[analog'd]

wanted to start a seperate thread to share impressions of the GS1000's as they present classical recordings - and if it expands to include all music that's fine too! but I really feel they deserve a thread in which the way they SOUND is focused on, without having to scroll past a zillion comments and pics about how they look, when they'll arrive, how they are packaged, etc. nothing WRONG with all that, but it's well covered in what was started as a first impressions thread yesterday (and in a few others too).

but before I begin, I have to complain to John Grado about how tired I am this morning, all because his (silly) headphones were impossible to put down last night. Once I'd gotten under them listening to the Von Karajan '62 Beethoven symphonies it was simply beyond my willpower to end the experience. thanks a lot, John. I'd had my addictive personality under control for many years; now: I can't eat, I can't sleep...(and my mom says I dont call or write either...)

my first impressions of classical on the Grado Statements are very positive.
I had my akg k1000's going simultaneously, and did a lot of switching back and forth. they are both great great phones, very different, and it may be a matter of what flavor appeals to an individual most. the Grado's certainly bring the bottom more into play.this will be too much bass for some, maybe.

At first comparison I thought "that's it, the K1000's for classical, the GS1000's for everything else" - because the highs seem SO transparent on the AKG's. BUT the longer I listened, and the more I swapped them out, my reaction was that I felt I was missing some important mids and lows in order to gain a bit of transparency in the highs. (sort of the reverse effect that etymotic achieved by tweaking the er4s to create "more" bass with the er4p.they only CUT the highs which brought more focus to the lows. they did NOT increase the lows). AND the Grado highs are pretty spectacular too.
I do not have a replacement cable on my K1000's yet (they are backordered); so this discrepency may disappear when the stefan audio arts cable has replaced the stock. And I did LOVE the highs every time I went under the AKG's, so in the long run it may be that I will prefer them for classical music. but I could not stop going back to the Grados, and stayed with them in the end. the sound there is very very engaging, and is liquid but without loosing speed and edge. my tubes went crasy with joy!!!
The other thing I found last night and this morning (Heifetz/ Munch Beethoven violin concerto) was that I was not turning the volume up at all in that eternal (or so I thought) quest for dynamics. The Grado Statement 1000
gives it all to you at even very low volume.
That's it for now, I gotta go try and eat... but. GS.1000. is. calling. me.back. H E L P. M E. B O N ES. am. loosing. will..

 

[zotjen]

Thanks for your impressions. How the GS-1000's handle classical music is what I'm most interested in. I'm thinking of replacing my Senn 580's at some point this year and I was wondering if I should add the 1000's to the list of contenders. Anyone else try them with classical music?

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zotjen Thanks for your impressions. How the GS-1000's handle classical music is what I'm most interested in. I'm thinking of replacing my Senn 580's at some point this year and I was wondering if I should add the 1000's to the list of contenders. Anyone else try them with classical music?

When I had an RS1, I usually used it for classical music. I liked the spacious nature of the HD650, but I did not like the way it limited the upper registers; string sections really were not allowed to sing through as they did on the RS1. So, I gave up the spacious presentation for better reproduction of my favorite instruments (to my ears).

The GS1000 may be the ultimate classical music headphone: you get the full space, you get the singing upper detail (complete with proper timbre of instruments), the warm smooth midrange, and you keep the HD650's bass but get it tightened significantly. It's very organic. Mine have only 24 approx hours of burn in though... I imagine they'll only improve.

 

[robm321]

OMG Next week is too far away - mine is on the way

Thanks for the impressions, and focusing on the sound rather than the blemishes and build quality!

 

[parhelictriangle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by analog'd That's it for now, I gotta go try and eat... but. GS.1000. is. calling. me.back. H E L P. M E. B O N ES. am. loosing. will..

Haha--awesome.

Man, I'd like to try these cans someday. But my abject poverty will remove all temptation. Yes. I hope.

 

[analog'd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by parhelictriangle Haha--awesome. Man, I'd like to try these cans someday. But my abject poverty will remove all temptation. Yes. I hope.

yea, I'm hip. I had to sell one of my children for them. but, what the hell, ya gotta keep yer priorities straight, ya know?

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by analog'd yea, I'm hip. I had to sell one of my children for them. but, what the hell, ya gotta keep yer priorities straight, ya know?

LOL

 

[wakeride74]

damn you all for making me want another pair of $1k headphones

I was going to be content in ordering another pair of HD650/Zu or k701 for classical listening but I'm growing very interested in these now... damn!!!

Ok so here's my question: I've heard good things about soundstage, bass and woodwind presentation but how does the string section sound?? One of the things that stood out on the HD650 IMO was the way they articulated strings (cello, violin, viola, etc.) I can't put my finger on the term but they made the strings come to life and sound very realistic yet transparent.

How does the GS1k rate in this area?

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakeride74 damn you all for making me want another pair of $1k headphones I was going to be content in ordering another pair of HD650/Zu or k701 for classical listening but I'm growing very interested in these now... damn!!! Ok so here's my question: I've heard good things about soundstage, bass and woodwind presentation but how does the string section sound?? One of the things that stood out on the HD650 IMO was the way they articulated strings (cello, violin, viola, etc.) I can't put my finger on the term but they made the strings come to life and sound very realistic yet transparent. How does the GS1k rate in this area?

I've never been able to put a Sennheiser in the same category as a Grado for anything happening in the treble region of the sound spectrum. I would say that it handles those insturments in a similar fashion to the RS1... that is to say, beautifully.

 

[wakeride74]

The Senns were a bit dark for my tastes, even for classical but they did strings well... nothing special about the highs just the texture and light in which the strings were presented. Do you think these would compliment the PS-1's well or do they have more in common than they do apart?

When do they start filling regular orders?

 

[analog'd]

Man, I'm loving the GS1000's with way past 100 hours on em. just had a great time listening to jennifer warnes "the well" on vinyl. then morph the cat (compared the cd to the vinyl - both great, with a nod to the vinyl dynamically).
then I put on Martha Argerich & Mikhail Pletnev - Cinderella Suite From the Ballet for 2 Pianos, and the gs1000's sounded beautiful! but guess what? I discovered its a good thing it's legal to own more then one set of headphones. The AKG K1000 sounded better to me on this piano piece. If I didn't have the AKG's I'd say the Grados were all I needed, as they sound so very good. But I do have both, and in the a/b comparison the AKG K1000's tonal representation of both pianos on this recording simply ruled the roost. Faster (a lot faster, more neutral and more transparent, but with more edge where it sounded correct (when high notes were struck emphatically). It's as if the wonderful resonance of the GS1000 detracted from (or slightly softened) the spot on realistic (if i may steal the word back from radio shack) tone that the k1000's displayed. the AKG's had me laughing with pleasure and I could not return to the GS1000's until I'd moved on to another recording.
Hmmm... Could it be that man needs more than one kind of headphone to maintain sonic bliss? probably woman too, so don't start... It's gettin harder to leave the house, ya know?

cohabiting my basement peacefully

 

[wakeride74]

Anyone else care to comment on this topic?? I'm very interested in a compliment for my PS-1's for classical but do not want something that sounds too similar to compliment... if that makes sense.

 

[spinali]

Thanks for your interesting comments. I wonder how these headphones sound with rock'n'roll, punk, and aggressive pop? What are its characterisitcs at moderate and slightly elevated volume levels?

 

[Ruppin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by analog'd Man, I'm loving the GS1000's with way past 100 hours on em. just had a great time listening to jennifer warnes "the well" on vinyl. then morph the cat (compared the cd to the vinyl - both great, with a nod to the vinyl dynamically). then I put on Martha Argerich & Mikhail Pletnev - Cinderella Suite From the Ballet for 2 Pianos, and the gs1000's sounded beautiful! but guess what? I discovered its a good thing it's legal to own more then one set of headphones. The AKG K1000 sounded better to me on this piano piece. If I didn't have the AKG's I'd say the Grados were all I needed, as they sound so very good. But I do have both, and in the a/b comparison the AKG K1000's tonal representation of both pianos on this recording simply ruled the roost. Faster (a lot faster, more neutral and more transparent, but with more edge where it sounded correct (when high notes were struck emphatically). It's as if the wonderful resonance of the GS1000 detracted from (or slightly softened) the spot on realistic (if i may steal the word back from radio shack) tone that the k1000's displayed. the AKG's had me laughing with pleasure and I could not return to the GS1000's until I'd moved on to another recording. cohabiting my basement peacefully

Thanks, analog'd. I'm enjoying this thread. I shall now exercise tremendous self-restraint and not comment until I have at least 100-150 hours on my GS-1000s.

If you also have a lowly pair of AKG701s I'd also be interested in your thoughts. I find some similarities that I like.

Oh, since it seems to have become unfashionable to post without at least bashing something or someone; curse you for planting thoughts of the AKG-1000s in my acquisitive mind.

 

[analog'd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinali Thanks for your interesting comments. I wonder how these headphones sound with rock'n'roll, punk, and aggressive pop? What are its characterisitcs at moderate and slightly elevated volume levels?

amazing for all the above based on some listening to zep, tool, clash, system of a down, hendrix, cream and i can't remember what all else...best phones I've ever used for rock, folk and jazz, and except for the one piano recording I wrote about above (where they were surpassed by the AKG K1000) they are at the top of my heap for classical. so, I will listen to more piano, and some cello and solo vln; and report back.
When I listened to larger scale classical pieces (Beethoven’s 9th and the vln concerto), the Grado GS1000 were actually my first choice (again a/bing them with the AKG K1000's), including for the sonics of the violin while heard out front, and strongly my first choice for the rest of the orchestra. sooo... it may be recording dependent; it may be about multi instruments vs
single or duo. I dunno yet. It also may be that on one day I'll prefer one but on another day the other. I mean it is all so subjective. hell maybe my allergies effect how I'm hearing. hmmm. maybe I should listen when I'm NOT on LSD...nah, screw that.
peace out people, peace out....

oh yea, also I'm comparing before the AKG's have the replacement cable from Stefan Audio Arts. that may take the AKG's out front for the larger scale stuff, as they will (i'm told) gain in mids and lows a lot.

hey, everybody, just buy both and charge 'em to me. it's cool...