[Stevko]

Gonna buy a portabel amp.
Is dragonfly good enough?
Many says dragonfly don’t measure well.
Other love it

 

[rasmushorn]

Has any one compared the RS1E to the Hemp?

I only had the Hemp for two days but first impression is that the two are very different:

Soundstage size sideways: RS1e > Hemp > SR225e
Soundstage size front- backwards: RS1e > SR225e > Hemp
Slam/Punch/dynamics when needed: Hemp > SR225e > RS1e
In-your-face sound (that I used to LOVE with SR325 - Kings of in-your-face slam and punch): Hemp > SR225e > RS1e
Lovely edgy Grado-treble: SR225e > RS1e > Hemp (for some people this would probably be the other way around)
Skull-rattling deep bass: Hemp > SR225e > RS1e
Musical atmosphere - ability to draw you into the music: Hemp > RS1e > SR225e (This was a big surprise to me!!! but a BIG win for the Hemps inspite of the lack of soundstage!)

The sound in the Hemps are very calm and rock-solid. Instruments are played with ease but also SUPER controlled. My fear that they were too dark sounding has been put to shame. No brain-burn in required to appreciate them right out of the box.

From the Grado's that have passed by me over the years (PS500, RS1i, RS2, HF-1, SR325, GS1000, SR225e, RS1e) I can see now that the Hemps will not just be a FOTM-headphone from Grado but will stay among their TOP-products in the entire history of that company. A BIG hit!! So happy I got my hands on a pair before they are discontinued. The marketing-gimmick turned me off to begin with. Not that I have anything against the Hemp-plant or what it has to offer, but since I thought it was more a gimmick-headphone than a truly high-end window into the music.

A question: Are there serial-numbers on anyones Hemps (hidden somewhere)?

EDIT: OH and I forgot to mention another important thing:
Wearing comfort: Hemp > RS1e/SR225e

 

[SoundGuru]

So before i close the window of upgrades for the foreseeable future, i might as well look into a DAC/Amp. I currently use my IPad with the USB C to 3.5 headphone adapter. Would I benefit from getting a proper dac/and or amp? Or is this set up fine for the two Grados I own (GH3, Hemp.) Thanks guys!

Some thoughts I have on using Grado's with amps.

IMO Amps & DACS will improve the sound quality. Comparing the Grado's from using my phone, or my desktop setup (which is using a Topping E30 DAC into a JDS Labs Atom) is a big difference. Using the amp the bass is much more full with improved slam, even using the bowl pads. Its not about volume, its about quality of signal (less noise). Both the E30 & Atom measure very well, and this combination provides clean & neutral sound. With this setup you can listen to lower volumes as well without compromising on sound quality.

Using a DAC you are getting a cleaner source. I wouldn't bother with a USB Dragonfly setup. This cant compete with a DAC/Amp stack. The E30 & the Atom are probably cheaper than the new Cobalt.

Tubes are interesting but that opens a Pandora's box with tube rolling etc... I like Grado's with solid state as the speed and energy is great, and that is a trade off when it comes to using tubes (well not all tubes but the ones I have used).

 

[Gippy]

A question: Are there serial-numbers on anyones Hemps (hidden somewhere)?

Should be engraved on the inner side of the right rodblock.

 

[funkymartyn]

Sorry to butt in on the longest ever grado thread, and the Hemp love......lol.
Can somebody lead me to a post (hopefully not to long) .....or let me know about the SR225i. SR225. SR225e.
I would like to know .....what do they terminate in the large or small tip.
What colour drivers are they supposed to be.
And what supposed to be on the buttons ( e) (I ) just 225. Etc
Trying to now work out what mine are lol. Thought I had a ( e ) version. ????? But now think mine are ( I )

Mine say. Sr225 on buttons , red drivers , and the large termination tip. Fat cable.
I'm sure they came in the small blue box , Need to find it . Thanks in advance....

 

[TooFrank]

You will hear more than a 2% improvement, IMO. That was my experience when I went from the SR60i to the RS2e. I had owned almost all the SR series models over the years, so I was not a newbie to the Grado signature. I was blown away by how much better the RS2e sounded to my ears.

FWIW: I can only echo that, though I went from SR80i (over a RS2i) to the GH2, noticeable upgrade. However, between GH2 and Hemp, we are more talking about different spices on a delicate dish...

 

[elvergun]

FWIW: I can only echo that, though I went from SR80i (over a RS2i) to the GH2, noticeable upgrade. However, between GH2 and Hemp, we are more talking about different spices on a delicate dish...

Yeah, you do get to that 2% when comparing the limited editions and the RS series. And it is more a 2% difference rather than improvement between the different models.

 

[Gippy]

Mine say. Sr225 on buttons , red drivers , and the large termination tip. Fat cable.

You have an SR225i with the SR225e drivers. Grado did that in their final production batches.

 

[Stevko]

How many different grado driver is there?
Are they produced by them self?

 

[god-bluff]

Had mine when they came out , only with a not so wide head band . And for comfort stuck a senn HD 580 head foam on via velcro. Playing them now with my old Sony mp3. Sounds very good. Wouldn't sell any off my 4 grado.

I have the same model Walkman (actually the lowly 2gb ?!? A814 now) and also the later A15. One of the huge advantages of Grados compared to orher 'high end' headphones is their ease of driving and low volume clarity. My RS2e sounds really dynamic with my Sony A15 and I think this little player produces at least 80 % of the Grado's potential. Compare to my HD600, they sound pretty pathetic; maybe 50% max of their ability with the Sony.

 

[god-bluff]

Chord Mojo! Very good!

I bought the Mojo again specifically for my Grado RS2e with high hopes. Maybe my mid 50s ears have deteriorated more than i thought but the Mojo Majic is missing this time. I actually think I narrowly prefer the Graham Slee Bitzie with my Grados and certainly with high impedence headphones. It does not have the detail retreival or anything like the power of a Mojo but still sounds effortlesly smooth and open. It drives headphones with more authority and the headphones simply disappear. Very natrural and 'analogue' (Sorry. My descriptions of sound leave much to be desired and not veerry technical?!?)

Its very crude in comparison and massively over priced if bought new, but has the advantages of a nice & proper rotary analogue volume control, option of a full size headphone socket and USB power( less versatile but no battery issues)

 

[ACOC0NUT]

A question: Are there serial-numbers on anyones Hemps (hidden somewhere)

Mine never had a serial number. I looked on the rod blocks (before I replaced them) and under the pads. There's not anything I can see inside the cups either. It seems they didn't put a serial number on every pair.

Also, I pre-ordered mine, so they would be a very early one. Did you buy new or used? Maybe it's just the earliest ones without numbers if you bought used.

 

[funkymartyn]

You have an SR225i with the SR225e drivers. Grado did that in their final production batches.

Gippy thanks for the info. Looks like I have a mixed bunch . A normal Sr60. ( my first ) my Sr 325i gold with a different leather head band , not as wide. And with thinner cables with 1/4 large tip. Then this Sr 225i (e ) with 1/4 large tip. And my new Rs2e with the small tip 3.5mm

 

[blaked]

You have an SR225i with the SR225e drivers. Grado did that in their final production batches.

This has me wondering about my SR125 and what kind of a hybrid it is now. I bought them way back around 1999, but last year I had them serviced because a transducer went out. I'm certain the cable that came back is thicker than the original (and matches my SR225e). I'm wondering if they just re-cabled it or swapped anything else. I'm assuming it has the same drivers, because one side always sounded very slightly quieter than the other, and that imbalance is still present. But how would I tell?

 

[Gippy]

There wouldn't be a logical reason for Grado to keep legacy parts. People who wanted the HP1000 serviced had to ship it to Joseph Grado, not Grado Labs. And Joseph Grado eventually ran out of spare HP1000 drivers.

This also adds a risk factor to every limited edition model. Perhaps 10 years from now, they won't have any spare Hemp drivers.