[Chefguru]

Quote:

The PS500 is not the exact same headphone. you put bowls on a PS5000 and it does not sound the same as the PS1000. The PS1000 driver has no glare and shout for high mids vocals compared to the PS500 which has a very noticeable shout in the midrange.
 

 
I did not mean that the ps1000 sounds identical to the ps500, but that the ps500 uses identical materials and cost 1000 dollars cheaper. The ps1000 driver is the same as the ps500's but it has been tweaked to accommodate the larger pads (which I believe is done by punching holes to allow my air through the driver). Some hf-2 and ps500 owners have tried this and found that it ends up sounding nearly the same.
 
The only actual difference between the ps1000 and the ps500 material wise is that the ps1000 uses bigger (heavier) metal outer cups and has more padding on the headband (which is really just to compensate for the excess weight added by the outer cups) .
So are you okay with spending $1000 for R and D (if you even want to call it that)...
 
 
 

 

[LCfiner]

Well, I didn't spend 1000 extra for the PS1000 over the PS500. I paid around 600 more than the PS500 for a used model (including a new well-padded headband . and, yes, I absolutely would pay that amount again as the PS1000 sound is better to my ears than the PS500. I tried the PS500 with bowls and it doesn't sound right. too tizzy up top and without the proper bass balance.
 
Maybe I'm just more sensitive to midrange shout than to treble sibilance (although the GS1000 was just too much treble for my ears) because the treble problem with the PS1000 isn't as bothersome to me as the midrange shout and glare on the PS500 (and less so on the Magnum v4 and even less pronounced on the HP1000)
 
Whatever tweaks Grado made with the driver produce a sound on the PS1000 that is much smoother in the mids and with strong, textured bass. SQ-wise, it's absolutely comparable to the HD800, HP1000 and LCD2 (I actually much prefer it to the LCD2, which had its own issues with comfort and build quality) as they all have pros and cons in their sound
 
Your comments are totally valid and that's a big reason why a lot of head-fi has disregarded the PS1000 but the SQ has a lot going for it (more intimate and slightly more "fun" than the HD800, more energetic and better soundstage than the LCD2). For a used price closer to $1000 than $1500, everyone with the right budget should try them.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
I did not mean that the ps1000 sounds identical to the ps500, but that the ps500 uses identical materials and cost 1000 dollars cheaper. The ps1000 driver is the same as the ps500's but it has been tweaked to accommodate the larger pads (which I believe is done by punching holes to allow my air through the driver). Some hf-2 and ps500 owners have tried this and found that it ends up sounding nearly the same.
 
The only actual difference between the ps1000 and the ps500 material wise is that the ps1000 uses bigger (heavier) metal outer cups and has more padding on the headband (which is really just to compensate for the excess weight added by the outer cups) .
So are you okay with spending $1000 for R and D (if you even want to call it that)...
 
 
 

 
For what it's worth, I emailed Grado Labs about the drivers in both the 500s and the 1000s, and they state that the drivers are "completely different". 

 

[Gradofan2]

Well... I've got a pair of the PS1000's on the way... I'll see how they compare to my PS500's... as well as... my other phones.  
 
I wouldn't be surprised to find my AD2000's trump them all.

 

[Austin Morrow]

Quote:

Well... I've got a pair of the PS1000's on the way... I'll see how they compare to my PS500's... as well as... my other phones.  
 
I wouldn't be surprised to fined my AD2000's trump them all.

 
Gradofan2, I have to ask, why did you choose that username? You don't seem to be too attached to Grados.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
Gradofan2, I have to ask, why did you choose that username? You don't to be too attached to Grados.

 
lol, reading my mind

 

[estreeter]

I have the AD900, and look forward to buying the AD2K, but there is no way I would wade into a Grado thread and make a claim like that, particularly without extensive experience with all of the above.

 
I dont know exactly what it is about Grados, but Head-Fiers seem to see them as fair game.

 

[Gradofan2]

While I like all of the Grados I've had, and regard them as among the best... I have found the AD2000's to sound a bit better than all other phones I've tried, which include most.  But... it's really only "shades of grey" differences among most.  

 

[Focker]

Quote:

While I like all of the Grados I've had, and regard them as among the best... I have found the AD2000's to sound a bit better than all other phones I've tried, which include most.  But... it's really only "shades of grey" differences among most.  

 
So does that mean you prefer the AH-D2000s over the higher end Denons like the AH-D5000s and 7000s? 

 

[Focker]

Quote:

I have the AD900, and look forward to buying the AD2K, but there is no way I would wade into a Grado thread and make a claim like that, particularly without extensive experience with all of the above.

 
I dont know exactly what it is about Grados, but Head-Fiers seem to see them as fair game.

 
They sure do...in fact, I've posted about it on here a few times...when I first signed up here, I happened to come across a string of really negative posts about Grados to the point where I had basically crossed them off my list. I wasI new to headphones and wnating to attempt to use my research to narrow down which cans might be right for me, and because of all the negativity I had ruled them out entirely. A guy I have a lot of respect for over on another audio forum I frequent happened to suggest that I give the SR80s a try. At the time I was coming off some Sennheiser 518s that I really ended up not caring for, and I was buying some of the lower end sub-$100 headphones in order to get a feel for the different sonic signatures/house sounds. Well I took the advice and it truly ended up changing the way I saw headphones. I took to them so well and was so excited at what I was hearing that I all of a sudden became completely engaged with this side of audio. I picked up some 325s a very short time later and I was off. The two best pieces of advice I've gotten so far in this hobby - First, try some Grados. Second, don't settle on just one headphone. The rest is history. I've still only really been involved with headphones since November of last year, but I feel as if in that short period of time I've been able to put together a collection of gear that brings me a TON of enjoyment. Since that time I've fully embraced the fact that there are those who really dislike Grados, and that's fine. But to play my small part in balancing that out, I really encourage people to listen for themselves and try a pair at least once. And if you read back over the various Grado threads where people have done exactly that, the vast majority of them end up liking them or loving them. That doesn't mean they are for everyone, cause they certainly aren't. No headphone is. But as they say, opinions are like A-holes....sometimes you just gotta ignore the haters and experience something first hand. 

 

[brokenthumb]

Quote:

 
So does that mean you prefer the AH-D2000s over the higher end Denons like the AH-D5000s and 7000s? 

 
I think he means the Audio Technica ATH-AD2000 Focker.  I've mixed them up in the past also, the model names are very similar.  lol

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
I think he means the Audio Technica ATH-AD2000 Focker.  I've mixed them up in the past also, the model names are very similar.  lol

 
Oh okay, my bad...thanks for clarifying. 

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

 
I think he means the Audio Technica ATH-AD2000 Focker.  I've mixed them up in the past also, the model names are very similar.  lol

 
Not if you are an A-T fan. The AD2K is as highly regarded amongst our breed as it is ignored by the rest of Head-Fi : ironically, the sweet treble of the A-T is often dismissed by the same people who dislike Grados. I can only conclude that there is a secret society of folk out there who subsist on dark, bassy cans with zero treble sparkle. 

 
I'm hoping to be able to eventually compare 3 very different headphones - the AD2K, RS1i and HD600. Do the grill mod on the 600 and see what transpires, 
 
http://www.headfonia.com/audio-technica-ad-series-ad300-ad700-ad900-ad1000prm-ad2000/
 
Another factor that makes the AD2000 differentiates it from the rest of the AD line up is the much improved upper bass that delivers a moderately powerful punch needed for Rock music. Somewhat the upper bass reminds me of the Grado RS1, though with a better refinement level than the Grado.

 

[brokenthumb]

Quote:

 
Not if you are an A-T fan. The AD2K is as highly regarded amongst our breed as it is ignored by the rest of Head-Fi : ironically, the sweet treble of the A-T is often dismissed by the same people who dislike Grados. I can only conclude that there is a secret society of folk out there who subsist on dark, bassy cans with zero treble sparkle. 

 
I'm hoping to be able to eventually compare 3 very different headphones - the AD2K, RS1i and HD600. Do the grill mod on the 600 and see what transpires, 
 
http://www.headfonia.com/audio-technica-ad-series-ad300-ad700-ad900-ad1000prm-ad2000/
 
Another factor that makes the AD2000 differentiates it from the rest of the AD line up is the much improved upper bass that delivers a moderately powerful punch needed for Rock music. Somewhat the upper bass reminds me of the Grado RS1, though with a better refinement level than the Grado.

 
I've seriously considered the AD2K this past week while trying to figure out my next purchase.  I've been gathering all the info I can on the AD2K, HD800, LCD-2, T1, ESP-950, GS1000i, and the PS1000i.  I'm really intrigued by the speed of the AD2K.  They seem like some of the fastest dynamics out there.

 

[estreeter]

Just dont read the main AD2K thread atm - it seems to have descended into a spot of name-calling, sadly. F%^# those freakin' name callers !