Grado RS1e matters (and impressions)

[Oracle]

@Oracle, do you prefer the new revision of the RS1e versus the GH1 and the RS2e with Rock and Metal music ?

 
I'm still trying to figure that out, I've Owned the RS2e for about a year now and the RS1e and GH1 for 2 weeks. The RS2e are excellent at low volumes and can be a bit fatiguing at mid to higher volumes where the RS1e sounds smooth at no matter what the volume level is set to. The RS1e seems to take more advantage of an amp where the RS2e sounds great just out of a my phone or iPod. The GH1 sounds like a nice mix between my PS500 and RS2e with almost as much bass as the PS500 but about the same amount transparency of the RS2e. To answer your question, I prefer the RS1e for classic rock where the RS2e and GH1 to modern.
I hope this helps.

 

[YtseJamer]

   
I'm still trying to figure that out, I've Owned the RS2e for about a year now and the RS1e and GH1 for 2 weeks. The RS2e are excellent at low volumes and can be a bit fatiguing at mid to higher volumes where the RS1e sounds smooth at no matter what the volume level is set to. The RS1e seems to take more advantage of an amp where the RS2e sounds great just out of a my phone or iPod. The GH1 sounds like a nice mix between my PS500 and RS2e with almost as much bass as the PS500 but about the same amount transparency of the RS2e. To answer your question, I prefer the RS1e for classic rock where the RS2e and GH1 to modern.
I hope this helps.

 
Thanks for the feedback sir, much appreciated.
 
I'm listening to bands like Tool, Rush, Dream Theater, Opeth and Porcupine Tree so maybe I should go with the RS2e.
 
I was not impressed by the first revision of the RS1e so that the reason why I'm hesitating.

 

[Oracle]

   
Thanks for the feedback sir, much appreciated.
 
I'm listening to bands like Tool, Rush, Dream Theater, Opeth and Porcupine Tree so maybe I should go with the RS2e.
 
I was not impressed by the first revision of the RS1e so that the reason why I'm hesitating.

Listening to The Grudge by Tool right now with the RS2e and I can say they have more attack than the RS1e with some harder hitting bass and a little more lively in the midrange. Wouldn't be a bad choice for this genre of music.

 

[stacker45]

   
Thanks for the feedback sir, much appreciated.
 
I'm listening to bands like Tool, Rush, Dream Theater, Opeth and Porcupine Tree so maybe I should go with the RS2e.
 
I was not impressed by the first revision of the RS1e so that the reason why I'm hesitating.

 
When you say, ''I was not impressed by the first revision of the RS1e''. Do you mean, the first version of the RS1e? As far as I know, the RS1e has only had one revision, wich is the current, more popular version.

 

[YtseJamer]

 
Listening to The Grudge by Tool right now with the RS2e and I can say they have more attack than the RS1e with some harder hitting bass and a little more lively in the midrange. Wouldn't be a bad choice for this genre of music.

 
The Grudge is one of my favorite songs.  BTW, I just bought the RS2e and I will receive them tomorrow. 
 

   
When you say, ''I was not impressed by the first revision of the RS1e''. Do you mean, the first version of the RS1e? As far as I know, the RS1e has only had one revision, wich is the current, more popular version.

 
Yes I'm talking about the first version with the black leather headband.  (I have never heard the new version with the brown leather headband)

 

[Oracle]

   
The Grudge is one of my favorite songs.  BTW, I just bought the RS2e and I will receive them tomorrow. 
 
 
Yes I'm talking about the first version with the black leather headband.  (I have never heard the new version with the brown leather headband)

Congrats on the RS2e (wow that's some fast shipping) I would really like to hear your impressions after you get them.

 

[YtseJamer]

  Congrats on the RS2e (wow that's some fast shipping) I would really like to hear your impressions after you get them.

 
Yeah we are lucky to have a couple of Grado resellers in the Montreal area 

 
I will let you know how I like them this weekend.

 

[stacker45]

   
Yeah we are lucky to have a couple of Grado resellers in the Montreal area 

 
I will let you know how I like them this weekend.

 
I actually have a Grado dealer within walking distance from my home.
 
Oh!, and congrats on the RS2e.

 

[YtseJamer]

   
I actually have a Grado dealer within walking distance from my home.
 
Oh!, and congrats on the RS2e.

 
Thanks 

 
I think that I have heard your name when I was there last week.  lol

 

[Amictus]

  I think if I were you I would be tempted to put the RS1e on a very gentle music source overnight. I know Grado say don't, however your RS1e have had lots of head time. I would think a gentle track with lots of dynamic shifts would be a plan. Like maybe plug them into a computer overnight. Then allow a single track to play on loop in Windows Media Player.
 
It's very surprising that you say the bass is still light. Considering I thought the bass was thick, heavy, and congested on them. I thought the highs were terribly rolled off. Anyway cool.
 
I am really chuffed you started this thread though, because I think it puts the RS1e back in the game. I love @Oracle's description of them being smoother than the RS2e. It will be good to hear others write impressions of the newer RS1e, as time goes on.

Sorry to have delayed in replying to your helpful post. I have been snowed under with work. I have been burning-in the GH1s constantly for the last few days, and putting the same signal through the RS1i/e. The GH1 is at about 72 hours, and the RS1i/e has shared about 57 hours of that journey, having already about 150 hours on them before that.
 
I am going to do some comparisons with a variety of equipment after the GH1 is over the 100 hour mark. Meanwhile, don't think that I have lost interest in the question!
 
Whereabouts in the UK are you based, by the way? A PM is fine.

 

[joseph69]

  I am going to do some comparisons with a variety of equipment after the GH1 is over the 100 hour mark. Meanwhile, don't think that I have lost interest in the question!

After you do your comparisons, would you mind using the (G) cushions (if you have them) on the GH-1 and give your impressions with them...not comparisons, because of the different cushions.

 

[Amictus]

@joseph69 I'm using the GH1 exclusively with the G cush on at the moment, partly because of the persistent advocacy of one @joseph69, one @stacker45 and sundry other persons of a lean and fanatical nature.
 
Yes, sure, when I get to the careful comparisons, I will compare like with like. I also have in mind bringing a Chord TT back in house and running everything out of a Macbook using Amarra, as well as using the Naim Unitiserve - GungnirMB - Lyr or Lehmann SE setup in my study. I have in mind a very few different tracks, carefully compared. Those are fairly common setups, which should therefore have some significance to others using the same, or similar, equipment. Do you guys have particular tracks which you like to use as a standard test when murmuring Gradohead to Gradohead secrets to one another?
 
Thanks to @GreenBow I have the hang of this blue @ reply/attentiongetting thingy. The important thing is not to use the iPad. This site hates iOS, apparently.

 

[joseph69]

  @joseph69 I'm using the GH1 exclusively with the G cush on at the moment, partly because of the persistent advocacy of one @joseph69, one @stacker45 and sundry other persons of a lean and fanatical nature.
 
Yes, sure, when I get to the careful comparisons, I will compare like with like. I also have in mind bringing a Chord TT back in house and running everything out of a Macbook using Amarra, as well as using the Naim Unitiserve - GungnirMB - Lyr or Lehmann SE setup in my study. I have in mind a very few different tracks, carefully compared. Those are fairly common setups, which should therefore have some significance to others using the same, or similar, equipment. Do you guys have particular tracks which you like to use as a standard test when murmuring Gradohead to Gradohead secrets to one another?
 
Thanks to @GreenBow I have the hang of this blue @ reply/attentiongetting thingy. The important thing is not to use the iPad. This site hates iOS, apparently.

Sorry, I wasn't sure if you used them or not, but after I posted I thought you did.

 

[GreenBow]

  Sorry to have delayed in replying to your helpful post. I have been snowed under with work. I have been burning-in the GH1s constantly for the last few days, and putting the same signal through the RS1i/e. The GH1 is at about 72 hours, and the RS1i/e has shared about 57 hours of that journey, having already about 150 hours on them before that.
 
I am going to do some comparisons with a variety of equipment after the GH1 is over the 100 hour mark. Meanwhile, don't think that I have lost interest in the question!
 
Whereabouts in the UK are you based, by the way? A PM is fine.

 
Hey that's OK. I thought I might cause offence saying do what Grado say don't. However I did underline that Grado say don't. I could not see an issue though with allowing your RS1e to run on a sound source overnight very gently. Since you already had so long on them anyway, I thought getting some more time on them might soften and balance them.
 
I looked at it this way. When I got my SR225i with red e-drivers, I had no idea they were e-drivers. With them being e-drivers they sounded mostly run-in, and I thought maybe they were a pair someone returned. Basically though I listened to them for hours at a time. Just the same as running them overnight. Plus with me thinking they were i-drivers, I ran them overnight a little too.
 
Therefor if Grado really mean don't run them overnight. They should also say don't wear them for hours when new.
 
Anyway I am confused.
 
Getting back to RS1e though. I think the newer version of the RS1e has potential. Personally I keep having to remind myself that if I get another Grado, I want one that has full bass response. I mean a bass that matches the treble. Against some concensus, for me it means looking at graphs. Headphones like the PS1000 had a match between the bass an treble on graphs. Albeit that it had a dip in the middle and some refer to that as u-shaped. Anyway where I am going with this is that the RS1 had an equal bass to treble. I am hoping then that the newer RS1e means that there another headphone that meets my criteria. I will have to wait for opinions, reviews, and opinions of the RS1e.
 
I do keep teasing myself as to whether I should buy the SR325e because of its overwhelming adoration. However maybe I should stick to my goal. Maybe aim only for a headphone without treble spikes that stand clearly higher in dBr than bass response. Like the GH-1 or GS1000/i.

 

[Amictus]

   
Hey that's OK. I thought I might cause offence saying do what Grado say don't. However I did underline that Grado say don't. I could not see an issue though with allowing your RS1e to run on a sound source overnight very gently. Since you already had so long on them anyway, I thought getting some more time on them might soften and balance them.
 
I looked at it this way. When I got my SR225i with red e-drivers, I had no idea they were e-drivers. With them being e-drivers they sounded mostly run-in, and I thought maybe they were a pair someone returned. Basically though I listened to them for hours at a time. Just the same as running them overnight. Plus with me thinking they were i-drivers, I ran them overnight a little too.
 
Therefor if Grado really mean don't run them overnight. They should also say don't wear them for hours when new.
 
Anyway I am confused.
 
Getting back to RS1e though. I think the newer version of the RS1e has potential. Personally I keep having to remind myself that if I get another Grado, I want one that has full bass response. I mean a bass that matches the treble. Against some concensus, for me it means looking at graphs. Headphones like the PS1000 had a match between the bass an treble on graphs. Albeit that it had a dip in the middle and some refer to that as u-shaped. Anyway where I am going with this is that the RS1 had an equal bass to treble. I am hoping then that the newer RS1e means that there another headphone that meets my criteria. I will have to wait for opinions, reviews, and opinions of the RS1e.
 
I do keep teasing myself as to whether I should buy the SR325e because of its overwhelming adoration. However maybe I should stick to my goal. Maybe aim only for a headphone without treble spikes that stand clearly higher in dBr than bass response. Like the GH-1 or GS1000/i.

I think that that is a very important question for us, which is your gift to this thread. There are things about the sound of my RS1i/e that I like very much, which makes their limitations all the more frustrating (the rather thrown-together construction of my pair also did not instil confidence!). My first impression of them were that they were not not at all V-shaped, but the reverse - a capital Lambda shape with tremendous aggressive midrange punch but rolled-off bass and ragged and shouty treble (but also limited). All this has changed a lot with use. The bass has improved with use, the punchy midrange stayed the same and the treble has become less ragged. The Lambda shape makes them terrific for historical recordings where they stimulate the midrange information that is there and don't get stressed by the treble and bass which isn't. I listen to a lot of 'historical' classical recordings.
 
I am interested in two things, looking at the Frankensteins: a) will these flawed and expensive headphones just turn out to have had a awkward adolescence and mature into something that I can use with a smile on my face? and b) will the RS1e as it has now developed become a slam dunk success in the tradition of the original RS1? I think that it might, it just might. I'm not ready to order another one just yet, but if I could be sure that the Grado UK were supplying units with flush drivers and a tan headband... the temptation would be very real as soon as any shekels became available. I have a lot of temptations like that!
 
Anyway, I am accumulating hours on the GH1 and the RS1i/e (and also on the PS500 from today), getting the right equipment in place and pondering test tracks... the amazingly good SR60i that I have will also get a look-in in the process.