[gregorya]

It's not only the label, it's the overall presentation that looks pedestrian.

1) - Ordinary desing
2) - 1/8'' connector
3) - No extension
4) - Thin cardboard box
5) - Wrong labelling
6) - No serial number

I see no cause for celebration, just because the GH-1 are ''error free'', I mean, this a pretty simple product here, not a space shuttle. As I've said before, I am glad that the GH-1 are recieving good comments, but... you know...

Yeah, I was just referring to the typo on the label... The Bushmills really took things up a notch or two and now that 4OurEars have the wooden boxes, something along those lines would be nice... Although that would only increases the prices... As you mentioned, here in Canada we pay a real premium.

 

[stacker45]

   
 
Agree 100%. Speaking personally I could never get in on the LCD bandwagon partly because of the display case. Its not what would be called high quality either, which made it seem all the more a charade and a waste. 
 
 
 
I finally have 50+ hr burn in on this demo RS-2i. It came with a label on the box that read "Opened to show client 02/03/14", and it looked like it hadn't had that much use.
 
Tonally it suits my hearing which is attenuated in the HF (see link in sig). I'm listening right now to Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra "Up Close" (binaural) with the iTunes equalizer set to treble booster. Looking at the list of my past systems, no doubt three or four years ago the RS-2i would probably have too much energy in the highs for my taste. Its doing fine now.

 
 
 
 
Edit: (Listening now to Flamenco Sketches)
 
Not that I'm thinking seriously about adding an amp as I'm trying to keep things simple, but a GS-1 would absolutely rock with the RS-2i. Would probably allow me to turn the equalizer off, which I'd really like to do. Not sure but IIRC, that's what I had with the classic RS-1 that I loved so much. Okay, I'm 50/50 on getting a GS-1. 

 
I like Ottmar Liebert too, the first time I heard him was in a music store many years ago, I asked the salesman to show me wich cd was playing, and it was, ''Gypsie Passion''...a well recorded New Flamenco compilation. This is also how I discovered Willie and Lobo, and Jessy cook.

 

[stacker45]

Yeah, I was just referring to the typo on the label... The Bushmills really took things up a notch or two and now that 4OurEars have the wooden boxes, something along those lines would be nice... Although that would only increases the prices... As you mentioned, here in Canada we pay a real premium.

 
As I've said before, I can't help but wonder if the Bushmills ended up being a bad buisness decision for Grado, I'm no expert, but since their earcups are different from all the others, they might have been more expensive to build. One thing's for sure, the cutomers got, A LOT, for $395.

 

[zazex]

 
I don't know, I kind of appreciate the minimal packaging.  Once I take the phones out, the box goes in the closet until it's time to sell. I've tried many of the hot planars lately and they all have very elaborate packaging that just seems a little silly and has to add quite a bit to the cost.  For example, I recently bought and returned the Oppo PM-1 which had a huge outer box and glossy wood box that was so heavy I could hardly carry it the mile walk from the store back home and had to add at least $150.00 to the cost.  Unfortunately, the headphones sounded pretty lousy to me so it was almost like the packaging was a diversion. The grado box adequately protects the phones and doesn't take up much room.

 
+1

 

[joseph69]

  I don't know, I kind of appreciate the minimal packaging.  Once I take the phones out, the box goes in the closet until it's time to sell. 

I agree with this also, my boxes go right in the closet, but I wouldn't have minded if the GH-1 being a Limited Edition came with a nice wood box though, but no big deal.
 

  I would like to hear this comparison also.....just to get the feel of where this headphone falls in at. Grado says between RS2 and RS1......would that not be like a PS500

I also want to hear some input on this…I would hate to think I spent more money for a the same sounding HP because its a "Limited Edition" which means nothing too me.
Could be it sounds like the PS500, but I've never heard either the RS2e/PS500/e, but from the posts I've read about the PS500's sound signature, the GH-1 doesn't fit the description, sound like the RS2e fits better, but I don't know. I'm almost tempted to buy an RS2e and compare the 
RS2e/GH-1 but...
 

  Yes,
Yes.  I literally just opened the box on my GH1.
Initial impression (less than 5 minutes of listening!) ... I can immediately tell that I like the tonal balance on the GH1 much better than the RS2e.  I personally find the RS2e too bright & fatiguing without the tape mod and/or a few dB of "tilt" EQ to bring the treble down.
Once I get a few hours of listening in, I'll post more comments about the differences between these two.

Good news, can't wait too hear your impressions between the two.

 

For those concerned about a serial # - have you guys noticed the number written inside of each cup (like, in the chamber that the driver sits)? It's hard to make out but, I've got numbers written inside mine.

I never looked at any of the serial#'s on any of my Grado's, its really not a big thing to me. 

 

[hifizen]

OK...  so the RS2e vs GH1 comparison is not quite as straightforward as I would have imagined.
 
For starters, I want to compare on an even keel for folks here to get a useful comparison.  That means shutting off my EQ plugin.  But, I find the RS2e too bright & fatiguing in the stock configuration and no EQ.  Taping the bowls helps a ton, bringing the treble & bass into better balance.  The treble is still prominent, so I would not call them neutral, but I'm able to listen happily without fatigue, and enjoy the excellent midrange.
 
So, first caveat is that I am using my RS2e with taped bowls for all of this comparison.

On to the GH1...
 
Straight out of the box, I noticed the overall tonal balance is much more neutral than the RS2e.  Treble is in proportion with the midrange, while the bass is indeed stronger without being out of proportion.
 
After some swapping back and forth, two significant things stand out:
 
1)  The RS2e midrange is more open / spacious and has more presence.  In comparison, the GH1 midrange is a bit recessed, and sounds slightly congested.  Now, I'm a bit cautious about this trait ...  the GH1 are brand new, while my RS2e have 300-400 hours on them.  The tape mod seems to help open up and bring forward the GH1 midrange, bringing it closer to the RS2e.  I'll need to listen more, but I think the RS2e are slightly ahead.
 
2)  The GH1 does have a couple dB more bass overall than the taped RS2e, including a slight upper-bass emphasis that I'm undecided about.  On the one hand, this gives the GH1 a nicer weight with double-bass (classical, jazz), but also leaves it sounding a touch tubby compared to the RS2e on some material (pop).  The taped RS2e bass is still slightly on the lean side of neutral, but what's there is a bit tighter and more articulate.  While I appreciate the increased bass on the GH1, I'm no basshead, so I'm on the fence about this.  I like the added bass response of the GH1, but I also like the bass expressiveness in the RS2e.  Again, I'm hesistant about making too much of these differences at this stage of (non)break-in.  After taping the GH1 bowls, the GH1 does gain even more bass response, though the treble balance seems to be affected less than it is on the RS2e.
 
Except for quantity (RS2e has more obviously), the treble character is broadly similar in terms of smoothness and clarity.  I haven't focused enough on this area to give a good description of the differences yet.
 
So, after my first half-day with them, my initial impression in favour of the GH1 has softened.  The RS2e can hold it's own against the GH1. I need to play more with tape on the GH1 bowls, and get some break-in time on these bad boys to see if that midrange opens up more.  If it does, I think the GH1 will become my favorite of the two.
 
For now, I'm listening with tape on both headphones, but the GH1 is fine without.

 

[hifizen]

Some pics:
 

 
 
Interestingly, my drivers are flush:
 

 

[joseph69]

I got a message from TTVJ today, informing me that my GH-1s are on the way.

Great I can't wait for you too hear the GH-1, I have a good feeling you are going to enjoy them right out of the box!
 

  Agree 100%. Speaking personally I could never get in on the LCD bandwagon partly because of the display case. Its not what would be called high quality either, which made it seem all the more a charade and a waste. 
Not that I'm thinking seriously about adding an amp as I'm trying to keep things simple, but a GS-1 would absolutely rock with the RS-2i. Would probably allow me to turn the equalizer off, which I'd really like to do.

I agree also about the Audeze.
The GS-1 will DEFINITELY allow you to turn off your EQ…stop thinking about purchasing a GS-1 and just do it, trust me, you won't redrew it. 

 

  OK...  so the RS2e vs GH1 comparison is not quite as straightforward as I would have imagined.
For starters, I want to compare on an even keel for folks here to get a useful comparison.  That means shutting off my EQ plugin.  But, I find the RS2e too bright & fatiguing in the stock configuration and no EQ.  Taping the bowls helps a ton, bringing the treble & bass into better balance.  The treble is still prominent, so I would not call them neutral, but I'm able to listen happily without fatigue, and enjoy the excellent midrange.
So, first caveat is that I am using my RS2e with taped bowls for all of this comparison.
On to the GH1...
Straight out of the box, I noticed the overall tonal balance is much more neutral than the RS2e.  Treble is in proportion with the midrange, while the bass is indeed stronger without being out of proportion.
After some swapping back and forth, two significant things stand out:
1)  The RS2e midrange is more open / spacious and has more presence.  In comparison, the GH1 midrange is a bit recessed, and sounds slightly congested.  Now, I'm a bit cautious about this trait ...  the GH1 are brand new, while my RS2e have 300-400 hours on them.  The tape mod seems to help open up and bring forward the GH1 midrange, bringing it closer to the RS2e.  I'll need to listen more, but I think the RS2e are slightly ahead.
2)  The GH1 does have a couple dB more bass overall than the taped RS2e, including a slight upper-bass emphasis that I'm undecided about.  On the one hand, this gives the GH1 a nicer weight with double-bass (classical, jazz), but also leaves it sounding a touch tubby compared to the RS2e on some material (pop).  The taped RS2e bass is still slightly on the lean side of neutral, but what's there is a bit tighter and more articulate.  While I appreciate the increased bass on the GH1, I'm no basshead, so I'm on the fence about this.  I like the added bass response of the GH1, but I also like the bass expressiveness in the RS2e.  Again, I'm hesistant about making too much of these differences at this stage of (non)break-in.  After taping the GH1 bowls, the GH1 does gain even more bass response, though the treble balance seems to be affected less than it is on the RS2e.
Except for quantity (RS2e has more obviously), the treble character is broadly similar in terms of smoothness and clarity.  I haven't focused enough on this area to give a good description of the differences yet.
So, after my first half-day with them, my initial impression in favour of the GH1 has softened.  The RS2e can hold it's own against the GH1. I need to play more with tape on the GH1 bowls, and get some break-in time on these bad boys to see if that midrange opens up more.  If it does, I think the GH1 will become my favorite of the two.
For now, I'm listening with tape on both headphones, but the GH1 is fine without.

Your impressions are appreciated, but I'm sorry to say, and I don't in any way mean to come off wrong, but there is no comparison as of now with the GH-1 being new and the RS2e having 3-400hrs of burn-in??? Also modding in any way is flat out manipulating the sound of both HP's (neither are in "stock" form) so I can't see how this comparison can hold any ground…at all. And I'm not favoring either HP because I've never heard the RS2e, and I only listened to the GH-1 for about 2hrs last night (no listening tonight). 

 

[hifizen]

  Your impressions are appreciated, but I'm sorry to say, and I don't in any way mean to come off wrong, but there is no comparison as of now with the GH-1 being new and the RS2e having 3-400hrs of burn-in??? Also modding in any way is flat out manipulating the sound of both HP's (neither are in "stock" form) so I can't see how this comparison can hold any ground…at all. And I'm not favoring either HP because I've never heard the RS2e, and I only listened to the GH-1 for about 2hrs last night (no listening tonight). 

 
Can't say I disagree, these are all fair points ...  OTOH, people have been eagerly asking for a comparison, so those are my initial impressions for better or worse.  I hope I emphasized the obvious caveats regarding burn-in enough for people to consume my early impressions with the requisite quantity of salt.  

 
In stock trim, I'd say the GH1 is hands down the better headphone for the simple reason that the RS2e treble is too much for me to tolerate for more than a short time, whereas the GH1 is well balanced top to bottom and sounds great to me without any EQ or ear pad tweaks.
 
That said, the RS2e do some wonderful things in the midrange, which is the reason I still own them (that and a really transparent EQ).  So far, the GH1 appear to possess most of the midrange magic the RS2e have in EQ'd / tweaked / burned-in form, which in my experience is basically unchanged from their non-tweaked midrange character.
 
As the GH1's burn in, I'll see about attempting a more direct comparison without the tape...  though I don't relish the prospect of extended listening on the RS2e without something to tame the treble.  I have some flats on the way as well, so I'll play around with those and see what happens.

 

[GreenBow]

  Some pics:
 

 
 
 

Those light coloured wood maple cups trigger an emotional response from me, nearly bringing tears to my eyes. They are just beautiful.

 

[Unchi]

Is it coincidental that this Friday, my custom Sidewinder amp and GH1 are arriving on the same day!? I ordered them well over a month ago.

 

[joseph69]

  Can't say I disagree, these are all fair points ...  OTOH, people have been eagerly asking for a comparison, so those are my initial impressions for better or worse.  I hope I emphasized the obvious caveats regarding burn-in enough for people to consume my early impressions with the requisite quantity of salt.  

In stock trim, I'd say the GH1 is hands down the better headphone for the simple reason that the RS2e treble is too much for me to tolerate for more than a short time, whereas the GH1 is well balanced top to bottom and sounds great to me without any EQ or ear pad tweaks.
That said, the RS2e do some wonderful things in the midrange, which is the reason I still own them (that and a really transparent EQ).  So far, the GH1 appear to possess most of the midrange magic the RS2e have in EQ'd / tweaked / burned-in form, which in my experience is basically unchanged from their non-tweaked midrange character.
 
As the GH1's burn in, I'll see about attempting a more direct comparison without the tape...  though I don't relish the prospect of extended listening on the RS2e without something to tame the treble.  I have some flats on the way as well, so I'll play around with those and see what happens.

Would much rather hear your impressions after the GH-1 have sufficient burn-in and both are in "stock" form.
Thanks!
 

  Is it coincidental that this Friday, my custom Sidewinder amp and GH1 are arriving on the same day!? I ordered them well over a month ago.

Great, congratulations on both!

 

[jaywillin]

  Those light coloured wood maple cups trigger an emotional response from me, nearly bringing tears to my eyes. They are just beautiful.

i came veeeeeeery close to buying a sidewinder from the good dr, do let us know how you like it  (pics too)  

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Is it coincidental that this Friday, my custom Sidewinder amp and GH1 are arriving on the same day!? I ordered them well over a month ago.

Congrats!!! Looking forward to reading your impressions.

 

[GreenBow]

  i came veeeeeeery close to buying a sidewinder from the good dr, do let us know how you like it  (pics too)  

I don't think we can buy GH-1 in the UK. Doesn't matter though, as I have never had a jealous or disappointed streak in me. It's good fun reading people opinions and buzzing about their new kit though.