[yellafella321]

Impression of gs-1000 vs balanced hd650 posted here:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=192956

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaybar The idea of source first and the suggestion that the $$$$ be spent at the source before anything else is nothing new. During the early days of Linn TT, I remember that evryone throught that Ivor was crazed, but he lugged the tristy Linn TT to the high end audio shops and demonstrated that a system with a Linn TT and $300 speakers made infinately better music than a system with $1200 speakers and a $300 direct drive TT. This was 1981. Even today, I would think that something like the Ayre CDP and Ayre integrated with the $300 Epos speakers would be more musical than spending $5k on speakers, $500 on an integrated and $500 on a CDP.

I'm not so sure about that... IMO it depends on more than the prices of the speakers and CDP involved. Things were a LOT simpler with analog front ends, where price had a much more definitive and direct effect on SQ. But this is off topic and could probably be argued forever. It would certainly be an interesting experiment. I don't think you'd convince nearly as many people as Ivor did with the Linn, but that's debatable I guess.

Quote:

It truely disturbs me to see how many yound peopel on head-fi who buy mega $$$ headphones and Mega $$$ headphone amps and expect they can achieve great sound from a Mac or Dell PC/laptop via a soundcard.

That's for sure, but a laptop soundcard isn't a $500 CD player either (many of which would in fact make decent sources for some of the better headphones out there). The analogy doesn't click with the previous paragraph you wrote, IMO. People tend to generalize on this topic way too much.

Edit -- sorry for the off topic diversion, we now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

 

[Rainbird]

Hi everybody,

well I now listen to my GS-1000 cabled with black droagons for about 300 hours and I can tell you since I got them I do not very often listen to my K701.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 What, give that up for a used $1K PS-1 that offers packed in small soundstage, bass that needs certain amps to tame, heavy to wear, etc. - and those are the comments from people that liked them I'm kidding.

These points are valid although jokingly stated..and is originally why I sold mine the first time..as the soundstage and presentation seemed larger more spacious, and were generally better comfort-wise on my Senns than the PS-1s..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainbird Hi everybody, well I now listen to my GS-1000 cabled with black droagons for about 300 hours and I can tell you since I got them I do not very often listen to my K701.

The K's are amazing phones indeed...and you mirrored my exact sentiment...I was one of the first with the K-701's and enjoy their sound immensely; but sold them (to a headfi member) because they just never got picked up anymore after the BDGS1's were unleashed

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg You have some very good sources. I suspect this is big reason you are able to listen with very revealing headphones w/o too much fatigue. This just goes to prove that even though a headphone is efficient, it doesn't mean it should be driven by an iPod. Loppsided systems are a sure path to disappointment.

Thanks! and true, any weak link in the chain will limit the rest of the system no matter how good it is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audiofiler The K's are amazing phones indeed...and you mirrored my exact sentiment...I was one of the first with the K-701's and enjoy their sound immensely; but sold them (to a headfi member) because they just never got picked up anymore after the BDGS1's were unleashed

I've always said the K701 sounds very close to the GS-1000's for a fractions of the cost. It's about the best value you can get if you like the sound (although the price has gone up). That being said, it's a bit sluggish and is definately analytical even with tubes. I enjoy it from a technical standpoint but it just doesn't get me into the music. So, when I feel like analyzing music, I strap them on.

 

[yellafella321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 What, give that up for a used $1K PS-1 that offers packed in small soundstage, bass that needs certain amps to tame, heavy to wear, etc. - and those are the comments from people that liked them

Yea, weight is a pretty huge issue. The hp-1000 actually hurt my head if I wore it for over thirty minutes. But...lie down...and it was quite nice.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellafella321 Yea, weight is a pretty huge issue. The hp-1000 actually hurt my head if I wore it for over thirty minutes. But...lie down...and it was quite nice.

laying down was the only way I could enjoy my PS-1's

unfortunately, for me, the imaging and illusion of the soundfield is much more enveloping and intuitive when you sit up, or face forward slightly in seated position...as it more closely mirrors the process of listening, and too depicts the analog signal more faitfully per its original recording and origin..

I rarely lay all the way down at a concert, and typically when enjoying music live, either seated or standing up..
believe it or not, I prefer to stand and listen to certain live recordings..live at filmore east, allman bros mfsl...and eat a peach mfsl lp..allman bros..

I like to lay down with the GS-1000's too, but I have purcased a special pillow to rest behind my head so the pads don't smush up agains the couch..although I prefer to sit up and listen critically...the mind processes the music (for me) more definatively..and less in a way that puts me to sleep/nap after listening for longer 15 minutes with my eyes closed...(which I also do frequently for better imaging, and clearer headstaging)

to each his/her own! Whatever you are happy with is the right choice, I think!!

 

[iamdone]

Well I just got my PS-1 today. I sold the GS1000 yesterday so I can't do a direct comparison. The PS-1 is new and only has less than an 1 hour so I'd imagine they will only get better. I have no doubt that I made the right decision. These are the ultimate Grado.

When I got the GS1000, my wife gave them a listen and said, "Wow, these sound more open". When she just tried the PS-1, she said "Holy crap, these sound *****ing amazing". She was continuously amazed and then said I better take them away from her or she wouldn't give them back. She did say she was going want to listen again in an hour. She was listening to The Clash and Joe Strummer, her favorite artist. I'm still listening to the The Clash and it has never sounded better.

The main problem with the GS1000 I had is I couldn't get it to quite sound right with all the different setups I tried. It would sound amazing on a few songs and then slightly off on another. It was either the balance or the soundstage just didn't sound right. Some parts just sounded too distant for my taste. I had the same problem with the hd-650. I liked the GS1000 much better than the hd-650 but it still didn't seem like the right choice for rock music. Something was missing compared to the RS-1. The PS-1 seem to keep all the fun of the RS-1 but just take it to another level.

You can say maybe it was my source or cables or amp but the PS-1 in the same setup is just amazing. It could also be they're new and after a while I might change my mind like I did with the GS1000. That could be true but I doubt it and have a feeling these are staying. I think I'm finally done with my search.

 

[Spareribs]

iamdone,

you are not done

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs iamdone, you are not done

indeed, the most ironic tag on the boards.

 

[Zoide]

haha... i agree...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs iamdone, you are not done

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs iamdone, you are not done

Very funny but probably true. I've actually said that before on this board (I don't remember when) besides giving myself that name.

Well, so far I can't take the PS-1 off my head. Everything I've tried is just incredible. When I said they're new, the previous owner only used them less than an hour, so it's not only new to me, but practically unused.

There was just this special magic the RS-1 (w/bowls) had for me. The GS1000 didn't have this and I really missed that. I decided to take a chance on the PS-1 hoping to get that back with maybe more. I believe I lucked out. This gives them the bass of the GS1000 but more refined and a similar sound signature of the RS-1 but also more refined. You can hear so much detail across the spectrum but not lose any of the fun. It has the bouncy bass I like.

With the HR-2 and the GS1000, I could use the ad797 and get the fun bouncy bass but lose the detail especially in the mids. When I used the opa627, I got the detail but lost all the fun and some bass. With the PS-1, the opa627 works perfect; keeping the fun and the bouncy bass with impact and all the detail. It also has a lot more texture to the music. I was hoping the right opamp would fix the GS1000 for all my music but I just gave up.

 

[VR6ofpain]

Y'all keep me posted. I have to justify a $300 headphone to myself (MS-2i)...before I can buy it. A ~$1000+ headphone is totally out of the question.

 

[Jahvetti]

I have been listening with GS1000s, and they are really growing on me. I like the music they make for me.

I have heard people reporting on the sibilance, but I really find it on certain records only, which I think tells that those records are sibilant, not the cans on themselves.

These are not the most neutral headphones available. So everyone must just try them if they like what GS1000 can do.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamdone Well I just got my PS-1 today. I sold the GS1000 yesterday so I can't do a direct comparison. The PS-1 is new and only has less than an 1 hour so I'd imagine they will only get better. I have no doubt that I made the right decision. These are the ultimate Grado. When I got the GS1000, my wife gave them a listen and said, "Wow, these sound more open". When she just tried the PS-1, she said "Holy crap, these sound *****ing amazing". She was continuously amazed and then said I better take them away from her or she wouldn't give them back. She did say she was going want to listen again in an hour. She was listening to The Clash and Joe Strummer, her favorite artist. I'm still listening to the The Clash and it has never sounded better. The main problem with the GS1000 I had is I couldn't get it to quite sound right with all the different setups I tried. It would sound amazing on a few songs and then slightly off on another. It was either the balance or the soundstage just didn't sound right. Some parts just sounded too distant for my taste. I had the same problem with the hd-650. I liked the GS1000 much better than the hd-650 but it still didn't seem like the right choice for rock music. Something was missing compared to the RS-1. The PS-1 seem to keep all the fun of the RS-1 but just take it to another level. You can say maybe it was my source or cables or amp but the PS-1 in the same setup is just amazing. It could also be they're new and after a while I might change my mind like I did with the GS1000. That could be true but I doubt it and have a feeling these are staying. I think I'm finally done with my search.

Real sorry I did not make it to the meet in SoCal this past weekend, was hoping to hear some HP-2's in direct comparison to the black dragon GS1's...but had Jury Duty late on Friday and did not feel like driving Saturday Morning for one day..
iamdone, great to hear you are happy, enjoy your PS-1's, but I dare you to bring them over to my place for a showdown

I replied to this comment in particular, because my friend visited this weekend (we were going to go to the meet together in CA...) Anyway he brought his PS-1's..and we traded back and forth for hours monitoring...A/B'g different amps, IC's, Sources, and of course music...it was a mini showdown between the RS-1/2, PS-1, and Black Dragon GS-1000..and the results were interesting...

Just about a polar opposite to your post, favoring the BDGS1000. We tried some Reel to Reel, Tape, Vinyl, Redbook, WAV, and FM. The bass on the PS-1 took more time to tame and mate than it seemed for my friend to drive in from Chicago... and eventually sounded nice.
The soundstage provided more realism to all the music played through the GS-1000s making the music seem like it was being played in an outdoor stage with no walls, feedback, or reverb compared to the PS-1's, which very much sounded like you were listening to rad headphones..reproduced and perceived as almost entirely in front of you (95% of the music and stereo image you could catch with a butterfly net in front of your face, and the image would be totally gone VS the image of the BDGS1's where the image of the soundfield and music is all around the listeners head, way more refined across all FR's, and most importantly -more balanced with better control over the bass. The timbre of the music was best on the BD-GS1000, making the recordings all sound the most natural..

The RS-1/2 came to a point with certain binaural recordings and higher fidelity vinyl (200+ gram VV from Japan), where these phones in the reference line could not compete with the lushness of the PS-1 and its liquid MR... Testing them back and forth with the BDGS1 and PS-1 became easier and easier that the BDGS1 and PS1 were superior phones, given certain material..

When monitoring From Gers to Sousa, a binaural recording by Joe Grado, the realism, pace, and overall timing on the BDGS1's trounced the PS-1/RS-1/2 ...and made that disc like you were invisible and amongst the players themselves, like you were that sphere microphone even..the PS1/RS1/2 was like your were sitting just outside the studio door, with your head in the door, and the music/stereo image VERY much in front of the listener only, crystal clear, but not as defined nearly above to the far right/left, or wrapped around the listener, like with the BDGS1000....just not close enough at all

[ I don't quite see where the confusion is surrounding this matter, perhaps an owner and lover of both can share impressions of both cans after a few weeks of critical A/B'g.. ]
All in all, for field recordings and binaural recordings, the "you're there" sensation was provided best by the BDGS1000s VS the PS1/RS1/2, and made the illusion more complete... This lack of imaging in the RS1/2PS1 in the front top and rear, reminded me as a kid when your friend would give you either the L or R headphone off his cheap walkman cans..and you missed the whole L or R side..well with the RS-1/2PS1 and a binaural recording, it is like someone did not give you the the front, top, far L and R, and rear headphone.. and all you have is the R and L...Tough to put to words..though.

The PS-1s were a bit too heavy on the head, and too much like listening to headphones VS the BDGS1's.

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