blufox4900
100+ Head-Fier
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Ok am I an alien or something cause I find the bowls to be SUPER comfy, way more comfy than the comfies!
Grado Fan Club!
- Thread starter Vikingatheart
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- 1000hours burn-in minimum 1000hours hearing damage minimum dynamat grado grado hf3 grado-gs1000 grado-head-fi-series-hf-2-headphones grado-igrado-black grado-professional-series-ps500-headphones grado-rs1i-reference-series-headphones grado-sr-80 grado-sr125i-headphones grado-sr225i-headphones grado-sr325is-headphones grado-sr80i-headphones grado-statement-series-gs1000i-headphones nhoord nhoord red v2
Frankie K
500+ Head-Fier
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My Grado 225i's driven by a 1st gen zune and DecWare ZH1.
Maverickmonk
500+ Head-Fier
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Alright, after about a week of listening with the uDac and a few days through the Marantz headphone out, I am prepared to say that both noticably change the sound. This seems fairly obvious, but I'm mildy paranoid about the point of diminishing returns. Suprisingly, the uDac actually altered the presentation more than the Marantz in my opinion, possibly because the sr60's are so easily driven. the uDac provides more detail, much much better seperation, and a better soundstage than the headphone card, and I would definitely recomend it to any grado owner. The vintage Marantz receiver adds warmth. The sound is almost tubelike, although i can hear a little bit of noise through it (we'll see if replacing the capacitors fixes that). The combination is good enough in my opinion that I think for now I'm done upgrading, and will be pending my meager spending money on buying cds. Well, maybe someday I'll get a d2000 or some ultrasones for techno and classical...
blufox4900
100+ Head-Fier
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Yeah that seems pretty accurate. The biggest thing with the udac for me is just a more smooth sound. Not sure if it's because my onboard audio was so terrible but my grados sounded extremely harsh straight from my computer. The bass was also very overpowering and sounded completely artificial for some reason, painful to listen to. My Udac helped fix all these problems so I can have a pleasant listening time so I wouldn't have to constantly listen to my sansa clip.
Can't really say any more details since I didn't really do a critical listening session yet, just kinda kicked back and enjoyed the music.
Can't really say any more details since I didn't really do a critical listening session yet, just kinda kicked back and enjoyed the music.
jleewach
500+ Head-Fier
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Quote:
you must be some type of alien. The bowls are KILLING the outsides of my ears, but the improved sq is forcing me to keep them on. I guess I'll switch back to comfies when my ears start bleeding.
blufox4900
100+ Head-Fier
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I guess it must be the shape of my ears. The bowls goes perfectly around my ears so that they sit outside the ears with nothing pressing on them at all. My biggest problem with the comfies were that they were too soft, the edge of the drivers would press through them and onto my ears and make it very painful to listen to.
LugBug1
Headphoneus Supremus
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Attention all Grado lovers;
If you haven't tried a little dot I+ (with opamp change important) you must. All harshness gone. Every pluck of an instrument felt. Marvelous!
If you haven't tried a little dot I+ (with opamp change important) you must. All harshness gone. Every pluck of an instrument felt. Marvelous!
Vikingatheart
500+ Head-Fier
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Quote:
Bowls are also way comfier than the comfies for me as well. The only issue I have is that the bowls seem to effect my left ear more so than my right. The top part of my left ear starts to hurt after a few hours. I guess my left ear a bit longer than my right?
LugBug1
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
LM4562 is my first choice or LT1364; this one is verrrry smooth. Both transform this little cheap amp. It is one of those abosolute bargains that you come across every now and again. You can tube roll as much as you want but changing opamps makes the biggest difference. This amp is the perfect companion for Grado.
Modified Bear
New Head-Fier
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I know that Grados are great for rock and such
But how are they for electronic music and things with a lot of layers like post-rock?
But how are they for electronic music and things with a lot of layers like post-rock?
Curly21029
500+ Head-Fier
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After holding a longtime fear of Grados' described harsh treble, sign me up for the fan club!
Firstly, there's nothing that is more fatiguing or as unenjoyable to me in a headphone as an exaggerated top end. Also, I'll admit that I rather enjoy some weight to the bass presentation, something Grados aren't well known for. After getting it in my head that their "house sound" just wasn't for me, I largely ignored posts here that dealt with them and never actively sought out a pair to listen to. I forget exactly what the post was, but in seeking information regarding the Sennheiser HD25-1 II I happened upon a post from a prolific Head-Fier in which he described the Grado HF-2 as having a fairly "balanced" presentation and lacking the pronounced highs that he personally didn't care for. Being that I always liked the function-before-fashion aesthetics of the brand and it was the only major headphone manufacturer in which I never owned nor heard one of their products, curiosity got the best of me and I had to further research.
Long story short, I picked a HF-2 up off of the FS forum at the beginning of the week. My first impression upon receiving them was that they feel quite solid without being overly heavy. Individual components, while largely simplistic in design, feel to be of good quality. They came with the standard bowls, and I have to admit that finding a good comfort zone wasn't as easy as I would hope. They don't have as much clamping force as I'm used to in a headphone and, for that reason, feel as though they could possibly slip off or readjust should I rock out a bit too hard. I also wore them circum-aurally at first. While part of my ear would touch the driver leading to a bit of discomfort, it wasn't until after about an hour of listening that it became an outright annoyance. Perhaps this is because of the slight movement of them atop my head. I did some reading, and found several posts saying to rest the pads along the top and back of the ear thus making them supra-aural. Indeed, this did alleviate a great deal of discomfort and gave a more secure fit. Still, bringing the drivers away from the ear canal changed the SQ a bit. Due to me being accustomed to the volume, it felt as though they lost some detail after the adjustment. My original observations became incorrect after I upped the volume just a tick. The perceived detail loss was rendered moot while the soundstage increased slightly leading to an even better listening experience.
And providing an exceptional listening experience is truly what the HF-2 is all about. Sticking with the soundstage, it certainly isn't as excessively large as the HD800 or K701/2 or even as expansive as my much loved, and missed, HD600. Still, it's larger than a closed Beyer and, to my ears, hits a sweet spot that falls between being either unnaturally small or large. Given the excellent instrument separation, transparency, and above-average transient properties (feels faster than how I remember the HD600) and the presentation nears perfection to these ears. As described by previous posters, the treble wasn't overdone at all, was controlled perfectly, and never displayed the least bit of sibilance. Mids were presented equally as smooth while the bass... well, it was surprising. Honestly, I've always associated open-backed headphone bass with a few terms: muddy, loose, boomy, sloppy, or light. (even if it was slight, nothing came close to a good closed 'phone) While I have yet to hear a DT990, the HF-2 has one of the best presentations of bass I've ever heard in a headphone; open-backed or closed. It's far from a "basshead" can, but it's presented with astounding clarity and texture and never comes close to encroaching on the mids. Basslines are followed nimbly and decay quickly while impact called upon by bass drums offer up a surprising, and wholly satisfying, amount of kick.
In my short amount of time with the HF-2, I've also been extremely impressed with their versatility. Everything I've fed them is an absolute joy to listen to, even poor recordings or compressed MP3 files. Being that they're fairly balanced in presentation while foregoing a clinical/flat sound, having a genre preference seems to be a non-issue. They're revealing enough that they don't gloss over imperfections like lesser cans, but also don't punish the listener by clinging to a "garbage in, garbage out" principle. Instead, it's almost as if there's some sort of upconversion happening that accentuates what the track is doing well to distract the listener from where it makes a misstep. As a testament to transparency, however, full-bodied recordings are presented with the thickness of a closed-back headphone while lighter recordings maintain the airiness that comes with having open backs. To bring this paragraph full-circle... versatility. Versatility, versatility, versatility. In that respect, these are some of the absolute best headphones I've ever heard.
The sound is forward, but not overly so that everything feels trapped within your own head. Depending on the recording, I'd say they probably put you somewhere in the first ten rows and definitely give more of the impression of a small amphitheater than a large concert hall. Because of this, if I had to nit-pick my only gripe keeping these from utter perfection (in regards to my taste, of course) would be that they can be just a touch on the aggressive side at times. This is in no way a fatiguing sound or forces frequencies to feel unnatural, but my personal preference merely calls for something that's a bit more laid back. If the headphones are the messenger and my brain the recipient, I like each to travel an equal distance to meet at the half way point. The HF-2 comes a bit more than half way, if that makes any sense.
While comfort issues were an initial concern, my short amount of time with the Grado HF-2 has rendered this a non-issue (even if they don't entirely disappear like full sized Beyers) and, overall, these hold a spot amongst my favorite cans that won't be overtaken easily... and yet, I had to put them up for sale. I knew going in that buying open-backed headphones was a gamble with the significant other's tolerance, but I have so little time alone that I'll barely ever get to enjoy them and my money is better invested elsewhere. It's for that reason that these are currently on the For Sale forum. All in all I'm glad that I finally had a chance to get some quality time in with some Grados and, in the process, discovered a sound that I very much adore. Parting with these will be bittersweet to be sure. Who knows... maybe someday I'll have a living situation or workspace in which I won't have to worry about causing unwanted ambient noise to others. Should this happen, it's all but a guarantee that the first headphone purchase I'll make is the HF-2.
Due to this offering alone, count me as a part of the Grado fan club!
Firstly, there's nothing that is more fatiguing or as unenjoyable to me in a headphone as an exaggerated top end. Also, I'll admit that I rather enjoy some weight to the bass presentation, something Grados aren't well known for. After getting it in my head that their "house sound" just wasn't for me, I largely ignored posts here that dealt with them and never actively sought out a pair to listen to. I forget exactly what the post was, but in seeking information regarding the Sennheiser HD25-1 II I happened upon a post from a prolific Head-Fier in which he described the Grado HF-2 as having a fairly "balanced" presentation and lacking the pronounced highs that he personally didn't care for. Being that I always liked the function-before-fashion aesthetics of the brand and it was the only major headphone manufacturer in which I never owned nor heard one of their products, curiosity got the best of me and I had to further research.
Long story short, I picked a HF-2 up off of the FS forum at the beginning of the week. My first impression upon receiving them was that they feel quite solid without being overly heavy. Individual components, while largely simplistic in design, feel to be of good quality. They came with the standard bowls, and I have to admit that finding a good comfort zone wasn't as easy as I would hope. They don't have as much clamping force as I'm used to in a headphone and, for that reason, feel as though they could possibly slip off or readjust should I rock out a bit too hard. I also wore them circum-aurally at first. While part of my ear would touch the driver leading to a bit of discomfort, it wasn't until after about an hour of listening that it became an outright annoyance. Perhaps this is because of the slight movement of them atop my head. I did some reading, and found several posts saying to rest the pads along the top and back of the ear thus making them supra-aural. Indeed, this did alleviate a great deal of discomfort and gave a more secure fit. Still, bringing the drivers away from the ear canal changed the SQ a bit. Due to me being accustomed to the volume, it felt as though they lost some detail after the adjustment. My original observations became incorrect after I upped the volume just a tick. The perceived detail loss was rendered moot while the soundstage increased slightly leading to an even better listening experience.
And providing an exceptional listening experience is truly what the HF-2 is all about. Sticking with the soundstage, it certainly isn't as excessively large as the HD800 or K701/2 or even as expansive as my much loved, and missed, HD600. Still, it's larger than a closed Beyer and, to my ears, hits a sweet spot that falls between being either unnaturally small or large. Given the excellent instrument separation, transparency, and above-average transient properties (feels faster than how I remember the HD600) and the presentation nears perfection to these ears. As described by previous posters, the treble wasn't overdone at all, was controlled perfectly, and never displayed the least bit of sibilance. Mids were presented equally as smooth while the bass... well, it was surprising. Honestly, I've always associated open-backed headphone bass with a few terms: muddy, loose, boomy, sloppy, or light. (even if it was slight, nothing came close to a good closed 'phone) While I have yet to hear a DT990, the HF-2 has one of the best presentations of bass I've ever heard in a headphone; open-backed or closed. It's far from a "basshead" can, but it's presented with astounding clarity and texture and never comes close to encroaching on the mids. Basslines are followed nimbly and decay quickly while impact called upon by bass drums offer up a surprising, and wholly satisfying, amount of kick.
In my short amount of time with the HF-2, I've also been extremely impressed with their versatility. Everything I've fed them is an absolute joy to listen to, even poor recordings or compressed MP3 files. Being that they're fairly balanced in presentation while foregoing a clinical/flat sound, having a genre preference seems to be a non-issue. They're revealing enough that they don't gloss over imperfections like lesser cans, but also don't punish the listener by clinging to a "garbage in, garbage out" principle. Instead, it's almost as if there's some sort of upconversion happening that accentuates what the track is doing well to distract the listener from where it makes a misstep. As a testament to transparency, however, full-bodied recordings are presented with the thickness of a closed-back headphone while lighter recordings maintain the airiness that comes with having open backs. To bring this paragraph full-circle... versatility. Versatility, versatility, versatility. In that respect, these are some of the absolute best headphones I've ever heard.
The sound is forward, but not overly so that everything feels trapped within your own head. Depending on the recording, I'd say they probably put you somewhere in the first ten rows and definitely give more of the impression of a small amphitheater than a large concert hall. Because of this, if I had to nit-pick my only gripe keeping these from utter perfection (in regards to my taste, of course) would be that they can be just a touch on the aggressive side at times. This is in no way a fatiguing sound or forces frequencies to feel unnatural, but my personal preference merely calls for something that's a bit more laid back. If the headphones are the messenger and my brain the recipient, I like each to travel an equal distance to meet at the half way point. The HF-2 comes a bit more than half way, if that makes any sense.
While comfort issues were an initial concern, my short amount of time with the Grado HF-2 has rendered this a non-issue (even if they don't entirely disappear like full sized Beyers) and, overall, these hold a spot amongst my favorite cans that won't be overtaken easily... and yet, I had to put them up for sale. I knew going in that buying open-backed headphones was a gamble with the significant other's tolerance, but I have so little time alone that I'll barely ever get to enjoy them and my money is better invested elsewhere. It's for that reason that these are currently on the For Sale forum. All in all I'm glad that I finally had a chance to get some quality time in with some Grados and, in the process, discovered a sound that I very much adore. Parting with these will be bittersweet to be sure. Who knows... maybe someday I'll have a living situation or workspace in which I won't have to worry about causing unwanted ambient noise to others. Should this happen, it's all but a guarantee that the first headphone purchase I'll make is the HF-2.
Due to this offering alone, count me as a part of the Grado fan club!
wje
Unmodified = Not worth listening to.
Quote:
Welcome to the club! Please do keep in mind, the Grado headbands have a solid steel brace under the leather or vinyl headband. Using small adjustments, one can either tighten or loosen the fit of the Grado headphones. I say "using small adjustments" because sometimes a slight move here and there are all that's required. With each of my Grados, it has taken me a few days through a few listening sessions to adjust that metal band to fit me appropriately.
Good luck and enjoy !!
WhiteCrow
Is not fooled by rapper-endorsed products.
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Then you really should try the 325is or RS-2, they are infinitely better than the lower end sr series*even the 225i IMO*
My experiences are the opposite. I was sorely disappointed when I traded "up" my SR225i for the SR325is. So much so that within a month the SR325is was gone for the RS1.
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