Guts390
100+ Head-Fier
We shouldn't jump to conclusions and dogpile. I still don't value their input very much, but I won't accuse them of shilling against grado.
If that's true, I apologize for the accusation. Still, one can see that a reviewer paid by a retailer might sometimes present a conflict of interest.We do in fact sell Grado although we do not currently have stock on the website at the moment.
A reviewers opinion on a product is not an indictment on the brand just as when someone pops into a Head-Fi thread to say they dislike / like a product. We don't control what our reviewers have to say about products and they aren't privy into what goes on on the sales side of the business. People always throw around accusations without merit every time one of our reviewers doesn't agree with their opinion but Head-Fi would not have threads with 4,000+ pages if everyone agreed with everything. It's good to find reviewers where their taste aligns with yours. And sometimes, they'll even provide measurement so you can get a general ideal of the tonality of a headphone.
If a reviewer's taste does not align with yours, it does not mean there is something nefarious at foot. It just means you have a difference of opinion.
Going back to RS1x/RS2x/GH4 debate…
Which of those three are least shouty?
Which of those three have stronger bass in terms of depth and punch?
Exactly! I've personally learned to take most of what youtube 'influencers' say with a hefty grain of salt. They instantly lose at least a bit of their credibility once they have a vested interest in the industry. I'm still a bit salty of how they all dogpiled on the HD8XX w/ basically the only justification being 'it's not as good as the HD800S (which is a horrible reason given that the HD8XX was in a completely different price bracket & could often be had for half the price of the HD800S new.) Glad I didn't listen to them on that one as it remains the best headphone I own (in my humble opinion.)If that's true, I apologize for the accusation. Still, one can see that a reviewer paid by a retailer might sometimes present a conflict of interest.
I'd say pretty much all grado headphones are very bright. At least in my experience and from what I've seen people say about the models I do not own. Might be remembering wrong. But I've seen a few people describe the rs2x as more lean and natural sounding than the rs1x. Hopefully somebody can chime in about that and you out some more. The rs1x are definitely going to be a good bit warmer than your 325 tho and the highs, while still intense, are pretty controlled and smooth. The rs1x have a very big and spacious sound. The tone is warm. Like I said, they aren't bass monsters. But the bass is really good. Fast, punchy, good extention. If you're looking for booming bass tho, I'd probably consider something other than a grado.
I feel the same way about 6XX. I still have them and use them to listen to acoustic jazz and vocal music, but for rock and metal, they are useless. My SR325x on the other hand are good with everything, be it jazz, blues, metal or edm. That’s why I want to dig deeper into the Grado hole…![]()
When I first got the RS1x/RS2e, I was extremely close to returning them due to how bright they were, but I'm EXTREMELY glad I stuck with them as they eventually settled into being amongst my favorite headphones.
I second this. Day 1 I was disappointed in my Rs1x. 3 weeks later, I can't bring myself to listen to anything else. Even my daily drivers for years (shure srh 840 original) have been shelved. They sound very different than anything else and once you understand it, there's no going back.I caved and ended up buying a used pair of RS2X from a member here (that maple wood just spoke to me) so I'll soon be able to compare to the rs1x & other Grados I've owned.) Personally, I've found that, at least w/ the RS1X & RS2e, they were extremely bright when purchased new, but eventually settled into a much warmer (albeit still bright) punchy sound, which more than anything, I attribute to the L pads wearing in & softening over time. Personally, I've found the different pad types/conditions to be a HUGE contributer into how the Grados I've owned sound. When I first got the RS1x/RS2e, I was extremely close to returning them due to how bright they were, but I'm EXTREMELY glad I stuck with them as they eventually settled into being amongst my favorite headphones.
![]() |
![]() |
Stay updated on headphones.com at their sponsor profile on Head-Fi.
![]() ![]() |
Appreciate the candor, @Resolve. I hope you truly do have the autonomy to tell it like you hear it, even with your store's bread-and-butter brands. I personally have no issue with you not liking Grados. When someone posted the negative reviews and I jumped over to the shop and found no Grados, I was hasty in my judgement and took it somewhat as "slamming the competition." Seems I was wrong about that since you did sell Grados at the time of some of the reviews.... Beyond that, the only mandate we have for our channel is to say it like it is - how we genuinely feel about these products. You may disagree with our takes, and that's fine. We regularly disagree with one another! But I suggest that before jumping to various conclusions around incentives or motivations, consider that based on how these headphones measure on standard equipment, it should come as no surprise that they won't be for everyone. And... I feel it's worth voicing this even if it means raising the ire of those who love the product, and I'll be far more willing to take those knocks in the Grado community than compromise on my editorial integrity.