Grado RS1i / RS2i cushion size and pressure points
Aug 6, 2013 at 4:15 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 6

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Hi,
 
I have placed the Grado RS1i and RS2i on my shortlist as a replacement for my Sennheiser PXC300 headphones for classical music, since I like a clear, bright and sparkly sound for classical and it looks like these Grados may deliver in that respect.
 
I hav, however, health issues that make headphones difficult to wear long term and thus I may not be able to determine long term comfort prospects from an audition in a shop. Apart from neck problems (which preclude heavy headphones) I have TMJ (temporomandibular disorder) problems on my right side - probably a legacy of many years of violin playing - and I cannot take a sustained pressure on that right side joint without getting it aggravated. You read up on TMJ here:
 
 http://tmj.org/site/content/tmd-basics
 
This is why the PXC300 have been great headphones, since all the pressure is only on the ear itself (and very light at that). Although the Grados are supra-aural, it looks to me as if the cushion size is quite a bit larger than that of the PXC300 and I suspect the pressure would be higher as well.
 
I was thus hoping if someone could measure the standard diameter of the cushions on the RS1i or RS2i and let me know what it is please? Also, do you feel the Grado puts pressure on the jaw joint (refer website above) or is it mainly on the ear only?
 
Thanks
 
Aug 6, 2013 at 4:59 AM Post #2 of 6
I don't have the regular cushions on me right now, so I apologize if my reply isn't entirely what you're looking for.

However!

I have a pair of RS2i, in which I replaced the standard cushions with these big G-Cushions. This caused two major differences, potentially important for you: 1) headphones became much lighter (well, at least perceptually) They snap on the head effortlessly, I can wear them for 10 hours and I can hardly feel them. There is probably something magical about the construction of these G-cushions, because when I auditioned Grado's flagship PS-1000, which weight around two pounds, I couldn't believe how light they felt on my head. Reason number two: clamping pressure is almost unnoticeable. The G-cushion touches your jaw joint (it is quite large after all!), but it shouldn't cause pain. Seriously, the fit is extremely delicate.

Please do take my words with a grain of salt — there's a big chance that our heads are sized and shaped differently and I don't have TMJ, so your impressions may differ. I hope the difference is not dramatical though because I find RS2i to be an absolutely phenomenal piece of gear and it'd be a shame if you couldn't experience it!

Oh, and there's a third difference with big cushions — the sound becomes much, much better :)
 
Aug 6, 2013 at 11:47 AM Post #3 of 6
Allow me to throw this piece of advice into the mix.
You can bend Grado headbands out so that they have a feather light clamping pressure on your ears (if that's what you're looking for), but this means you can't run about or move too quickly otherwise they will fall off.
If you're lounging or at a desk, this isn't a bad option at all. 
 
Aug 6, 2013 at 4:33 PM Post #4 of 6
My RS1i is so light, it is very comfortable with the L cushion or the G- cushion.
 
These weigh virtually nothing with the mahogany cups.
 
The diameter of the L_cushion is approximately 3inches from one side to the other.
 
Aug 6, 2013 at 4:41 PM Post #5 of 6
As everyone has point out, they are very very light.
Second, they rest on the ear and not on the jaw.
Third, as one post mentioned, you can adjust the clamping where it's almost no pressure.
Fourth, and this one is mind, you can adjust the length of the headphone on the gimble/rod so that the cushion rests on the upper part of the ear instead of the middle or bottom so that there is no pressure on the lower ear and jaw.
Fifth, get both L-cushion and Flats to see which has less pressure.  I am thinking Flats from TTVJ, will give you the least amount of pressure, if you rest on the upper part of your ear.
 

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