[EcologyOfSound]

I started out when I was 17 with a pair of AKG 240s. I couldn't believe how many sounds I was missing, out of in the Music I've been listening to for years. Music production became a whole other experience as well: the sound designing, orchestrating the sound scape, so much life in the Music! Needless to say, years of first-time-quality-headphone-owner experiences they slowly lost there ability to stay together - but they had a big place in my life of sound.

Without quality headphones my digging for Music and Music production petered out. I've found that so much of the experience is in the reproduction of the sound, when great music becomes sensational. Missing this, I decided to invest in my life and picked up a set of Grado PS500's online (just arrived last night with some PS1000 bowls) as well as, under a studious audiophile friend's guidance, a uDAC-3 amp (arriving this eve).

Already I am completely impressed - even after becoming so accustomed to and in love with the flat reproductive nature of AKG. These are beautiful. I am again hearing so much I never heard in the music I listen to, from audience coughs in live recordings, to fire crackle sounds added to tracks (to bring some organic life to the song I'm sure). I found myself just wanting to opening up my DAW and get designing sounds ASAP... but couldn't pull myself away from listening.

I'm thinking I'll be a regular on the forum now and looking forward to exploring mods for these beautiful additions to my life.



One thing worries me though. While impressed, I was expecting more. My ears aren't as tuned as they once were, and I'm guessing this is probably the case. However, I had a hint of suspicion I'm hoping some other Grado heads may be able to help alleviate.

When I pulled off the stock pads to replace with the PS1000's, I notice a sloppy glue job around the drivers. A part of me wondered whether that was the result of hand build, or if it was tampering of the reseller, that someone may have had the gall to purchase some PS500's, swap drivers with a lesser model, then resell them. Possible?

Is this just poor attention in the manufacturing or a sign of tampering?

 

 

[davidsh]

There's really nothing like the first time 

 
Hope someone can help you out with your problem

 

[Tonoben]

@EcologyOfSound Did you ever find a resolution to this?  I have similar suspicions with a pre-owned set of SR325is; odd markings, sloppy adhesive application, SQ that just seems 'off'. 

 

[sinnottj]

  @EcologyOfSound Did you ever find a resolution to this?  I have similar suspicions with a pre-owned set of SR325is; odd markings, sloppy adhesive application, SQ that just seems 'off'. 

 
The 'sloppy glue job around the drivers' is quite common on the high-end Grados, where the driver is hand-glued into a wooden sleeve, and I very much doubt it was a sign of tampering.
 
What you describe with your own 325is sounds more worrying though - there should be no glue around the where the driver fits into the inner plastic sleeve. There might be visible glue around where the inner plastic sleeve meets the outer metal earcup, though.
 
Can you post any pictures showing the glue / odd marking you describe?

 

[Tonoben]

   
The 'sloppy glue job around the drivers' is quite common on the high-end Grados, where the driver is hand-glued into a wooden sleeve, and I very much doubt it was a sign of tampering.
 
What you describe with your own 325is sounds more worrying though - there should be no glue around the where the driver fits into the inner plastic sleeve. There might be visible glue around where the inner plastic sleeve meets the outer metal earcup, though.
 
Can you post any pictures showing the glue / odd marking you describe?

For some reason I'm not allowed to post pics here.  
 
 I'm going to take them in to a local Grado retailer to do a side by side comparison with their stock. 

 

[warrior1975]

You need more posts, then you can post pics.

 

[Tonoben]

Thanks. Pics posted them to iCloud.
https://www.icloud.com/iphoto/projects/#7;CAEQARoQBcbfVEZWFUNcew2iW89aQw;BAD95D33-DECC-43E9-8CAD-76B5E5295528

 

[sinnottj]

Thanks. Pics posted them to iCloud.
https://www.icloud.com/iphoto/projects/#7;CAEQARoQBcbfVEZWFUNcew2iW89aQw;BAD95D33-DECC-43E9-8CAD-76B5E5295528

Hmmm .... difficult to tell really. The gimbals look like a DIY repair job (maybe the original glue failed and they came apart?) but regardless, that won't affect the sound.
 
The marks on the driver don't seem too significant from the pictures. I seriously doubt anyone's switched the drivers with those from a lower model, for example. I once 'liberated' a pair of 325i drivers to fit them into wooden cups and I had the basically destroy the entire inner plastic sleeve (the part with the serial number scratched into it) to remove the driver.
 
One possibility is that they've been opened up and someone's messed about with the back of the driver, to tweak the sound. A common mod is to poke holes in the soft material at the rear of the driver, which improves bass response (search for 'venting Grado driver' for details) If this was done without proper care it might be why they sound 'off'.
 
See if you can use a torch to get a look at the back of the driver through the metal grille on the rear of the cups - does anything look damaged?
 
I also agree you'd be wise to take them to a dealer for an A/B comparsion with a new pair.