[SomeGuyDude]

Why is there so much hate for Grado products? I went on a discord a couple months ago and saw a ton of hate for just even the mention of Grado. I just went into another audiophile discord and the same thing happened. I don't quite get it

Having been a previous Grado hater I think I can explain.

A lot of younger (and newer) enthusiasts in headphones come in with expectations on bass. We listen to a lot of bassy music, stuff that benefits from that kind of "subwoofer effect" out of our headphones. The first time you hear a Grado it's a shock to the ears because they have that particular sound, especially the more treble-heavy models. They sound like absolute garbage even if you think Beats and Sony are bass cannons because they're wayyy on the other side of things. I absolutely despised the first set of Grado I heard.

On top of THAT, you get dipshits on YouTube who talk about how they use "the same drivers for everything" (blatantly misunderstanding reality) so people just parrot that and go "oh pfft Grado is just trebly garbage and they're hucksters who overcharge." I avoided Grado for years until I heard the RS2i and decided there was something to them, and with the Hemp I'm so effing happy to have finally taken the plunge.

Grado is such a singular brand in that they approach headphones completely different from everyone else both in how they make them and how they tune them that they almost turn into the Crossfit of headphones. Some people think they're the greatest ever and will sing their praises whenever possible, and other people think the first group is a bunch of morons and start to avoid the brand solely out of annoyance.

tl;dr Grado haters just don't know better

 

[Bernard23]

Did you install the brown band, or is there yet again another headband variation in the hemp line?

I bought it from an ebay seller in Italy. There is no padding at all in it, just cowhide. £25 or so delivered. I posted the links a while ago in December, so could have been about 2000 posts earlier!

 

[Bernard23]

Having been a previous Grado hater I think I can explain.

A lot of younger (and newer) enthusiasts in headphones come in with expectations on bass. We listen to a lot of bassy music, stuff that benefits from that kind of "subwoofer effect" out of our headphones. The first time you hear a Grado it's a shock to the ears because they have that particular sound, especially the more treble-heavy models. They sound like absolute garbage even if you think Beats and Sony are bass cannons because they're wayyy on the other side of things. I absolutely despised the first set of Grado I heard.

On top of THAT, you get dipshits on YouTube who talk about how they use "the same drivers for everything" (blatantly misunderstanding reality) so people just parrot that and go "oh pfft Grado is just trebly garbage and they're hucksters who overcharge." I avoided Grado for years until I heard the RS2i and decided there was something to them, and with the Hemp I'm so effing happy to have finally taken the plunge.

Grado is such a singular brand in that they approach headphones completely different from everyone else both in how they make them and how they tune them that they almost turn into the Crossfit of headphones. Some people think they're the greatest ever and will sing their praises whenever possible, and other people think the first group is a bunch of morons and start to avoid the brand solely out of annoyance.

tl;dr Grado haters just don't know better

Interesting comments, possibly a good example of ignorance of facts clouding judgement? Never mind Boomers or millenials, we're staring donwn the barrel of a facebook generation.....

 

[Okrelayer]

Interesting comments, possibly a good example of ignorance of facts clouding judgement? Never mind Boomers or millenials, we're staring donwn the barrel of a facebook generation.....

I think this generation of audiophiles are really into the measurements, and hitting some sort of harman target. And Grado goes against all of that

 

[TooFrank]

Having been a previous Grado hater I think I can explain.

A lot of younger (and newer) enthusiasts in headphones come in with expectations on bass. We listen to a lot of bassy music, stuff that benefits from that kind of "subwoofer effect" out of our headphones. The first time you hear a Grado it's a shock to the ears because they have that particular sound, especially the more treble-heavy models. They sound like absolute garbage even if you think Beats and Sony are bass cannons because they're wayyy on the other side of things. I absolutely despised the first set of Grado I heard.

On top of THAT, you get dipshits on YouTube who talk about how they use "the same drivers for everything" (blatantly misunderstanding reality) so people just parrot that and go "oh pfft Grado is just trebly garbage and they're hucksters who overcharge." I avoided Grado for years until I heard the RS2i and decided there was something to them, and with the Hemp I'm so effing happy to have finally taken the plunge.

Grado is such a singular brand in that they approach headphones completely different from everyone else both in how they make them and how they tune them that they almost turn into the Crossfit of headphones. Some people think they're the greatest ever and will sing their praises whenever possible, and other people think the first group is a bunch of morons and start to avoid the brand solely out of annoyance.

tl;dr Grado haters just don't know better

FWIW: my first Grado’s was also an RS2i, they were great and musical...would have liked to have them now to compare with the other models....

 

[Bernard23]

I think this generation of audiophiles are really into the measurements, and hitting some sort of harman target. And Grado goes against all of that

I don't think it's that. I'm a measurement orientated person (I work for an NMI), measurement folk like to know where the distortion is, and be in control of it; the last transducer is the place to control colour. Grado get that, and perfectly fulfill that role. Don't confuse ignorance with a desire to quantify things; they are polar opposites.

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

the Crossfit of headphones

I am both laughing hysterically and reevaluating my entire life with this comment

 

[TooFrank]

I don't think it's that. I'm a measurement orientated person (I work for an NMI), measurement folk like to know where the distortion is, and be in control of it; the last transducer is the place to control colour. Grado get that, and perfectly fulfill that role. Don't confuse ignorance with a desire to quantify things; they are polar opposites.

When I started this journey, I didn’t even know the Harman target, but just enjoyed the sound....Still think it is a little strange that you have to measure how good the sound is to your ears. For me it is just like in old days, when I was reading music reviews of LPs: when I knew the reviewer, I could use the review regardless his/hers opinion....

 

[Bernard23]

When I started this journey, I didn’t even know the Harman target, but just enjoyed the sound....Still think it is a little strange that you have to measure how good the sound is to your ears. For me it is just like in old days, when I was reading music reviews of LPs: when I knew the reviewer, I could use the review regardless his/hers opinion....

That's the thing, when you "knew" the reviewer, as in compared your experiences to theirs, and then you dialled in. Same with everything though, I've bought so many cars based on implied performance!
Ultimately though, you can, and should aspire to be able to quantify everything that you wish to define. There is a good reason why the balance was invented all those years ago.

 

[Luckyleo]

Why is there so much hate for Grado products? I went on a discord a couple months ago and saw a ton of hate for just even the mention of Grado. I just went into another audiophile discord and the same thing happened. I don't quite get it

Grado's are indeed old school. Many/most of today's HP reviewers like a better build, more comfort, and focus more on the flavors of the month. Grado doesn't advertise. They generally don't send samples to reviewers (Steve Guttenberg is the exception as he lives in the neighborhood). Today, the reviewers follow the trends, i.e. flavor of the month, that's where the money is (even if they pay for the product themselves, they have Patreon, and Youtube revenue based on subscribers and clicks). The Grado nation is too small to cater to.......

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Interesting comments, possibly a good example of ignorance of facts clouding judgement? Never mind Boomers or millenials, we're staring donwn the barrel of a facebook generation.....

I definitely think so. Like, if you take someone who's never heard "good" headphones before (just meaning stuff that's not consumer tuned), they'll likely still be able to understand what's up with like a Focal Clear, a Beyer 1990, Senn HD800, Audeze LCD-3, all that stuff. They feel INCREDIBLY premium in the hands, they're these big substantial over-ears with top-notch comfort and just plain LOOK expensive. Then their sound is measured in a way that's significantly better than a Beats or Bose but you can kinda "relate" to it, if that makes sense.

Grado is a totally different animal. The RS1e feels weirdly cheap. They're super light, the headband is thin, the cables don't come off, they're on-ears instead of over-ears, the pads feel like that garbage foam on RCA headphones from the early 1990s. To someone unfamiliar, they seem so chintzy and badly made. It makes it hard, at first blush, to understand what all goes into them.

SIDE NOTE, I got a set of SR80 incoming. Not SR80e, the old ones. Got 'em off Craigslist for $50. Excited to get 'em.

EDIT: OH yeah, I visited mi madre recently and let her listen to her favorite albums (Madman Across the Water, Tapestry, Fillmore East) on the Hemp. She was nearly in tears from it.

 

[elvergun]

I definitely think so. Like, if you take someone who's never heard "good" headphones before (just meaning stuff that's not consumer tuned), they'll likely still be able to understand what's up with like a Focal Clear, a Beyer 1990, Senn HD800, Audeze LCD-3, all that stuff. They feel INCREDIBLY premium in the hands, they're these big substantial over-ears with top-notch comfort and just plain LOOK expensive. Then their sound is measured in a way that's significantly better than a Beats or Bose but you can kinda "relate" to it, if that makes sense.

Grado is a totally different animal. The RS1e feels weirdly cheap. They're super light, the headband is thin, the cables don't come off, they're on-ears instead of over-ears, the pads feel like that garbage foam on RCA headphones from the early 1990s. To someone unfamiliar, they seem so chintzy and badly made. It makes it hard, at first blush, to understand what all goes into them.

SIDE NOTE, I got a set of SR80 incoming. Not SR80e, the old ones. Got 'em off Craigslist for $50. Excited to get 'em.

EDIT: OH yeah, I visited mi madre recently and let her listen to her favorite albums (Madman Across the Water, Tapestry, Fillmore East) on the Hemp. She was nearly in tears from it.

A good son would let her mother keep that which she likes...



...just saying.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

A good son would let her mother keep that which she likes...



...just saying.

She's getting an SR80e for her birthday LOL

 

[elvergun]

She's getting an SR80e for her birthday LOL

Well, that's better than nothing...

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Well, that's better than nothing...

LMAO no joke I'd get her something like the RS2e but she isn't quite that into audio?