[our martin]

Quote:

Hello people,
 
Just adding my voice to the Grado fan club...
 
The story began as a teenager, several years ago, with a SR225. They made me discover a whole new dimension of music. 
 
I spent another few years with a RS1, such a lovely headphone that I still own, and recently purchased a pair of PS1000.
 
I had tried them a few months ago and found they were the perfect compromise between the in-your-face-feeling of RS1 and the soundstage and details of GS1000...So I emptied my wallet.
 
I'm still powering them with the RA-1 which does not do them justice but should receive a MAD Ear+ in the upcoming weeks.
 
A few photos of the lovely toys:

 

 

 
I am enjoying the PS1000 so much, seriously. It's so detailed, soundstage is unbelievable...Can listen to it for hours whereas I would get tired after about an hour with the RS1.
Currently listening to Sufjan Stevens' The Age of Adz. Amazing experience.
 
Will keep an eye around !
 
Cheers

Which naim player are you using there Octavio? p.s naim sound good with krell amps!

 

[Octavio]

It's a basic Naim CD5i
 
It's very good and I must say I enjoy that little vinyl-like system to insert the CD ! Hehe.

 

[our martin]

Quote:

It's a basic Naim CD5i
 
It's very good and I must say I enjoy that little vinyl-like system to insert the CD ! Hehe.

I have heard the naim ndx with a krell evolution 402e and martin logan clx art speakers and i were very impressed by the sound quality,to me it sounded like a high end super audio cd player and not a recording from the hard drive of the ndx! 

 

[our martin]

P.s This is not my review i have put this up for Octavio to read...thanks martin! Over a decade ago I wanted to get a system setup in my listening room to enjoy music. I’ve been lucky to work for a respected audio distributor that allowed me to interact with some excellent engineers and solid product range. The system that I had setup provided me with a lot of satisfaction but since 5 years ago I moved and unfortunately found that the listening area wasn’t ideal. I found it painful to try and setup the system to its optimal position and unfortunately I wasn’t successful without the speakers getting in the way. The enjoyment of just listening to music was affected because of the less then standard speaker placement and ended up critiquing the sound rather than simply enjoy the music. Sharing the space with my wife complicated things
 
Life for the last few years got really busy and had no time to sit and enjoy music and I started to miss that. One day I started listening to my music from my 10 year old Grado SR-60’s hooked up to my Iphone and I realized what I’ve been missing. There is no doubt that the Grado SR-60’s are one if not the best headphones for the price. These headphones had a lot of use especially at the gym regardless how dorky I might have looked. It was time to get a new pair for serious listening at home. I wanted a pair of headphones to be efficient enough to be driven even by an Iphone. Although most if not all Grado headphones are rated at 32 Ohms, they are very efficient. I wanted to get a pair that had excellent soundstage, clarity but most importantly a joy to listen to for many years to come… Lo and behold! The PS-1000 Grado headphones!
 

 
 
Before anyone listens to these headphones seriously, they need to be broken-in for at least 100 hours. John Grado states that they need to be broken-in with normal use and not with continuous 24/h a day signal. This forced me to become more patient but made it an enjoyable one nevertheless. The difference was noticeable as the drivers started to loosen up. Bass became more defined and the sound started to really open up. As I am no real expert I will do my best to describe the sound. I’ve listened to Sennheiser’s for a short time but my comparison is to SR-60’s as I’m only very familiar with them and I’m in no position to compare to other headphones. This post is more for anyone who is interested with my experience was and perhaps help anyone make a decision.
 
Clarity
Probably one of the strongest points for these headphones. The level of clarity compared to SR-60’s as expected is huge. My music selection is very diverse, from electronic based such as Delerium, Massive Attack to Pink Floyd, etc. With the PS1000’s I naturally fell in love with acoustic based music. The amount of detail from each instrument transported me into the musicians’ room.
 
Soundstage/depth
The soundstage from these headphones is impressive. Music extended all around me. I am sure that other manufacturers in this price range have also nailed it. It’s impressive that this level of soundstage was only accomplished by speakers years back. Compared to the SR-60’s music is no longer in your head but all around you.
 
Bass
I’m having a little difficulty to rate the bass coming from these headphones. The bass no doubt goes deep and is well controlled. However at times I do feel that the bass is a little on the lean side when listening to some songs. If anyone is looking for headphones that will make your brain shake from the level of bass, these headphones may not be your choice.
 
Source (iPhone)
As mentioned earlier, listening through an iPhone, the tonal balance is surprisingly natural. However as expected listening straight from the headphone jack does not bring the last detail from the music. Instruments bland a little but nevertheless that didn’t stop me from enjoying the music. Compared to the SR-60’s the sound difference is still big with an iPhone. Sound level from both headphones when used with an iPhone is sufficient!
 
Source: Centrance DACport
I bought the DACport when I am travelling or when I want to take my laptop with me to bed and listen to some music before going to sleep. The sound is smooth, detailed and plays loud. Preferred volume setting is a little over half way. It’s an impressive little DAC/headphone amp especially when you are on the go.
Source (Asus Xonar ST, Headphone Out) + AD8620BR + LME49720 Op-Amps
My main source is from the PC via Asus Xonar ST soundcard that was favourably reviewed by Stereophile as a good step forward to high-end audio. I had replaced the op-amps with positive results when listening from my SR-60’s. The AD8620BR op-amps are known for excellent detail and soundstage with a more forward high frequency sound which mated well with the SR-60’s. However when listening to the PS-1000’s with these op-amps, made the sound somewhat harsh with a few recordings and I preferred the sound from the Centrance DACport instead.
 
Source (Asus Xonar ST, Line Out with Mapletree Audio Design EAR+HD headphone amp)
EAR+HD Mapletree Headphone amp

Purchasing this amp was one of the best purchases I’ve made for a long time and made me fall in love with tube sound.
 
As mentioned listening straight from the headphone out from the Asus Xonar ST soundcard with the PS1000 sounded a little too forward for my liking. Dr. Lloyd Peppard has truly designed an excellent headphone amp that makes a match made in heaven with my Grado’s. The sound is detailed but very smooth and natural. This is when my vocabulary comes short. Soundstage is deeper then what I’ve heard before with no harshness found from previous setup. The sound comes alive with better impact. I’m planning to do anything possible to keep this amp going for 20+ years I’m that impressed with the sound quality from this amp.
 
Overall impressions (Grado PS-1000 + Mapletree Audio EAR+HD)

 
Grado PS-1000 headphones with the Mapletree Audio EAR+ HD headphone amp helped me fall in love with music again. I was surprised to see the difference in sound from all the sources I previously mentioned. Some very favourable and some not so much. It just shows how important it is to have a properly matched source with these headphones. This setup is the best I’ve heard and matches if not surpasses a high-end rig that cots 10x the cost of this setup without worrying about speaker placement and room acoustics. I am once again able to enjoy music and get excited with new material!
 
What’s in the future? I want to get a dedicated DAC connected to my computer. The DAC that has grabbed my attention is the Ayre QB-9 but I’m more than happy with the current setup to enjoy my music and allow me to save.
 
Hope this post was useful to some of you searching for one of the best headphones and headphone amp
Happy listening!
-Tom-

 

[LCfiner]

Nice post. You may see another step improvement in sound when the DAC comes in.
 
And nice pictures, too!

 

[Octavio]

Yeah ! Thanks our martin !
 
I must admit this is not the first element that made me think about that combo, but it's definitely responsible of some % of my will to talk to Dr. Lloyd
 
I can't wait now. I will also have the opportunity to give you some comments about the MAD Ear + with RS1/PS1000.
 
Don't know if anyone is interested though

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

It's a basic Naim CD5i
 
It's very good and I must say I enjoy that little vinyl-like system to insert the CD ! Hehe.

 
 
 Great stuff! 

 
 You know - I think the impossible 'vibe' might be under way for the PS1000 - a few months ago upon receiving my PS1000's,
 I remarked that the time had passed for the Grado flagship on Head-Fi - that the magnetic planar madness and cult of the HD800
 would rule supreme.
 
 Now I'm not so sure. Particularly in my local 'hood - my local audio store happens to be the new Grado disty in Australia and of course
 offers the LCD3's, HD800's and PS1000's on demo - every now and then you'll see a happy camper come through the door and ask to
 hear the HD800's off various rigs (let's leave the LCD3's out of the equation, they're a different presentation entirely)
 
 The usual story is that the PS1000's will be presented as a comparison to the HD800 - well I tell you what, it's the same story, every time,
 after even just 5 to 10 minutes of listening :- the Grado flagship before walking in was not even on their radar - this rash presumption that
 somehow Mr John Grado could never produce something to rival the engineering brilliance over at Sennheiser HQ - multiple engineers,
 many $$$$ dollars being spent on creating the ring driver, materials and ergonomic fit that makes up the HD800.
 
 'Wow - these big clunky cans are amazing!' is the usual reaction
 
 The time has come Head-Fiers - the PS1000 deserves consideration and a serious listen if you're looking at the HD800 - for many of you if you
 do take heed of this advice may find yourselves buying the big clunky chromie over the Robotron unit.

 

[snapple10]

Nicely done. thanks for sharing. love the pics too
I have thought about getting the Mapletree Audio EAR+HD for my fav phone of the moment S1000. 
wondering how the WA6SE compares to Mapletree Audio EAR+HD with this great phone? 
The real question will be, is there a better tube amp for both PS1000 and HD800?
 
 
 

 

[pcf]

Quote:

 
 
 Great stuff! 

 
 You know - I think the impossible 'vibe' might be under way for the PS1000 - a few months ago upon receiving my PS1000's,
 I remarked that the time had passed for the Grado flagship on Head-Fi - that the magnetic planar madness and cult of the HD800
 would rule supreme.
 
 Now I'm not so sure. Particularly in my local 'hood - my local audio store happens to be the new Grado disty in Australia and of course
 offers the LCD3's, HD800's and PS1000's on demo - every now and then you'll see a happy camper come through the door and ask to
 hear the HD800's off various rigs (let's leave the LCD3's out of the equation, they're a different presentation entirely)
 
 The usual story is that the PS1000's will be presented as a comparison to the HD800 - well I tell you what, it's the same story, every time,
 after even just 5 to 10 minutes of listening :- the Grado flagship before walking in was not even on their radar - this rash presumption that
 somehow Mr John Grado could never produce something to rival the engineering brilliance over at Sennheiser HQ - multiple engineers,
 many $$$$ dollars being spent on creating the ring driver, materials and ergonomic fit that makes up the HD800.
 
 'Wow - these big clunky cans are amazing!' is the usual reaction
 
 The time has come Head-Fiers - the PS1000 deserves consideration and a serious listen if you're looking at the HD800 - for many of you if you
 do take heed of this advice may find yourselves buying the big clunky chromie over the Robotron unit.

There have been more PS1000 owners posting on headfi recently than I can ever remember.
And I haven't seen the usual " I won't pay more than $300 for them" comments for a while. What's happening? 

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

There have been more PS1000 owners posting on headfi recently than I can ever remember.
And I haven't seen the usual " I won't pay more than $300 for them" comments for a while. What's happening? 

 
 
 To the best of my knowledge - the production run of the PS1000 is still below #2200 units, so effectively there is so few of them out there
 in the first place - then the other major issue emerges - it is not a flagship to be auditioned over 5 minutes - some will hear the goodness
 in that brief window of time but for most of us like MuppetFace remarked about the Fostex TH900 - it's the subtleties, the nuance that
 filters out over a long auditioning period - it is only then that you realize how beautiful and majestic these PS1000's really are.
 
 I'm still in the process of going 'all out' on mine, I think I will stick with the V200 as my preferred amplifier of choice, sometimes the
 presentation could be a little more forward but hooked up to clean power - the V200 is a tough cookie to top for transparency and
 detail.
 
 My source will be renovated and 'hot rodded' to try and make the very most of the PS1000's amazing resolution - Rega DAC will
 go up on Nordost Kones, on a wooden plank beneath and I've got a Shunyata Research King Cobra power cord on the way.
 Should scare a lot of $3000 DAC's out there running nothing but the power cord that came in the box.
 
 it's the one on the left - in red.
 
 

 

[Gwarmi]

 Speaking of reference amps - I cannot confirm this 100% but reportedly John Grado did use this particular amplifier when the PS1000 was being
 finalized - the Tim De Paravicini HP4 tube amp - the price is outrageous - it would be great if anyone out there who has heard this deluxe unit
 to please grace us with your impressions 

 
 

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

 Speaking of reference amps - I cannot confirm this 100% but reportedly John Grado did use this particular amplifier when the PS1000 was being
 finalized - the Tim De Paravicini HP4 tube amp - the price is outrageous - it would be great if anyone out there who has heard this deluxe unit
 to please grace us with your impressions 

 
 

 

Tim de Paravicini has long had a worldwide reputation for valve preamplifiers and power amplifiers. Now he has applied his expertise to produce what is arguably the world's finest headphone amplifier aimed at the highest quality dynamic headphones.

The HP4 uses 6SL7 valves, properly matched to the load through de Paravicini's renowned transformers, to deliver nearly 1W of high quality, low distortion power into high or low impedance headphones. The output circuit configuration uses de Paravicini's 'Enhanced Triode Mode', as employed in the highly successful V20 and 859 integrated amplifiers, while the input is also transformer coupled, giving the flexibility to accept balanced or unbalanced signals from the preamplifier.

For the greatest user convenience the HP4 has its own volume control, while input signals can be independently switched through to the power amplifier for headphone and/or loudspeaker listening. As with all EAR products, reliability is paramount and valve life is in excess of 10,000 hours.

 

[devouringone3]

oops double post

 

[devouringone3]

Quote:

There have been more PS1000 owners posting on headfi recently than I can ever remember.
And I haven't seen the usual " I won't pay more than $300 for them" comments for a while. What's happening? 

 
We sometimes say that our head breaks in to the sound of a headphone. I think Head-Fi broke in to the PS1000, and we're slowly getting into accepting that the best headphone for someone else is not necessarily the best measuring one. A headphone doesn't need to be a technical prodigy to convey sound with sheer musicality and texture.
 
HD800 has made a big splash in this community, but now that the waves have passed by, we realize that albeit its heaviness, the PS1000 didn't drown itself .

 

[Gwarmi]

 The PS1000 certainly has not drowned! It's making it's way for a big doggy paddle!
 
 Just listening to Ennio Morricone's 'Once upon a time in America' and it really hits
 me how involving these are, they just want to wow you at any given moment with their staging
 and intricate detail.
 
 Has been said though and it should be repeated - the PS1000 like the HD800 will only sound
 as good as your rig happens to be.
 
 Not good news for folks out there on a Fiio E10 or Nuforce uDAC-2 - you're just short changing yourself.