[donlin]

quick question... how many hours should new RS1e take for breakin?

537

 

[markkr]

537

sweet thanks, only 48.3 minutes to go... you were very helpful.

 

[534743]

quick question... how many hours should new RS1e take for breakin?

My RS2e needed 50 to start to sound really good. Then another 50 which resulted in some changes but less than before. Then another 100 with minor changes if at all.

 

[donlin]

Steve Guttenberg's video today was about a new Schiit headphone amp but at the end he started talking about the Hemp and said he gets goose bumps just thinking about how great it sounds. He is spot on as usual.

 

[Jikokaiki]

I have been thinking about getting a decent pair of closed back headphones, but I don't really speak headphone. So when I read about headphones being warm, cool, bright, soundstage, imaging, analytical, musical, fun, etc I have no idea what any of that means. I have currently have a pair of Grado SR80is that I enjoy. Would it be possible for someone to give me a run down of how these sound? I just need to have some sort of idea what to look for in another pair.

Also, any suggestions on some nice easy to drive closed backs that would be similar to the sr80i would be cool as well

 

[elvergun]

Also, any suggestions on some nice easy to drive closed backs that would be similar to the sr80i would be cool as well

The AKG K553 is great headphone. Buy it from a place with a good return policy in case you don't like it...but if you don't like it, there is something wrong with you.

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

https://medium.com/@Xander51/audio-... hisses and other imperfections in recordings.




My favorite closed backs at the moment are my Final Audio Sonorous II. I would call them bright, as compared to my Ultrasones which have big thumping bass and are "warm" I guess. So they're kinda Grado-y, if thats what you're after.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

So do Superbestaudiofriends members in general. Last week I was reading some of their posts pertaining to the PS2000e. Not only were they dissing the Grado sound but they also alluded to Grado’s “poorly assembled, cheap & way overpriced products”. Having owned a few Grado headphones in the past I was dumbfounded by these opinions. For example at one time I owned the PS1000e which is quite similar to the PS2000e and aesthetically, assembly wise and sound wise it was a fabulous headphone. I presently own the GS3000e and it’s an absolutely outstanding looking and sounding headphone.

100% agree. The GS3000e is an outstanding headphone. I had the Raal SR1a's both with the Jot R Amp and connected to my Chord Choral Speaker System for a very short time. I listened to them for literally 20mins, put them both (Jot R and SR1a's) back in their boxes and sent them back to the Dealers. I then brought out my GS3000e's connected them to my Hugo 2 and laid back to listen to my music for over 1 hour (which went very quickly) with a big grin on my face fully enjoying was I was hearing !....Enough said !

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Grado definitely has its own sound and is not really like anything else. I would describe the Sundara as an Elex-Lite. I love the Elex, but they are so intense and dynamic, I find them draining. However I will still wear them for several days straight.

But then when I slip on the Sundara's everything is just more comfortable, aurally. I only ever heard the HE400 in a store out of my phone and a DAP. Neither was usable.

To me the GH2's are in a class of their own and whenever I switch to anything else, it is a Major change. The GH2's sound like they have very capable bass out of my Violectric amp and my tube amp with a Schiit Loki assisting.
Of course if I go from Elex's or Fostex's to my Grado's, the Grado's sound HUGELY bass-lite. And then I get curious about bassier tube amps until I calm down and realize it is just a different sound.

If you can afford it....buy the GS3000e's. They are GH2's on steroids...and much more !

 

[Shane D]

If you can afford it....buy the GS3000e's. They are GH2's on steroids...and much more !

Someday...maybe...when that lotto ticket comes through.

 

[elvergun]

@Bonesy Jonesy, have you tried the GS3000 with L pads (or some other type of pad)? If so, how does it sound?

 

[eeagle]

Also, any suggestions on some nice easy to drive closed backs that would be similar to the sr80i would be cool as well

If you like the Grado style and sound I would recommend the closed back Master and Dynamic MH40

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

@Bonesy Jonesy, have you tried the GS3000 with L pads (or some other type of pad)? If so, how does it sound?

No I haven't tried the L Pads but I have tried the S Pads with my GS3000e's from mr SR80e's. Definitely no go. The original G Pads are the way to go as Grado intended for the GS3000e's. Likewise I tried the G Pads with my SR80e's and they were terrible. The original Grado S pads for the SR80e's also 100% better.

 

[johanchandy]

Each can is about 4x as expensive as the previous. How do the quality increases stackup against that price ratio? lol

I've read a couple of times people saying that the sr225e's are the sweet-spot in the Grado lineup and they're right imho, diminishing returns really kick in strongly after the sr225e. There are certain things that get better the higher you go up the chain, but the actual improvement in sound quality isn't large but it's there.

The sr225e sounds amazing(crazy vfm) but compared to the others it has a grit to the sound which is a plus or a con depending on your preferences(I like it). This grit is amazing for classic rock as it brings guitars alive, it's nice for cellos and violins as well as they come alive as well. The negative is this grit can make the headphone a bit sharp sounding(this makes it a tad fatiguing and harsh), my wife described it as sounding too crisp. Sounds amazing with the stock L-cush pads and it also pairs well with the knock-off G-pads as well.

With the same L-cush pads the Hemp is a smoother sounding SR225e. It sounds very good with the L-cush pads. Where it really separates itself is how it sounds with the stock F-cush pads which makes the sound warmer and more dynamic, but everything is slightly less defined as compared to the L-cush and the bass can sound slightly boomy(with volume) in comparison but it's a fun live sound. It's nice to have both pairs of pads depending upon my mood. Phenomenal headphone and the hemp cups are gorgeous. The Hemp is an absolute winner, very good all-rounder imho.

The GS3000e is the most different, it sounds cavernous in comparison to the other two. It does instruments exceptionally well. Separation is excellent and it never really struggles with really complex parts of music where a ton of things are happening simultaneously. Smooth(for a grado) and a bit more relaxed sounding than the other two. Very picky of the source. The music is not nearly as upfront sounding as the other two headphones. A magnificent headphone that sounds grand.

Note: These headphones pair really well with the Topping NX4. With the Schiit modi 3 and Heresy stack(the modi may be at fault here) the highs of all three were a tad harsh(more so with the sr225e), but with the NX4 the sound overall is smoother, sweeter and more three dimensional sounding with all three headphones, but it really made me fall in love with the gs3000e. Now I'll be looking for a desktop version of this sound, any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

I've read a couple of times people saying that the sr225e's are the sweet-spot in the Grado lineup and they're right imho, diminishing returns really kick in strongly after the sr225e. There are certain things that get better the higher you go up the chain, but the actual improvement in sound quality isn't large but it's there.

The sr225e sounds amazing(crazy vfm) but compared to the others it has a grit to the sound which is a plus or a con depending on your preferences(I like it). This grit is amazing for classic rock as it brings guitars alive, it's nice for cellos and violins as well as they come alive as well. The negative is this grit can make the headphone a bit sharp sounding(this makes it a tad fatiguing and harsh), my wife described it as sounding too crisp. Sounds amazing with the stock L-cush pads and it also pairs well with the knock-off G-pads as well.

With the same L-cush pads the Hemp is a smoother sounding SR225e. It sounds very good with the L-cush pads. Where it really separates itself is how it sounds with the stock F-cush pads which makes the sound warmer and more dynamic, but everything is slightly less defined as compared to the L-cush and the bass can sound slightly boomy(with volume) in comparison but it's a fun live sound. It's nice to have both pairs of pads depending upon my mood. Phenomenal headphone and the hemp cups are gorgeous.

The GS3000e is the most different, it sounds cavernous in comparison to the other two. It does instruments exceptionally well. Separation is excellent and it never really struggles with really complex parts of music where a ton of things are happening simultaneously. Smooth(for a grado) and a bit more relaxed sounding than the other two. Very picky of the source. The music is not nearly as upfront sounding as the other two headphones. A magnificent headphone that sounds grand.

Note: These headphones pair really well with the Topping NX4. With the Schiit modi 3 and Heresy stack the highs of all three were a tad harsh(more so with the sr225e), but with the NX4 the sound overall is smoother, sweeter and more three dimensional sounding with all three headphones, but it really made me fall in love with the gs3000e. Now I'll be looking for a desktop version of this sound, any suggestions would be appreciated!

I am using my GS3000e's with my Chord Hugo 2 which sound fantastic. So possibly a Chord TT2 or a Dave would be just amazing !