[lmilhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlacker /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can tell you this. I receiver a pair of RS-1 (not mine) from TTVJ on Wednesday Aug. 29th and it was the new ugly design.

And I weep for whoever is unfortunate enough to be the new owner of said ugly RS-1s.

 

[Rav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlacker /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can tell you this. I receiver a pair of RS-1 (not mine) from TTVJ on Wednesday Aug. 29th and it was the new ugly design.

Could you take some close up pics by any chace?

 

[Duggeh]

Has anyone considered that this is simply another step in keeping the RS-1 (and RS-2) price compatible for the business. I mean the RS-1 used to be precision machined preium grain wood sold in a matching wooden presentation case with the soft leather headband, then the headband went to black, the wooden box changed to a cheaper one, the wooden box changed to cardboard, the woodworking made lighter, the cardboard box changed to a different type, the woodworking becoming less consistantly high quality machined, and now a further change in typeface, wood chocie and loss of the buttons.

Just throwing the idea out there.

 

[jjhatfield]

Here's another random thought: if Grado Labs really has changed who does their wood, then it stands to reason that the GS1K is in for a change. Almost makes me want to order a pair now. I wasn't a huge fan of it when I (briefly) owned one, but it sure was a pretty headphone.

<-Somebody needs to make an :rs1frown:

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjhatfield /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here's another random thought: if Grado Labs really has changed who does their wood, then it stands to reason that the GS1K is in for a change. Almost makes me want to order a pair now. I wasn't a huge fan of it when I (briefly) owned one, but it sure was a pretty headphone. <-Somebody needs to make an :rs1frown:

Actually; I was thinkin' that the RS-1 and RS-2 have been modified to better match the GS1K. What with the missing button and the model designation now on the bottom of the housing between the bullets, just like the GS1k.

 

[Mortalcoil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by F107plus5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually; I was thinkin' that the RS-1 and RS-2 have been modified to better match the GS1K. What with the missing button and the model designation now on the bottom of the housing between the bullets, just like the GS1k.

Im with you on that. Perhaps John is aiming towards bringing some of the GS1k qualities to the RS series.

Personally Ive always admired the ultra simplicity of the Alessandro look.

Could this button removal be a step towards a slightly different sound signature?

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mortalcoil /img/forum/go_quote.gif Im with you on that. Perhaps John is aiming towards bringing some of the GS1k qualities to the RS series. Personally Ive always admired the ultra simplicity of the Alessandro look. Could this button removal be a step towards a slightly different sound signature?

I was also sorta wondering if maybe removing the buttons was Johns' way of bringing his own signature to the current Grado line. After all; the buttons originally had Joes' initials on them even though they were the same initials. And yeah; they are surprisingly expensive to produce and install, and perhaps they do effect the sound a little.

And Yup; I kinda like the Alessandro look too!

 

[shplorgh]

"The Alessandro look":

vs.

This is cost cutting and lame, plain and simple. Well at least my RS-1's have probably gone up in value...

 

[exec_]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlacker /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can tell you this. I receiver a pair of RS-1 (not mine) from TTVJ on Wednesday Aug. 29th and it was the new ugly design.

And again the question: what serial# is this?
It'll also be great if you can take some pictures.

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hungrych /img/forum/go_quote.gif "The Alessandro look": vs. This is cost cutting and lame, plain and simple. Well at least my RS-1's have probably gone up in value...

I dunno; it is the Alessandro look alright, but it's the old MS2 and not the new MS2"i" version. The new design does copy the GS1K, which of course has no buttons either, but I'm surprised that they didn't "mushroomize" the shape a little to incorporate the SR-325i and GS1K style more completely.

 

[unclejr]

With those last two, I'd take the Grados by look any day against those Alessandros. The RS-2s look cleaner to me in those shots. The best of the MS-Pros, however, I think look just as good as any RS-1s (though different).

 

[sxr71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorander /img/forum/go_quote.gif With a simple mistake like this, I'd personally be concerned whether they had installed the right drivers for that phone or, touch wood, drivers meant for lower-tier Grados.

Tell me about it. He could have SR-60 drivers in there for all we know. I had a replacement pair of SR-225s sent over that didn't sound really like my first pair very much. There seem to be major differences between different units of the same model. I have a Grado around and I spent $200 on it, I really won't waste my time or money trying out more expensive Grados in the future. They can't even get it right when they sell something that cost them all of $40 for $500. I mean if you're charging a 1200% markup at least take some reasonable care in manufacture.

 

[sxr71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Has anyone considered that this is simply another step in keeping the RS-1 (and RS-2) price compatible for the business. I mean the RS-1 used to be precision machined preium grain wood sold in a matching wooden presentation case with the soft leather headband, then the headband went to black, the wooden box changed to a cheaper one, the wooden box changed to cardboard, the woodworking made lighter, the cardboard box changed to a different type, the woodworking becoming less consistantly high quality machined, and now a further change in typeface, wood chocie and loss of the buttons. Just throwing the idea out there.

Wow. What kind of greed would possess someone to cut costs on something that costs about 10% of the MSRP to build as it were. I mean give me a break. 2 pieces of wood, a cheap piece of leather on a thin metal band, some wire and two drive units that probably could be mass produced in China for $1 a piece and actually have better QC. I mean seriously, how much can you cut in terms of costs on something like that? These headphones sell at downright luxury prices and what you get is something that is obvious in it's cheapness. I mean when someone pays $30 for a DVD player at Best Buy, it is expected that the absolute cheapest crap went into it and for $30 it's fine, but not on headphones costing $500-$1000.

I'm not even saying that they are overpriced. People pay what they feel something is worth even if it cost a small fraction of what they pay to make it. There is intellectual value to the design of these phones and that's where the value comes in. However, there at least has to be about the same amount of QC found in a Coby DVD player. Charge for your intellectual property and recover R&D costs, fine, but don't get so greedy as to reduce the quality to save 5 cents here and there on a $500 pair of phones.

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sxr71 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow. What kind of greed would possess someone to cut costs on something that costs about 10% of the MSRP to build as it were. I mean give me a break. 2 pieces of wood, a cheap piece of leather on a thin metal band, some wire and two drive units that probably could be mass produced in China for $1 a piece and actually have better QC. I mean seriously, how much can you cut in terms of costs on something like that? These headphones sell at downright luxury prices and what you get is something that is obvious in it's cheapness. I mean when someone pays $30 for a DVD player at Best Buy, it is expected that the absolute cheapest crap went into it and for $30 it's fine, but not on headphones costing $500-$1000. I'm not even saying that they are overpriced. People pay what they feel something is worth even if it cost a small fraction of what they pay to make it. There is intellectual value to the design of these phones and that's where the value comes in. However, there at least has to be about the same amount of QC found in a Coby DVD player. Charge for your intellectual property and recover R&D costs, fine, but don't get so greedy as to reduce the quality to save 5 cents here and there on a $500 pair of phones.

I dunno; but it seems to me that these things have been selling for the same price for decades, even when the bottom has fallen out of the value of the US Dollar. As far as greed, yup, they're greedy to keep using that high priced American labor. I guess they could just put a few more New York people out of work and ship the jobs offshore.

But I'm still not sure that the lack of the buttons isn't just Johns' sense of style coming to play here, and not simply a cost cutting measure. The new woodies do in fact share the same style cues as the GS1K which is Johns first real new phone design.

 

[Matlock]

I thought the RS-1 was the nicest looking headphones out there and looked forward to getting one.
Would not buy a redesign though that's for sure.