[Mightygrey]

I also got my Hemp this week. Made a balanced recabling...I think I get it why many like it. Very open sound with a lot of goosebumps. What's intresting is, that I drive it with a Pathos Inpol Ear and there is a faint noise to the amplifier I did not heard before. Altough my other phone is a Campfire Cascade and it should be actually more sensitve. Cascade: 38Ohms-100dB/mW. Hemp: 38Ohms-98dB/mW. I can't hear anything with the Cascade.

Great job mate! Do you have a link for the XLR parts that you used?

 

[carboncopy]

It's a Furutech

 

[GarageBoy]

So I picked up a cheap pair of used SR80e and a new pair of s cush - the sound is a little wonky for me - highs are in your face and pop alt rock cymbals are a rude awakening - vocals are thin-ish and have a reverby effect. Should I spend $58 and change to get ttvj deluxe flat pads on a pair of headphones I paid $45 for? Will it smooth it out, or will a higher end grado (rs2e?) be the answer?

 

[wormsdriver]

So I picked up a cheap pair of used SR80e and a new pair of s cush - the sound is a little wonky for me - highs are in your face and pop alt rock cymbals are a rude awakening - vocals are thin-ish and have a reverby effect. Should I spend $58 and change to get ttvj deluxe flat pads on a pair of headphones I paid $45 for? Will it smooth it out, or will a higher end grado (rs2e?) be the answer?

It's hard to say to throw more money at the problem, perhaps the Grado sound just doesn't do it for you

 

[Douger333]

Don't make a final decision until you have 100 hours on it...
Doug

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

So I picked up a cheap pair of used SR80e and a new pair of s cush - the sound is a little wonky for me - highs are in your face and pop alt rock cymbals are a rude awakening - vocals are thin-ish and have a reverby effect. Should I spend $58 and change to get ttvj deluxe flat pads on a pair of headphones I paid $45 for? Will it smooth it out, or will a higher end grado (rs2e?) be the answer?

I might try some standard L cushions. That slight bowl shape should reduce the "In your face" feeling a bit, and you can pick those up pretty cheap. But like wormsdriver said, a lot of what you're describing is a feature, not a bug, with Grados.

 

[donlin]

No, but I wasn't about to preach to him what he should put on his site.



The last time I heard an HP1000 for an extended period was nearly 10 years ago at a Head-Fi meet. For all the hype and reputation, the HP1000 seemed like a letdown. But that led me to realize that absolute neutrality wasn't going to completely satisfy me, and I'm fine with that. I recall only 2 headphones at that meet that gave me goosebumps: the Stax SR007 Mk1 (over the Mk2 which I also tried), and the AKG K1000. For me, the GS3000e EQ'd and with the Pro iCAN's 3D ASP has provided that same feeling.

I agree that compared to the wide variety of phones available today, the HP1000 is kind of boring sounding but when I first got mine in 1991 it was mind blowing how good it was in comparison to other dynamic phones of the time, especially with the Melos SHA-1. When the original RS-1 came out it was much more fun sounding.

 

[ruinedx]

Hemp sounds good w/ Liquid Platinum btw

 

[Shane D]

No, but I wasn't about to preach to him what he should put on his site.

I wouldn't expect you to. I was just curious if he said anything to you after this little snafu.

 

[eeagle]

Hemp sounds good w/ Liquid Platinum btw

The Hemp is one of the best impulsive decisions I have recently made. I just keep reaching for them, love the tuning and the look.

Have you heard the Spark? Is the Liquid Platinum worth the cost? I see it is currently sale priced, but still well over $400. I'm a big fan of the Cavalli sound.

 

[ruinedx]

The Hemp is one of the best impulsive decisions I have recently made. I just keep reaching for them, love the tuning and the look.

Have you heard the Spark? Is the Liquid Platinum worth the cost? I see it is currently sale priced, but still well over $400. I'm a big fan of the Cavalli sound.

I haven't heard the spark but the Platinum is the best neutral-ish sounding headphone amp I've ever heard, highly recommended. But only when you use it fully balanced, I had my hemp terminated 4pin XLR by grado; the 1/4in output on LP isn't as good as XLR out.

 

[Shane D]

The Hemp is one of the best impulsive decisions I have recently made. I just keep reaching for them, love the tuning and the look.

Have you heard the Spark? Is the Liquid Platinum worth the cost? I see it is currently sale priced, but still well over $400. I'm a big fan of the Cavalli sound.

I have both and they are great. That sale for $484.00 is almost giving it away. I paid $600.00 (over $1K landed in Canada) and have no regrets. As the above poster said, You must go balanced. That is the rule for pretty much all balanced amps.

 

[johanchandy]

Has anyone compared the hemps to the elex?

 

[534743]

So I picked up a cheap pair of used SR80e and a new pair of s cush - the sound is a little wonky for me - highs are in your face and pop alt rock cymbals are a rude awakening - vocals are thin-ish and have a reverby effect. Should I spend $58 and change to get ttvj deluxe flat pads on a pair of headphones I paid $45 for? Will it smooth it out, or will a higher end grado (rs2e?) be the answer?

Don't make a final decision until you have 100 hours on it...

This. I recently got and burnt in an SR60e and an RS2e. The SR60e didn't sound like much in the beginning, the RS2e sounded quite good from the get-go. Both got much better after 2 days of non-stop playing of Jamiroquai and Rage Against The Machine at a volume that was just below where things would sound distorted (not as loud as i would normally listen!).

In the end (after 4 days of burn in) the SR60e sounded really enjoyable, shockingly good for such a cheap headphone. It's a fun headphone which shows you microscopic details you never heard before in a song, at the price of sounding just a little bit bright. But really bearable bright for my taste!

The RS2e on the other hand is a lot less in your face with the details (but they are there) but in return sounds very laid back and "solid".

I am pretty sure what i said about the 60s also is true for your 80s. I wouldn't even say the RS2e is better than the SR60e, it's just different.

 

[donlin]

The Hemp is one of the best impulsive decisions I have recently made. I just keep reaching for them, love the tuning and the look.

Have you heard the Spark? Is the Liquid Platinum worth the cost? I see it is currently sale priced, but still well over $400. I'm a big fan of the Cavalli sound.

You got it exactly right. It’s the tuning that makes Hemp so special. It’s not the best any any particular aspect but the overall effect is so enjoyable and like live music. My more expensive phones sound thin and fake in comparison.