Alright, received some good impressions from fellow members at a recent Seattle meet. Sadly, the GS2000e wasn't there for comparison. A member asked about the impact(s) with the L-cushions. Below are my impressions with both cushions, but for simplicity and time sake, I've reserved my impressions around three tracks (all lossless and above):
I've owned everything from RS1i on down, with extended listening sessions with the GS1000i. Despite positive reviews with the "e" series, I've ignored them all together. I only have the RS2i that's six years old and I can confidently say that the V7 magnum build trumps it across all areas explained in the proceeding sections:
G-cushions (aka salad bowls):
Hotel California - Great acoustic string decay. Kick drums has deep impact - love it. Positioning of the maracas has nice space and position, and even when they fade in the background, they are easily heard through out - same can be said with the vocalized fans in the audience. Overall sound stage is very wide and airy, and if I had to identify the row where I'm sitting, it would be about 3-5 rows back from the stage. Incredible depth is presented, especially at the guitar solos. The ending is very three-dimensional, extends far to the back rows, and the crowd energy sounds so realistic with aplomb delivery.
Brasilia Suite - Smooth yet textured and refined best describes this experience. The musical layers have enough space with no hint of congestion. Bass cello is very nice with impact and texture. Wonderful sound stage in both width and depth - nothing overly stretched that could take away the natural and most musical presentation.
Like a Stone - One of the best male vocals, IMO. And you thought the RS1 was king of toe tapping nirvana, well, this one takes it up a notch with a smoother top end that's never hot even when Cornell's voice reaches the highest registers, AND without sacrificing any energy. The bass guitar has wonderful texture and impact.
L-cushions: (note: I listened for about 15 minutes to get acclimated; same volume level as before)
Before I pressed play, I approached this iteration surmising a much more in-your-face or being on stage experience due to the drivers being closer to my eardrums as well as shrunken stage that will yield a more intimate experience.
Hotel California - More intimate, perhaps a little too much. On a positive note, the bass hits harder, much harder. A little sense of space around the crowd is lost, which is a negative, IMO with live tracks in general. Same goes with the on-stage vocals; they sounded a little too close together. The middle and ending of the track sounded too aggressive and borderline bright (recalling the SR325).
Brasilia Suite - Sounded wonderful, but prefer the wider stage and 3-dimentionality that I got with G-cushions. Noticed a little loss of air surrounding the instruments, but the note textures made up for it. Not bad, not bad at all.
Like a Stone - The musical layering is still there, lost a lot of width, but gained a little in depth - not too bad, but it does lose some on the 3-dimentionality. There appears to be a perception of greater treble extension and with that, the upper registers sounds slightly harsh. Bass lovers will love it with these pads as it makes the bass impact much more. Volume needs to be lowered by 10 steps to move the sound down a little for the overly aggressive presentation, yet by doing so there is no lost of details.
Summary:
Including every stock Grado I've heard and owned, I find the V7 Symphone drivers with the G-cushions the most balanced and transparent, and really matches my ears. If you desire a very refined, smooth, and balance sound, this setup is for you. However, if you like the more in-your-face, aggressive Grado sound that I found with the SR325 on down, the L-cushions will suit your fancy. If you like the PS500e bass, the V7 drivers has the quantity, but much tighter and less bloom (why I dislike the PS500e).
Despite this being my first DIY Grado mod, I'm glad I went down the path as I found it very satisfying. I'm confident that I saved a pretty coin to get the performance level I'm hearing with the V7 drivers and build. Thanks to fleasbaby for providing the wood housing. I highly recommend him. The only thing I may change down the road is converting it with a removable cable.
- "Hotel California" live by the Eagles
- "Brasilia" by Robert Len
- "Like a Stone" by Audio Slave
I've owned everything from RS1i on down, with extended listening sessions with the GS1000i. Despite positive reviews with the "e" series, I've ignored them all together. I only have the RS2i that's six years old and I can confidently say that the V7 magnum build trumps it across all areas explained in the proceeding sections:
G-cushions (aka salad bowls):
Hotel California - Great acoustic string decay. Kick drums has deep impact - love it. Positioning of the maracas has nice space and position, and even when they fade in the background, they are easily heard through out - same can be said with the vocalized fans in the audience. Overall sound stage is very wide and airy, and if I had to identify the row where I'm sitting, it would be about 3-5 rows back from the stage. Incredible depth is presented, especially at the guitar solos. The ending is very three-dimensional, extends far to the back rows, and the crowd energy sounds so realistic with aplomb delivery.
Brasilia Suite - Smooth yet textured and refined best describes this experience. The musical layers have enough space with no hint of congestion. Bass cello is very nice with impact and texture. Wonderful sound stage in both width and depth - nothing overly stretched that could take away the natural and most musical presentation.
Like a Stone - One of the best male vocals, IMO. And you thought the RS1 was king of toe tapping nirvana, well, this one takes it up a notch with a smoother top end that's never hot even when Cornell's voice reaches the highest registers, AND without sacrificing any energy. The bass guitar has wonderful texture and impact.
L-cushions: (note: I listened for about 15 minutes to get acclimated; same volume level as before)
Before I pressed play, I approached this iteration surmising a much more in-your-face or being on stage experience due to the drivers being closer to my eardrums as well as shrunken stage that will yield a more intimate experience.
Hotel California - More intimate, perhaps a little too much. On a positive note, the bass hits harder, much harder. A little sense of space around the crowd is lost, which is a negative, IMO with live tracks in general. Same goes with the on-stage vocals; they sounded a little too close together. The middle and ending of the track sounded too aggressive and borderline bright (recalling the SR325).
Brasilia Suite - Sounded wonderful, but prefer the wider stage and 3-dimentionality that I got with G-cushions. Noticed a little loss of air surrounding the instruments, but the note textures made up for it. Not bad, not bad at all.
Like a Stone - The musical layering is still there, lost a lot of width, but gained a little in depth - not too bad, but it does lose some on the 3-dimentionality. There appears to be a perception of greater treble extension and with that, the upper registers sounds slightly harsh. Bass lovers will love it with these pads as it makes the bass impact much more. Volume needs to be lowered by 10 steps to move the sound down a little for the overly aggressive presentation, yet by doing so there is no lost of details.
Summary:
Including every stock Grado I've heard and owned, I find the V7 Symphone drivers with the G-cushions the most balanced and transparent, and really matches my ears. If you desire a very refined, smooth, and balance sound, this setup is for you. However, if you like the more in-your-face, aggressive Grado sound that I found with the SR325 on down, the L-cushions will suit your fancy. If you like the PS500e bass, the V7 drivers has the quantity, but much tighter and less bloom (why I dislike the PS500e).
Despite this being my first DIY Grado mod, I'm glad I went down the path as I found it very satisfying. I'm confident that I saved a pretty coin to get the performance level I'm hearing with the V7 drivers and build. Thanks to fleasbaby for providing the wood housing. I highly recommend him. The only thing I may change down the road is converting it with a removable cable.
