[534743]

Thank you! Well I have both and like both, but I keep a pair of Grado for a reason (like everyone else) if I want a tamed headphone I wouldn’t buy Grado so maybe RS2e is the next one then. How’s the PS500e btw? I have the impression that they have a similar price, also RS1e, at least in second hand market.

The PS500e is a tamed Grado. More bass, more mids and relatively (in Grado terms) tamed highs. It's quite balanced and has become my daily driver.

 

[mochimashu]

It's been a while since I heard the PS500 or PS500e, but I know that I prefer the Hemp. If you like the Grado sound and the HD6XX, you will probably like the Hemp. The Hemp is almost like a fusion of the Grado sound with the HD6XX. If you want a good advice, stay away from the RS1e and go with the Hemp or the RS2e.

Thank you. I did hear ppl not liking RS1e

 

[mochimashu]

The PS500e is a tamed Grado. More bass, more mids and relatively (in Grado terms) tamed highs. It's quite balanced and has become my daily driver.

Gotcha, I mean I might end up getting both to try in the future, but a direction is very helpful

 

[YtseJamer]

Thank you. I did hear ppl not liking RS1e

They sound like crap sorry. Been there, done that and I heard like 3-4 different pairs...

 

[kmhaynes]

Ah I have no problem with 325e! I’m just curious generally, like in the future when I make an “upgrade” or “side grade” I want to know what I’d be getting

for the record I only tried the prestige series, and I’m not a fan of the Alessandro line as I feel they are relatively more neutral and balanced which takes away the fun.

I found 60e a bit mediocre and boring, 125e a bit fatiguing. I like 80e but it’s not as resolving as its bigger brothers, I like 225e but it has too little bass, so end up with 325e - maybe it’s a little bit aggressive? Just a thought

My route was 80, 225, 325, to now GH2 with cocobolo cups. Very nice, lush, detailed but not quite the treble energy of the 325. Seriously thinking about the RS2e to compare with the GH2.

Don't think of the Grado line as vanilla vs chocolate vs strawberry. Mostly it's like vanilla vs chocolate chip vanilla vs cookie dough vanilla. Having said that, I've not heard the RS2e or anything above it, but I think most uber-Grado owners don't want just 1 Grado that covers everything -- they love the nuanced differences in the whole line, and have several.

 

[Bernard23]

So, after a few hours trying out L (modded with tape) and F pads on the hemps and 325e, I came to the following conclusion.

Hemps F pad > 325e L pads > 325e F pads > hemps L pads.

In other words, the hemps are best with the intended pads, the 325e less so...

I dunno, the Hemps just sing with the F pads, in a way that Grados just do. I'm done with overthinking it for now, just gonna let Keb Mo wash over me

 

[YtseJamer]

Sorry to ask and I don't want to insult anybody here, but I don't understand why some peoples are obsessed in experimenting with different pads for the Hemp? The Hemp driver has been tuned with the TTVJ flat pads and I don't understand why you would want to change the sound signature?

 

[unfriendly]

Sorry to ask and I don't want to insult anybody here, but I don't understand why some peoples are obsessed in experimenting with different pads for the Hemp? The Hemp driver has been tuned with the TTVJ flat pads and I don't understand why you would want to change the sound signature?

Comfort, an open/larger sound stage in some cases, and basically for nothing else. That is for my case at-least, and IDK about others. (This is just going from the flats to something like a G-Cush, L-Cush, Beautiful Audio pads, or Shipibo earpads [the last two being the most premium and the most comfortable IMO])

 

[YtseJamer]

Comfort, and an open/larger sound stage in some cases, nothing else for me really. (This is just going from the flats to something like a G, L, Beautiful Audio Pads, or Shipibo earpads [the last two being the most premium and most comfortable])

Ah ok. I don't really care about soundstage with headphones, and for me the TTVJ pads are a million times more comfortable than the L-cushion pads.

 

[unfriendly]

Ah ok. I don't really care about soundstage with headphones, and for me the TTVJ pads are a million times more comfortable than the L-cushion pads.

I have not tried the L-Cushions yet (mine are in the mail), but I have the G-Cushions, and I find them having around the same or just slightly better comfort than the TTVJ pads.

The Shipibo earpads, however, are a huge improvement in-comfort, while staying closer to the stock sound of the Hemps (TTVJ flat pads), as compared to the G-Cushions. I look forward to comparing those to the Beautiful Audio pads and the L-Cushions once those both get here.

 

[Gippy]

why some peoples are obsessed in experimenting with different pads for the Hemp? The Hemp driver has been tuned with the TTVJ flat pads and I don't understand why you would want to change the sound signature?

Because some people (like me) absolutely hate the stock sound of the Hemp and believe it's too much of a departure from the typical Grado tuning. However there's many people who love the stock sound. What's interesting about Grado is that there isn't a universally accepted "best" model. Even ruthieandjohn who owns the HP1000 doesn't place it as the top Grado despite others believing it's the holy grail.

 

[joseph69]

“side grade”

That's more like it.

 

[johanchandy]

I have not tried the L-Cushions yet (mine are in the mail), but I have the G-Cushions, and I find them having around the same or just slightly better comfort than the TTVJ pads.

The Shipibo earpads, however, are a huge improvement in-comfort, while staying closer to the stock sound of the Hemps (TTVJ flat pads), as compared to the G-Cushions. I look forward to comparing those to the Beautiful Audio pads and the L-Cushions once those both get here.

Do you have any pictures of the Shipibo earpads on your Hemp? Would love to see how it looks?

Also for you are there only positives for these earpads? Any negatives?

 

[YtseJamer]

Because some people (like me) absolutely hate the stock sound of the Hemp and believe it's too much of a departure from the typical Grado tuning.

Hence the reason why I think the Hemp is the best Grado headphones for someone who doesn't like Grado headphones

 

[unfriendly]

Do you have any pictures of the Shipibo earpads on your Hemp? Would love to see how it looks?

Also for you are there only positives for these earpads? Any negatives?

There are a few negatives but not many, the biggest issue I so far have is with fit, installation, and manufacturing consistency.

Fitting the earpads on wasn't the easiest, one of them did fit much easier, however without other pads/cushions for comparison made of (fabric, leather, wool, etc...), I am so far assuming this downside is due to the material choice and construction. [the opening to fit them on your cups doesn't have much give at all, and is not elastic/stretchy]

The rest of the earpads don't fit snuggly except at the mounting point, allowing the top half to float around loosely, which could partially cover the driver in some edge cases, however, I doubt that it would.

I am OCD, and this is very nit-picky but, the earpads and stitching don't match. [Meaning the shape is slightly different from each earpad, and the seam around the top face on the earpads will be noticeably different from each other.]

Not a downside just a fact. [They are extending slightly below the lip on the wooden ear cups touching the gimbals at some points, and are using a piece of foam inside a flap of fabric material to hold the earpads on by friction]).

I will for sure be taking some pictures as well, and I’ll post a few when I wake up tomorrow morning (It's 2 AM for me ATM).

(Guess there are going to be more posts as stuff gets delivered then lol. I was planning to wait since I wanted to install some 3rd party components. I only have to wait for one last part, and the rest of the cushions I ordered (L-Cush [Arriving in a day or two], S-Cush [Just Ordered], and the Beautiful Audio Large cushions [ Waiting]), to do a full review/showcase [just for fun, I doubt anyone will take what I say with much seriousness].)

So if you don't care about stitching being slightly different, and a weird install (IMO), they alter the sound barely, but the alterations make them more neutral sound meaning they sound great (IMO) [slightly more bass, lessened highs, and neutral mids], and if you want full over-ears (circumaural earpads) they are amazingly comfy.