same pads. Sorry, am I missing something?

Yes his post infers there are new pads on the e series.

all part of the new e-series.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  Yes his post infers there are new pads on the e series.

all part of the new e-series.

 
Well, I can confirm that when I owned both the PS1000 and PS1000e (still own) side by side, the pads were identical.  

 

[XLR8]

   
Well, I can confirm that when I owned both the PS1000 and PS1000e (still own) side by side, the pads were identical.  

Yeah well I looked at your post here and they look very similar but the one on the right looks slightly larger but then again it could be my eyes playing tricks on me.
Maybe the version you received was an early e series from the old stock?
 
No idea

 

[gregorya]

Well! so far it's just more of the same, and if I'd have to guess, I'd say that the new pads are mostly responsable for the differences between the PS1000 and the new ''e'' version. And as of now, I'm preferring the new pads with the old PS1000. I'll do some more listening tonight, but if nothing changes, the PS1000e will go back tomorrow, and I'll just have to figure out how to make shure that when I order the new ''e'' G-cush, that's what I'm going to get, and not the old ones.

I had asked Grado about the pads and was told that there was no difference between the "i" and "e" series pads. It seems like reports from the field beg to differ.

I would definitely order an e-series L- Cush to try out, but it sounds like that might be a tricky proposition.