[ruthieandjohn]

HarveySwick let me share with you my story my relationship with Gradro's. I work in Las Vegas as an audio engineer and one day coworker let me his pair of Grado SR60s and I was happy.. I have to admit that up to that point I had never heard anything quite like the Grado's.. the open I decided to do something special for myself for Christmas and buy myself a pair of PS 1000e.. Harvey listen to me Grado's are not headphones..they are entry-level drug to the world of the audiophile. Stay away from them run away from them otherwise you'll be like me addicted.. that's what Gradro does to you in entices you.. it sucks you in with the RS 80s.. and then the next thing you know you're buying the PS 1000's. my advice to you is this start with the RS 325e's.. or the RS2e's..and then walk away.. don't look back.. and for the love of God don't try the PS500's RS1e or the Gs1000e otherwise they'll suck you in and you'll end up just like me you'll be addicted and a slave to Gradro's..

Drug? ADDICTED?? I don't know what you are talking about!

 

[Merlyn1955]

Yes they can be a bit polarizing.. and it's true either love them or hate them! They are not for bass heads, and the leak sound more then a 1960s English sports car leaks oil. But if you give them time and allow them the proper break and they can be very rewarding...

 

[Merlyn1955]

 

[WNBC]

Week old, new PS1Ke owner here.  Bought them used.  I do like them, but I also don't know how many hours are on them so they may even get better.  It's been about two years since I borrowed from a friend the original PS1K hardwired with Moon Audio black dragon cable.  It was balanced but I was using it with a SE adapter.  I don't even remember the amp and DAC I had at the time.  I do remember that I was comparing the HD800 to the PS1K back then and I slightly preferred the PS1K to the HD800.  Today, I have the HD800S and the PS1Ke with no so slam dunk as to the winner.  Maybe there doesn't need to be a winner.  My memory could be faulting me, but seems the original PS1K had a little more magic (bass, transparency, soundstage).  That could just be my audio memory failing me and/or better/worse DAC+AMP and/or Moon Audio cabling.  Too many confounders here, but I believe the PS1K vs PS1Ke differences are backed up by @ruthieandjohn measurements.  Differences, not necessary better or worse versions of the PS1K.  I need to do more comparisons between PS1Ke and HD800S.  In general I want differently voiced headphones.  My main worry is that PS1Ke refinements are overlapping with HD800S.  This worry might go away with more listening.      
 
My question is whether any of you think it would be beneficial to go balanced on the PS1K?  I don't have any soldering experience so I would send them off to say Moon Audio or maybe you all have other suggestions for cable companies.  No rush though to re-cable, I'm thinking 6-12 months from now or maybe never.  Lots of other areas to throw money at before a new cable.     
 
Anybody have a favorite travel case for Grado 225e?  I'm traveling for 3 weeks and I usually don't bring headphones, but I think it is time to take my first Grado on the road!

 

[joseph69]

     My question is whether any of you think it would be beneficial to go balanced on the PS1K?  I don't have any soldering experience so I would send them off to say Moon Audio or maybe you all have other suggestions for cable companies.  

I balanced my PS1K myself with a Neutrik 4-pin XLR and to my ears it was a definite benefit to the sound-stage/instrument separation. You don't really need to have soldering skills to do this yourself, it's simple. All you need is an inexpensive DMM/4-pin XLR connector ( Neutrik $4.79). If you want me to walk you through the steps when the time comes, shoot me a PM and I will gladly explain them to you.

 

[music_man]

meryln, i was a recording engineer for 40+ years. i use a ps1k with a balanced cable that costs 20x what the headphones do. just because i had the wire available. i would not record with them. that is really not what they are for. however they are my favorite headphones and i own most of the very high end ones. i use a rs darkstar set in low gain of course. i have a bunch of other amps but i like  that one. this is all that is out anymore. even at that i rarely listen to them because very high end loudspeakers no headphone can compete with. that is, assuming the room is treated and everything. well, what i am saying is if i had just one headphone and i listened to them it would be the ps1k. not the "e" mind you. which i also found very odd because i thought for sure they made it better. they probably did in fact. all this stuff is highly subjective. many people hate grado's as well. the only thing i can ever say about audio is what you like and can afford. if someone likes bose i do not fault them whatsoever. i might draw the line at stock iphone buds lol.

 

[tlainhart]

Looking for guidance with my GS1000es.
 
I bought these as a demo from an online dealer before the holidays so I don't know how many hours there are on them. They, and the box and packing, might as well be new.  Apparently they're a bit older, as they have the black headband.  Drivers protrude from the mahogany around 2mm - G pads seem fine.
 
I'm a fan of Grado as I've had an SR60 and SR125 for years.  Also the Statement and Reference phono cartridges.  That said, I'm disappointed with the GS1000e.  The sound is thin and bright, regardless of source (don't use it w/ portables), lacking the midrange warmth that I typically associate with Grado products.  Clarity is fine, as is staging and separation.  But otherwise un-involving or distinguished.  I assumed that if I threw some money at the high-end, I would get more goodness.  Some AQ Nighthawks that I recently purchased have a much better midrange presence (but not the separation/clarity).  FWIW, my hearing takes a pretty deep dive after ~4-5k, so according to the professional testing, I'm pretty insensitive to anything above that.
 
Is that it for the GS1000e, or can I expect some sort of magical transformation over time?  Grado HQ asked that I give it a week, but I've not seen changes for a while now.  I've probably got 20-30 hours on them, and I don't know how many demo hours might be there.
 
I'm using a Schiit Jotunheim as my amp, with SE ins from either my CD deck, or phono.

 

[joseph69]

@tlainhart 
 
I would give them some more time.
In my experience Grados need long burn-in, so it can't hurt to wait until you hit 100hrs+ even though you don't know how many hours are in them.

 

[tlainhart]

  @tlainhart 
 
I would give them some more time.
In my experience Grados need long burn-in, so it can't hurt to wait until you hit 100hrs+ even though you don't know how many hours are in them.

 
@joseph69 - what sort of sonic response would you expect after this time?  Would you expect a change in the midrange re "warmth"?

 

[joseph69]

  @joseph69 - what sort of sonic response would you expect after this time?  Would you expect a change in the midrange re "warmth"?

Yes. 
From my experience, the lower frequencies tighten, the mid-range sounds fuller/richer "warmer" and the upper frequencies smooth out nicely.

 

[music_man]

tbh, not kidding there was a nice difference on the ps1k after well over 5k hours! You could wait, if you still want grado's get the ps1ke and still wait or i guess you can go to a warmer tube amp. i like the sharp sizzle and speed of ss on them but that does not sound like what you are looking for. i hope for sure you are using any good amp, not plug in a receiver or something. even most dac/amps reallly do not have a good enough amp. they may or may not be a fine amp. you don't sound like you need more imaging yet so forget balanced for right now. seriously i would give those 500 hours before i gave up on them anyhow. if it is a return policy at stake then you have to decide are you sure you like grados. ill say again they are not for everyone. plus going up the food chain is not necessarily scaling for everyone. you could just like the 125 better/. just like i prefer the ps1k to ps1ke. i would not compare gs to nighthawk. that is an insult to grado. aq makes nice cables at stupid prices but not headphones yet imo. that again, is personal opinion. 

 

[HarveySwick]

Ok, I got the 80e and 325e in today. I've been switching back and forth for about an hour or so. First off, I like the Grado sound. cool.gif It is definitely immediate and very detailed and not a giant soundstage. It really is as if you're sitting on stage with the musicians around you. I think my initial takeaway is that I'm more blown away by how good the 80e sounds versus how great the 325e is. The 80e is amazing for $100. And I can understand how some claim the 325e's are almost too bright. I'm really curious to see how the 225e's sound now. Also, I think I like the bowls more than the flats even though the flats are absolutely much more comfortable.

I'm wondering if the 225e's with the TTVJ flats pads might be my answer (until I can upgrade at some point to the RS1e).

 

[audio19]

Absolutely! I had to stop myself at their RS2e at $495. Up from their SR325is at $295. On my way to their GH-1 at $695! I just couldn't justify the purity of the extended bass for the extra $200. These Grados can be so seductive. Smh

 

[musiclvr]

 

[musiclvr]

^^^^^^^ Denon DVD-2900--> Chord Mojo --> DITA Audio 3.5mm to 3.5mm Van den Hul cable --> CypherLabs Picollo--> Grado GS2000e XLR 4-Pin termination