[lmilhan]

Anyone else playing around with pad swapping?

I happen to have the stock Bagel Pads, Todd Flats, and some Bowls.

It has been quite overwhelming for me, as each set of pads have their strengths/weaknesses.

Stock Bagels for maximum soundstage and comfort. Results in a similar vibe as the RS-1s, but the midrange isn't quite as in your face. It's like sitting in the second row center at a concert. Head placement is most important with the bagel pads as to get the soundstage 'just right'. Good 'all-rounder' pads for most music, movie watching, and gaming.

Bowls are like listening to a pair of RS-1s on steroids. The midrange still isn't quite as in your face as the RS-1s though. The Bass impact is more pronounced than with the Bagels. You are up on the stage with the musicians with the bowls.

Flats make the GS-1000s turn into bass monsters. So much so that I would wager that even Peemess (or however you spell it) would sit up and take notice. Not only are you up on stage with the musicians, but you are one of the musicians. The Bass player to be exact standing about 15 feet in front of the bass amplifier stack. With the flats you can now really FEEL the bass. The highs are much more smoothed out and subdued in this configuration. I find these pads best for 'thin' or 'harsh' sounding recordings (a lot of the metal albums from the 80s suffer with these conditions). Also they sound great with rap (or whatever it is called these days) as well as with electronica type of music (daft punk sounded really nice with the flats).

Reversed Begals doesn't seem doable.
I haven't tried reversed bowls or comfies yet.

I suppose this is yet another reason why I love Grado phones so much. By simply swapping pads, you can change the flavor of the sound - very simple. I am thrilled to have so many options at my fingertips.

So, anyone else have any experiences to share with GS-1000 pad swapping?

 

[Predator88]

Cool I was just gonna make a post asking if anyone has tried out different pads on these. Unfortunately I haven't and probably won't anytime relatively soon (I just don't have the cash). Try some senn hd414 pads with the quarter mod? Probably similar to the flats but coudl eb worth checking out.

 

[tkam]

I've tried the flats and I'll be sticking with the stock bagel pads. The flats kill two of the gs1k's greatest strengths: soundstage size and imaging.

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

I prefer using bowls with gs1000.

Biggie.

 

[lmilhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkam I've tried the flats and I'll be sticking with the stock bagel pads. The flats kill two of the gs1k's greatest strengths: soundstage size and imaging.

Oh most definately, but they do sound good on certain genres of music to me, and will certainly appeal to the 'Bassheads' out there. I suppose it depends on what I am listening to, and what mood I am in. It is just fun to have so many options.

I can't say that about any other phones I have owned, except for maybe the K1000s - with their toe-in, toe-out capabilities.

If you have a pair of bowls, give them a shot. You sacrifice the comfort and a little bit of soundstage, but you are placed somewhere in between the Bagels and the Flats.


The dynamic Duo:

 

[bhd812]

I posted a pics thread with the gs1000 and the cpads..

to me its a nice combo, probably better then c pads with other grados.


search for the thread yo yo

 

[tkam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmilhan If you have a pair of bowls, give them a shot. You sacrifice the comfort and a little bit of soundstage, but you are placed somewhere in between the Bagels and the Flats.

Comfort is one of the big reasons I really like the bagels and I've never liked the bowls before on any grados so I won't bother trying them here. Besides if I want a closer presentation thats what my L3000 are for

 

[Dr.Sade]

Are the standard pads that come with the GS1000 circumaural or
supra-aural? I can't tell from the description on the Grado site.

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

circumaural

edit: "Grado street style phones, will be shipping September 1st."

Biggie.

 

[Dr.Sade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotoriousBIG_PJ circumaural edit: "Grado street style phones, will be shipping September 1st." Biggie.

Hooray! Circumaural Grados. I love the Grado sound but never liked the discomfort of supra-aural headphones. This could be the Grado for me.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmilhan You are up on the stage with the musicians with the bowls.

Only if it's a live recording. If it's a pop/rock recording layered piecemeal in the studio, it should sound, it should sound....hey I don't know how it should sound, I wasn't there. But if it sounds like you are up on stage with the musicians with the bowls, and they were never there, it's colored.

Maybe someone else can help explain what I'm trying to explain.

 

[lmilhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beagle Only if it's a live recording. If it's a pop/rock recording layered piecemeal in the studio, it should sound, it should sound....hey I don't know how it should sound, I wasn't there. But if it sounds like you are up on stage with the musicians with the bowls, and they were never there, it's colored. Maybe someone else can help explain what I'm trying to explain.

I was speaking figuratively. Meaning you feel a lot closer to the performance than when compared to the Bagel pads. It doesn't matter if they were on a stage or in a recording booth in the studio, you feel closer to the performer/performance. And since we are discussing Grado headphones, of corse the sound is 'colored'. Surely during your tenure here at Head-Fi you have heard people refer to 'being on stage' with the musicians when using a pair of Grados...

 

[zozo]

I use flats. To me, the bagels make the mids sound like they are scooped out. Vocals sound too thin for my tastes. But worst of all, alot of my favorite recordings (JPOP

) are highly sibiliant and the bagels don't make you forget it. Flats collapse the soundstage considerably, but to my ears, make the mids return, give vocals weight, and take away all the sibiliance (HF rolloff?). I have little comfort problems with the 325i with flats, so the GS-1000 with flats is no problem for me. In fact, the GS-1000 with bagels are one of the warmest circumaural headphones I have ever tried. Besides, with the flats, you get extra bass

.

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

I found the bagels to be the cause of the larger treble spike, also hearing it when I put them on ps-1's.

Biggie.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmilhan It doesn't matter if they were on a stage or in a recording booth in the studio, you feel closer to the performer/performance.

Never understood this concept. The microphone(s) positioning during recording dictates what "distance" you should be perceiving. If it's close mic'd, it's close. Distant, likewise.

This is why all this talk on Head-Fi about soundstage is utter hogwash IMO. If something is close-mic'd and layered, ain't gonna be much of a soundstage on any headphone. If it was recorded like the old Mercury Living Presence recordings (i.e. minimal mic'ing but placed in an 'audience' perspective, then the headphone will likely also reveal this, regardless of what you paid for it. Moving the drivers away from your ears just provides hi-fi jollies and artificial "soundstages" while distorting the truth. In-ear phones should come closest to correct.