[WilliamLeonhart]

hello head-fiers, would like to ask you for your help/comment.
I could get PS500 "NOS" for €499,--. The new PS500e would be a €629,--.
Are the €130 worth to invest and to go with the PS500e?
(€499,-- is already very hard for me to spend)
Many thanks!

The ps500 ain't bad, and I don't think the extra 130 eur is necessary. You can try both and decide for your self. I do feel that the e can be a bid harsh for some people, including me

 

[muzic4life]

Wow, I have the PS500e coming. They were supposed to be here today, but I guess it's going to be Monday. Now I'm worried about the mids. I've been researching HP for weeks and felt the 500s would be better than the 325s because they cost more. I can't afford the PS1000 or GS1000.

Hi there,
My apologize if my post making you feeling down (dont be), i really do hope u will maximally enjoy your ps500e. They are a lovely cans too All i said is purely based on my own experience. I believe each one of us will have a different opinion about our grado. I do like both, ps500e abd 325e. But for me, i still prefer 325e. Bcos of the mids. I feel like the mids on my 325e is more firm. More bodied. Compared to 500e. And overall sound, i feel like 325e is more balance compared to 500e. The 500e, imo, is softer and mellower compared to 325e. More bass too. But i found the 500e mids could have been a bit thicker to get a better match with its bass. Both are very good at imaging performance. But i do find the 325e has more speed, more accurate, and more realistic to the music. So this is the reason why i choose 325e over ps500e.

The ps1ke and gs1ke, based on my own experience, they do have a very good imaging still, and also able to create more room inside my head, which to me i found it quite pleasant to enjoy and gives me another experience from a grado siganture. That is why i consider these both, to be my fav amongs grado line.

Cheers.

 

[stacker45]

Wow, I have the PS500e coming. They were supposed to be here today, but I guess it's going to be Monday. Now I'm worried about the mids. I've been researching HP for weeks and felt the 500s would be better than the 325s because they cost more. I can't afford the PS1000 or GS1000.

 
I've never heard the PS500e, but I have heard the PS500, and I think that they are the most forgiving model in the Grado lineup.

 

[waxdoctor]

 
Hi @waxdoctor, I was just in Vienna with my Family for Christmas, beautiful!
 
I have the e and absolutely love it, from the comments of others, I believe the bass is superior and it is more neutral in its presentation versus the original. 

Hi Wildcatesare1, I am glad that you like Vienna
Thank you very much for your help on the PS500!

 

[waxdoctor]

The ps500 ain't bad, and I don't think the extra 130 eur is necessary. You can try both and decide for your self. I do feel that the e can be a bid harsh for some people, including me

Thank you so much - the problem is, this store does not want  to open them up to give them a try - its not a headphone store. but the fact that "e" can be a bit harsh helps me

 

[chailee80]

Thank you so much - the problem is, this store does not want  to open them up to give them a try - its not a headphone store. but the fact that "e" can be a bit harsh helps me

You'll be fine with either model, they both sound great so it all depends how much you are willing to spend. I wouldn't say the e is any harsher, just a little more refined and balanced overall.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

You'll be fine with either model, they both sound great so it all depends how much you are willing to spend. I wouldn't say the e is any harsher, just a little more refined and balanced overall.

Must be burn-in then. I auditioned the PS500e at a shop and currently owns the original. When I listened to the e, the bass was there - of all the Grado family only the PS500 line has that bass, but the upper mids and trebs sounded clearly harsh and unrefined - not even the iGrado was that bad, as far as I can remember.
 
I successfully ordered the SR40. But then they didn't expire as fast as I thought... Seems Grado won't ever release the SR40e (or 'a' or 'u' or 'o' for that matter).

 

[waxdoctor]

You'll be fine with either model, they both sound great so it all depends how much you are willing to spend. I wouldn't say the e is any harsher, just a little more refined and balanced overall.

thank you!

 

[chailee80]

Must be burn-in then. I auditioned the PS500e at a shop and currently owns the original. When I listened to the e, the bass was there - of all the Grado family only the PS500 line has that bass, but the upper mids and trebs sounded clearly harsh and unrefined - not even the iGrado was that bad, as far as I can remember.

I successfully ordered the SR40. But then they didn't expire as fast as I thought... Seems Grado won't ever release the SR40e (or 'a' or 'u' or 'o' for that matter).

I definitely wouldn't class my pair as harsh or unrefined. Do you know what they were plugged into?

 

[waxdoctor]

Hi there,
My apologize if my post making you feeling down (dont be), i really do hope u will maximally enjoy your ps500e. They are a lovely cans too

All i said is purely based on my own experience. I believe each one of us will have a different opinion about our grado. I do like both, ps500e abd 325e. But for me, i still prefer 325e. Bcos of the mids. I feel like the mids on my 325e is more firm. More bodied. Compared to 500e. And overall sound, i feel like 325e is more balance compared to 500e. The 500e, imo, is softer and mellower compared to 325e. More bass too. But i found the 500e mids could have been a bit thicker to get a better match with its bass. Both are very good at imaging performance. But i do find the 325e has more speed, more accurate, and more realistic to the music. So this is the reason why i choose 325e over ps500e.

The ps1ke and gs1ke, based on my own experience, they do have a very good imaging still, and also able to create more room inside my head, which to me i found it quite pleasant to enjoy and gives me another experience from a grado siganture. That is why i consider these both, to be my fav amongs grado line.

Cheers.

hi, please can you comment on the bass of the 325e? thank you!

 

[jaywillin]

 
hi, please can you comment on the bass of the 325e? thank you!

fast, tuneful , nicely extended, not bloated , in other words, great 

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

I definitely wouldn't class my pair as harsh or unrefined. Do you know what they were plugged into?

It was iFi. The store was doing iFi promotion and iFi was everywhere. I also tried the GS1k and PS1k and did not come home satisfied.

 

[HPiper]

 
Thank you so much - the problem is, this store does not want  to open them up to give them a try - its not a headphone store. but the fact that "e" can be a bit harsh helps me

It is true the E can be a bit sharp. Now the older i vesions would mellow out quite a bit with a considerable amount of burn in (100 hrs minimum). I am hoping the E does too but I am not any where even close to that figure yet. I am counting on them still doing the same as before. I have also found that the harshness has a great deal to do with the recording as well. The 325is and E do not tolerate poor recordings at all. The 500 is supposed to be better in that area.

 

[HPiper]

 
hi, please can you comment on the bass of the 325e? thank you!

I think the bass is now by far the best quality of the 325e. It was good before but they took it to a whole other level now, both in quantity and quality. The very first thing I said when I put my 325e on was , 'Holy cow, where did all that bass come from."

 

[HPiper]

I think everyone familiar with Grado knows that at least prior to the E series, the Grado's required an unusually high amount of burn in before they would start sounding their best. Has anybody had their E series long enough to tell if that is still true or not. I am thinking at least 100+ hours of use, has the treble smoothed out significantly or anything like that?