Wmcmanus
President treasurer secretary and sole member of the Cayman Islands Head-Fi Club.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2002
- Posts
- 11,830
- Likes
- 27
I've got a lot of headphones (as many of you know), but have never been able to bring myself to the point of buying a pair of RS-1's. I've come very close a couple times, but mostly because of seeing bargain deals at Audiogon where I could grab a near mint pair for $400 or less. That way, I figure I couldn't go wrong and could at least give them a shot without much, if anything, to lose.
I've got the 325i, HF1, HF2, PS1, GS1000 and HP2, and have been thinking about the PS1000. So why no RS-1 then? I've tried them at least a half dozen times at various Head-Fi meets over the years, in both single ended and balanced rigs and with all sorts of music from classical to jazz to bass heavy blues to female vocals to classic rock and everything in between. But nothing seems to be able to tame their shrill (to my ears) highs. (This same problem is evident in the 325i as well, so they don't usually get much head time, but at least they're gold -- and that's good, I think.)
I think I had a bad (really bad) first experience with them at a NY meet hosted at Grado Labs (oddly enough) back in 2003, and perhaps I've been predisposed to expect to hear shrill highs ever since -- so I always do. But that particular (very high end, but can't remember the source and amp) setup was just shocking awful with the RS-1, especially with the high pitched female vocals that they were playing.
So maybe I have an RS-1 phobia that I need to get over? Yet, it's not like I've completely discounted them. I've tried and tried under meet conditions, but that's not the same as owning a pair and putting them through the paces with changes from bowl to flat to soup bowl pads!
For years, I've read far too many extremely positive impressions and reviews from dozens of Head-Fi'ers who know what they're talking about for there not to be something special about the RS-1's. So it really is frustrating that I haven't managed to discover that magic for myself.
Ah, but one day... maybe.
I've got the 325i, HF1, HF2, PS1, GS1000 and HP2, and have been thinking about the PS1000. So why no RS-1 then? I've tried them at least a half dozen times at various Head-Fi meets over the years, in both single ended and balanced rigs and with all sorts of music from classical to jazz to bass heavy blues to female vocals to classic rock and everything in between. But nothing seems to be able to tame their shrill (to my ears) highs. (This same problem is evident in the 325i as well, so they don't usually get much head time, but at least they're gold -- and that's good, I think.)
I think I had a bad (really bad) first experience with them at a NY meet hosted at Grado Labs (oddly enough) back in 2003, and perhaps I've been predisposed to expect to hear shrill highs ever since -- so I always do. But that particular (very high end, but can't remember the source and amp) setup was just shocking awful with the RS-1, especially with the high pitched female vocals that they were playing.
So maybe I have an RS-1 phobia that I need to get over? Yet, it's not like I've completely discounted them. I've tried and tried under meet conditions, but that's not the same as owning a pair and putting them through the paces with changes from bowl to flat to soup bowl pads!
For years, I've read far too many extremely positive impressions and reviews from dozens of Head-Fi'ers who know what they're talking about for there not to be something special about the RS-1's. So it really is frustrating that I haven't managed to discover that magic for myself.
Ah, but one day... maybe.