[Delmonaco]

I'm happy to declare my RS1x are finally broken-in. Purchased in April of this year - took every bit of the past 9 months. And they say we don't know the pains of child birth

I considered selling these headphones on many occasion... glad I hung in for the ride...very rewarding

This is so nice. Could you kindly say something about the difference you felt?

 

[Strat1117]

Pictures of GS4000x lots of it.

PS1000e + GS3000x
PSe

 

[DropTekRoon]

Im sure you will love them. Enjoy!

Query: What’s up with all those long empty spaces in your posts? Are there missing photos, or are you inadvertently leaning on the space bar? Makes them harder to read, at least on my iPhone. Just wondering….

Yeah ik. It made it look like I was holding down the enter key for like 30 seconds after each paragraph haha. I have literally have no idea why it did that. My phone kept leaving those spaces for some reason so I went on my laptop and had to edit the whole post to make it readable.

 

[ESL-1]

I'm happy to declare my RS1x are finally broken-in. Purchased in April of this year - took every bit of the past 9 months. And they say we don't know the pains of child birth

I considered selling these headphones on many occasion... glad I hung in for the ride...very rewarding

As the saying goes “don’t leave before the miracle”.

Good thing you persevered Dave. Of my Grados the two that took the longest to fully break in were the RS1x and the PS2000e both taking up to and beyond 200 hours to hit their true stride.

Enjoy the reward Dave……

 

[ESL-1]

Thank you all for your answers. You have been very kind and helpful. I absolutely love this thread. Have read the last 300 pages, in the last month, would love to have the time to read more but it is almost an impossible task.

It is already very, very hard to test any quality gear in my Country / city, let alone niche brands like Grado. Plus the models I'm interested the most (limited editions, Professional or the latest releases) are not sold by Companies like Amazon here in the EU, so unless there is some issue with the unit, a "trial" period is rare to be given, especially in these price ranges. I have to rely on your experience, feelings and thoughts to make my decision based on my best gut feeling.

I took a gamble with the Hemp. Without any decent comparison unit or experience, I could only rely on my ears to understand if I liked what I was listening. And so I did, but thought that it was related to the audio quality improvement over the low quality I was used to. Then I got the even expense Campfire Holocene IEM (I bought it at half the retail price) and realized that it was not the case since I was listening to a good quality unit, more technical than the HEMP but without giving me the same emotions. So, my gut feeling regarding the Hemp was right after all. I guess just pure luck!

Now, having the Hemp as my reference, I take special attention to the comparisons to other models and from what I understood until now, the GH2 is a better Hemp version but, IMO, no enough or maybe to close to justify a 700€ investment. The P500e seems more like a side leap instead of a forward one, unless you value bass the most. Again, something too close to the Hemp to justify the investment. The P2000e seems really special but totally out of my budget new and used is still expensive and the lack of warranty scares me (see reason below).

All the older units (mostly on the used market), especially the e versions, kind of "scares" me for 2 reasons. First because in case of issues with it no more warranty and in all honesty I don't think there is even a Grado representation in my Country where to send it to. Second because the lack of bass, compared to the hemp and X line, kind of puzzles me if I would like the signature sound.

I am really curious about the RX1 and RX2, maybe even more the RX2 but once again I fear if the leap from the Hemp is clear enough to justify the purchase? It is not clear to me in the case of these models. Also it is my understanding that in terms of bass the RX1 is the one that resembles more to the old Grado sound.

Finally it comes down to the new 1000x and 3000x. Despite being curious about the 1000x, it is the one least discussed here and cannot find much information about it. So not sure where it stands. Plus, for just more 500€ we are in the 3000x domain where all reviews and opinions seem to be stellar and gives the idea that, despite not being cheap, it delivers above its price range. I honestly got excited by all of your "reviews" but a blind 2000€ investment is not something to be taken lightly (at least for me) and that is why it created me natural doubts if I shouldn't go a little "lower" in my expectations and "gamble" with something a little cheaper.

Sorry about the rumble but this new hobby of mine is sure not a cheap one and even worse, a guessing one in my case most of the time. I really envy all those of you that are able to test or try gear before deciding. That would make my life much simpler for sure!

Certainly your situation does make decisions harder. The good news is there are really no bad choices but that still does not help you get to a final choice.

BTW, one reason for less info on the GS1000x is that it was the last new model introduced and so at this moment there are a lot less of them out there.
I fortunately had an opportunity to have one on loan from a friend. It had play time on it already and it sounded quite good to me. BTW, I was never much of a fan of the GS1000 variants until now. I hate to make any definitive statement with so little playtime but I would sum it up like so. In the x series if you wanted to move above the RS1x and not jump all the way to the GS3000x then the GS1000x would be my choice.

 

[glpsace]

Certainly your situation does make decisions harder. The good news is there are really no bad choices but that still does not help you get to a final choice.

BTW, one reason for less info on the GS1000x is that it was the last new model introduced and so at this moment there are a lot less of them out there.
I fortunately had an opportunity to have one on loan from a friend. It had play time on it already and it sounded quite good to me. BTW, I was never much of a fan of the GS1000 variants until now. I hate to make any definitive statement with so little playtime but I would sum it up like so. In the x series if you wanted to move above the RS1x and not jump all the way to the GS3000x then the GS1000x would be my choice.

Thank you for that. Really interesting. These are indeed very nice times, spoiled with choices!

 

[lukipela]

Thank you all for the very helpful feedback. I really appreciate it. I have spent hours doing research on these and have been comparing it to the other 2 headphones that I Iisted above. Sound quality is by far way more important than the build quality for me. From what I have read on the Hemp, it would be nice though if the stock pads didn't feel like sandpaper though. I could always replace them with more comfortable ones if I felt the need to.

I have made the decision to go ahead and buy the Hemps due to the fantastic mids, consistent natural audio, petty good sound stage, and having a slight warm sound while also being very easy to drive without the need of an amp/dac which will be nice when I am listening to them with my phone. I got a gift card that I will use on them so I will be getting them for $370 new which seems like a pretty good deal.

I think the Hemps will sound great with neo classical, ambient, and drone as well as some non bass heavy electronic stuff. These will be my first pair of Grado's. and I am very excited to try them out. I am now a part of the Grado family!

I listen to a lot of DnB and electronic music with the Hemps, and its absolutely lovely. The bass is addictive

 

[Ilomaenkimi]

Hemps and this record makes me thinking do i even need other Grados or Alessandros. Just Wow

AND other end of spectrum works equal, fantastic headphone.

 

[tombrisbane]

Nearly new year here, bringing it in with the GS3000x, some champagne and whisky, and Mahler Symphony No. 1. A pretty great combo!

 

[glpsace]

Hello friends,

First, I would like to wish all a Happy New Year! Full of Health, joy and if possible with some new toys!

I would very much appreciate your suggestions based on your experience, if possible.

For a desktop set I have a Schiit Bifrost 2/64 and a Rupert Neve RNHP, so not transportable at all.

For around the house and especially at night, when falling asleep, I use my iPhone 13 mini with a RU6 dongle. I don't want and like to use the iPhone because of its power limitations (even if that is not a big problem with the Grady's) but especially because I want to separate music from other iPhone functions. Most of the time I fall asleep listening to music and in the morning the iPhone is dead because of the power drain from the RU6 dongle.

So, I was thinking of purchasing a DAP, nothing fancy, since I plan to connect it to the RU6 anyway (since I already have this dongle that I like so much).
I don´t care about streaming, so preferably no Android. Just interested in bit-perfect sound and a card slot or internal memory for some music storage. It should be powerful enough to handle the RU6 and any Grado headphone.

I also plan (maybe) to use it sometimes as a music source to my desktop setup since I believe it could be a cleaner noise free source when compared to my iMac.

What would you suggest? I was thinking about something like the Cayin N3 Pro for 400€. I know it is not the best around, but connected to the RU6, maybe it could do the job easily.

I also plan to get, in the future, something a little more powerful than the RU6 with an own battery like the Earman Angel or the Ifi Signature. Any thoughts?

Thank you so much!

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

Hello friends,

First, I would like to wish all a Happy New Year! Full of Health, joy and if possible with some new toys!

I would very much appreciate your suggestions based on your experience, if possible.

For a desktop set I have a Schiit Bifrost 2/64 and a Rupert Neve RNHP, so not transportable at all.

For around the house and especially at night, when falling asleep, I use my iPhone 13 mini with a RU6 dongle. I don't want and like to use the iPhone because of its power limitations (even if that is not a big problem with the Grady's) but especially because I want to separate music from other iPhone functions. Most of the time I fall asleep listening to music and in the morning the iPhone is dead because of the power drain from the RU6 dongle.

So, I was thinking of purchasing a DAP, nothing fancy, since I plan to connect it to the RU6 anyway (since I already have this dongle that I like so much).
I don´t care about streaming, so preferably no Android. Just interested in bit-perfect sound and a card slot or internal memory for some music storage. It should be powerful enough to handle the RU6 and any Grado headphone.

I also plan (maybe) to use it sometimes as a music source to my desktop setup since I believe it could be a cleaner noise free source when compared to my iMac.

What would you suggest? I was thinking about something like the Cayin N3 Pro for 400€. I know it is not the best around, but connected to the RU6, maybe it could do the job easily.

I also plan to get, in the future, something a little more powerful than the RU6 with an own battery like the Earman Angel or the Ifi Signature. Any thoughts?

Thank you so much!

If you really like your RU6 dongle, just get a used smartphone to run it. Keep your regular phone fresh for phone things and use the Not-A-Phone for your music. Using a DAP as just a transport seems like overkill.

I have a Cayin N3 Pro and TBH I dont recommend it, especially for the way you're looking to use it. I'm not even sure that it can feed digital output to another device. Even if it can, it would be a waste. The N3 Pro is a powerful DAP, which sounds great, but it's software is like a school science project from the 90s. It's very limited in its features and it has this really annoying thing where when it powers down, it drops the play queue. So if you stop in the middle of something and want to come back to it later you have to go in through the primitive UI and find the spot where you where. The little mini tubes it comes with are a pointless gimmick as well. I cant tell any difference in the sound between tube mode or SS mode.

For a DAP to use as a DAP I like my HiBy R5 and iBasso DX160. Enough power for just about any headphone needs and much more useful software.

 

[glpsace]

If you really like your RU6 dongle, just get a used smartphone to run it. Keep your regular phone fresh for phone things and use the Not-A-Phone for your music. Using a DAP as just a transport seems like overkill.

I have a Cayin N3 Pro and TBH I dont recommend it, especially for the way you're looking to use it. I'm not even sure that it can feed digital output to another device. Even if it can, it would be a waste. The N3 Pro is a powerful DAP, which sounds great, but it's software is like a school science project from the 90s. It's very limited in its features and it has this really annoying thing where when it powers down, it drops the play queue. So if you stop in the middle of something and want to come back to it later you have to go in through the primitive UI and find the spot where you where. The little mini tubes it comes with are a pointless gimmick as well. I cant tell any difference in the sound between tube mode or SS mode.

For a DAP to use as a DAP I like my HiBy R5 and iBasso DX160. Enough power for just about any headphone needs and much more useful software.

Thank you for your answer Joaquin.
Indeed I believe you are right about the N3 Pro. It was indeed not the best example as an option from my behalf. The question is that I will have to buy another phone (cheaper sure) which USB-C connection is not ideal for music (Jitter and noise cannot compare to a DAP) and I also plan to use the DAP as a digital source (I believe it will be better than the USB-C connection from the Computer) to the desktop setup.

So keeping this in mind, I prefer to give a little more for a DAP. I could, for example get an Ibasso DX170 or Hiby R5 and use it as a digital source to the Cayin RU6 or whatever I decide to get in the future (Earman or Ifi). SQ signature of those DAP is not that important since they would be used as Digital sources mostly.

I reckon a second phone would be cheaper (unless you want a powerful USB 3.0 port and have to invest in a Samsung S20 at least - price would be almost the same as the DAP´s I referred) but it would be less than ideal as a digital source when compared to a DAP.

So I guess what I'm looking is a DAP, in the 400-600€ range, with a USB-C connection so that it can be used as a digital source, powerful enough for headphones (Grado ones). Good battery life and and with a friendly software. Ideally something like a Lotoo Paw 6000 would be fantastic but I'm not willing to spend that sort of money for a DAP alone.

 

[Menkau-ra]

Hemps and this record makes me thinking do i even need other Grados or Alessandros. Just Wow

AND other end of spectrum works equal, fantastic headphone.

I fall in love with Hemp by listening this track: Dark Voltage. I've never heard such a creamy low end on any other hp.

 

[UntilThen]

Happy New Year Gradonians. Rocking the GH1 with 3w Super Mini 6BX7 amp.

 

[Strat1117]

As I mentioned recently, the (discontinued?) PS2000e and GS3000x are both on my radar and high on my list. BUT, I just got a line on an OG GS1000 (no suffix) in decent but not perfect cosmetic condition for cheap $$ (to my mind) - the catch is, they’re far away and I can’t hear them first. Usually my OCD only allows me to buy pristine or new, but if these have potential to be something special sonically, maybe I could live with a couple small scratches, or even make refinishing them into a project (I’ve never restored headphones, but I’ve done some carbon steel putters - how much more difficult can wood be?) For those in the know know, where do the OG GS1000 fit in the Grado continuum? The original reviews circa 2006 were spectacular - seemingly universally preferred to the still wonderful OG RS-1 button - but a lot has changed since then. Are they all that (and worth the effort), are they dogs, or are they somewhere in between?

OR I’ve also got a line on a pair of pristine OG PS1000, at a similarly good price (more $$, but they were more to begin with, and they look perfect). Same deal - can’t hear them before I buy - so same questions.

Most appreciative to anyone who is interested and kind enough to give me their thoughts.

Thank you, and Happy New Year to all!

Neil