[DavidA]

What do you think?

?????????? I've heard a friends GS2000e and I would agree that its not worth anything more than $500 IMO but its sound is not even close to like what he describes. For the price I'd like to see some nice metal gimbals and rod block and most importantly removeable cables.

 

[cathee]

LOL what a rare coincidence: a view-seeking Youtuber and trendy opinions? Hold the phone!

But slightly more seriously now, hating on expensive Grados is starting to reach meme levels like it's the new hating on Coldplay/Nickleback. It's hard to judge the review for quality as I don't know the reviewer, his gear, or listening habits/preference. I suspect the GS2Ke aren't amped properly? Probably why he prefers the S pads to the G cups (I have a similar preference differences with my RS2s when using them from my iPhone vs home setup). And his sound descriptions are kind of all over the place, I understand the whole idea of using words to describe sound is philosophically debateable but some of the adjectives he used I would *never* associate with Grados. So I guess to each their own...

That said, I don't disagree with everything he said about headphones over a certain price point and build quality, accesories, feature set, etc. A big reason why I've stop buying Grados and high-end earbuds. If I pay $500+ or even $1000+, I'm expecting great built quality, metals over plastics whenever possible, asseccories bundle (you should at the very least get an assortment of pads with the high end models), etc.

EDIT: To add TL;DR - reviewer recs the SR80 for uniqueness and okay value at $99 but the GS2000e is only worth maybe $150/200 after a S-pad swap. Hmm... jenniferlawrenceokay.gif

 

[Shane D]

My GH2's have been re-born! I must admit that they have been losing ground recently as I could not use them in balanced mode on my DAP due to that cable. SE sounds so weak compared to the balanced output. And I am not talking about volume.

I received a new amp yesterday: the Burson FUN with Classic opamps. After some initial connectivity issues I plugged in my GH2's. Wow!
On my DAP (Sony NW-ZX300), I am using SE out in low gain. Volume is set at 80, out of 120. Volume on amp is set between 10:00 and 11:00.
Music is crisp, clean and clear. From now on these'phones will only be used out of this amp.

My plan was to cycle through all my 'phones after using these for a few hours. But every time I think about changing headgear I am overcome by thoughts of "how about that other band" or "I have got to try that certain song".

Very nice pairing so far. When I bought this amp, top of mind were the Grado's and my Beyerdynamic's.

Parts Connexion is having a GREAT sale on this amp right now.

Shane D

PS: Connectivity (I assume) issues have gotten so bad that I am looking for a replacement unit or a refund. Too bad as this was a killer combo!

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I had the privilege of reviewing the GS2000e very early on, as part of a tour that Todd the Vinyl Junkie (TTVJ) arranged. In exchange for posting a review, tour members were allowed to try the GS2000e for a week, then send it to the next person on the tour.

My review is part of a long thread of these tour reviewers and is located here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/grado-gs2000e-loaner-program.809914/page-13#post-13061167

The review compared the GS2000e to the Grado PS1000, GS1000i, GH1, RS2e, Sennheiser HD800, and HiFiMAN HE1000. I also compared the GS2000e being driven by a variety of amps.

The comparisons were made with the GS2000e against two other headphones from the list above, on each of 10 acoustic characteristics, with a 1st place-2nd place-3rd place ranking being given on each of the 10 features, assigning 3 points to each first place, 2 points to second, and 1 to third. A total score for each three way comparison is at the bottom of each chart... high score wins.








The GS2000e had overall higher score than the PS1000e, GS1000e, GH1 w/ G cushion, and RS2e. It had a lower overall score than the PS1000. Its score was comparable to that of the HD800, HE1000, and GS1000i (differences of fewer than 3 points overall are considered insignificant.)

Several months after posting the review, I purchased my own pair of GS2000e's, which continue to delight me, not only for their great sound, but for their light weight, comfort, and great looks. I would never consider the response of the GS2000e (or any other Grado except the HP1000) as flat, which is what the reviewer in the video stated.

 

[Gippy]

What do you think?

I actually agree with elements of this review.

I don't feel the GS2000e sounds good at stock. At all. I've had my GS2000e equalized the day that I got it. And it does sound better with the S-cushions if you refuse to equalize. As well as my EQ, I'm using my iDSD BL's analogue sound processing (bass and 3d+). I bought my GS2000e for one specific reason: I needed something super lightweight, even lighter than the HD800. So it was either this, or go out of my way to find an Audio-Technica X5000. Plastic is lighter than metal, so I have no issues with the build quality. You can EQ a disagreeable sound signature to within reason. You can't make a 500g headphone feel any better.

What I don't agree with is that it's flat. The 4-8khz area is way overemphasized. At stock, I actually feel it's an unnaturally weird M-shaped signature -- more emphasis on 200hz, midrange is recessed, then the mid-treble spike, then a treble roll-off at 10khz.. I feel the GS2000e has a wonderful soundstage, and excellent detail retrieval, but you need to work with them to make them sound good. That's why I wouldn't recommend them to people if they don't EQ, and would point them to the GH2, PS500e, or RS1e instead. The GS3000e corrects many of the stock sound signature issues I had with the GS2000e, but weighs quite a bit more, and I don't think people can stomach the GS3000e's retail price, especially when the GS3000e I demoed had a driver tracking mismatch.

If the reviewer still has the GS2000e on hand, I could send him my Peace EQ profile to see if he would like it better.

 

[gregorya]

If the reviewer still has the GS2000e on hand, I could send him my Peace EQ profile to see if he would like it better.

Are you able to post your EQ suggestions here?

Thanks

 

[Gippy]

Are you able to post your EQ suggestions here?

Thanks

Sure.

Grado GS2000e EqualizerAPO profile for use with Peace

Channel: all
Preamp: -7 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 10 Hz Gain -2 dB Q 0.3
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 60 Hz Gain 5.4 dB Q 0.6
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 90 Hz Gain 1 dB Q 1.6
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 180 Hz Gain -2.5 dB Q 1
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 240 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 1.4
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 400 Hz Gain -0.5 dB Q 1.8
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain 2.1 dB Q 0.7
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain 3.2 dB Q 1
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 5.6 dB Q 0.7
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 3000 Hz Gain 0.8 dB Q 1.1
Filter 11: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 1.8
Filter 12: ON PK Fc 5600 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 6
Filter 13: ON PK Fc 7500 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 1
Filter 14: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 0.8
Filter 15: ON PK Fc 12000 Hz Gain 4 dB Q 1
Filter 16: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain 1 dB Q 2
Filter 17: ON PK Fc 20000 Hz Gain -12 dB Q 2
Filter 18: ON LPQ Fc 22000 Hz Q 1

A few notes about this:

• Completely done using my ears, and not any calibration equipment. YMMV.
  
• EQ'd for the stock official Grado G-cushions. Third-party G-cushions (that don't have the softer inner foam) do not emphasize the treble as much, and thus the sound will be darker.
  
• This is used with my iFi Micro iDSD Black Label, my everyday dac/amp, with XBASS+ and 3D+ on. The reason there's a rolloff <50hz is because the XBASS+ already boosts this region significantly. See here for the XBASS+ graph. With XBASS+ and 3D+ on, I feel the Micro iDSD BL has great synergy with the GS2000e.
  
• The EQ is a W-shaped profile in order to counteract the GS2000e's M-shaped sound signature. It is a personal preference for me to recess the lower mids a little, as I feel that many recordings/microphones/podcast overemphasize this area. I prefer it when chest voices aren't as pronounced. If you don't prefer this, you could either lessen the 200hz dip, or make the rise to 1khz steeper. Boosting the mids really brings out the vocals nicely.
  
• Several measurements of the GS2000e indicate a 6khz spike. Perhaps I'm more tolerant, but I don't feel it's as bad as the graphs make it out to be. Still, I did a targeted reduction in that area, and it worked out.
• The real problem of the GS2000e is the 4khz-8khz region. This is backed up by measurements. So the EQ in this area has the most reduction. After 8khz, the treble goes back to normal to retain the signature Grado sparkle.
• I EQ down the 16khz+ region for health and safety reasons. At my normal listening levels (75-85 dB), I cannot hear above 17khz anyway.
• Use this test tune to confirm the EQ. The electronic hi-hat in this tune is unbearably shrill with the stock sound, but should sound OK with this EQ.

Now you'll ask, why bother with all this when you could just save $700+ and get an RS2e/RS1e/GH2? While I feel those three headphones sound better than the GS2000e at stock, and I would recommend those over the GS2000e to 95% of people, the GS2000e unlocks its potential via EQ and amp matching. I haven't been able to capture the same magic by EQing the smaller chamber headphones. The GS2000e is a very niche headphone and reminds me a lot of the Sennheiser HD700. It's not kind at stock, but those who know what they're getting into and take the time to tweak it will see a payoff. In the end, I prefer my GS2000e over the heavyweight flagships like the HD800S/Utopia/HE1000v2/LCD-4.

 

[Rwit]

My new RS2e have gray or silver drivers, not the original red ones. Is the entire e series no longer using the red drivers, or just some models? I can take a picture later if anybody is interested.

 

[migasson]

Due to circumstances I have to sell my Grado GS1000e - $1000 AUD, Australia only. PM me

Less then 20 hours, with box and receipt.

 

[aravaioli]

By the way, does anyone here have any experience trying the G-cushion pads with the GH2 and how it changes the sound?

I do.
I have SR-80e, PS500 and GH2 (listed in order of acquisition). I much prefer G-pads on ALL of them. Yes, also on SR80 where the L-pads happened to be my least favorite.
The original G-pads provide a magnificent soundstage which does not detract anything from the "into-the-music" Grado experience. Compared to my Sennheiser HD800 which have the opposite approach, far from the stage contemplative experience similar to listening in a theater, the G-pads just nail the right mix for my taste: into the music but not exactly into your head.
I also tried 2 Ebay replacement G-pads, not the super-cheapos from China at 4£, the ones going for 15£ and turned out to be a complete waste of money. The original g-pads come at a dear price but their substitutes are not up to the task, unfortunately, so I recommend you do not do my same mistake and get the real (overpriced) thing.

If you are afraid of bass frequency loss, there may be a bit of this when compared to the L-pads but the less congested sound reproduction will make it more bearable than you think. And they are unquestionably more comfortable to wear.

I do find that the difference they make is larger on the PS500 and SR80e than is on the GH2.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

I do.
I have SR-80e, PS500 and GH2 (listed in order of acquisition). I much prefer G-pads on ALL of them. Yes, also on SR80 where the L-pads happened to be my least favorite.
The original G-pads provide a magnificent soundstage which does not detract anything from the "into-the-music" Grado experience. Compared to my Sennheiser HD800 which have the opposite approach, far from the stage contemplative experience similar to listening in a theater, the G-pads just nail the right mix for my taste: into the music but not exactly into your head.
I also tried 2 Ebay replacement G-pads, not the super-cheapos from China at 4£, the ones going for 15£ and turned out to be a complete waste of money. The original g-pads come at a dear price but their substitutes are not up to the task, unfortunately, so I recommend you do not do my same mistake ad get the real, overpriced thing.

If you are afraid of bass frequency loss, there may be a bit of this when compared to the L-pads but the less congested sound reproduction will make it more bearable than you think. And they are unquestionably more comfortable to wear.


I do find that the difference they make is larger on the PS500 and SR80e than is on the GH2.

He nailed it and explained it perfectly imo.

 

[aravaioli]

What do you think?

Web trolling at its best.

When he said they sound like a cheap 20$ pair he lost any credibility.

I do agree on the overpriced part but that is not unique to Grado to have enormous margins on the top end models. Does anyone think that the same does not apply to Hifiman or Focal, just to name two?

 

[cathee]

Web trolling at its best.

When he said they sound like a cheap 20$ pair he lost any credibility.

I do agree on the overpriced part but that is not unique to Grado to have enormous margins on the top end models. Does anyone think that the same does not apply to Hifiman or Focal, just to name two?

Agreed.

I don't think you'll find anyone that straight up disagrees with you in the Grado Fan Club! thread but with that said if you compare a $2000 Grado vs any other $2000 headphone I think you'll understand what he's trying to get at. Don't even get me started on construction.

 

[aravaioli]

Agreed.

I don't think you'll find anyone that straight up disagrees with you in the Grado Fan Club! thread but with that said if you compare a $2000 Grado vs any other $2000 headphone I think you'll understand what he's trying to get at. Don't even get me started on construction.

If that was a rant about how cheap a pair of GS2000e costing 2000$ feels, the whole video would not have been a shining example of trolling: and hardly anything new. We all know that you do not buy a Grado because it feels sturdy of luxurious or because their marketing people claim to use materials of technologies that re-define the industry. You buy and, in particular, keep them because your ears tell you to do so. And that is where he lost any credibility: describing the sound. If he said "not my thing" that would have been acceptable but perhaps would not have justified the attention-screaming title he put. Come on, his intentions are obvious and, after all, flawed as the views count is not that high: he failed there too, credibility loss aside.

I bought many headphones and sold or returned at least half, perhaps more. Between the marketing claims and the experience revealed by my ears there is often a considerable difference: it is easier to brainwash than "earwash" buyers.... So far I have never returned a Grado.

 

[Gippy]

I thought calling [the GS2000e] "the worst headphones I've reviewed" was intentionally titled to drive views and I felt it was a cheap tactic.

Well, the thing is, I could totally see someone preferring a Koss Portapro over the GS2000e. The GS2000e has a very strange tuning, and I don't know how or why it was tuned that way. Take the GS1000i sound (I have not personally heard the GS1000e), remove most of the bass impact, remove the grain from the mids, recess the mids further, and boost the mid treble to extreme levels. That's the GS2000e's stock sound signature. It's a shame the mids are hidden away because if they're brought out, I feel they have the smoothest mids of any Grado. And that's why I feel it's an EQ-only model.

Any headphone that retails for over $1,000 should be a 'no excuses' headphone, plain and simple

The GS2000e occupies a niche in that it's a >$1k wooden headphone on the market that's about 250g. The ZMF Atticus is available for $1100. It also weighs 500g. The HD800S is 330g. The "no excuses" headphone doesn't exist.