[ESL-1]

@ESL-1 would love to know how you first heard about Grado headphones in those early days (no internet, no headfi, no advertising). I was at a dealer in 1991 and he recommended that I try a pair. That was the start of a journey I'm still on today. I still remember the HP2 with the Melos SHA-1 as being a great system.

I was an authorized dealer for Grado so was there at the beginning when Joe Grado designed their first headphones, the Signature HP1000 series and sold a good amount of each of the three.. When Joe retired John took over the business. One of John's first headphones were the original RS1. I bought my pair right after John had decided that with the escalating cost of the wood presentation case was becoming too high. That was when he started to include his 15' and 6.3mm female to 3.5mm mail pigtail with the RS1. That tradition is still in effect today. John includes those accessories with all his upper end phones, not bad as that is a $55 value.
They more recently now offer a option of a very good looking wood presentation case at a reasonable price.

The Melos SHA-1 was developed with the HP1000 in mind so they were a superb match. I have an HP2 and the Melos and they really have great synergy.

stock picture, did not have a good photo readily available but mine is super clean, no box.

 

[ESL-1]

Thanks - may have hoped you would say: just stay with the GH2....It is getting more difficult - I love wood....

Never a bad choice. BTW, my reference in my original post about the Hemp needing more break in time referred solely to the one I have since it was acquired fairly recently so my pair needs more play time. The Hemp like most Grados starts really improving by the time you hit 50 hours and is usually settled by 100 hours. My PS2000e took more time than that as an exception

 

[ESL-1]

The problem with that solution is that it is not only the headphones you'll see in the mirror

Yes, like my face, at least it is usually smiling broadly if I am listening......

 

[ESL-1]

I am tired of trendy instant hyped phones. Grado delivers again and again. It's about the music not the hype.

And it always has been. John Grado is constantly experimenting and trying new materials and changes. His goal is not based on competing with other company's designs but to just come out with the best sound he can in any price range. Like his uncle Joe John is always moving forward.

 

[donlin]

In one of the interviews (maybe the Steve Guttenberg) I remember John said that he doesn't listen to competitor's headphones because he doesn't want to be influenced by something other than the sound he is trying to achieve.

 

[carboncopy]

I got today my second Grado. It’s a modified SR225e. The grills were removed and the stock cable was swapped for an old russian cable. Therefore I call it “the nude russian mode”.

I bought it dirt cheap, for about a 100 EUR. I got two other earpads plus the original cable too.

It is a less refined sound as the Hemp, doesn’t go as deep, has a bit of aggressive flavor compared to the Hemp. Plus the Hemp is *much more* sensitive.

But it has the same alive, open sound and its super fast. Sound real fun too!

I think I will give it to my teenager daugther as her first headphone. Just to set the bar at the start

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Never a bad choice. BTW, my reference in my original post about the Hemp needing more break in time referred solely to the one I have since it was acquired fairly recently so my pair needs more play time. The Hemp like most Grados starts really improving by the time you hit 50 hours and is usually settled by 100 hours. My PS2000e took more time than that as an exception

My GS3000e's settled down after around 150 hours.

 

[BobG55]

I was an authorized dealer for Grado so was there at the beginning when Joe Grado designed their first headphones, the Signature HP1000 series and sold a good amount of each of the three.. When Joe retired John took over the business. One of John's first headphones were the original RS1. I bought my pair right after John had decided that with the escalating cost of the wood presentation case was becoming too high. That was when he started to include his 15' and 6.3mm female to 3.5mm mail pigtail with the RS1. That tradition is still in effect today. John includes those accessories with all his upper end phones, not bad as that is a $55 value.
They more recently now offer a option of a very good looking wood presentation case at a reasonable price.

The Melos SHA-1 was developed with the HP1000 in mind so they were a superb match. I have an HP2 and the Melos and they really have great synergy.

stock picture, did not have a good photo readily available but mine is super clean, no box.

Ooooooo ... those are pretty

 

[elvergun]

Ooooooo ... those are pretty

Imagine owning those and these...

 

[ESL-1]

I have not seen a photo of those in a long time....

Thanks

 

[MildBobbySauce]

Does anyone know of any good recabling services for grados. The cable on the hemps is a real chonker.

 

[kmhaynes]

Imagine owning those and these...

OK, I'll bite: what model is that? An RS1 proto-type?

 

[elvergun]

OK, I'll bite: what model is that? An RS1 proto-type?

Go to page 2406.

 

[pbui44]

Does anyone know of any good recabling services for grados. The cable on the hemps is a real chonker.

Ask @Reima about recabling your Hemps.

 

[Sherwood]

Imagine owning those and these...

It's the good life, I tell ya'.

I previously owned one of the last pair of HP2i, Joe Grado-era HP2 headphones that were further upgraded by a 90+-year-old-Joe. The process of getting them upgraded was harrowing, but he replaced the cables to dual-entry JGSUWBR, replaced the pads with what I believe are very similar to the upgraded pads Todd sells, and further doped the driver and the housing. They sounded absolutely spectacular.

The prototype RS1 above are still in my posession, and are very cool. They use the "pink" driver of early SR100, but predate the actual production run of the RS1. There are a few photos of the stylized button being used on later RS1 pairs, but this was before they even developed the gimbals or the wood boxes for the original RS1, so they come with an HP1000-era gimbal, headband, and box. I've looked for years and I've not found any evidence of an earlier wood headphone from Grado.

They obviously sound stupendous.