[dbaker1981]

Can you compare the overall sound to any other headphones? Where would you rank them....like under 500, 500-1000 or over 1000 dollar category? I would put them with anything 500 or under. I can't comment on higher cause I've never had or demoed any.

I have the HD600, SR325e, Oppo PM-3, and Hifiman HE-400s. I would put them at the top for all but comfort. I have a odd shaped head that doesn't help. The HD600 are wonderful but the sound is completely different than any grado. With the yip drivers it is a very full all around sound.

 

[DavidA]

   
 
Can you compare the overall sound to any other headphones? Where would you rank them....like under 500, 500-1000 or over 1000 dollar category?

They are pretty good but its hard to rank them in terms of cost since its also a personal preference.
 
Compared to my RS2e, the ypsilon's are better balanced from top to bottom but the sound stage and highs are better on the RS2e while the bass is better on the ypsilon.
 
Compared to my HD-650 the ypsilon is right there in sound quality but will not scale up like the HD-650 and I a little less forgiving of subpar recordings.  I like the highs of the ypsilon better than the HD-650 but the mids of the HD-650 are still one of the best IMO.
 
I sold my HD-600 to a friend and was thinking of getting another down the line but once I built the ypsilon I don't think I'll ever get another HD-600.
 
My HD-700, HD-800, T1, HE-560 and SR-009 are all a step above the ypsilon but not by much and it really depends on the genre of music, for well mastered/recorded classical, jazz and blues these are quite a bet better than the ypsilon, but for rock, classic rock, pop, kpop, Jpop, country, EDM, R&B and alternate I would use the ypsilon most of the time.  Another thing to consider is most higher end headphones need a decent front end in DACs and amps where the ypsilon is fairly easy to drive and sounds great right out of my computer sound card where all the other will need an amp at the minimum to be driven properly.

 

[matchbox]

  Finally got around to rebuilding my Ypsilons. Used the following:
 
Cable by @Arty McGhee
Aluminium cups custom milled by Chris at Elleven Acoustica
Aluminium gimbals by Symphones
Leather headband by Turbulent
Stock Grado metal band and plastic rod blocks
Ypsilon drivers (of course)
Black Limba sleeves turned by me
TTVJ Flats (they give the Ypsilons a little more bottom end)
 
 
*snip*
 
 

 

 
*snip*
 
 

These look fantastic– a couple questions, though:
 
  How are the sleeves held inside the cups? Are you using hot glue the way Grado holds their SR models together, or is it a snug fit?

 

[fleasbaby]

  These look fantastic– a couple questions, though:
 
  How are the sleeves held inside the cups? Are you using hot glue the way Grado holds their SR models together, or is it a snug fit?

 
Its a snug fit.

 

[matchbox]

   
Its a snug fit.

thanks– also, I am guessing that the dimensions of both the cups & sleeves are close (or identical) to the pre-i Grados of the mid- nineties?

 

[fleasbaby]

 
thanks– also, I am guessing that the dimensions of both the cups & sleeves are close (or identical) to the pre-i Grados of the mid- nineties?

Yup

 

[sling5s]

I have a pair of Ypsilon drivers on sale if anyone is interested in trying them.  

 

[Konstantin690]

Measurements of the Ypsilon are HERE.

 

[koshman]

I wanted to provide my opinion as well after having used Ypsilon driver based headphones for the last 2 months.
 
I have put together this set from Sony MDR-V6 headband, Teak wood cups, Grado bowl pads and my own OFC cable. My previous headphone experience includes listening long-term to my or my father's AKG K701, K340, Senn HD565, Beyer DT990, DT48E, Sony SA5000, Grado SR325, AudioTechnica AD2000X, Etymotic ER4B etc. This is to show that my background in headphone listening is quite extensive but I have not really heard many truly top class hps.

With that said this Ypsilon-based Frankenmonster is the best set of headphones I have ever heard extensively. I think they are a great value and truly amazing. These are all-rounders with great balance (contrary to Grado SR325 that I otherwise adore but those are treble/high-mid centric and have a bass hump). They give me details in spades but well integrated into the music (unlike the slightly artificial and delicate sounding SA5000). At the same time they have incredible body and authority. The bass is the best I have ever heard, closed hps or open, it kicks incredibly hard and is so tight without feeling lean - really it's scary good. If I should mention just one stand out feature it would be the bass and this is coming from someone who is basically the opposite of a basshead - Etymotics are otherwise my idea of balance sound.

In any case I can highly recommend these drivers.

 

[tenedosian]

  I wanted to provide my opinion as well after having used Ypsilon driver based headphones for the last 2 months.
 
I have put together this set from Sony MDR-V6 headband, Teak wood cups, Grado bowl pads and my own OFC cable. My previous headphone experience includes listening long-term to my or my father's AKG K701, K340, Senn HD565, Beyer DT990, DT48E, Sony SA5000, Grado SR325, AudioTechnica AD2000X, Etymotic ER4B etc. This is to show that my background in headphone listening is quite extensive but I have not really heard many truly top class hps.

With that said this Ypsilon-based Frankenmonster is the best set of headphones I have ever heard extensively. I think they are a great value and truly amazing. These are all-rounders with great balance (contrary to Grado SR325 that I otherwise adore but those are treble/high-mid centric and have a bass hump). They give me details in spades but well integrated into the music (unlike the slightly artificial and delicate sounding SA5000). At the same time they have incredible body and authority. The bass is the best I have ever heard, closed hps or open, it kicks incredibly hard and is so tight without feeling lean - really it's scary good. If I should mention just one stand out feature it would be the bass and this is coming from someone who is basically the opposite of a basshead - Etymotics are otherwise my idea of balance sound.

In any case I can highly recommend these drivers.

Could you please elaborate a bit on the difference between the sound of Grado and Ypsilon in terms of mids and treble signature? (Warmth, forwardness, analog / digital / artificial sounding)
 
Secondly, in terms of technical features, how do you think Ypsilon performs compared to Grado Sr325 on detail levels, soundstage size and instrument separation?

 

[7keys]

I wanted to provide my opinion as well after having used Ypsilon driver based headphones for the last 2 months.

I have put together this set from Sony MDR-V6 headband, Teak wood cups, Grado bowl pads and my own OFC cable. My previous headphone experience includes listening long-term to my or my father's AKG K701, K340, Senn HD565, Beyer DT990, DT48E, Sony SA5000, Grado SR325, AudioTechnica AD2000X, Etymotic ER4B etc. This is to show that my background in headphone listening is quite extensive but I have not really heard many truly top class hps.


With that said this Ypsilon-based Frankenmonster is the best set of headphones I have ever heard extensively. I think they are a great value and truly amazing. These are all-rounders with great balance (contrary to Grado SR325 that I otherwise adore but those are treble/high-mid centric and have a bass hump). They give me details in spades but well integrated into the music (unlike the slightly artificial and delicate sounding SA5000). At the same time they have incredible body and authority. The bass is the best I have ever heard, closed hps or open, it kicks incredibly hard and is so tight without feeling lean - really it's scary good. If I should mention just one stand out feature it would be the bass and this is coming from someone who is basically the opposite of a basshead - Etymotics are otherwise my idea of balance sound.


In any case I can highly recommend these drivers.

How about a pic?

 

[DavidA]

  Could you please elaborate a bit on the difference between the sound of Grado and Ypsilon in terms of mids and treble signature? (Warmth, forwardness, analog / digital / artificial sounding)
 
Secondly, in terms of technical features, how do you think Ypsilon performs compared to Grado Sr325 on detail levels, soundstage size and instrument separation?

Posted this in the Grado Mods thread:
Did some comparisons to other headphones:

L to R: ypsilon, woody 225i, modded 225e, RS2e, Nhoord
 
Ypsilon: best range and most balanced from bass to highs, most fun to listen to
 
Woody 225i: smooth highs, not quite up to the RS2e but close, bass is better than RS2e, wood cups + dynamat + sorbothane really improve the stock 225i
 
225e (dynamat + sorbothane + felt): great mids but a touch to forward at times, highs are extended without being harsh, great sound stage compared to the ypsilon & nhoord but still short of RS2e
 
RS2e: smoothest mids and highs, bass does not go as low like the ypsilon, nhoord or woody 225i but best sound stage
 
Nhoord: a touch behind the ypsilon in range, highs are not as present or extended as the other 4
 
All are quite good and it comes down to what your preferences are.

 

[koshman]

  Could you please elaborate a bit on the difference between the sound of Grado and Ypsilon in terms of mids and treble signature? (Warmth, forwardness, analog / digital / artificial sounding)
 
Secondly, in terms of technical features, how do you think Ypsilon performs compared to Grado Sr325 on detail levels, soundstage size and instrument separation?

 
To my ears the SR325 (keep in mind I have the original version which is I think considered the most treble heavy) has some obvious characteristics - it is not balanced with emphasis on high-mids and treble; at the same time there is a noticable midbass hump. As a result of these they take some getting used to when I'm switching to them from a different pair due to the treble heaviness. While the bass is enjoyable and toetapping inducing it might be a bit too much with some music (rarely though I can remember 2-3 albums from the top of my head). On the other hand the bass never intrudes on mids in my opinion but due to the aforementioned characteristics the lower mid section may sometimes feel a bit hollow as it is unaccentuated. Back to the treble - the emphasis brings the typical Grado tizziness and hotness. Personally I enjoy this and never found it offensive regardless of the music, but a lot of people do - I have to say it is well kept under control given the circumstances - sibilance is minimal and the added edginess to guitars is exciting with fast rock.
 
The Ypsilones in comparison are well balanced in my opinion, at least relative to the Grado. What I like is the noticable body and authority of the sound - it sounds confident every note has a place and purpose unlike some other headphones that may sound kind of fragile. The higher mids, vocals mostly, sound maybe a bit more realistic than on the Grado which I guess might be thanks to the woody enclosures. The timbre and tone on acoustic instruments in general sounds very natural. They are very detailed but not forcefully so, can be lush too.

The bass is absolutely delicious - to be honest I have never thought I will ever hear bass like that from open headphones. Compared to the humpy Grado it is much more focused and therefore hard-hitting but still has a tiny/natural bloom that makes it sound heavy and not lean in the least. It is not overbearing.
In terms of soundstage I would say they are about equal - not big but instrument separation and placing is very good. Here I would say the placement and cohesiveness of music as a whole is a bit better on the Ypsilones while the instrument separation on the Grados.
 
A few extra remarks.
Due to my SR325 being the first model it is probably rather old and the pads are well worn - I am sure from my general experience with Grados this does influence the sound quite a bit and I tend to think for the better.
The Ypsilones in the same way as Grados are very much influenced by their placement on the head but surprisingly enough in my (admittedly very limited) testing the effect is opposite. The Grados I prefer more pushed to the front where the outer lip of the pad is basically in line with the back of my ear - they sound maybe a bit more balanced and natural that way. The same effect I notice when I use the bowl pads reversed. The Ypsilones on the other - the forward placement in my case has noticably detrimental effect to the soundstage and cohesiveness - I couldn't really enjoy them like that - the technical prowess (bass etc.) was there but the sound was just a mess on the whole. Placed naturally over the ears (drive on ear hole) it all clicks and you are no longer listening to sound but to music. I also use bowls on the Ypsilones but a newly bought - they are rather stiff; haven't used them reversed here. I have a feeling the Ypsilones with jumbo pads (G cushions) would be a match made in heaven based on the character of the sound and I plan to verify that theory soon.
 
Obviously all of the above is my opinion and YMMV. Also I have absolutely no idea how different enclosures influence the sound.
 
My system is some generic Chinese DAC (a room for improvement there for sure) to M-stage Matrix headamp. A mix of locally saved FLAC files and Spotify Premium streaming.

 

[Konstantin690]

   
To my ears the SR325 (keep in mind I have the original version which is I think considered the most treble heavy) has some obvious characteristics - it is not balanced with emphasis on high-mids and treble; at the same time there is a noticable midbass hump. As a result of these they take some getting used to when I'm switching to them from a different pair due to the treble heaviness. While the bass is enjoyable and toetapping inducing it might be a bit too much with some music (rarely though I can remember 2-3 albums from the top of my head). On the other hand the bass never intrudes on mids in my opinion but due to the aforementioned characteristics the lower mid section may sometimes feel a bit hollow as it is unaccentuated. Back to the treble - the emphasis brings the typical Grado tizziness and hotness. Personally I enjoy this and never found it offensive regardless of the music, but a lot of people do - I have to say it is well kept under control given the circumstances - sibilance is minimal and the added edginess to guitars is exciting with fast rock.
 
The Ypsilones in comparison are well balanced in my opinion, at least relative to the Grado. What I like is the noticable body and authority of the sound - it sounds confident every note has a place and purpose unlike some other headphones that may sound kind of fragile. The higher mids, vocals mostly, sound maybe a bit more realistic than on the Grado which I guess might be thanks to the woody enclosures. The timbre and tone on acoustic instruments in general sounds very natural. They are very detailed but not forcefully so, can be lush too.

The bass is absolutely delicious - to be honest I have never thought I will ever hear bass like that from open headphones. Compared to the humpy Grado it is much more focused and therefore hard-hitting but still has a tiny/natural bloom that makes it sound heavy and not lean in the least. It is not overbearing.
In terms of soundstage I would say they are about equal - not big but instrument separation and placing is very good. Here I would say the placement and cohesiveness of music as a whole is a bit better on the Ypsilones while the instrument separation on the Grados.
 
A few extra remarks.
Due to my SR325 being the first model it is probably rather old and the pads are well worn - I am sure from my general experience with Grados this does influence the sound quite a bit and I tend to think for the better.
The Ypsilones in the same way as Grados are very much influenced by their placement on the head but surprisingly enough in my (admittedly very limited) testing the effect is opposite. The Grados I prefer more pushed to the front where the outer lip of the pad is basically in line with the back of my ear - they sound maybe a bit more balanced and natural that way. The same effect I notice when I use the bowl pads reversed. The Ypsilones on the other - the forward placement in my case has noticably detrimental effect to the soundstage and cohesiveness - I couldn't really enjoy them like that - the technical prowess (bass etc.) was there but the sound was just a mess on the whole. Placed naturally over the ears (drive on ear hole) it all clicks and you are no longer listening to sound but to music. I also use bowls on the Ypsilones but a newly bought - they are rather stiff; haven't used them reversed here. I have a feeling the Ypsilones with jumbo pads (G cushions) would be a match made in heaven based on the character of the sound and I plan to verify that theory soon.
 
Obviously all of the above is my opinion and YMMV. Also I have absolutely no idea how different enclosures influence the sound.
 
My system is some generic Chinese DAC (a room for improvement there for sure) to M-stage Matrix headamp. A mix of locally saved FLAC files and Spotify Premium streaming.

 
Pics or it didn't happened

 

[koshman]

Ok, due to popular demand here goes
 
Note that the cable is extremely thick as I couldn't source a suitable single wire locally so in the end I used the thinnest OFC speaker cables I could find that are still too thick for headphones also my first attempt at braiding which didn't turn out half bad considering everything. The cups are bought on eBay, not manufactured by me. As you can see I don't have the drivers covered by anything.