[joseph69]

  By darker, I assume you are saying...treble is tamed way down compared to the RS1i....but still great detail .
if you had to give a percentage on the treble, Joseph......how much would you say it has tamed down....if it has any at all.
When you say darker....I immediately think less treble.

The treble is less, but strangely easily heard (I don't know by how much percent) but it blends in nicely with the rest of the frequencies. As of now this is the most different Grado I've heard. The only (e) series Grado I heard was the GS1Ke which I didn't care for.
 
Quote:

Nothing mellow about these!

Upon further listening, I believe these have more treble presence and maybe more extension. Bass is indeed very nice. Good presence without being overpowering or overemphasized. very good punch when it calls for it. Like all Grados (deep)sub bass is not really there IMO. I do believe these do reach a bit lower than what older models did, maybe all e series do?

 Instruments and voices have their own space and there is a nice little 3D image going on that I don't think previous generation Grados achieved the way these do.

Personally, I would've like to hear more (full) body to the midrange as from what I can recall my Rs1 definitely has. My Rs1 has such a good tonality, voices sound excellent and acoustic instruments have beautiful timbre that nothing else I've heard quite does it like the Rs1.

Thanks for your input…I'm hearing what you're hearing but you've just explained it much better! @whirlwind when I said darker background, I've always read that the PS500/e had the darkest sound, so this is what I was also trying to say. [size=x-small]The only thing is that to me the mid-range does have a nice full bodied sound to it, but then again, you have the RS1 (buttoned) and I have the RS1i which are different. I only compared 1 song between the GH-1/RS1i last night and felt the GH-1 was warmer/fuller with that recording. Also our equipment changes what we each hear. Very nicely said[/size]…[size=x-small]thanks!  [/size]

 

[RivalDealer]

  A person who sold me the 500e told me they are bassy.Sure,more than 80i but you don't feel the vibration still.So, not that great for hip-hop,dubstep etc.I don't even know if i got a bad driver or they don't hold to big bass coming from even chill dub step,the driver rattles like it's bad,if i switch to ligher on bass styles everything goes back to normal.So still not sure if i should fix them or it's normal. But rock, jazz, female vocals, opera, Coltrane,Netrebko vocals...-eargasm! P.S. They love the last Brian Wilson album)

 
They shouldn't rattle at all 

 
I can feel the pressure on my ear drum from bass with the PS500e, even without turning it up especially loud. It's not huge on bass, but there is definitely plenty there. More would be too much for me I think, I was surprised by it.
 
Try to audition some in a shop and see if they sound the same as yours maybe?

 

[jimr101]

Fresh ground coffee and Grados in the morning brews and tunes in the afternoon. Been out of the loop for a bit. Grados brought the woodstock hippie back out of me at retirement. Finally had time to really dig in the music.Even when I was working I would find the best box I could get my hands on to get that magic hifi sound of the late 60's and early 70's. And I found just that magic with my grado headphone passion in an apartment where neighbors were an issue. But the Colorado kid in me had to get out of Phoenix and back in the mountains. I'm now in the White mountain forests of North East Arizona where I can rebuild and crank up my vintage 70's equipment from my Hippie days. This to say I'm learning quite a bit about this nirvana Grado sound we seek. Tube sound Solid state sound different Dacs more bass less bass better mids. Bottom line it's all about THE MUSIC and how it affects our soul and pierces it. It brings out our most precious memories first loves, colors, sounds and even smells! The mass production power amp wars of the 70' brought us quality hifi sound that even a poor hippie like me could get his hands on even if I did have more money tied up in it than my car. Concerts for free or nearly free. Three days listening to the Grateful Dead with the Eagles on those amps put togeither by the engineer from McIntosh of the caliber of Joseph Grado. Speaking of LOVE of MUSIC where is Jay Willin and his tunes or Wormdrive. I've played with a lot of good and not so good equipment but it does come down to what it does for you. That being said some delivers and others DONT! And here comes in the importance of people like Joseph Grado that had the talent to bring us the equipment that so moves our souls. So my advice to the novice headphone enthusiast if you possibly can save yourself a few step and go for the PS-1000 if you possibly can. They cover as close a we humans can get to convering the fullness of that nirvana sound while you are rediscovering it. Now if you know what your soul craves. Go for it. For me in hind sight should have started at the top to the closest to my ears. The one thing I do know if the headphones are capable as the PS-1000 are they will be the true test of how good your equipment is. What works for you and what doesn't. They cover it all. But like Kermit the frog says "Just saying". And you do have a right to you're opinions!

 

[the5chord]

I go through phases. Most of the time I am over at thegearpage.net discussing guitar effect sounds but when I get tired of that I come here. Had a pair of RS-1i's for awhile but sold them to fund some gear purchase. Well I bought some grado 325e's yesterday and I am liking them as much as I remember liking the rs1i's. Maybe even more because I like taking my headphones when I travel and the rs1i's seemed less practical for that.

I am using an iphone5s and a fiio e11. Anyone think the e12 or e12a would be much of an improvement?

 

[DarthFader]

Two random thoughts on this fine evening:
 
1. I sat down to do some relaxing listening tonight. I looked at my headphone options: plastic. plastic. weird polycarbonate. Then there was my Grado, with real metal and real wood and a thick, perfect-length cable that doesn't twist oddly. I love many headphone brands but few satisfy me on a tactile level the way a pair of RS1s or PS500s or GS1000s or PS1000 can.
 
2. Ever have one of those listening experiences where your Grados have brought you to tears? Cause I'm a grown-@$$ man but....wow...I just had one.

 

[joseph69]

  Two random thoughts on this fine evening:
 
1. I sat down to do some relaxing listening tonight. I looked at my headphone options: plastic. plastic. weird polycarbonate. Then there was my Grado, with real metal and real wood and a thick, perfect-length cable that doesn't twist oddly. I love many headphone brands but few satisfy me on a tactile level the way a pair of RS1s or PS500s or GS1000s or PS1000 can.
 
2. Ever have one of those listening experiences where your Grados have brought you to tears? Cause I'm a grown-@$$ man but....wow...I just had one.

So which Grados did you choose???

 

[DarthFader]

  So which Grados did you choose???

My staple: the PS500s.

 

[joseph69]

  My staple: the PS500s.

Enjoy!
I'll be starting my listening session soon.

 

[rovopio]

  Two random thoughts on this fine evening:
 
1. I sat down to do some relaxing listening tonight. I looked at my headphone options: plastic. plastic. weird polycarbonate. Then there was my Grado, with real metal and real wood and a thick, perfect-length cable that doesn't twist oddly. I love many headphone brands but few satisfy me on a tactile level the way a pair of RS1s or PS500s or GS1000s or PS1000 can.
 
2. Ever have one of those listening experiences where your Grados have brought you to tears? Cause I'm a grown-@$$ man but....wow...I just had one.

 
maybe not tears... but touched. that's how I judge a transducer by the way. If it moved me, then it's good. If it's not, then... it's low on my priority list.
 
I think everybody here have been moved by Grados, which is why most everybody here is mad enough and own more than 1 pair of Grados headphones.
Where at $650, Grados don't even print a custom box for their headphones, let alone matching the sticker printing to the model. If that's not mad, I don't know what is.

 

[jaywillin]

Fresh ground coffee and Grados in the morning brews and tunes in the afternoon. Been out of the loop for a bit. Grados brought the woodstock hippie back out of me at retirement. Finally had time to really dig in the music.Even when I was working I would find the best box I could get my hands on to get that magic hifi sound of the late 60's and early 70's. And I found just that magic with my grado headphone passion in an apartment where neighbors were an issue. But the Colorado kid in me had to get out of Phoenix and back in the mountains. I'm now in the White mountain forests of North East Arizona where I can rebuild and crank up my vintage 70's equipment from my Hippie days. This to say I'm learning quite a bit about this nirvana Grado sound we seek. Tube sound Solid state sound different Dacs more bass less bass better mids. Bottom line it's all about THE MUSIC and how it affects our soul and pierces it. It brings out our most precious memories first loves, colors, sounds and even smells! The mass production power amp wars of the 70' brought us quality hifi sound that even a poor hippie like me could get his hands on even if I did have more money tied up in it than my car. Concerts for free or nearly free. Three days listening to the Grateful Dead with the Eagles on those amps put togeither by the engineer from McIntosh of the caliber of Joseph Grado. Speaking of LOVE of MUSIC where is Jay Willin and his tunes or Wormdrive. I've played with a lot of good and not so good equipment but it does come down to what it does for you. That being said some delivers and others DONT! And here comes in the importance of people like Joseph Grado that had the talent to bring us the equipment that so moves our souls. So my advice to the novice headphone enthusiast if you possibly can save yourself a few step and go for the PS-1000 if you possibly can. They cover as close a we humans can get to convering the fullness of that nirvana sound while you are rediscovering it. Now if you know what your soul craves. Go for it. For me in hind sight should have started at the top to the closest to my ears. The one thing I do know if the headphones are capable as the PS-1000 are they will be the true test of how good your equipment is. What works for you and what doesn't. They cover it all. But like Kermit the frog says "Just saying". And you do have a right to you're opinions!

Good to see you back in the loop jim !

 

[jimr101]

When even DarthVader gets teary eyed you know the force is with ya. I just listen to John Lennon Starting Over thru a 50$ Marantz 2230 I just recapped and deoxited and OMG I had no idea it could out sing my little dot1 hybrid. It never ceases to amaze me what can be discovered once you know what you ate looking for. Brought a tear to my glass eye!

eyes you know

 

[sling5s]

Does the Grado GH1 have same bass quantity as the Grado PS500e?
I've had the Grado PS500e thought the bass was too much and currently have the Grado RS2e. 

 

[jimr101]

That is the fun of it. It's whatever rock your boat. I'm 64 and swung hammers for a living as a Boilermaker. Not counting the PSk's that covers it all my ears just love the PS500 in all shades of bass.

 

[jltalusan]

Hi guys, I'm loving the Grado sound mostly for rock and acoustics.

Just wanna know which one should I get. I'm new within this headphones world 

so I've auditioned the

sr80e - sounds okay best among grados 
sr225e - sounds better than the sr80e, a little bright less bass. more detailed.
sr325e - brightest among the prestige series, very detailed but sometimes it's like piercing to my brain.
rs2e - sounds like the sr225e with a little bass
ps500e - a tamed sr325e with more bass

which one do you should I get?

I listen usually with 

Maroon 5
Eminem
Linkin Park
Metallica
Acoustics

I don't have any dac/amp but planning to get a dx90.
I'm currently using my iphone as dap with flac files.

 

[DarthFader]

  Hi guys, I'm loving the Grado sound mostly for rock and acoustics.

Just wanna know which one should I get. I'm new within this headphones world 

so I've auditioned the

sr80e - sounds okay best among grados 
sr225e - sounds better than the sr80e, a little bright less bass. more detailed.
sr325e - brightest among the prestige series, very detailed but sometimes it's like piercing to my brain.
rs2e - sounds like the sr225e with a little bass
ps500e - a tamed sr325e with more bass

which one do you should I get?

I listen usually with 

Maroon 5
Eminem
Linkin Park
Metallica
Acoustics

I don't have any dac/amp but planning to get a dx90.
I'm currently using my iphone as dap with flac files.

 
Of the list of Grados, the PS500e is probably your best bet if it fits your budget. The 225e is my recommendation if you want to spend less.
 
BUT—what I'm about to say pains me.
 
Get a Sennheiser HD 600 or 650 (you can find lightly used ones on eBay for $200 - $250). With the exception of the generic "acoustics" category—which Grados do an amazing job with—everything else on your list is mastered for the mass consumer market. Metallica especially has been really hot on their later albums (see Death Magnetic as an example in the loudness wars at their extreme). I find that my HD600s are more mellow and forgiving of commercial recordings' flaws. I save the Grados for recordings I know sound amazing. When I listen to music such as Eminem or Maroon 5 through my Grados, I get distracted by the things I wish the recording engineers had done differently. Just my two cents.
 
EDIT: Missed the part where you mentioned no DAC/Amp. The 225e will do fine out of an iPhone. Might not get a pair of HD600s or 650s until you have a DAC and amp.