[joseph69]

  I don't have a RS1e yet... didn't notice anything when I tried the one in the store (protruding driver version).

Did you notice this with the PS1Ke being the drivers protrude and the (G) cushions were a bit stretched as well?
I noticed it with my left ear which may stick out further than my right ear, but I don't feel it with the PS1K.

 

[rocketron]

Do the drivers portude on the latest GS1000e or are they flush?

 

[XLR8]

I really feel I need to vent some here.

Honestly, I really feel for those original buyers of the rs1e who were left with sh@t to deal with at a very high cost... Simply not good enough Grado.

And when I asked them via email would there be a revision the resounding reply was NO!

Now the revision comes and hush hush no mention of a recall on the original rs1e release. What are these owners to do?? Hammer it back in??

Yes Grado we realise you have a well branded name and it's synonymous with quality and sound signature... but.... And yes big but... Please be fair to your buyers who don't have access to the true sound signature of a new release model/series.

I wonder if any original rs1e owners out there have since asked Grado to buy back their protruding version in lieu of the flush version?

Honestly, Grado (Jonathan) please pick up your game for the loyal worldwide fans out there.

Peace//

 

[GreenBow]

   
 
Looking at this, it's easy to imagine my smallish ''Grado ears'' touching the RS1e's drivers
 
How about you John' do you have any comfort issues with your RS1e?

I love that RS1e run-down by ruthieandjohn. I am going to have to go put a rep point on that post.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  Did you notice this with the PS1Ke being the drivers protrude and the (G) cushions were a bit stretched as well?
I noticed it with my left ear which may stick out further than my right ear, but I don't feel it with the PS1K.

 
 

Do the drivers portude on the latest GS1000e or are they flush?

The drivers on both the PS1000e and the GS1000e protrude.  The drivers on the PS1000 do not.  
 
The PS1000e pad is indeed stretched out in like manner to the RS1e pad for the 50 mm driver.  Here is a comparison of the height of the cup of my PS1000e (left) and PS1000 (right).  There is a gap between the ruler on the top of the taller PS1000 that shows up above the PS1000e.
 


PS1000e (L) is less tall than PS1000 (R), due to G cush being stretched out a bit on the PS1000e due to its larger driver.
 
In looking at the ft of the L bowl to the driver, the L-bowl edge seems to grab the protruding ridge on the 50 mm driver of the -e series, but grab the edge of the wood cylinder on the 44 mm driver of the non-e series.  Perhaps the headphones were designed with the protrusion to give the L bowl pads something to grab onto, since the diameter of the wood cylinder increased with the 50 mm driver, maybe to the point of being too large for the inner diameter of the L bowl.
 
But then.. what does the L bowl grab on the newer, non-protruding version of the RS1e?  I don't have one of those to check.  Anyone?

 

[Dillan]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Originally Posted by ruthieandjohn /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  The initial RS1e headphone (which I subsequently call the "original RS1e" in my discussion below) sounded markedly different, generally regarded as worse, than the RS1i, RS2, or any of the other Grado headphones.  It had poorer bass and poor treble, with the treble dropping off at about 3 kHz.
 
This plot combines two plots from innerfidelity.com.  The solid red and blue lines are the frequency response of the right and left earpiece of an original RS1e; the dotted line is a tracing I added of the frequency response of the RS1 (original).  You can see the dropoff in the treble of the RS1e.
 

Spectral response of original RS1e (red and blue) vs. RS1 (dotted black line) shows poorer bass and severe treble attenuation of the RS1e above 3 KHz.
 
The RS1e moved from the 44 mm driver of the RS1i and RS1 to the 50 mm driver  also used by the PS1000e and GS1000e.  It was found that the original RS1e had the driver extending above the rim of the wood cup toward the ear.  Pictures from @Oracle compare this "protrusion" of the original RS1e to the flatter, non-protruding edge of the RS1e made today.
 

 

Original RS1e - driver protrudes above edge of wood.
 

 
Current version of RS1e - driver does NOT protrude above edge of wood as much.
 
The protrusion arose because the driver itself was moved closer to the ear in the original RS1e.  This can decrease soundstage and treble.  The more recent RS1e, which is regarded as better sounding than the original RS1e, moves the drivers a bit further from the ear; hence, less protrusion and better soundstage and treble.
 
Rather recently, Grado changed the color of the RS1e headband from black to brown.  Though the timing is not exact, it seems that if you buy an RS1e with a BROWN headband, you can be relatively sure of having the better non-protruding version.  If  you get the black headband version, it will likely have the protruding drivers.
 
Here are images of the RS1e original and RS1e current from @Oracle that correspond with the two detailed pictures of the driver/earpiece above:
 


"Original" RS1e - black headband; protruding drivers (per picture two above)
 

 
"Current" RS1e, with brown headband and non-protruding drivers.
 
Another observation is that when the same L bowl pad as used on the RS1 and RS1i with 44 mm drivers is put on the RS1e with 50 mm drivers, the bowl pad is stretched, becoming flatter and harder, and moving the driver even closer to the ear.  There were also complaints of the driver actually touching the ear in the original RS1e headphone.
 


L Bowl pad on RS1e with 50 mm driver (left) and on RS1i, with 44 mm drivers (by @zazex )
 
I do not yet have an RS1e headphone.  I HAVE compared an original RS1e to both my RS1i and my RS2i at a Grado dealer and found it to sound the poorest of the three.  When I get an RS1e, it will be the one with brown band and non-protruding drivers.

 

 
Thank you so much for the detailed response! This really sheds some light on the situation for me and other head-fiers. +1 for you!
 
This is very unfortunate to read however and I am wondering if they are offering any sort of trade-ins or reimbursement or any sort of aid to the ones who purchased the first model and were disappointed with their purchase. The Audeze EL-8 has a similar problem and theres a few big threads I am keeping up with regarding it. If a company messes up with its initial batch of headphones, it would be such a respectable move to at least TRY to right their wrong, but maybe PR and marketing tells them to just keep it hush hush and just silently releases a fix in their newest models.
 
My next question though is.. would just moving the position of the driver be that big of a deal? Are there any other changes besides the color of the headband and position of the driver that they are doing these days?

 

[joseph69]

  My next question though is.. would just moving the position of the driver be that big of a deal? Are there any other changes besides the color of the headband and position of the driver that they are doing these days?

They recessed the drivers flush with the cups (instead of protruding) and changed the color of the headband from black to brown.
 
It seems Grado uses a wood glue (which is harder) and isn't as easy to remove as the SR series (from others experiences) and needs to be scraped out (cannot be heated) in order to make the drivers flush with the cups.
 
I would personally contact Grado and ask if they would do this for you so you don't damage your HP's.

 

[aru777]

A friend of mine called 4ourears to find out if they can make sure they ship an RS1e without the protruding driver. The called was answered by Richard Grado and he mentioned that Grado has not changed anything on the RS1e except for the color or the leather headband.

 

[joseph69]

  A friend of mine called 4ourears to find out if they can make sure they ship an RS1e without the protruding driver. The called was answered by Richard Grado and he mentioned that Grado has not changed anything on the RS1e except for the color or the leather headband.

I've been saying this for quite sometime, but its obvious the drivers are flush mounted on the (e) series with the brown headbands. Grado has said in the past:
 
"There isn't another version of the RS1e and there isn't going to be". 

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  A friend of mine called 4ourears to find out if they can make sure they ship an RS1e without the protruding driver. The called was answered by Richard Grado and he mentioned that Grado has not changed anything on the RS1e except for the color or the leather headband.

 
 
                                        ?

 

[aru777]

Yep, it is obvious there is a difference on driver set up. It is a bummer that Grado wouldn't acknowledge it.

 

[joseph69]

                                        ?

This is what i've been saying for the longest time…it just doesn't make any sense?
Also, don't forget about the NIB-PS1Ke photo I posted from Singapore with the flush mounted drivers, which I didn't even bother to contact Grado about.

 

[stacker45]

  Yep, it is obvious there is a difference on driver set up. It is a bummer that Grado wouldn't acknowledge it.

 
Of course there's a difference, but the drivers aren't portruding....surprised?...I don't blame you....but fear not, Stacker will explain it all.
 
You see, Grado is right, they haven't change anything in their manufacturing process.
 
What people perieve as protruding drivers, is really an optical elusion. ''What, Stacker took too many pain meds'' may you be thinking to yourself, and understandably so, may I say.
 
Here's are the result of my investigation regarding what is really happening with the first batch of RS1e.
 
I have found that the drivers aren't portruding, it's the wooden earcups that have shrunk, due to an exessively low humidity level in the RS1e owners houses.

 

[Dillan]

Yea the pics kind of speak for themselves and leave out any speculation.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

It would be much different if it were a "big" company like Sennheiser or Beats... But it's Grado so, honestly, not enough people care to make a fuss about it.