[HeavenNotes]

A very Merry Grado Christmas!
Just gave my sister a set of the SR60e, her very first quality headphone. I've got them plugged into my MHA100 playing Sultans of Swing, and I have to say: they are so good for the price it's unreal. Even without the price, these cans are just good. So easy to listen to, and maybe I'm crazy but I almost prefer the pads to my RS2e's.

Anywho, cheers guys! Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

 
I'm thinking to start a 12 steps program Gradoholics.  

 

[BlendedTwice]

I'm thinking to start a 12 steps program Gradoholics.  

I am powerless over Grado -- my life is unmanageable.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

   
I'm thinking to start a 12 steps program Gradoholics.  

I'm sorry, what is a "Gradoholic?"  Why would a 12 step program be needed?  I can stop any time I want... really, I can! (Boy, it's hard to shower with these Grados on my head... I can't close the shower door because of the cord!)
 

 

[HungryPanda]

My names Tom and I'm a Gradoholic.....

 

[eserafinojr]

LOL! that's too funny... Gradoholic.
 
I can say without reservation I'm definitely a Gradoholic!
 
@BlendedTwice
 
You can't go wrong with virtually any Grado, the value SR60 and 80s are absolutely fantastic headphones in every respect.
 
They sound great, look great and are very comfortable! Nothing wrong with liking those S cushions, they don't call them the "comfy" pads for nothing!
 
Merry Christmas Gradoholics 

 

[HeavenNotes]

  My names Tom and I'm a Gradoholic.....

First thing first:  having at least one SR and one RS Grados.   

 

[ruhenheiM]

  My names Tom and I'm a Gradoholic.....

hi tom. this is a safe place.no judging. i'm steven and i'm also an addict, i mean gradoholic.hi everyone.

 

[anetode]

I am powerless over Grado -- my life is unmanageable.

 
 

   
I'm thinking to start a 12 steps program Gradoholics.  

 
 

  I'm sorry, what is a "Gradoholic?"  Why would a 12 step program be needed?  I can stop any time I want... really, I can! (Boy, it's hard to shower with these Grados on my head... I can't close the shower door because of the cord!)
 

 
 

  My names Tom and I'm a Gradoholic.....

 
 

  LOL! that's too funny... Gradoholic.
 
I can say without reservation I'm definitely a Gradoholic!

 

  hi tom. this is a safe place.no judging. i'm steven and i'm also and addict, i mean gradoholic.hi everyone.

 
Look, I get it, I was like you once. I started with my first Grado when I was still in high school (an SR-125). It only took a few years before I blew through my savings by acquiring an RS-1. I even bought an RA-1 to power it. Every day I would listen, sometimes for hours on end. Got others hooked too, told them that my Grados were the pinnacle of audio, that they didn't know what they were missing.
 
But I'm here to tell you that I got help, that there's hope. You don't have to live with that 2khz spike, you don't have to have the musical perspective of being 2/3rds the way up the performer's ass. You too can have soundstage, you too can enjoy subbass on a headphone. I know it can be scary at first, but sometimes you have to be able to accept that others just want to help. All it takes is to admit to yourself that you're tone deaf and ask for help from a higher power (it doesn't have to be God, it can be Jude or Tyll or any other Guru). Better yet, go to a local head-fi meet listen to some rigs out there, see if anything catches your fancy.
 
Make a searching and fearless inventory of sound quality attributes you would like in a headphone. It's ok to want it all: even frequency response, low distortion, comfort, imaging, resolution. Maybe there isn't a perfect headphone out there, but I guarantee that there are those which you'll like more than any Grado. And if you absolutely must have that basement Brooklyn charm, why not go for one of Uncle Joe's far superior early models? The ones before John decided to add metal hubcaps to the cups to "suppress resonances". A stone-age HP-1 will easily beat anything in the current lineup.
 
Humbly ask for a headphone with all of the strengths you'd like but with none of Grado's weaknesses. If it's the detail that drew you in, try an electrostat. The ESP950 is good and you can find one for under five hundred if you look around. If you want a smooth, fatigue-free listen then try an HD600, or even a second hand HifiMan or Audeze. For bass without limits your options are better than ever with newer planar magnetics coming out to complement the selection of budget vintage ones like the Yamaha YH100s. Soundstage? HD800, or even an AKG 601.
 
Through clinical listening you can improve your conscious contact with music appreciation. Make a lit of all the people you've wronged with Grado proselytization and resolve to make amends by spreading the good news that good sound is available outside of a century-old radio headpiece form factor!

 

[joseph69]

Mr. Grinch? 

 

[BlendedTwice]

wow.

 

[eserafinojr]

We get it you don't like Grados.

So why bother posting in this thread??

Run along hater....

:rolleyes:

 

[headfry]

Grado's are magic and slay much of their competition sq wise....listening
to the Trader from Holland by the Beach Boys through SR325e's
 
and I'm telling you....in the right setup, these are time machines that take you back
to the artist's original intent and life-inspiration....
 
 
nothing else matters.

 

[ESL-1]

Look, I get it, I was like you once. I started with my first Grado when I was still in high school (an SR-125). It only took a few years before I blew through my savings by acquiring an RS-1. I even bought an RA-1 to power it. Every day I would listen, sometimes for hours on end. Got others hooked too, told them that my Grados were the pinnacle of audio, that they didn't know what they were missing.

But I'm here to tell you that I got help, that there's hope. You don't have to live with that 2khz spike, you don't have to have the musical perspective of being 2/3rds the way up the performer's ass. You too can have soundstage, you too can enjoy subbass on a headphone. I know it can be scary at first, but sometimes you have to be able to accept that others just want to help. All it takes is to admit to yourself that you're tone deaf and ask for help from a higher power (it doesn't have to be God, it can be Jude or Tyll or any other Guru). Better yet, go to a local head-fi meet listen to some rigs out there, see if anything catches your fancy.
Make a searching and fearless inventory of sound quality attributes you would like in a headphone. It's ok to want it all: even frequency response, low distortion, comfort, imaging, resolution. Maybe there isn't a perfect headphone out there, but I guarantee that there are those which you'll like more than any Grado. And if you absolutely must have that basement Brooklyn charm, why not go for one of Uncle Joe's far superior early models? The ones before John decided to add metal hubcaps to the cups to "suppress resonances". A stone-age HP-1 will easily beat anything in the current lineup.

Humbly ask for a headphone with all of the strengths you'd like but with none of Grado's weaknesses. If it's the detail that drew you in, try an electrostat. The ESP950 is good and you can find one for under five hundred if you look around. If you want a smooth, fatigue-free listen then try an HD600, or even a second hand HifiMan or Audeze. For bass without limits your options are better than ever with newer planar magnetics coming out to complement the selection of budget vintage ones like the Yamaha YH100s.
Soundstage? HD800, or even an AKG 601.
Through clinical listening you can improve your conscious contact with music appreciation. Make a lit of all the people you've wronged with Grado proselytization and resolve to make amends by spreading the good news that good sound is available outside of a century-old radio headpiece form factor!

First & foremost audio gear and speakers and headphones especially are a very personal choice as to what might please one most in a given set of parameters including price and value. You are most definitely entitled to your likes and dislikes as are the rest of us. As to your posting on a thread named "Grado Fan Club" certainly would seem at the least misplaced given the overwhelmingly negative tone and direction of this post. As you suggest your thoughts of alternate choices are all well and good but it would seem in your profile at least you have not owned and maybe perhaps even listened to anything Grado that was designed in the last few years. In these same last few years Grado has come out with more than a few models that are not strictly in the typical Grado SQ and I suspect that there will be more than a few Head Fier's that currently are not enamored with Grados they may have heard that might change that opinion if they had the opportunity to hear some of these new departures. As I see it John is continuing to refine and try these new directions and not just sitting still. I am sure there will be more of these departures in future models and you might surprise yourself if try to get an ear in on them at a well stocked dealer or one of the loaner programs that have become such boon to the headphone communities. I would also expect you to be more than a little surprised if you check the variety of headphones some of these "Gradoholics" own in addition to their beloved Grados if they have a full profile listed. If you looked at mine I think you might agree that it covers quite a gamut of different sonic flavors as do my amps. Yet that does not keep me from looking forward to whenever Grado introduces a new model (regardless of price range) and make arrangements to listen to and decide if offers performance and attributes that might have me looking to add it to my group. Lastly, as most of us who frequent the forum are aware, Grados are quite efficient and easy to power. Perhaps not as commonly known or at least mentioned as often is that they (like most phones) can greatly benefit from proper matching with amplifiers for best sonic results. In my opinion this is even more true of some of the newer slightly different sounding "Grados". This does not mean you need to spend big bucks on an appropriate amp but if you can get to try a few different amps with a given model you are likely to find yourself favoring one or at least put them in an order of preference based on your tastes. I experimented a good bit when I got my most recent Grado, the GS2000e. At times the differences were not
subtle. This basic fact about most headphone brands and models seems to be overlooked since they are so easy to drive.

Lastly I am firmly in the camp that believes break in does alter the sound so to listen to a fresh out the box headphone will not really tell you enough about where that sound will end up once they have had some solid play time.

Above all else, the journey to get to a satisfactory result can be a good part of the fun and experience, why else would we consider ourselves enthusiasts and as such should always keep an open mind..... Enjoy the trip. :rolleyes:

PS please excuse any typos or grammatical errors as it is late and past my bed time for such a busy Christmas holiday...

 

[anetode]

First & foremost audio gear and speakers and headphones especially are a very personal choice as to what might please one most in a given set of parameters including price and value. You are most definitely entitled to your likes and dislikes as are the rest of us. As to your posting on a thread named "Grado Fan Club" certainly would seem at the least misplaced given the overwhelmingly negative tone and direction of this post. As you suggest your thoughts of alternate choices are all well and good but it would seem in your profile at least you have not owned and maybe perhaps even listened to anything Grado that was designed in the last few years. In these same last few years Grado has come out with more than a few models that are not strictly in the typical Grado SQ and I suspect that there will be more than a few Head Fier's that currently are not enamored with Grados they may have heard that might change that opinion if they had the opportunity to hear some of these new departures. As I see it John is continuing to refine and try these new directions and not just sitting still. I am sure there will be more of these departures in future models and you might surprise yourself if try to get an ear in on them at a well stocked dealer or one of the loaner programs that have become such boon to the headphone communities. I would also expect you to be more than a little surprised if you check the variety of headphones some of these "Gradoholics" own in addition to their beloved Grados if they have a full profile listed. If you looked at mine I think you might agree that it covers quite a gamut of different sonic flavors as do my amps. Yet that does not keep me from looking forward to whenever Grado introduces a new model (regardless of price range) and make arrangements to listen to and decide if offers performance and attributes that might have me looking to add it to my group. Lastly, as most of us who frequent the forum are aware, Grados are quite efficient and easy to power. Perhaps not as commonly known or at least mentioned as often is that they (like most phones) can greatly benefit from proper matching with amplifiers for best sonic results. In my opinion this is even more true of some of the newer slightly different sounding "Grados". This does not mean you need to spend big bucks on an appropriate amp but if you can get to try a few different amps with a given model you are likely to find yourself favoring one or at least put them in an order of preference based on your tastes. I experimented a good bit when I got my most recent Grado, the GS2000e. At times the differences were not
subtle. This basic fact about most headphone brands and models seems to be overlooked since they are so easy to drive.

Lastly I am firmly in the camp that believes break in does alter the sound so to listen to a fresh out the box headphone will not really tell you enough about where that sound will end up once they have had some solid play time.

Above all else, the journey to get to a satisfactory result can be a good part of the fun and experience, why else would we consider ourselves enthusiasts and as such should always keep an open mind..... Enjoy the trip.

PS please excuse any typos or grammatical errors as it is late and past my bed time for such a busy Christmas holiday...

 
It's ok, calm down, my post was at least as much about pointing out how bizarre it is that people jokingly identify as addicts in need of help as it was about the shortcomings of John era Grados (and yes, I've heard and owned quite a few which aren't listed in my profile). You'll see a lot of this sort of furious fandom on head-fi where a headphone,or headphone brand, become almost a part of someone's identity. The cognitive dissonance of realizing that one is prone to this sort of cheerleading and rampant consumerism is dealt with by joking that one is a "insert brand here"-aholic, while others quip about being sorry for one's wallet. It can get a little ghastly, especially when you realize that a newbie to the scene can randomly pick out any one of the hundreds of high-end headphone models currently on the market, find the corresponding Head-Fi appreciation thread through a google search (props to SEO), and proceed to heed suggestions that whatever they don't like about the Grado sound will be fixed by jumping to the next/new model.
 
I hope you can see how that might not be the most efficient way to go about things for the prospective newbie. I know I've wasted thousands of dollars on utterly crap headphones because of Head-Fi before sampling enough brands, attending enough meets and reading enough content to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. And hey, if you disagree with my assessment then no biggie, I'm glad you like your headphone. But if we're gonna go down the self-aware route of joking about our onanistic brand obsessions, then why not push the hypothetical to its conclusion? If one really thinks that one is a Gradoholic, even jokingly, then maybe jotting down a list of what one likes and dislikes about the headphone (& brand) might be useful. At the very least it might inspire one to take being a headphone fan less seriously, which would at least have the added benefit of possibly giving one's wallet some reprieve. It could even provide Grado feedback about some things that their customers agree to not like about their headphones, which might lead to better products. Finally it could, just maybe, inspire one to buy a non-Grado headphone to see if there are merits to other approaches, whether to replace or complement one's current selection.
 
So I hope this wasn't too insulting or too tongue in cheek. After all, neither one of us would waste our times writing the responses we did if we didn't care.

 

[ruhenheiM]

there's difference between fact and opinion.
 
 
we aren't listen the same thing. we don't share the same perspective. we don't know each others brains work. just because someone said it doesn't mean it's a fact
 
i like grado because i listen to music. do i have something i dislike about grado. sure. but if i only had certain amount of money and i know what i'm looking for, i'm pretty sure i'm the one who can justify my purchase. i'm the one who listen to it. i'm the one who paid for it. is there better products? probably. is there wiser purchase? maybe. there are a lot of options out there. you don't have to buy it just because some random people you never met in life told you to buy it. try to audition it? sure, why not.if you have the opportunity and time.go ahead.
 
i have listen the old orpheus. it's an okay headphone, but i can't justify the price. would i buy it.no.even if i have the money.still no. what if someone buy it for me, would i accept it.yes, why not.but i don't see myself listen to it everyday. but then again i have no idea what's the condition on that orpheus, so maybe, the sound not as it should be