[ruhenheiM]

damn it!!! do i keep it or...???
 

 

[donlin]

you gotta give them a week. you'll never go back. flats are the only true grado pad. admittedly ive never heard the ps500 but i own sr325 and sr200 both with hp1k drivers, rs1i, ms1, sr325, magnum v5, and multiple sr60.

i firmly believe if youve never used flats ypuve never heard a grado

cheers

You don't need to convince me. I've had Grados with flats going back to 1991 with my HP-2's and the original RS-1's from 1995. I've never liked the bowls on any models which is the main reason I drifted away from Grados in recent years. My hope was that the GH-1 would work as if it was made for flats and it does all the way. My PS-500e's will probably be going up for sale very soon.

 

[beez]

You don't need to convince me. I've had Grados with flats going back to 1991 with my HP-2's and the original RS-1's from 1995. I've never liked the bowls on any models which is the main reason I drifted away from Grados in recent years. My hope was that the GH-1 would work as if it was made for flats and it does all the way. My PS-500e's will probably be going up for sale very soon.

thats awesome. do you like the gh1 that much? ive been trying to hold myself back because i feel like i dont need them at the cost but they are so damn tempting...

 

[donlin]

thats awesome. do you like the gh1 that much? ive been trying to hold myself back because i feel like i dont need them at the cost but they are so damn tempting...

If you like the flat pad sound, I can't recommend them enough. Keep in mind I've only had them for a day but they are so good, it's not just the excitement of a new toy speaking. I've periodically tried various versions of the RS-1 hoping I could regain that classic sound that I missed so much. While they were always better with flats than bowls, you could tell they weren't designed around bowls because of overweight bass, muffled treble, etc. I recently tried an RS-1e which was really terrible so I returned it. I should add that the Cary amp I recently got seems to be made for Grados and is the main reason I got the PS-500's which I thought were pretty good with flats until today. The Cary reminds me of the Melos SHA-1 and it has the same tubes and hybrid amplification.

 

[joseph69]

I just ordered a couple new pairs of flat pads too, in anticipation of getting the GH-1's. I tried them with my PS-500e's but they didn't sound quite right.

This is the third time I've had/tried the Flat Pads, and this is the second night I'm using them with my RS1i's and something actually sounds off to me as well. Like I said, I've used them before and know what changes they bring to the Grados I own, but I just figured I try them again. 

 

  damn it!!! do i keep it or...???
 

Why are you asking this???
Are those NOS Vintage RS1's?

 

[bpcans]

damn it!!! do i keep it or...???

Yes of course.

 

[stacker45]

I just ordered a couple new pairs of flat pads too, in anticipation of getting the GH-1's. I tried them with my PS-500e's but they didn't sound quite right.

 
I'm not surprised, the flat pads, are knowned for increasing the bass, and rolling off the highs, two things that the PS500 are also knowned for...need I say more?

 
 

The box may be nothing special but my first impressions of the phones are. These may prove to be exactly what I've been hoping for.

 
Warning!, the following has been written by a VERY skeptical and strongly medicated individual, so proceed with caution!.
 
It goes without saying that sound quality is the most important thing, however, a pair of headphone can be well presented, and still sound good, one thing doesn't prevent the other, especially when a company proudly refers to said product as ''Special Edition''. Looking at the pictrues, they certainly don't look very special.
 
A few years ago Grado still had some 4 conductors GS1000 leftover. Now, since the new (at the time), 8 conductors GS1000i were already out, Grado couldn't turn the GS1000 into the ''i'' version without changing the cables.
 
Grado could've simply lowered the prices and clear the remaining GS1000. Instead, they renamed them, and the Dolce Gabbana Edition was born, so instead of lowering the price, they raised it. I don't like what Grado has done, but I have to give them credit for creativity, because I'm sure that Grado knew that they wouldn't p.o the audiophile buyers. because in all likelyhood, the DG edition would be bought by trendy hypsters, who probably didn't know that they could get a pair of GS1000i, wich were technically superior.
 
Then Grado came out with the Special, and Limited Edition, Bushmills. For $395 you not only get a very good sounding pair of headphones, you get one, if not THE best presentation that Grado has ever produced. They come in a wooden crate, that has the Bushmills bottle logo burned in the wood on one side , and Grado/ Bushmills on the other. The plexi-glass cover has a barrel image printed on it, and they also come with an embroided carrying bag. And like the GH-1, they have a thick soft headband, wich, unlike the GH-1, is tan.
 
Of course, all of this wouldn't mean a thing if the Bushmills didn't sound good. I actually prefer them to the RS1i, although in all honesty, I suspect that the RS1i that I had may have had unusually stiff drivers, plus they were brand new, so they weren't burned in. Regardless, of their Special Edition status, I have compared my Bushmills with my other Grados, and in my opinion, soundwise, they could be a $700 ish pair of Grados. 
 
I had pre-ordered a pair of GH-1, and these things better have a VERY good sound, because now that the pictrues are out, people surely won't buy them for their presentation. Now I know why Grado only published pictrues of the tree, instead of the actual headphones. Oh well, fingers crossed!.
 

 

[ruhenheiM]

@joseph69
no,i bought it from another retired headfier.and it's not that old,i wish it could've been but no such luck
and why do i asking that...because i'm about to buy ps1000e, i'm in position whether its now or never. and i never auditioned it before,so have no idea. one thing i knew i love grado sound. and today i had a moment when i listened with rs1, like what if i like ps1000 more, then i really dont need rs1 but then again it's rs1,this is my ultimate headphone which makes me have this urge to gotta have it at the very beginning i bought a good headphone sr60 9 years ago. so yeah damn it! acting like a greedy ******* but with no money hahaha
 
@bpcans
yea...i mean the look of the headphone itself already.. you know...

 

[stacker45]

  damn it!!! do i keep it or...???
 

 
You can't be serious!, and if you are, then no, you should definately get rid of them, and the sooner, the better. Anyway, let me know because, believe it or not, I know this poor, old, pathetic soul, who might even be willing to offer you a few bucks for these old worthless reliques.
 
Ouch!, sorry, my nose just hit my computer screen!, DAMN YOU! Geppetto!

 

[ruhenheiM]

   
You can't be serious!, and if you are, then no, you should definately get rid of them, and the sooner, the better. Anyway, let me know because, believe it or not, I know this poor, old, pathetic soul, who might even be willing to offer you a few bucks for these old worthless reliques.
 
Ouch!, sorry, my nose just hit my computer screen!, DAMN YOU! Geppetto!

thank you for your kind words sir! and who is this poor old pathetic soul might be? and how many uncle ben (i'm assuming of course) i might be look at for this old worthless reliques?
 
 
on serious note. god damn you grado !!!! why you made rs1 look so awesomely gorgeous!!

 

[joseph69]

  @joseph69
no,i bought it from another retired headfier.and it's not that old,i wish it could've been but no such luck
and why do i asking that...because i'm about to buy ps1000e, i'm in position whether its now or never. and i never auditioned it before,so have no idea. one thing i knew i love grado sound. and today i had a moment when i listened with rs1, like what if i like ps1000 more, then i really dont need rs1 but then again it's rs1,this is my ultimate headphone which makes me have this urge to gotta have it at the very beginning i bought a good headphone sr60 9 years ago. so yeah damn it! acting like a greedy ******* but with no money hahaha

Just my input/experience, even though you've stated your not in the position too have both.
I own the RS1i/PS1K and love/enjoy listening too both equally, and also feel they compliment each other very well…they are two different sounding HP's in a great way IMO/IME. Good luck with your decision and enjoy the musical outcome whatever it may be.

 

[rovopio]

  damn it!!! do i keep it or...???
 

 
trade with a one week old RS2e?
Also... will pray and wish you great year ahead of you as well, if you decide to let them go.

 

[XLR8]

I just ordered a couple new pairs of flat pads too, in anticipation of getting the GH-1's. I tried them with my PS-500e's but they didn't sound quite right.

I'm not surprised, the flat pads, are knowned for increasing the bass, and rolling off the highs, two things that the PS500 are also knowned for...need I say more?

The box may be nothing special but my first impressions of the phones are. These may prove to be exactly what I've been hoping for.

Warning!, the following has been written by a VERY skeptical and strongly medicated individual, so proceed with caution!.

It goes without saying that sound quality is the most important thing, however, a pair of headphone can be well presented, and still sound good, one thing doesn't prevent the other, especially when a company proudly refers to said product as ''Special Edition''. Looking at the pictrues, they certainly don't look very special.

A few years ago Grado still had some 4 conductors GS1000 leftover. Now, since the new (at the time), 8 conductors GS1000i were already out, Grado couldn't turn the GS1000 into the ''i'' version without changing the cables.

Grado could've simply lowered the prices and clear the remaining GS1000. Instead, they renamed them, and the Dolce Gabbana Edition was born, so instead of lowering the price, they raised it. I don't like what Grado has done, but I have to give them credit for creativity, because I'm sure that Grado knew that they wouldn't p.o the audiophile buyers. because in all likelyhood, the DG edition would be bought by trendy hypsters, who probably didn't know that they could get a pair of GS1000i, wich were technically superior.

Then Grado came out with the Special, and Limited Edition, Bushmills. For $395 you not only get a very good sounding pair of headphones, you get one, if not THE best presentation that Grado has ever produced. They come in a wooden crate, that has the Bushmills bottle logo burned in the wood on one side , and Grado/ Bushmills on the other. The plexi-glass cover has a barrel image printed on it, and they also come with an embroided carrying bag. And like the GH-1, they have a thick soft headband, wich, unlike the GH-1, is tan.

Of course, all of this wouldn't mean a thing if the Bushmills didn't sound good. I actually prefer them to the RS1i, although in all honesty, I suspect that the RS1i that I had may have had unusually stiff drivers, plus they were brand new, so they weren't burned in. Regardless, of their Special Edition status, I have compared my Bushmills with my other Grados, and in my opinion, soundwise, they could be a $700 ish pair of Grados. 

I had pre-ordered a pair of GH-1, and these things better have a VERY good sound, because now that the pictrues are out, people surely won't buy them for their presentation. Now I know why Grado only published pictrues of the tree, instead of the actual headphones. Oh well, fingers crossed!.

The law of diminishing returns..
I have overwhelmingly realised that with more $ and Grados the improvement in sound is subtle and non linear. Then of course you have the hybrids and I think they are a complimenting headphone all collectors should have.

There probably will never be another bushmills.
The effort and labor gone into those especially when you see the presentation and subtle detail is probably the best I have seen from Grado.
Then you factor the price for them new and compare to these recently released gh1 and your start scratching head and lose lots of hair..

I hope for the fans, the sound speaks volumes cause at that price it should deliver.

 

[pigmode]

  I know I'm s'posed to wait till saturday morning to post these but what the schiit!
 

 
 
 
I'll have to watch that.
 
Gibraltar: I've been using it in my test set for the RS2i. Wayne Shorter practically out does himself even while playing support to Zawinul's keyboards. Although its a memento now, I still have my first copy bought in 1975 at Nurnberg, Germany. Have had the 8-track, cassette, LP, CD,and IIRC SACD.
 
 

 

[joseph69]

  This is the third time I've had/tried the Flat Pads, and this is the second night I'm using them with my RS1i's and something actually sounds off to me as well. Like I said, I've used them before and know what changes they bring to the Grados I own, but I just figured I try them again. 

So I switched back over to the Grado (L) cushions and hear exactly whats off about TTVJ Flat Pads IMO.
Vocals seem to be way off/recessed and the clarity isn't nearly as clean/clear as the (L) cushions, and although the bass may be overall more present, it's not nearly as tight and defined, as I had already known, and not too mention the sound-stage just doesn't compare. The RS1i's IMO need some distance between your ears and the drivers…now they sound perfect for me!!! Now I'm just asking myself, why did I bother trying these pads for the third time???