[mrarroyo]

I should get mine on Tuesday or Wednesday. I will probably take the next day off so I can compare the GS1000 to the RS1. I will probably go nuts cause I will not want to sell or return either.

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 909 So many threads, so many posts, so few lucky GS-1000 receivers so far.... But this concern is eating at me. Do the current pictures of the wood do it justice? Is the production wood comparable with the pre-production GS-1000s' wood that those saw in NY or is the photo quality of those seemingly better?

I think they look a bit better in person. I really can't do any justice to them in photo, but they've got a lovely grain (you can see a few rings of the tree on mine, they must have been close to the center) and the same nice orangeish color that the current batch of RS1s have. The woodwork is a little better than the meet ones, the finish is a little shinier and gives the sides a slight "holographic" look that you can see on many fine wooden surfaces. It's a more "natural" sort of look than you'd find on an ATH woody, which has a lot more glossy finishing product on it to color it.

When jjcha returns from Japan, I'm sure he wouldn't mind doing a few photos of mine with his killer camera. He's an excellent photographer, and actually took quite a few of those meet GS1000 prototype photos.

 

[en480c4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 909 But this concern is eating at me. Do the current pictures of the wood do it justice? Is the production wood comparable with the pre-production GS-1000s' wood that those saw in NY or is the photo quality of those seemingly better?

The pre-production models look to have been cut into the face of wood, where you can see the grain going across the face. I could be wrong, but from these pics, that's what it looks like to me.

Where the production look turned along the axis of the grain, more like the RS series. The grain lines are similar, with the end grain on the outside face. I know that's how I made my HF-1 woodies.

So I'm just guessing it's a difference in production methods. Shouldn't affect the sound, and I'm guessing it's easier to manufacture.

[EDIT] Please let it be clear... I am not saying there's a quality problem at all... my post was ONLY to answer the question about why they might have looked different based on pics available. [/EDIT]

 

[jpelg]

a-log'd,

What amp & source(s) are you using?

(would be good to complete your equipment profile so that people understand your associated equipment, and where you are coming from sonically)

 

[kramer5150]

Anyone know what Amp, Source, and soure material John used when tweeking these cans?

I know he really likes Clapton Unplugged.... what else?

Thanks,
Garrett

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by en480c4 The pre-production models look to have been cut into the face of wood, where you can see the grain going across the face. I could be wrong, but from these pics, that's what it looks like to me. Where the production look turned along the axis of the grain, more like the RS series. The grain lines are similar, with the end grain on the outside face. I know that's how I made my HF-1 woodies. So I'm just guessing it's a difference in production methods. Shouldn't affect the sound, and I'm guessing it's easier to manufacture.

GOOD catch there my fellow HF1 wood-mate

... I hadn't noticed that about the proto model. IMHO the protos look better, not showing the end-grain.

Anyone know why John made this design change?

Garrett

 

[PeeeMeS]

I think I prefer the non-dotty look of the preproduction Grados
I wonder if there are any preproduction left other than the first 3

 

[909]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeeeMeS I think I prefer the non-dotty look of the preproduction Grados I wonder if there are any preproduction left other than the first 3

Really what's not to prefer smooth clean wood over somewhat grainy like pockmarks. Why has Grado decided to go against the grain so to speak? I don’t know much about woodworking, but is it so much easier or can you get more out of a slab of wood? If so, it seems like cutting corners and increasing profit margains, which isn't always best for the consumer. I wish they would have stuck with the preproduction look since it is so clean and cherry looking. Yet everyone that purchases the GS-1000s is in the same boat. It just proves that Grado has the ability to make absolutely beautiful and near perfect looking wood earcups, but has purposely decided for whatever reason not to do so.

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 909 I don’t know much about woodworking, but is it so much easier or can you get more out of a slab of wood?

Yes... You cant (I don't think) spin that proto model on a lathe.... going against the grain like that. You'll wear the tooling and chatter the workpiece as the timber rotates. When it spins it will go
"...with...aginst....with....against....with...aga inst" the grain as it spins on the chuck.

Garrett

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 909 Really what's not to prefer smooth clean wood over somewhat grainy like pockmarks. Why has Grado decided to go against the grain so to speak? I don’t know much about woodworking, but is it so much easier or can you get more out of a slab of wood? If so, it seems like cutting corners and increasing profit margains, which isn't always best for the consumer. I wish they would have stuck with the preproduction look since it is so clean and cherry looking. Yet everyone that purchases the GS-1000s is in the same boat. It just proves that Grado has the ability to make absolutely beautiful and near perfect looking wood earcups, but has purposely decided for whatever reason not to do so.

That's really just the lighting, I think. Mine look identical (wood grain wise) to the pre-production models.

 

[PeeeMeS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 909 Really what's not to prefer smooth clean wood over somewhat grainy like pockmarks. Why has Grado decided to go against the grain so to speak? I don’t know much about woodworking, but is it so much easier or can you get more out of a slab of wood? If so, it seems like cutting corners and increasing profit margains, which isn't always best for the consumer. I wish they would have stuck with the preproduction look since it is so clean and cherry looking. Yet everyone that purchases the GS-1000s is in the same boat. It just proves that Grado has the ability to make absolutely beautiful and near perfect looking wood earcups, but has purposely decided for whatever reason not to do so.

Well I didn't know how other head-fiers were going to react
It seemed like I had different ideas of what looked nice than some head-fiers(K701s, K1000s, R10s)

I guess some people may prefer the dotted look
It's just not for me
I don't want to use the term bad... but after seeing the pre-production pictures it'll never be the same



Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio That's really just the lighting, I think. Mine look identical (wood grain wise) to the pre-production models.

Interesting
Maybe they used different types of wood/grain cut for different GS1000s? As in they started with one batch of wood/way of cutting then switched?

Care to show some pics?

 

[909]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer5150 Yes... You cant (I don't think) spin that proto model on a lathe.... going against the grain like that. You'll wear the tooling and chatter the workpiece as the timber rotates. When it spins it will go "...with...aginst....with....against....with...aga inst" the grain as it spins on the chuck. Garrett

Old school RS-1s look smooth and clean in the pics I've seen like the preproduction GS-1000s, but recent production RS-1s and now seemingly the pics of the GS-1000 has this same pockmark look to it. Were old RS-1s and the preproduction GS-1000s hand carved? And the newer ones are made using a lathe?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio That's really just the lighting, I think. Mine look identical (wood grain wise) to the pre-production models.

You should know. I'll trust your eyes over these images.

I am sorry about my Grado wood griping.

Most importantly, how does it sound?

 

[sxr71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 909 Really what's not to prefer smooth clean wood over somewhat grainy like pockmarks. Why has Grado decided to go against the grain so to speak? I don’t know much about woodworking, but is it so much easier or can you get more out of a slab of wood? If so, it seems like cutting corners and increasing profit margains, which isn't always best for the consumer. I wish they would have stuck with the preproduction look since it is so clean and cherry looking. Yet everyone that purchases the GS-1000s is in the same boat. It just proves that Grado has the ability to make absolutely beautiful and near perfect looking wood earcups, but has purposely decided for whatever reason not to do so.

Man who are these people kidding? They already have very large margins on what is a low volume niche product, and they want to cut corners even more? How much greed is too much? Do you need to spend now $1250 to get wooden cups finished along the grain? Or, is this some kind of sick joke to see how crazy and desperate we audiophiles are for their products and to see how far they can "push it" and still get us to pay into the 4 four figures for it. I can't help but think there will be some kind of psychology paper published in a journal somewhere documenting the audiophile consumption behavior explaining how we can be readily coaxed into paying more and more even as quality goes down.

Are we past the days when spending $1000 on a pair of headphones allowed us to expect the best in fit and finish? Especially on such tiny objects that are so resource conservative? I mean, some $1000 speakers come finished in polished veneer.

 

[Mercuttio]

Here are some wood grain pics of mine, with and without the flash on my camera:

And one more, from my camera phone, cause it wouldn't come out with my normal lousy camera.

Ok, so living in NYC, I'm rather close to Grado Labs. I'm a big Grado fan (as many people have probably figured out) and called down. Mr. Grado was around, and he didn't mind signing the GS1000 I had just recieved! Really dorky, I know. But there it is! A signed GS1000... and they sound even better than they look!

 

[PeeeMeS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio Ok, so living in NYC, I'm rather close to Grado Labs. I'm a big Grado fan (as many people have probably figured out) and called down. Mr. Grado was around, and he didn't mind signing the GS1000 I had just recieved! Really dorky, I know. But there it is! A signed GS1000... and they sound even better than they look!

Oh this is bad news
There could possible be GS1000s cut along the grain and with the grain? I'm definitely not buying new then.

I'm looking at the dotted picture again. I really don't see how lighting can make all those dots appear.

Can whoever took pictures of the dotted GS1000s post some other pictures?