[DarthFader]

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

 

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.

 

all around!!

 

[DrawTheLine87]

For any of you,who can't afford more expensive Grado's , Grado 80 will be just fine and i'm sure PS1000 will never be 15 times better) Not even 3 times better,probably.

I'd second this advice (if you're a fan of the grado sound) I bought my brother a pair of SR-60's and I'm still surprised how good they sound for the money. I one day would like to own an RS1 myself, I just need to find the funds to do so.... Until then, I'm enjoying my 225s!

 

[hifizen]

@joseph69 - My appreciation for prodding me to go listen again to the RS2e in stock form... I've been pleasantly greeted with a headphone who's worst attribute has mellowed significantly, I just didn't realize it till now because I had dialed in my EQ when they were still relatively new (<100hrs).  I still find the RS2e treble a couple dB too hot for my taste so will still tape / EQ them, but the shouty character they initially possessed which made them fatiguing to me seems to have mostly gone away.  As such, I have no trouble listening to them 'straight up' anymore, and have done so for the past 3 days while preparing this review.
 

So without further ado... here is take 2 of my RS2e / GH1 comparison - stock ear pads, no EQ:
 
As previously mentioned, my RS2e are thoroughly broken in through regular use - I estimate somewhere around 400 hours (2-5 hours every weekday for the last 6 months).
 
My GH1 are now at about 90 hours total, roughly 25 of which have been listening hours - I've been burning them in almost continuously (with intermittent breaks) since they arrived, contrary to John Grado's "relax and enjoy the ride" recommendation ... I'm keen to see how the GH1s sound after burn-in, and I've not been disappointed.  As I go along, I am periodically comparing against the RS2e as a reference to see how the GH1 evolves.  I've noticed that most of the midrange improvements occurred by 30-35 hours, with bass improvement continuing a bit more through 60 hours and tapering off through 90 hours.  Based on the trend, I think they will be pretty much fully settled by 150 to 200 hours.  At this stage, the GH1's are exhibiting very good tonal balance - still slightly prominent mid/upper bass, but well balanced mids and treble.  I wouldn't quite declare them neutral, but they're pretty close... close enough that I forget about it and just enjoy listening.
 

Bass:
 
The GH1 is on the bassier side of neutral, but not by much - the bass is stout but not overblown, solid and snappy, with good texture.  The bass is sounding a bit tighter and more balanced than straight out of the box, though it still seems to have a mild bump (I estimated 80-100Hz before, but I think it's more like 65-70Hz - not sure if it shifted or I didn't peg it the first time, or both).  This bump seems pretty innocuous - it doesn't reveal itself much except on certain recordings which already have a similar bass coloration such as Wes Montgomery's "A Day in the Life" (the bass guitar note repeated throughout the song).  Classical music seems unaffected by this, and based on the breakin changes so far, I'm optimistic this little bump will continue to smooth out.  Time will tell.
 
The RS2e's bass is slightly lower in overall level compared to the GH1, but smoother (no apparent bumps in the response) and while also well balanced with the midrange, is slightly on the lean side of neutral.  In terms of extension, the GH1 is perhaps a bit more extended than the RS2e, but neither headphone delivers a potent 25Hz.  The RS2e bass' lighter character remains a bit more articulate than the GH1, but the gap seems to have narrowed by a whisker as the GH1's burn in.  On very bass-heavy recordings like Robert Plant / Alison Krauss - Raising Sand "Killing the Blues" and "Stick With Me Baby", I find the GH1 borders on overbearing, while the RS2e delivers a more satisfying balance.  Such recordings are the exception however, and one can equally point to bass-light recordings which do not carry sufficient weight with the RS2e.  To me, most material sounds reasonably well balanced through the bass registers on either headphone, so this is a matter of preference.  I think many people will enjoy the robust bass the GH1 delivers.
 

Midrange:
 
The GH1 has a glorious midrange - sweet and natural, with a very realistic timbre.  Compared to my initial report, the midrange is sounding a bit less recessed now, and the slight initial congestion has faded - it's possible that both the midrange and lower bass balance are benefitting from a relaxation of the upper bass prominence I noticed when these were brand new.
 
The RS2e still exhibit a more open & spacious midrange.  The GH1 is not deficient by any means, but the RS2e is exceptional in this aspect.  I think the bass-midrange-treble balance plays into this somewhat ... the bass to midrange taper gives the GH1 a slightly darker/warmer midrange tone, whereas the RS2e possesses a slight rise from bass to midrange, and a significant rise from midrange to treble.  The extra energy in the 4-6kHz range gives the RS2e midrange an airier, more forward sound, while it's bass-midrange rise gives the midrange a lighter character.  I would be very surprised if this character difference will fade with further break-in on the GH1, as this is pretty fundamental to their respective tonal balances.
 
If I try and 'listen through' (disregard) the frequency response difference, the GH1 manages to extract very good detail and clarity, but not as good as the RS2e - it's a touch softened, with less acoustic space, detail, and instrument separation.  Both sound very natural and musically engaging throughout the midrange, and in this respect are among the best of any headphones I've heard.  I would say the GH1 leans towards a slightly warmer, more natural sound compared to the RS2e's lighter, more vivid and textured presentation.  For example, the RS2e delivers a better rendering on Thelonius Monk's "'Round Midnight" (Misterioso, 24/96 release), illuminating more of the ambient background sounds and revealing more texture and body in the instruments.  However, the RS2e's midrange airiness combined with it's prominent treble can become a shade brittle and thin sounding with some recordings, whereas the GH1 maintains it's midrange composure very well at all times.  For example, on the Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter album "1+1", the GH1 outshines the RS2e, presenting a faithful and very enjoyable reproduction of Wayne's exuberant soprano sax while the RS2e struggles not to sound shrill.  Orchestral violins tend to sound a tad reedy on the RS2e, but very convincing on the GH1.
 

Treble:
 
As should be obvious from my prior comments, I find the RS2e too bright in stock form.  Knock back the treble by about 2 or 3 dB, and that's pretty close to the GH1.  Other than level, the overall treble character is very much the same on these two headphones - dynamic, smooth, clear, and extended, without any harshness.  Truly superb.
 

Overall:
 
Both of these headphones are extremely good, outperforming almost everything else I have heard.  I could easily live with either, in part because I can tape the bowls on the RS2e or use a little EQ to reign in their excess treble.  The GH1 has a warm, rich, solid tone (neutral, not dark), whereas the RS2e has a lighter, airier, bright sound.  I would sum up their relative strengths as: "timbre vs. resolution & dimensionality".
 
If I give the RS2e the advantage of taped bowls, I think it pulls ahead with some genres & specific recordings on the strength of it's midrange clarity and spaciousness, and slightly better behaved bass.  But it's not a slam dunk, as the RS2e falls short on some recordings where the GH1 does not, and does not render timbre of many instruments quite as naturally as the GH1.
 
In stock form, I think the GH1 is clearly a better all-rounder, having a more neutral presentation, especially in the treble.  The GH1 sounds absolutely fantastic with classical and instrumental music, never sounding harsh, shrill, or thin.  It's solid bass is an asset on bottom-heavy genres.  In fact, the GH1 sounds superb with just about everything.  On the other hand, I find the RS2e's ability to pull more detail from deeper in the mix and throw a more palpable, wider soundstage a bit more engaging - the RS2e works better on pop, rock, big band, jazz and similar energetic genres where a slighly brighter midrange coloration isn't an issue.  Vocals are delightful on both.
 
I had purchased the GH1 with the thought that I would choose which one to keep and sell the other.  But now I am torn, and may well just end up keeping both!

 

[jimr101]

I totaly agree you can find you sound with out the top of the line Grado if you get lucky and hit it perfect. But fair warning! The search for audio nirvana is very addictive and treacherous not to say full of expensive mistakes. For myself and myself only the PSk's are the best compass to have in the maze of techno hype. They WILL let you know what WILL and what WON'T,

 

[joseph69]

  Hi guys, I'm loving the Grado sound mostly for rock and acoustics.
Which one do you should I get?

This is a very personal preference and hearing is a very subjective issue…so out of the HP's you've listed I would go with the one that suits you best being you already know how they all sound 

.
 

  @joseph69 - My appreciation for prodding me to go listen again to the RS2e in stock form... I've been pleasantly greeted with a headphone who's worst attribute has mellowed significantly, I just didn't realize it till now because I had dialed in my EQ when they were still relatively new (<100hrs).  I still find the RS2e treble a couple dB too hot for my taste so will still tape / EQ them, but the shouty character they initially possessed which made them fatiguing to me seems to have mostly gone away.  As such, I have no trouble listening to them 'straight up' anymore, and have done so for the past 3 days while preparing this review.
 
Overall:
 
Both of these headphones are extremely good, outperforming almost everything else I have heard.  I could easily live with either, in part because I can tape the bowls on the RS2e or use a little EQ to reign in their excess treble.  The GH1 has a warm, rich, solid tone (neutral, not dark), whereas the RS2e has a lighter, airier, bright sound.  I would sum up their relative strengths as: "timbre vs. resolution & dimensionality".
 
If I give the RS2e the advantage of taped bowls, I think it pulls ahead with some genres & specific recordings on the strength of it's midrange clarity and spaciousness, and slightly better behaved bass.  But it's not a slam dunk, as the RS2e falls short on some recordings where the GH1 does not, and does not render timbre of many instruments quite as naturally as the GH1.
 
In stock form, I think the GH1 is clearly a better all-rounder, having a more neutral presentation, especially in the treble.  The GH1 sounds absolutely fantastic with classical and instrumental music, never sounding harsh, shrill, or thin.  It's solid bass is an asset on bottom-heavy genres.  In fact, the GH1 sounds superb with just about everything.  On the other hand, I find the RS2e's ability to pull more detail from deeper in the mix and throw a more palpable, wider soundstage a bit more engaging - the RS2e works better on pop, rock, big band, jazz and similar energetic genres where a slighly brighter midrange coloration isn't an issue.  Vocals are delightful on both.
 
I had purchased the GH1 with the thought that I would choose which one to keep and sell the other.  But now I am torn, and may well just end up keeping both!

Your welcome, and I'm glad you decided to compare the two in "stock" form.
That was an excellent write up of your opinion on both the RS2e/GH-1 and I appreciate your opinion. As of now I only have about 12-14hrs on the GH-1's so I have plenty of time before drawing any conclusions but I will say I'm enjoying them very much so far and can already hear their potential and what you've pointed out about their sound-signature in a lesser degree.
Once again, excellent expression of your opinion/impressions of the GH-1's!
I try my best to give my impressions/opinions/comparisons but most of the time I am at a loss of words and find it hard to express/write a review of what I'm hearing. 
Now…do you have a PS500 to compare to the GH-1's??? This would be great if you did and I would love to read it!

 

 

[XLR8]

An outstanding review hifizen, I thoroughly enjoyed reading that... well done

 
Heheheh torn is a good way to describe the predicament..
One question...
"Is there any characteristic acoustic difference between the Mahogany of the RS2e and the Maple of the GH1 that is audible/distinguishable?
 
Thnx and enjoy them cans

 

[jltalusan]

Dad have the ALO the island, will it fit well with the hd650?

if ALO the island + HD650 vs SR225e + GOOD amp/dac or dap such as dx90 or modi/magni stack

which one you boys will get?

 

[jaywillin]

ray sings, bassie swings highly recommended !
 
 
 

 

[HenHarrier]

Great read. I'm waiting for the ship to dock or plane to land or whatever method of transport 'my' GH1s will cross the Atlantic on or in (feels like mule-train with every loooonnnnggg hour that passes) and ridiculously excited. Maybe I should have heeded all those Head-fi warnings about becoming addicted, wasting days/weeks/months searching for musical nirvana, and entering a wallet-emptying phase of life that I may never recover from - but like I said, ridiculously excited right now, especially after reading this! I guess now I need to go find out what a 'tape mod' is though...

 
 
Quote:

 
So without further ado... here is take 2 of my RS2e / GH1 comparison - stock ear pads, no EQ:
 
As previously mentioned, my RS2e are thoroughly broken in through regular use - I estimate somewhere around 400 hours (2-5 hours every weekday for the last 6 months).
 

Bass:
 
  I think many people will enjoy the robust bass the GH1 delivers.  

Midrange:
 
The GH1 has a glorious midrange - sweet and natural, with a very realistic timbre...whereas the GH1 maintains it's midrange composure very well at all times.  For example, on the Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter album "1+1", the GH1 outshines the RS2e, presenting a faithful and very enjoyable reproduction of Wayne's exuberant soprano sax while the RS2e struggles not to sound shrill.  Orchestral violins tend to sound a tad reedy on the RS2e, but very convincing on the GH1.
 

Treble:
 
Other than level, the overall treble character is very much the same on these two headphones - dynamic, smooth, clear, and extended, without any harshness.  Truly superb.
 

Overall:
 
Both of these headphones are extremely good, outperforming almost everything else I have heard.
 
 
I had purchased the GH1 with the thought that I would choose which one to keep and sell the other.  But now I am torn, and may well just end up keeping both!

 

[GreenBow]

 
My GH1 are now at about 90 hours total, roughly 25 of which have been listening hours - I've been burning them in almost continuously (with intermittent breaks) since they arrived, contrary to John Grado's "relax and enjoy the ride" recommendation ... 
 

 
Mmm I did that with my 225e. I bought them in a 225i carry case bundle package, and they turned out to be e-drivers. I left them overnight on a gentle sound source. Having said that as we know e-drivers sound partially run in when you get them, but I did it anyway. (Last sentence edited.) I was completely in the dark about e-drivers in i-headphones at this point anyway. Also with me having made a 225i purchase I did not have the Grado page that says run them in slowly.
 
However I can't see it doing them any harm, and it certainly should not. Besides all that, I often listen to them for hours on end anyway, so what is the difference.
 
I can't help wishing a big congratulations to everyone who has managed to acquire their GH-1.
 
@jltalusan It scares me witless when folk say the 325 is the brightest. I really fancy getting some 325e. I always figured that the 325e had no more treble energy that the 225e. However I figured it might be in a different frequency range, and appear brighter. The 325e is meant to have a touch more bass too, so you'd think it balanced out.
 
Having said all that, I think the 225e has a good amount of treble. It's never bright or crashy, and always sounds controlled. I have even sometimes thought a little more treble would not go amiss.
 
Given the number of 325e fans, I think they are still a safe bet.

 

[Zuqi]

  @joseph69 - My appreciation for prodding me to go listen again to the RS2e in stock form... I've been pleasantly greeted with a headphone who's worst attribute has mellowed significantly, I just didn't realize it till now because I had dialed in my EQ when they were still relatively new (<100hrs).  I still find the RS2e treble a couple dB too hot for my taste so will still tape / EQ them, but the shouty character they initially possessed which made them fatiguing to me seems to have mostly gone away.  As such, I have no trouble listening to them 'straight up' anymore, and have done so for the past 3 days while preparing this review.
 

So without further ado... here is take 2 of my RS2e / GH1 comparison - stock ear pads, no EQ:
 
As previously mentioned, my RS2e are thoroughly broken in through regular use - I estimate somewhere around 400 hours (2-5 hours every weekday for the last 6 months).
 
My GH1 are now at about 90 hours total, roughly 25 of which have been listening hours - I've been burning them in almost continuously (with intermittent breaks) since they arrived, contrary to John Grado's "relax and enjoy the ride" recommendation ... I'm keen to see how the GH1s sound after burn-in, and I've not been disappointed.  As I go along, I am periodically comparing against the RS2e as a reference to see how the GH1 evolves.  I've noticed that most of the midrange improvements occurred by 30-35 hours, with bass improvement continuing a bit more through 60 hours and tapering off through 90 hours.  Based on the trend, I think they will be pretty much fully settled by 150 to 200 hours.  At this stage, the GH1's are exhibiting very good tonal balance - still slightly prominent mid/upper bass, but well balanced mids and treble.  I wouldn't quite declare them neutral, but they're pretty close... close enough that I forget about it and just enjoy listening.
 

Bass:
 
The GH1 is on the bassier side of neutral, but not by much - the bass is stout but not overblown, solid and snappy, with good texture.  The bass is sounding a bit tighter and more balanced than straight out of the box, though it still seems to have a mild bump (I estimated 80-100Hz before, but I think it's more like 65-70Hz - not sure if it shifted or I didn't peg it the first time, or both).  This bump seems pretty innocuous - it doesn't reveal itself much except on certain recordings which already have a similar bass coloration such as Wes Montgomery's "A Day in the Life" (the bass guitar note repeated throughout the song).  Classical music seems unaffected by this, and based on the breakin changes so far, I'm optimistic this little bump will continue to smooth out.  Time will tell.
 
The RS2e's bass is slightly lower in overall level compared to the GH1, but smoother (no apparent bumps in the response) and while also well balanced with the midrange, is slightly on the lean side of neutral.  In terms of extension, the GH1 is perhaps a bit more extended than the RS2e, but neither headphone delivers a potent 25Hz.  The RS2e bass' lighter character remains a bit more articulate than the GH1, but the gap seems to have narrowed by a whisker as the GH1's burn in.  On very bass-heavy recordings like Robert Plant / Alison Krauss - Raising Sand "Killing the Blues" and "Stick With Me Baby", I find the GH1 borders on overbearing, while the RS2e delivers a more satisfying balance.  Such recordings are the exception however, and one can equally point to bass-light recordings which do not carry sufficient weight with the RS2e.  To me, most material sounds reasonably well balanced through the bass registers on either headphone, so this is a matter of preference.  I think many people will enjoy the robust bass the GH1 delivers.
 

Midrange:
 
The GH1 has a glorious midrange - sweet and natural, with a very realistic timbre.  Compared to my initial report, the midrange is sounding a bit less recessed now, and the slight initial congestion has faded - it's possible that both the midrange and lower bass balance are benefitting from a relaxation of the upper bass prominence I noticed when these were brand new.
 
The RS2e still exhibit a more open & spacious midrange.  The GH1 is not deficient by any means, but the RS2e is exceptional in this aspect.  I think the bass-midrange-treble balance plays into this somewhat ... the bass to midrange taper gives the GH1 a slightly darker/warmer midrange tone, whereas the RS2e possesses a slight rise from bass to midrange, and a significant rise from midrange to treble.  The extra energy in the 4-6kHz range gives the RS2e midrange an airier, more forward sound, while it's bass-midrange rise gives the midrange a lighter character.  I would be very surprised if this character difference will fade with further break-in on the GH1, as this is pretty fundamental to their respective tonal balances.
 
If I try and 'listen through' (disregard) the frequency response difference, the GH1 manages to extract very good detail and clarity, but not as good as the RS2e - it's a touch softened, with less acoustic space, detail, and instrument separation.  Both sound very natural and musically engaging throughout the midrange, and in this respect are among the best of any headphones I've heard.  I would say the GH1 leans towards a slightly warmer, more natural sound compared to the RS2e's lighter, more vivid and textured presentation.  For example, the RS2e delivers a better rendering on Thelonius Monk's "'Round Midnight" (Misterioso, 24/96 release), illuminating more of the ambient background sounds and revealing more texture and body in the instruments.  However, the RS2e's midrange airiness combined with it's prominent treble can become a shade brittle and thin sounding with some recordings, whereas the GH1 maintains it's midrange composure very well at all times.  For example, on the Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter album "1+1", the GH1 outshines the RS2e, presenting a faithful and very enjoyable reproduction of Wayne's exuberant soprano sax while the RS2e struggles not to sound shrill.  Orchestral violins tend to sound a tad reedy on the RS2e, but very convincing on the GH1.
 

Treble:
 
As should be obvious from my prior comments, I find the RS2e too bright in stock form.  Knock back the treble by about 2 or 3 dB, and that's pretty close to the GH1.  Other than level, the overall treble character is very much the same on these two headphones - dynamic, smooth, clear, and extended, without any harshness.  Truly superb.
 

Overall:
 
Both of these headphones are extremely good, outperforming almost everything else I have heard.  I could easily live with either, in part because I can tape the bowls on the RS2e or use a little EQ to reign in their excess treble.  The GH1 has a warm, rich, solid tone (neutral, not dark), whereas the RS2e has a lighter, airier, bright sound.  I would sum up their relative strengths as: "timbre vs. resolution & dimensionality".
 
If I give the RS2e the advantage of taped bowls, I think it pulls ahead with some genres & specific recordings on the strength of it's midrange clarity and spaciousness, and slightly better behaved bass.  But it's not a slam dunk, as the RS2e falls short on some recordings where the GH1 does not, and does not render timbre of many instruments quite as naturally as the GH1.
 
In stock form, I think the GH1 is clearly a better all-rounder, having a more neutral presentation, especially in the treble.  The GH1 sounds absolutely fantastic with classical and instrumental music, never sounding harsh, shrill, or thin.  It's solid bass is an asset on bottom-heavy genres.  In fact, the GH1 sounds superb with just about everything.  On the other hand, I find the RS2e's ability to pull more detail from deeper in the mix and throw a more palpable, wider soundstage a bit more engaging - the RS2e works better on pop, rock, big band, jazz and similar energetic genres where a slighly brighter midrange coloration isn't an issue.  Vocals are delightful on both.
 
I had purchased the GH1 with the thought that I would choose which one to keep and sell the other.  But now I am torn, and may well just end up keeping both!

Nice write up, thanks for sharing your impressions. Based on your description, the GH1 reminds me a lot of the ps500e which I've sold a few months ago, well, to be honest, I'm a bit worried.
Anyways, I'll get mine later this week and do a comparison of both headphones.

 

[Eric510]

Anyone here listen to much Joanna Newsom?
I've been neglecting my Schiit stack lately but, I just warmed up the tubes, sat down, and listened to Milk-Eyed Mender and, boy.... Something about that harp and these GH-1's... absolutely beautiful. 

 

[donlin]

  Nice write up, thanks for sharing your impressions. Based on your description, the GH1 reminds me a lot of the ps500e which I've sold a few months ago, well, to be honest, I'm a bit worried.
Anyways, I'll get mine later this week and do a comparison of both headphones.

I don't think you need to worry.  I had the PS500e prior to getting the GH-1 and recently sold the PS500e.  For me, the GH-1 is just a better sounding headphone overall with a warmer midrange, more extended but still smooth treble and tighter, more rhythmic bass.  After listening to the GH-1 for a while, the PS500e sounded heavy and slow; a little boring.   

 

[Zuqi]

 
I don't think you need to worry.  I had the PS500e prior to getting the GH-1 and recently sold the PS500e.  For me, the GH-1 is just a better sounding headphone overall with a warmer midrange, more extended but still smooth treble and tighter, more rhythmic bass.  After listening to the GH-1 for a while, the PS500e sounded heavy and slow; a little boring.   

Good to hear that, I'll post my initial impression once I receive the headphones.

 

[sling5s]

  @joseph69 - My appreciation for prodding me to go listen again to the RS2e in stock form... I've been pleasantly greeted with a headphone who's worst attribute has mellowed significantly, I just didn't realize it till now because I had dialed in my EQ when they were still relatively new (<100hrs).  I still find the RS2e treble a couple dB too hot for my taste so will still tape / EQ them, but the shouty character they initially possessed which made them fatiguing to me seems to have mostly gone away.  As such, I have no trouble listening to them 'straight up' anymore, and have done so for the past 3 days while preparing this review.
 

So without further ado... here is take 2 of my RS2e / GH1 comparison - stock ear pads, no EQ:
 
As previously mentioned, my RS2e are thoroughly broken in through regular use - I estimate somewhere around 400 hours (2-5 hours every weekday for the last 6 months).
 
My GH1 are now at about 90 hours total, roughly 25 of which have been listening hours - I've been burning them in almost continuously (with intermittent breaks) since they arrived, contrary to John Grado's "relax and enjoy the ride" recommendation ... I'm keen to see how the GH1s sound after burn-in, and I've not been disappointed.  As I go along, I am periodically comparing against the RS2e as a reference to see how the GH1 evolves.  I've noticed that most of the midrange improvements occurred by 30-35 hours, with bass improvement continuing a bit more through 60 hours and tapering off through 90 hours.  Based on the trend, I think they will be pretty much fully settled by 150 to 200 hours.  At this stage, the GH1's are exhibiting very good tonal balance - still slightly prominent mid/upper bass, but well balanced mids and treble.  I wouldn't quite declare them neutral, but they're pretty close... close enough that I forget about it and just enjoy listening.
 

Bass:
 
The GH1 is on the bassier side of neutral, but not by much - the bass is stout but not overblown, solid and snappy, with good texture.  The bass is sounding a bit tighter and more balanced than straight out of the box, though it still seems to have a mild bump (I estimated 80-100Hz before, but I think it's more like 65-70Hz - not sure if it shifted or I didn't peg it the first time, or both).  This bump seems pretty innocuous - it doesn't reveal itself much except on certain recordings which already have a similar bass coloration such as Wes Montgomery's "A Day in the Life" (the bass guitar note repeated throughout the song).  Classical music seems unaffected by this, and based on the breakin changes so far, I'm optimistic this little bump will continue to smooth out.  Time will tell.
 
The RS2e's bass is slightly lower in overall level compared to the GH1, but smoother (no apparent bumps in the response) and while also well balanced with the midrange, is slightly on the lean side of neutral.  In terms of extension, the GH1 is perhaps a bit more extended than the RS2e, but neither headphone delivers a potent 25Hz.  The RS2e bass' lighter character remains a bit more articulate than the GH1, but the gap seems to have narrowed by a whisker as the GH1's burn in.  On very bass-heavy recordings like Robert Plant / Alison Krauss - Raising Sand "Killing the Blues" and "Stick With Me Baby", I find the GH1 borders on overbearing, while the RS2e delivers a more satisfying balance.  Such recordings are the exception however, and one can equally point to bass-light recordings which do not carry sufficient weight with the RS2e.  To me, most material sounds reasonably well balanced through the bass registers on either headphone, so this is a matter of preference.  I think many people will enjoy the robust bass the GH1 delivers.
 

Midrange:
 
The GH1 has a glorious midrange - sweet and natural, with a very realistic timbre.  Compared to my initial report, the midrange is sounding a bit less recessed now, and the slight initial congestion has faded - it's possible that both the midrange and lower bass balance are benefitting from a relaxation of the upper bass prominence I noticed when these were brand new.
 
The RS2e still exhibit a more open & spacious midrange.  The GH1 is not deficient by any means, but the RS2e is exceptional in this aspect.  I think the bass-midrange-treble balance plays into this somewhat ... the bass to midrange taper gives the GH1 a slightly darker/warmer midrange tone, whereas the RS2e possesses a slight rise from bass to midrange, and a significant rise from midrange to treble.  The extra energy in the 4-6kHz range gives the RS2e midrange an airier, more forward sound, while it's bass-midrange rise gives the midrange a lighter character.  I would be very surprised if this character difference will fade with further break-in on the GH1, as this is pretty fundamental to their respective tonal balances.
 
If I try and 'listen through' (disregard) the frequency response difference, the GH1 manages to extract very good detail and clarity, but not as good as the RS2e - it's a touch softened, with less acoustic space, detail, and instrument separation.  Both sound very natural and musically engaging throughout the midrange, and in this respect are among the best of any headphones I've heard.  I would say the GH1 leans towards a slightly warmer, more natural sound compared to the RS2e's lighter, more vivid and textured presentation.  For example, the RS2e delivers a better rendering on Thelonius Monk's "'Round Midnight" (Misterioso, 24/96 release), illuminating more of the ambient background sounds and revealing more texture and body in the instruments.  However, the RS2e's midrange airiness combined with it's prominent treble can become a shade brittle and thin sounding with some recordings, whereas the GH1 maintains it's midrange composure very well at all times.  For example, on the Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter album "1+1", the GH1 outshines the RS2e, presenting a faithful and very enjoyable reproduction of Wayne's exuberant soprano sax while the RS2e struggles not to sound shrill.  Orchestral violins tend to sound a tad reedy on the RS2e, but very convincing on the GH1.
 

Treble:
 
As should be obvious from my prior comments, I find the RS2e too bright in stock form.  Knock back the treble by about 2 or 3 dB, and that's pretty close to the GH1.  Other than level, the overall treble character is very much the same on these two headphones - dynamic, smooth, clear, and extended, without any harshness.  Truly superb.
 

Overall:
 
Both of these headphones are extremely good, outperforming almost everything else I have heard.  I could easily live with either, in part because I can tape the bowls on the RS2e or use a little EQ to reign in their excess treble.  The GH1 has a warm, rich, solid tone (neutral, not dark), whereas the RS2e has a lighter, airier, bright sound.  I would sum up their relative strengths as: "timbre vs. resolution & dimensionality".
 
If I give the RS2e the advantage of taped bowls, I think it pulls ahead with some genres & specific recordings on the strength of it's midrange clarity and spaciousness, and slightly better behaved bass.  But it's not a slam dunk, as the RS2e falls short on some recordings where the GH1 does not, and does not render timbre of many instruments quite as naturally as the GH1.
 
In stock form, I think the GH1 is clearly a better all-rounder, having a more neutral presentation, especially in the treble.  The GH1 sounds absolutely fantastic with classical and instrumental music, never sounding harsh, shrill, or thin.  It's solid bass is an asset on bottom-heavy genres.  In fact, the GH1 sounds superb with just about everything.  On the other hand, I find the RS2e's ability to pull more detail from deeper in the mix and throw a more palpable, wider soundstage a bit more engaging - the RS2e works better on pop, rock, big band, jazz and similar energetic genres where a slighly brighter midrange coloration isn't an issue.  Vocals are delightful on both.
 
I had purchased the GH1 with the thought that I would choose which one to keep and sell the other.  But now I am torn, and may well just end up keeping both!

 

 
I don't think you need to worry.  I had the PS500e prior to getting the GH-1 and recently sold the PS500e.  For me, the GH-1 is just a better sounding headphone overall with a warmer midrange, more extended but still smooth treble and tighter, more rhythmic bass.  After listening to the GH-1 for a while, the PS500e sounded heavy and slow; a little boring.   

Wow, first thanks to hifizen for RS2e vs GH1 write up and donlin for the PS500e vs GH1 comparison. I had the PS500e and thought it too bassy and currently have the RS2e but find it too trebly without the tape mod like hifizen, and was worried the GH1 would sound too bassy like the PS500e, but it sounds like I may prefer the GH1.
 
thanks