[Seanhammer]

I'm currently sporting a Grado SR-60i as seen in my avatar photo. It is excellent for the type of music that I listen to (i.e. Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Devin Townsend, Cloudkicker), due to the synergy between these drivers and music with high gain. I cannot wait to start experimenting with some of the successors of this model to see what else I'm missing. I think I'll go ahead and jump to a 325i to compare the lower and higher end of the SR line.

 

[zeinharis]

I prefer the MS1i due to it's soundsign, having the same upfront midrange as SR80i's are but with less fatiguing treble

 

[Biscuitz]

Quote:

I'm currently sporting a Grado SR-60i as seen in my avatar photo. It is excellent for the type of music that I listen to (i.e. Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Devin Townsend, Cloudkicker), due to the synergy between these drivers and music with high gain. I cannot wait to start experimenting with some of the successors of this model to see what else I'm missing. I think I'll go ahead and jump to a 325i to compare the lower and higher end of the SR line.

The SR60i with L-Cush pads are a great value imo. If you haven't grabbed L-Cush yet, consider it. It improves sound by 20% to my ears, which is a great purchase at $20. Granted, your mileage my vary.
 
Grados are also really fun to listen to at low volume!

 

[Focker]

Just had my first Grado moment on the GS1ks...
 
Sir Willard White - "Lazy Bones"
 
I don't know what is going on, but these have AMAZING synergy with the Meier amp, even with just the iPhone as my source. These may yet surpass the 500s, I'm not sure now....will report back this weekend.  This track sounds *stunning*

 

[asmoday]

Just had my first Grado moment on the GS1ks...

Sir Willard White - "Lazy Bones"

I don't know what is going on, but these have AMAZING synergy with the Meier amp, even with just the iPhone as my source. These may yet surpass the 500s, I'm not sure now....will report back this weekend.  This track sounds *stunning*

That's saying something knowing how much you think of the PS500's.

OT - How did you wire the phone to the amp? 3.5mm to RCA thought the headphone jack or do they make a LOD to RCA? I been looking for the latter but have never found one.

 

[talisman42]

Quote:

I'm currently sporting a Grado SR-60i as seen in my avatar photo. It is excellent for the type of music that I listen to (i.e. Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Devin Townsend, Cloudkicker), due to the synergy between these drivers and music with high gain. I cannot wait to start experimenting with some of the successors of this model to see what else I'm missing. I think I'll go ahead and jump to a 325i to compare the lower and higher end of the SR line.

 
There are many flavors of the 325... here's a post that clears things up a bit
 
SR-325 in black plastic housing
SR-325i in golden aluminum
SR-325is in chrome/nickel
SR-325is in satin

 

[parbaked]

Quote:

i wonder about the MS series.
one thing i can say about the MS1 that i like the buttonless look.

The Ms1 and Ms2 are both really nice and well worth considering. The MS1 is an especially good value.
Alessandro might still have the old MS1 (pre "i") for $99, which would be the best gateway Grado deal around. I haven't heard the MS Pro. Everything is better unbuttoned!

 

[Focker]

Quote:

That's saying something knowing how much you think of the PS500's.
OT - How did you wire the phone to the amp? 3.5mm to RCA thought the headphone jack or do they make a LOD to RCA? I been looking for the latter but have never found one.

 
Today all I have is my mini-to-RCA cable....I have an ALO LOD-to-RCA cable at home that I want to bring over here....honestly, this is one cable I will honestly swear by. It's probably just the fact that it's bypassing the op-amp in the iPhone and using the LOD instead, which still uses the iPhones DAC either way, but this cable allows my iPod and iPhone to sound like a very high quality source. It was pricey, but it's very well built and I've gotten a ton of use out of it. 
 
That's exactly why Im really surprised at what Im hearing now....I think I need to revise my view on these headphones early on, in that it's not just the PS1ks that you need a proper amp for....the GSks are the first Grados I've owned that do NOT sound even close to their best from a modest source. That's something I overlooked, but I'm glad that I have some gear here to play with. I think the ceiling on the GS1ks may be a fair bit higher than I thought, so this will get interesting. I'm very surprised at the sound I'm getting right now, though. I have a Jazz station on TuneIn radio streaming in 320kbps, coming out of the headphone jack on the iPhone with my mini2rca cable and into the Meier amp. 
 
Let the fight begin!! lol
 
PS: I still can't get over how light these are!!

 

[stacker45]

Quote:

Hahahahaha.. Thanks I really love my avatar, anyway awesome review
So I guess the GS1k is back in the line of highend grado headphone series

I wonder.. can the GS1k hold up against the PS1k?

 
As much as i like the GS1K,i still prefer the sound of the PS1K.

 

[Focker]

Guys, get this....I just looked up on the Vandersteen website to see which model speakers I was listening to today....I saw the ones that looked just like what I heard, and they were called the Model 7....these things retail for almost FIFTY GRAND!!!!  LOL  It's been forever since I looked at the Vandersteen line since I'm a Maggie guy more than anything, so I was shocked when I saw this!! It was great hearing a nice vinyl rig, though....just beautiful  If anyone is near Atlanta, this is a great place to head over and take a look at some gear....it was nice being back in a B&M shop again today....I really would hate to see them continue to become less prevalent. I love buying online, but being able to listen to and touch the gear in person is really a great way to spend an hour or two. 

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
As much as i like the GS1K,i still prefer the sound of the PS1K.

 
Did you find that the GSks need an amp?? I'm really taken aback as to how much better they sound with the Meier. I know the PS1ks need one to sound their best, but I didn't even think that these would scale this much....and I haven't even given them the best source I have available yet. 

 

[parbaked]

All good headphones benefit from a good (synergistic) amp and a good source. These discussions always seem to confuse the fact that Grados sound better than most other good headphones without good amplification. Nonetheless ALL Grados sound BETTER with better amplification. The fact that Grados sound better than HD600/HD650/K1000/LCD2/3 etc without good amplification doesn't mean Grados don't benefit from the right amp e.g. Melos, RA-1 (no haters), Blueberry Emotion+, Mapletree HD, DNASonnet, Blue Circle HPT etc. Also some great amps don't really work best with todays Grados e.g Bottlehead Crack/Smack other OTLs, Decware Zen even the Grado HPA-1/2. Bottom line a good, synergistic amp is always better than no amp!

 

[Focker]

Quote:

All good headphones benefit from a good (synergistic) amp and a good source. These discussions always seem to confuse the fact that Grados sound better than most other good headphones without good amplification. Nonetheless ALL Grados sound BETTER with better amplification. The fact that Grados sound better than HD600/HD650/K1000/LCD2/3 etc without good amplification doesn't mean Grados don't benefit from the right amp e.g. Melos, RA-1 (no haters), Blueberry Emotion+, Mapletree HD, DNASonnet, Blue Circle HPT etc. Also some great amps don't really work best with todays Grados e.g Bottlehead Crack/Smack other OTLs, Decware Zen even the Grado HPA-1/2. Bottom line a good, synergistic amp is always better than no amp!

 
I agree, but that's not really what Im getting at. Every Grado I've owned until this point has been able to perform PRETTY close to their potential with modest sources....this is the first time I don't feel that way. I feel like the GS1ks leave a LOT on the table when not paired with a good amp. I don't know that I would really like these with just my Kindle Fire, whereas the 500s are great with the Kindle. I don't feel like I'm missing a ton without the amp with the 500s....but when I plugged these into the Meier they really jumped up a couple notches. 

 

[parbaked]

Then the more relevant question may be how do they look on that sexy HP stand you got?
 

 

[Focker]

haha, not quite as nice as they'll look once I get some nickel plated roadblocks and gimbals from Martin Custom Audio!  And maybe a headband from headphone lounge