[waifu]

I got my GS1000e's in.
 
And oh boy. What a tough call. The Bass texture (the vibration and warmth of it) is a lot more present with the PS500e. You can really feel the bass vibrate, but it's also not super overwhelming. Was listening to CHVRCHES "Warning Call". The GS is a lot more clear and has a wider sound stage. The bass is a lot more punchy? You can hear it, and but it's missing that slam/vibration.
 
I'm just not sure which one I like more. I do prefer bass slam normally more. But shoot. The GS1000e is IMO more comfortable to wear + I like how smooth/clear everything sounds. So it's kind of a trade off. Jeez. I think what it will come down to, is me going back and forth, and seeing if the PS500e feels more congested (like if the rest of the clarity is stuffy because the bass). Wow. This is just really tough.
 
I think what makes this even tougher, is I already have an HD-800. So the PS500e might be more different, so that it's a better "choice/option" to have. 
 
SO TO SUM IT UP:
 
GS1000e: Amazing clarity/soundstage. Smooth sound w/ a lot of detail and punch.
 
PS500e: Really warm sound/ bass w/ slam and vibration. Possibly more intimate sound overall too (since the warm sound is really encompassing). 
 
I think what surprises me, is that both these cans are very "tight/controlled" in a good way. Like even though the 500 has a bass with more slam/vibration, the vibration is very "controlled". So it too is almost plucky/punchy. The GS1000e is just missing that slam. It's more on the plucky side. If that makes sense. 

 

[musiclvr]

Yeah the Bass presentation with the pricier "e" series Grados is definitely tight and controlled while maintaining excellent extension.

 

[waifu]

Yeah the Bass presentation with the pricier "e" series Grados is definitely tight and controlled while maintaining excellent extension.

Maybe it's because I bought a third party G Cushion, but the G Cushion that came with my GS goes around my ear and envelopes it. It's super comfy. The G cushion I have on my ps500e kind of sits on ear in comparison. It was from Ear Zonk. Wonder if the $45 Grado one is the one that ships with the GS. Or maybe it's the design of the headphone?

I just know my PS500e is using an ear zonk G Cushion, and the G Cushion on my GS is much more around the ear. I might be an idiot and it's because each headphone is designed differently. But the way the cushions sit on the headphones, I would assume the Ear Zonk version is just different.

All this to say, I wonder how much the sound changes because how the GS is around the ear. Last night after much A/B, I started to feel like the GS had a fuller and more powerful sound. Like the PS500e had a lot of warmth and meaty texture because it has that fuller bass and warm sound. But going back and forth, it felt to me that the 500e was lacking. Like going from a small speaker to very large speakers. Or maybe a better way to put it, the GS felt more like sitting in your room listening to music with large speakers around the room. It just felt fuller to me. I'm not sure how much that comes down to how the stock G cushion goes around the ears and the sound envelopes you.

This is really tough. Maybe the hardest choice I've had. I'll keep testing today.

I can say, I'm totally in love with Grado now. It's weird, I've been in this hobby for 12 years now. And it's insane how much i love this sound. Again, most of Grados headphones give me ear fatigue, so I've always shied away. But the 500e and GS1000e are a great match for my ears. And I'm totally in love with how my music sounds now.

I get the feeling though, that not a lot of folks have the GS1000e, or kept them. So apart of me wonders if I'm making the wrong choice going in the 500e and GS1000e direction. But I have to stick to their warmer/musical cans, due to their other editions giving me ear fatigue. So I'm kind of boxed in. Just wondering if there are better choices though. I still want to try the GH1 for example.

Guess I'll spend today A/B again.

 

[Allanmarcus]

I have earzonk L and grado L. The grado is better. The material on the grado has different densities in different parts of the cushion. The earzonk is the same throughout. The headphones sound clearer with the grado pads. Worth the extra money. 

 

[waifu]

  I have earzonk L and grade L. The grade is better. The material on the grade has different densities in different parts of the cushion. The earzonk is the same throughout. The headphones sound clearer with the grado pads. Worth the extra money. 

 
EDIT: I'm dumb. Just realized the L cushion is what comes stock on the PS500e. I think you were just telling me the difference between the two brands.
 
Yeah, the difference between the Ear Zonk G Cushion and the Stock G Cushion is a pretty big difference. As you said, it's the material used (more importantly the densities as you put it). The G Cushion on my GS wraps fully around my ear (due to how the material is distributed). It almost cups around my ear. Whereas the Ear Zonk version on my PS500e, it sits more "on ear".
 
Maybe I should try buying the Grado G Cushion by itself, and try that on my PS500e. I'm generally curious how much the sound changes.
 
Actually, I'm dumb. I can just pull the Cushion off my GS1000e and try it out today lol. I'll try swapping, and letting you guys know how it changes my PS500e sound. 

 

[GermanGuy]

I get the feeling though, that not a lot of folks have the GS1000e, or kept them. So apart of me wonders if I'm making the wrong choice going in the 500e and GS1000e direction. But I have to stick to their warmer/musical cans, due to their other editions giving me ear fatigue. So I'm kind of boxed in. Just wondering if there are better choices though. I still want to try the GH1 for example.

Guess I'll spend today A/B again.

 
Love my GS1000e, will keep them forever (and have to update my equipment list).

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I got my GS1000e's in.

 

And oh boy. What a tough call. The Bass texture (the vibration and warmth of it) is a lot more present with the PS500e. You can really feel the bass vibrate, but it's also not super overwhelming. Was listening to CHVRCHES "Warning Call". The GS is a lot more clear and has a wider sound stage. The bass is a lot more punchy? You can hear it, and but it's missing that slam/vibration.


...If that makes sense. 

 

GS1000E Bass - Tubby or Taut?

I have had the GS1000e, bought new about 16 months ago, and it has always muddled about in the middle of my rankings of Grado headphones:



I downgrade it due to its bass, which I have called tubby. When asked to elaborate on "tubby," i explained that it was taut, with rapid decay (which is good), but seemed to have a prevailing resonance, as if it were being heard from the bottom of a barrel that imposed its own resonant frequency so that notes near that frequency got enhanced and all bass had a bit of that pitch in it. It is what one would expect if there were a peak in the bass region of the frequency response.

Folks whose opinion I respect regard the GS1000e as better than the GS1000i, which I rank the highest among my Grados. Perhaps the bass of the GS1000i, which to me seems flatter, but slower decay and perhaps with less sharp attack than that of the GS1000e, is preferable to their ears.

Perhaps I need to retrain my own ears! The GS1000e sounds fabulous (listening right now to the suggested CHVRCHES "Warning Call"). It is only when I compare it to bass of other headphones, side by side, that I notice the effect I have been calling tubbiness."

So....

"GS1000e - Tubby or Taut? I need Tubby Taut!*"

____
* "...to be taught!"

 

[Sophonax]

Joining the club -- just got an RS2e today. I had been away from Grado for quite a while, but after reading all the good things about the RS2e, I figured I'd give it a shot. So far, I'm glad I did!
 
My first impression: these smell way better out of the box than Sennheisers do! 

 
They were a little spicy in the treble straight out of the box, but after running them for a few hours they seem to have calmed down. I'm running them from a Sennheiser HDVA 600, which in some ways can be thought of as a solid state equivalent of an OTL tube amp, with its 43-ohm output impedance. Doesn't seem like it should be a good match in theory, but so far I've been pleasantly surprised. The bass blooms nicely but doesn't seem overly unruly like you might expect.
 
First song up was "Telegraph Road" by Dire Straits, next was "Ayub's Song / As You Were" by Afro Celt Sound System. Pretty different songs, but the RS2e sounded great with both! I'm going to enjoy putting it through its paces over the weekend.

 

[HeavenNotes]

  Joining the club -- just got an RS2e today. I had been away from Grado for quite a while, but after reading all the good things about the RS2e, I figured I'd give it a shot. So far, I'm glad I did!
 
My first impression: these smell way better out of the box than Sennheisers do! 

 
They were a little spicy in the treble straight out of the box, but after running them for a few hours they seem to have calmed down. I'm running them from a Sennheiser HDVA 600, which in some ways can be thought of as a solid state equivalent of an OTL tube amp, with its 43-ohm output impedance. Doesn't seem like it should be a good match in theory, but so far I've been pleasantly surprised. The bass blooms nicely but doesn't seem overly unruly like you might expect.
 
First song up was "Telegraph Road" by Dire Straits, next was "Ayub's Song / As You Were" by Afro Celt Sound System. Pretty different songs, but the RS2e sounded great with both! I'm going to enjoy putting it through its paces over the weekend.

Good choice! I have RS2i.  It sounds nice with Tub Amps. 

 

[Steve_72]

Maybe it's because I bought a third party G Cushion, but the G Cushion that came with my GS goes around my ear and envelopes it. It's super comfy. The G cushion I have on my ps500e kind of sits on ear in comparison. It was from Ear Zonk. Wonder if the $45 Grado one is the one that ships with the GS. Or maybe it's the design of the headphone?

I just know my PS500e is using an ear zonk G Cushion, and the G Cushion on my GS is much more around the ear. I might be an idiot and it's because each headphone is designed differently. But the way the cushions sit on the headphones, I would assume the Ear Zonk version is just different.

All this to say, I wonder how much the sound changes because how the GS is around the ear. Last night after much A/B, I started to feel like the GS had a fuller and more powerful sound. Like the PS500e had a lot of warmth and meaty texture because it has that fuller bass and warm sound. But going back and forth, it felt to me that the 500e was lacking. Like going from a small speaker to very large speakers. Or maybe a better way to put it, the GS felt more like sitting in your room listening to music with large speakers around the room. It just felt fuller to me. I'm not sure how much that comes down to how the stock G cushion goes around the ears and the sound envelopes you.

This is really tough. Maybe the hardest choice I've had. I'll keep testing today.

I can say, I'm totally in love with Grado now. It's weird, I've been in this hobby for 12 years now. And it's insane how much i love this sound. Again, most of Grados headphones give me ear fatigue, so I've always shied away. But the 500e and GS1000e are a great match for my ears. And I'm totally in love with how my music sounds now.

I get the feeling though, that not a lot of folks have the GS1000e, or kept them. So apart of me wonders if I'm making the wrong choice going in the 500e and GS1000e direction. But I have to stick to their warmer/musical cans, due to their other editions giving me ear fatigue. So I'm kind of boxed in. Just wondering if there are better choices though. I still want to try the GH1 for example.

Guess I'll spend today A/B again.

 
I have the same combo but started with the GS1000e! Just picked up the PS500e a day ago - bit of an impulse deal buy, but really enjoying them so far. I figure they're both different enough to warrant keeping them both for the moment as they excel with different songs. 
 
It's funny, I used to not be fond of Grado's at all during my earlier years in this hobby, but now they're my go to headphones.

 

[zealsoijun]

Hello!  Alrighty, so I decided to purchase these specific headphones for a number of reasons. First, I mainly listen to 60's rock (Beatles, Dylan, Creedence, Doors, Hendrix, Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Velvet Underground, Zeppelin, Stones, Pink Floyd) and these suit that music perfectly. The reason is because it is a dynamic type of headphone and no other headphone no matter how sophisticated and high tech can give you the slam, energy, impact, and just raw power of a dynamic headphone. Second Grado is already known for being the best headphones for rock music no matter the headphone. Third Grado has models ranging from about $80 to $1700 but I find these to be the best for rock music, the reasoning is because the plastic models just sound dull, the wooden ones sound too smooth and soft (you want some aggressiveness when you listen to rock) and because of the L-cush pads they bring in a more intimate soundstage as if you are right in front of the band rather than the G-cush which makes it like you are a couple of rows from the stage. I personally love that big bold aggressive sound that is in your face because you just want to crank it up and jam. Ok so now some recommendations, I paired these headphones with the Schiit Magni 2 amp and Modi 2 DAC (which by the way is great because the whole setup is made in USA and the silver tone colors of all three components just make it look so sleek and industrial grade, which by the way they are all built like tanks) and again the reasoning for this is because I find solid state to give more impact, energy, slam and aggressiveness that tubes just cant do as well. This setup is natural and less digital sounding, it is smooth but never soft, and never fatiguing.I highly recommend to break in this setup at a little higher than normal volume overnight for 10 hours a day until you get to 100 hours with the Schiit stack too because it makes the sound way smoother, it is real, absolutely for Grados, maybe not for other headphones but for these, 100% certain. The trebles extends higher but gets smooth, the bass extends deeper and gets tighter and smoother, the midrange gets more vivid and the soundstage opens up more. 

 

[Allanmarcus]

[COLOR=222222]Hello!  Alrighty, so I decided to purchase these specific headphones for a number of reasons. First, I mainly listen to 60's rock (Beatles, Dylan, Creedence, Doors, Hendrix, Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Velvet Underground, Zeppelin, Stones, Pink Floyd) and these suit that music perfectly. The reason is because it is a dynamic type of headphone and no other headphone no matter how sophisticated and high tech can give you the slam, energy, impact, and just raw power of a dynamic headphone. Second Grado is already known for being the best headphones for rock music no matter the headphone. Third Grado has models ranging from about $80 to $1700 but I find these to be the best for rock music, the reasoning is because the plastic models just sound dull, the wooden ones sound too smooth and soft (you want some aggressiveness when you listen to rock) and because of the L-cush pads they bring in a more intimate soundstage as if you are right in front of the band rather than the G-cush which makes it like you are a couple of rows from the stage. I personally love that big bold aggressive sound that is in your face because you just want to crank it up and jam. Ok so now some recommendations, I paired these headphones with the Schiit Magni 2 amp and Modi 2 DAC (which by the way is great because the whole setup is made in USA and the silver tone colors of all three components just make it look so sleek and industrial grade, which by the way they are all built like tanks) and again the reasoning for this is because I find solid state to give more impact, energy, slam and aggressiveness that tubes just cant do as well. This setup is natural and less digital sounding, it is smooth but never soft, and never fatiguing.[/COLOR][COLOR=3B3B3B]I highly recommend to break in this setup at a little higher than normal volume overnight for 10 hours a day until you get to 100 hours with the Schiit stack too because it makes the sound way smoother, it is real, absolutely for Grados, maybe not for other headphones but for these, 100% certain. The trebles extends higher but gets smooth, the bass extends deeper and gets tighter and smoother, the midrange gets more vivid and the soundstage opens up more.[/COLOR][COLOR=222222] [/COLOR]

Sorry, maybe I missed it, but which headphone did you purchase?

Also, I disagree that the wooden e series sound smooth. My RS2e pair aren't smooth at all. In fact I added MrSpeaker doggie treats to smooth them a little.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

  Hello!  Alrighty, so I decided to purchase these specific headphones for a number of reasons. First, I mainly listen to 60's rock (Beatles, Dylan, Creedence, Doors, Hendrix, Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Velvet Underground, Zeppelin, Stones, Pink Floyd) and these suit that music perfectly. The reason is because it is a dynamic type of headphone and no other headphone no matter how sophisticated and high tech can give you the slam, energy, impact, and just raw power of a dynamic headphone. Second Grado is already known for being the best headphones for rock music no matter the headphone. Third Grado has models ranging from about $80 to $1700 but I find these to be the best for rock music, the reasoning is because the plastic models just sound dull, the wooden ones sound too smooth and soft (you want some aggressiveness when you listen to rock) and because of the L-cush pads they bring in a more intimate soundstage as if you are right in front of the band rather than the G-cush which makes it like you are a couple of rows from the stage. I personally love that big bold aggressive sound that is in your face because you just want to crank it up and jam. Ok so now some recommendations, I paired these headphones with the Schiit Magni 2 amp and Modi 2 DAC (which by the way is great because the whole setup is made in USA and the silver tone colors of all three components just make it look so sleek and industrial grade, which by the way they are all built like tanks) and again the reasoning for this is because I find solid state to give more impact, energy, slam and aggressiveness that tubes just cant do as well. This setup is natural and less digital sounding, it is smooth but never soft, and never fatiguing.I highly recommend to break in this setup at a little higher than normal volume overnight for 10 hours a day until you get to 100 hours with the Schiit stack too because it makes the sound way smoother, it is real, absolutely for Grados, maybe not for other headphones but for these, 100% certain. The trebles extends higher but gets smooth, the bass extends deeper and gets tighter and smoother, the midrange gets more vivid and the soundstage opens up more. 

Oh mine I would have used the same words to describe my old RS1i.

 

[trellus]

  I have earzonk L and grado L. The grado is better. The material on the grado has different densities in different parts of the cushion. The earzonk is the same throughout. The headphones sound clearer with the grado pads. Worth the extra money. 

I have both, also, and the Grado L's scratch my ears and are very uncomfortable.  The Earzonk L's, with the single density, are much more comfortable on my ears, and I can discern no SQ loss.

 

[Blazer39]

  Hello!  Alrighty, so I decided to purchase these specific headphones for a number of reasons. First, I mainly listen to 60's rock (Beatles, Dylan, Creedence, Doors, Hendrix, Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Velvet Underground, Zeppelin, Stones, Pink Floyd) and these suit that music perfectly. The reason is because it is a dynamic type of headphone and no other headphone no matter how sophisticated and high tech can give you the slam, energy, impact, and just raw power of a dynamic headphone. Second Grado is already known for being the best headphones for rock music no matter the headphone. Third Grado has models ranging from about $80 to $1700 but I find these to be the best for rock music, the reasoning is because the plastic models just sound dull, the wooden ones sound too smooth and soft (you want some aggressiveness when you listen to rock) and because of the L-cush pads they bring in a more intimate soundstage as if you are right in front of the band rather than the G-cush which makes it like you are a couple of rows from the stage. I personally love that big bold aggressive sound that is in your face because you just want to crank it up and jam. Ok so now some recommendations, I paired these headphones with the Schiit Magni 2 amp and Modi 2 DAC (which by the way is great because the whole setup is made in USA and the silver tone colors of all three components just make it look so sleek and industrial grade, which by the way they are all built like tanks) and again the reasoning for this is because I find solid state to give more impact, energy, slam and aggressiveness that tubes just cant do as well. This setup is natural and less digital sounding, it is smooth but never soft, and never fatiguing.I highly recommend to break in this setup at a little higher than normal volume overnight for 10 hours a day until you get to 100 hours with the Schiit stack too because it makes the sound way smoother, it is real, absolutely for Grados, maybe not for other headphones but for these, 100% certain. The trebles extends higher but gets smooth, the bass extends deeper and gets tighter and smoother, the midrange gets more vivid and the soundstage opens up more. 

ha..i always seems to read that only one amp from schiit is good with grado (Lyr 2 i think..)
 
im considering to buy amp for home use with my Grado sr225e and FiiO x3ii as my source..my 1st choice is fiio E11k, but perhaps it will be better with Magni 2?
 
does anyone else can comment on Magni 2 amp with Grado?!