[macdevign]

  When i first read about the "e" series Grado's....I was so pumped up about the RS1e having bigger drivers...I was all in for one.
 
Man, they have been nothing but disappointing.....I really wish they would get it sorted.

Which is exactly my thought. Having bigger  driver than ps500e and rs1i, and more efficient driver than rs1i, I expect a sound that is no less stellar than those headphones but what I heard to me is like $200 headphone (aside from its superb clarity). One question I ask myself while testing any headphone is "Does this sound good to me ?" without regard to the company name, and secondly "Does it sound like it worth its price ?" and lastly "How does it sound compare to its previous generation and closest siblings ?.   To me, 325e and ps500e pass with flying colors but I can't say the same with rs1e especially it cost much higher.  It just that once you put them and switch among them, you know something disappointing with rs1e.
 
I actually expecting rs1e to sound like "ps500e with warmer tonality" due to its wooden enclosure. One thing that immediately strike me with ps500e over ps500 is bigger holographic sound  better clarity and instrument separation. It is like 325e and ps500e are giving more than enough space room to play their sound but rs1e is playing in a constrained room.
 
But all hope is not lost as Grado may continuously to refine their products over time while retaining the same model number. Already someone mention about improved driver location (further from the ear)  for rs1e so I keep my fingers cross.

 

[chailee80]

So, today I found out the speakers on my model are switched from left to right!

Sent them an email, awaiting reply.

My ps500e's had the same issue. They ended up sending me a brand new replacement pair.

 

[sinnottj]

So, I've spent a couple of weeks with my new 225e and I must say I'm very impressed!
 
Grado have really tweaked the sound for the better, as far as I'm concerned: more body to the bass & less strident highs. A
more balanced & authoritative sound overall, while still retaining all the things that make a Grado so musical and engaging.  
 
The balance between left/right is absolutely spot on, the best I've experienced with a Grado. (I might just have got lucky here and have a pair with a particularly well-matched pair of drivers, of course ...)
 
My only negative is that they've done nothing to improve the build, particularly the cable. The sections from the cups to y-split are still made from that horribly inflexible plastic that never seems to 'sit' right for me. A little more padding in the headband would be appreciated, as well

 
That said, I think these are easily the best sounding Grado I've owned, and that includes the RS1i.
 
In fact, I'm already thinking of upgrading, maybe to the RS2e

 

[Wildcatsare1]

 
Which is exactly my thought. Having bigger  driver than ps500e and rs1i, and more efficient driver than rs1i, I expect a sound that is no less stellar than those headphones but what I heard to me is like $200 headphone (aside from its superb clarity). One question I ask myself while testing any headphone is "Does this sound good to me ?" without regard to the company name, and secondly "Does it sound like it worth its price ?" and lastly "How does it sound compare to its previous generation and closest siblings ?.   To me, 325e and ps500e pass with flying colors but I can't say the same with rs1e especially it cost much higher.  It just that once you put them and switch among them, you know something disappointing with rs1e.
 
I actually expecting rs1e to sound like "ps500e with warmer tonality" due to its wooden enclosure. One thing that immediately strike me with ps500e over ps500 is bigger holographic sound  better clarity and instrument separation. It is like 325e and ps500e are giving more than enough space room to play their sound but rs1e is playing in a constrained room.
 
But all hope is not lost as Grado may continuously to refine their products over time while retaining the same model number. Already someone mention about improved driver location (further from the ear)  for rs1e so I keep my fingers cross.

Haven't heard the RS1e, but when I was discussing the choice between these and the PS500e, Todd at TTVJ strongly pushed me to try the 500 first. After reading Ya'lls impressions and now listening to the 500e's, Todd steered me in the right direction. I am loving these HP's, smaller soundstage than my 560, but it is proportionally correct, with outstanding clarity and imaging, very musical.
 
Plus, they are super easy to drive, filling the exact niche I was looking for, a semi-portable HP for listening away from my desk, in a full size HP (just don't like iem's).
 
Thank you all for your advice, impressions and shared experience, I am loving my first Grado experience since the late '80's, these are a tad better than my old SR80's.

 

[rage3324]

Maybe I missed this, but how would you compare the PS500e and RS1i? Does the alessandro MS Pro land in the middle of these?

 

[KlarkKentThe3rd]

My ps500e's had the same issue. They ended up sending me a brand new replacement pair.

After about 24 hours, and receiving the official reply, I decided to simply wear them backwards.
 
Because when worn backwards, the headband is farther back, and with the way my head is shaped, now the fit is perfect, and the (°_°)phones don't want to slide off anymore.

 

[joseph69]

  Maybe I missed this, but how would you compare the PS500e and RS1i? Does the alessandro MS Pro land in the middle of these?

Again, the MS-Pro is equal to the RS1, but with a less aggressive sound, mellower/toned down/not as forward.
From everyones impressions, the 500's have the darkest tone and most bass…2 different flavors. 

 

 

[stacker45]

 
Which is exactly my thought. Having bigger  driver than ps500e and rs1i, and more efficient driver than rs1i, I expect a sound that is no less stellar than those headphones but what I heard to me is like $200 headphone (aside from its superb clarity). One question I ask myself while testing any headphone is "Does this sound good to me ?" without regard to the company name, and secondly "Does it sound like it worth its price ?" and lastly "How does it sound compare to its previous generation and closest siblings ?.   To me, 325e and ps500e pass with flying colors but I can't say the same with rs1e especially it cost much higher.  It just that once you put them and switch among them, you know something disappointing with rs1e.
 
I actually expecting rs1e to sound like "ps500e with warmer tonality" due to its wooden enclosure. One thing that immediately strike me with ps500e over ps500 is bigger holographic sound  better clarity and instrument separation. It is like 325e and ps500e are giving more than enough space room to play their sound but rs1e is playing in a constrained room.
 
But all hope is not lost as Grado may continuously to refine their products over time while retaining the same model number. Already someone mention about improved driver location (further from the ear)  for rs1e so I keep my fingers cross.

 
They keep fiddling with this and that, while keeping the same model numbers, that's the problem.
 
If you order a pair of, say, RS1e, how will you know, if the pair that you'll recieve will have the ''corrected'' driver position. (wich, by the way, looks a lot like the way that the ''old'' Grado drivers were mounted)
 
And that goes for all the differences we've seen so far, different earpads, cable terminals, headband color, i with e drivers.
 
If the turkey's not cooked, don't serve it,  leave it in the oven, and wait till it's done.
 
On a more positive note, yesterday I was getting aquainted with the new pair of Voshkod tubes that I installed on my Little Dot 1+. I listened to ''Best Audiophile Voices Vol III'' on CD, with my beloved Bushmills, and I still couldn't believe how good these sound.
 
Just for fun, for the last song, I switched from the Bushmills, to my new SR80e, and aside from the fact that the Bushmills sounded slightly smoother, they sound very sililar.
 
I think that the Bushmills have a very good price vs performance ratio. And if someone is able to buy them at, or even a little over retail, they would still be getting they're money's worth.
 
The SR80e are ridiculesly good for the money, and I love them.
 
Even if Grado is all over the place these days, I still think that if you buy Grados from the SR serie, you're pretty safe. But if you're buying a pair from the RS, GS, and PS series, and have to order them online, make sure that the seller has a good return policy, just in case. 

 

[XLR8]

'i' series - improved
'e' series - enhanced
? - ?

 

[stacker45]

  'i' series - improved
'e' series - enhanced
? - ?

 
Instead of calling it the e, for enhance serie, they should have called it the F, for F_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  serie

 

[macdevign]

   
They keep fiddling with this and that, while keeping the same model numbers, that's the problem.
 
If you order a pair of, say, RS1e, how will you know, if the pair that you'll recieve will have the ''corrected'' driver position. (wich, by the way, looks a lot like the way that the ''old'' Grado drivers were mounted)
 
And that goes for all the differences we've seen so far, different earpads, cable terminals, headband color, i with e drivers.
 
If the turkey's not cooked, don't serve it,  leave it in the oven, and wait till it's done.
 
On a more positive note, yesterday I was getting aquainted with the new pair of Voshkod tubes that I installed on my Little Dot 1+. I listened to ''Best Audiophile Voices Vol III'' on CD, with my beloved Bushmills, and I still couldn't believe how good these sound.
 
Just for fun, for the last song, I switched from the Bushmills, to my new SR80e, and aside from the fact that the Bushmills sounded slightly smoother, they sound very sililar.
 
I think that the Bushmills have a very good price vs performance ratio. And if someone is able to buy them at, or even a little over retail, they would still be getting they're money's worth.
 
The SR80e are ridiculesly good for the money, and I love them.
 
Even if Grado is all over the place these days, I still think that if you buy Grados from the SR serie, you're pretty safe. But if you're buying a pair from the RS, GS, and PS series, and have to order them online, make sure that the seller has a good return policy, just in case. 

 
Agreed that it is confusing for potential buyers who are not sure if they are paying for the headphones with the updated changes and also may not seem fair to existing owners who paid for the same product but not with updated changes.  Unfortunately this is reality of life.  To understand, small companies like Grado has a dilemma. The e series is just introduced few months ago so it is essentially a  very new product line. On one hand it is a new product and the other hand they have to make incremental improvement upon many feedback. It is unlikely that Grado will quickly come out new model to fit the issue because it is not their way of doing things, and also doing so will mean product recall with financial consequences (etc shipping back cost, admin cost, selling at discount etc) and not to mention a dent in customer and retailer trust. Judging from the previous release to current e model, it takes more than 4 years to introduce the replacement products. So we can either wait for another few years before they fit the issue with another replacement model or they can do so as and when they seem fit.  I rather they rectify the issue before there is  more negative feedbacks surface. Taken positively it shows that they are listening genuinely for feedback to improve their products. In fact Grado has been doing incremental changes all this while like in case of changing the driver enclosure of ps1000 from matte to chrome surface and probably others as well , only for the public to discover the changes. Besides it is the same for other headphone vendors like hifiman,  Audeze (who change from vertical headphone cable connector to angled connector for lcd2, and changing of headphone case). So potential buyers will just have to do their own due diligence in reading up headfi to keep abreast of the latest changes to headphone when they paying so much for the headphone.
 
Sound signature is subjective so it is  difficult to "If the turkey's not cooked, don't serve it,  leave it in the oven, and wait till it's done.". What sounds good to Grado may not sound good to others. It is only when the products are put on the market that they are really put on the test and that is when company start to monitor their reception and make adjustment based on number of similar feedback (or complaint). Good thing to me is that Grado still has the golden ears as I feel that the e series on the whole sound remarkable only the rs1e need better sound improvement to justify its price and position compare to its siblings. In this case, some may like Grado's voicing and comfort for rs1e but some may not, it is only when there is enough voices with reasonable feedback that they find it good enough to warrant the changes.
 
If Bushmills is any indication of successful experiment, won't be surprised that Grado will launch closed-back headphones in the future. 

 

[HPiper]

Wondering if anyone has had the chance to listen to both the GS1000i and the GS1000e and if so could you tell me what you think of the two and most importantly, is the E greatly improved over the i or is it hard to tell the difference.

 

[borrego]

According to information gathered from the Chinese headphone forum, RS1e with tan color headband will all have the drivers mounted lower in the cups. So potential RS1e buyer can look/ask for a RS1e with tan color headband.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

   
They keep fiddling with this and that, while keeping the same model numbers, that's the problem.
 
If you order a pair of, say, RS1e, how will you know, if the pair that you'll recieve will have the ''corrected'' driver position. (wich, by the way, looks a lot like the way that the ''old'' Grado drivers were mounted)
 
And that goes for all the differences we've seen so far, different earpads, cable terminals, headband color, i with e drivers.
 
If the turkey's not cooked, don't serve it,  leave it in the oven, and wait till it's done.
 
On a more positive note, yesterday I was getting aquainted with the new pair of Voshkod tubes that I installed on my Little Dot 1+. I listened to ''Best Audiophile Voices Vol III'' on CD, with my beloved Bushmills, and I still couldn't believe how good these sound.
 
Just for fun, for the last song, I switched from the Bushmills, to my new SR80e, and aside from the fact that the Bushmills sounded slightly smoother, they sound very sililar.
 
I think that the Bushmills have a very good price vs performance ratio. And if someone is able to buy them at, or even a little over retail, they would still be getting they're money's worth.
 
The SR80e are ridiculesly good for the money, and I love them.
 
Even if Grado is all over the place these days, I still think that if you buy Grados from the SR serie, you're pretty safe. But if you're buying a pair from the RS, GS, and PS series, and have to order them online, make sure that the seller has a good return policy, just in case. 

So you mean the Bushmills are not that much of an improvement over the SR80? I'm very curios about those closed Grados, but here in Singapore I don't think I will ever get the chance to audition them.

 

[jaywillin]

  Wondering if anyone has had the chance to listen to both the GS1000i and the GS1000e and if so could you tell me what you think of the two and most importantly, is the E greatly improved over the i or is it hard to tell the difference.

i found the "e" to be a significant improvement for me
mids more present, up front, but the greatest improvement was made to the treble, smoother, refined, but still grado in every sense of the word !