Grado GS1000i versus Denon AH-D7000.....Keeping both.

[106099]

Recently got the new Grado GS1000i, the "i" for improvement as the literature says.
All you can see is really shinier walnut and much thicker cabling.
Still the Y joint pressed cables (from the left and the right) makes you cringed with horror.
Just why Grado does not do this Y joint like Denon or Sennheiser is head scratching.

OK, that's the only physical complaint i have of the new Grado GS1000i. everything else looks solid and improved appearance wise versus the old GS1000.
15 feet Grado extension cable seem thicker as well.

The testing environment
1. Apple Macbook Pro (2007) with all tracks in apple lossless
(mostly 700kbs and up to 1300kbs)
2. Grace M902b for DAC
3. Apogee Duet
4. Headroom Max for amp

comparo
1. Shure SE530
2. Grado SR80
3. Audio Technica ATH-ESW9A
4. Stax Sigma (1990's)

10 days ago 1st listen

the Grado GS1000i felt solid and well, new.
felt right on my head with next to zero side pressure.
listen to Bach organ music
at low volume, 9 o'clock on max, the sound was smooth with nice soundstage.
still inside the head but not only there. there is some space, just not floor speaker space.
Almost like in my car.

put on Denon AH-D7000 at same max volume and man,
the bass was stronger, way stronger.
the low notes of the organs down to the famous 45hz was shoulder pounding.
the Denon was heavier on my head. noticeably so!

go to sir-mix-alot's baby got back and the denon ah-d7000 was pounding my ears, my brain and literally me face.

put it down, onto the Grado GS1000i. again, it was like putting on nothing.
so lite compared with the AH-D7000.

at the same 9 o'clock, the pounding was gone, just not there.
but wait, before entertaining thoughts of returning to headroom. the grado was wider. at this similar level but lower sounding volume, the gs1000i had wider soundstage. nice.

keeping...


recently.

grado GS1000i have been on my head more often.
it's lighter and smoother with a terrific soundstage with symphony music.
with rap and rock, got to have the heavier Denon AH-D7000.

thoughts anyone?

paul

 

[CTechKid]

Invite me over for a beer and some hot dogs and I'll be more than glad to share my thoughts!

./jealous of all your toys!

 

[geremy]

Sounds like normal open vs. closed comparison. Would have the same impressions comparing the SR-80s to the D500s.

 

[oqvist]

Common sense... I think your setup is not to far from what I got just that I got the PRO 900 and some AKG K701s. Generally since you can´t detect where bass is coming from headphones that have more high treble then bass generally get the perceived largest soundstage. Hench AKG K701 in combination with driver quite a bit away of course. One other benefit with open headphones for classical music is that they don´t get as easilly congested with large symphony orchestras with less decay and resonance. That was a problem I had with the D5000 I suspect they are a bit slower then the Titanium drivers of the Ultrasones. Can still get congested with my PRO 900 when running them stock at least. the K701 is definiatly airier but thinner as well.

Classical is where the K701 can compete. Doesn´t get the body or tone quite right all the time particularly to brass which I admit I am biased to but it´s soundstage, speed it´s just as fast if not even faster then the PRO 900, and detail is great for classical. I suspect this is about as airy as it gets with open headphones. Probably a bit to much thus the controversy.

But rock there is no doubt what I preferr or anything that requires high quality bass or power. So yes if you can afford it keep both.

 

[apatN]

WHY is the clou in your title.

You spoil all the fun, going to read it now.

 

[Blackmore]

How natural and musical are they? GS1ik vs D7k

 

[paara]

How does the GS1000i sound compared to the HD600?

 

[wovenhand]

That is indeed a real nice setup.

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTechKid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Invite me over for a beer and some hot dogs and I'll be more than glad to share my thoughts! ./jealous of all your toys!

Skip the beer and hotdogs; just invite me over! : )

 

[nnotis]

I would suggest doing the markl mods to your D7000s. I found the stock D5000s to be slow and veiled, with out of control bass. After modding, the soundstage opened up a lot, they reached SA5000 level speed, and the bass was balanced. I understand that the D7000s are slightly less plagued by the problems the stock D5000s have. But I recommend the mods all the same.

 

[106099]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oqvist /img/forum/go_quote.gif Common sense... I think your setup is not to far from what I got just that I got the PRO 900 and some AKG K701s. Generally since you can´t detect where bass is coming from headphones that have more high treble then bass generally get the perceived largest soundstage. Hench AKG K701 in combination with driver quite a bit away of course. One other benefit with open headphones for classical music is that they don´t get as easilly congested with large symphony orchestras with less decay and resonance. That was a problem I had with the D5000 I suspect they are a bit slower then the Titanium drivers of the Ultrasones. Can still get congested with my PRO 900 when running them stock at least. the K701 is definiatly airier but thinner as well. Classical is where the K701 can compete. Doesn´t get the body or tone quite right all the time particularly to brass which I admit I am biased to but it´s soundstage, speed it´s just as fast if not even faster then the PRO 900, and detail is great for classical. I suspect this is about as airy as it gets with open headphones. Probably a bit to much thus the controversy. But rock there is no doubt what I preferr or anything that requires high quality bass or power. So yes if you can afford it keep both.

one minor regret was that the AKG K701 or K702 were tight for my head. I could not wear it long enough comfortably to enjoy the noted soundstage.
The Stax Sigmas were really large and comfortable. Now the Grado GS1000i are so large but unlike the ultra big cans like K1000 or the Sigmas, the GS1000i can actually be worn while working and moving around my office.

My first real good stereo phones were the AKG K340.
Truly well reviewed back then and some even compared them with Stax phones at the time.
But they were already tight on my head. This issue continues today.

paul

 

[106099]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackmore /img/forum/go_quote.gif How natural and musical are they? GS1ik vs D7k

just went back to listen to 2 tracks

desafinado (extended) on verve gold by stan getz & Charlie Byrd
and
jazz at the pawnshop sacd

1st the Grado. sound is smooth and better listening to, actually in low levels.
Definitely, the beat is clear with a lot of behind the head and tangential to my ears. very useful imaging.
not lost or altered even as i pull the large walnut cups a tad further back but if they were to be shifter toward my face. the behind ear sound is now right on top of my ears.
so, the ideal Grado GS1000i cups positions for me appears to be with my ears fully engulfed. I can with tiny ears.

another very nice feeling is the beginnings of samba dress days and E luxo so where the percussions and samba drums seem to start somewhere other than in my head or ears. they simply appeared and the Grado GS1000i sounds wonderful with my eyes open. so, a good working phone.

the same tracks on Denon AH-D7000 started with strong analog tape hiss.
yes! has to lower the Headroom Max volume to compare. once level is even, the Denon SH-D7000 critical sound shines through. Frankly, I do not prefer stan getz and charlie byrd sounding this way. rock and rap like this maybe hot but jazz has to be mellow, smooth and buttery soft, yet clear.
with the Denon, it's a clinical trial of how sharp and edgy those byrd guitars are. how clear and precise each flow of air comes out of Getz's sax. It's so exact from the AH-D7000, like my son's metronome on his Steinway. It's rather annoying to have to hear it so clearly everytime.

some say i am crazy. how can i comment on something that is producing sounds so clearly, revealing. maybe it is, but just too much. does the real sax and guitar sound like this in the club? no! not what i remember.

the Grado GS1000i seems to be phones where the designer may well have spent time listeining to live music. experienced the tingles of the skin.

the Denon AH-D7000, without a Grado GS1K to compare, would knock your socks off with the articulation and power. Once you go A to B with the Grado GS1000i, you see how different they are.

You can hear all the music from the Grado, once i normalized the levels. It's just that it's more musical with the american phones.

it's becoming clear to me after 10 days that i need both.

paul

 

[106099]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pataburd /img/forum/go_quote.gif Skip the beer and hotdogs; just invite me over! : )

well, if by 'rural new york', you mean like long island.
then come on over!

paul

 

[106099]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paara /img/forum/go_quote.gif How does the GS1000i sound compared to the HD600?

i am one of the few that liked the older 600 over the 650.
my hd600 had cardas wires and when played with a tubed amp, like a modest musical fidelity x-can, the hd600 sounded like the grado gs1k when jazz and concertos are played. the crisp sound is less powerful than the HD650 and way less brute energy than the AH-D7000. i guess, the HD600 are musical enough to play alongside with the GS1K at a small fraction of the cost.
but you need a tubed amp.

paul

 

[106099]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apatN /img/forum/go_quote.gif WHY is the clou in your title. You spoil all the fun, going to read it now.

what's 'clou'?

paul