[gzbaga]

I recommend the he500s, very decent headphones, can do many genres well such as pop jazz and contry.

 

[idletime1213]

^ $1700 vs $945 and $699 for the LCD2 and HE-500, respectively. You tell me.
 
More expensive than the HD800? Check
More expensive than the T1? Check
More expensive than the W3000ANV? Check

 

[Head Injury]

Quote:

And are how the prices of the Hifimans and Audezes NOT stupendous??

Frequency response graphs alone hardly tell the whole story when it comes to headphones, but they can be pretty entertaining!
 

 
Not to mention the materials used. The PS1000 uses the same cheap scratchy foam pads as all their models, just bigger. They come in the same pizza box as all the others. They use the same metal and mahogany housing as the HF-2, just in a different shape. They might even use the same driver for all we know, an uninspired 40 mm dynamic driver with no interesting features to set it apart from any of their other models. Taking into account only the cost of materials and research put into them, the markup on high-end headphones like the LCD-2 is huge. But the markup on headphones like the PS1000 is ridiculous.

 

[Head Injury]

Quote:

The hilarious arguments continue - yeah, good headphones like the LCD-3 are made of totally exciting and awesome dualridiculetanium solely compared to the LCD-2s, which are made of singleridiculetanium...  The pizza box of the Grado's on the other hand has remarkable impact on sound quality as it tensions the drivers by creating just the right amount of air pressure within the box...  However, take them out before they are properly pressurized and you get bluish wavey graphs... The R&D into the pizza box alone accounts for at least 30% of the markup and clearly shows the PS1000 are no good and targeted at pizza drivers instead of real audiophiles.  The fact that the PS1000 have leather headband like the, finally, released leather headband on the LCD-2, is evidence of Grado bypassing R&D and just copying the audiophile market leaders.  And with the pretty color waves above, they are only selling due to some customers favoring blue over other colors and not on any SQ merit.

I'm glad you agree.

 

[Kanashimu]

Appeal to tradition fallacies notwithstanding - have you actually ever HEARD the HE-500?

The HE-500s to me are actually very comfortable and feel lightweight due to excellent weight distribution. It makes me question it being actually 500 grams. Its only a tiny bit less comfy than a Senn HD 555, and I don't know what kind of higher praise there is for comfort.

Out of my HM-601 or iBasso D4, they gave my Miracles a run for the money. I'm sure that they perform quite well with very little amping, but I can only imagine what they do properly amped.

Please, lets not corrupt this thread with preposterous displays of fanboyism.
 

 

[Ultramus]

Well I think if anything testio has only proven that his opinion is clearly unbiased. As far as an actual response, having not heard the PS500 and owning the HE-500s, I'd say the HiFiman's. They are the best headphones I have every heard for classical and jazz which is a good percentage of my listening. The bass is crystal clear and the mids are as realistic as I have experienced. The Grado's I'm sure are a fine pick as well but from their other models I am always dissatisfied with the low end and after a while the brightness can be a bit tiring. I also have no issue wearing the HiFimans for long listening sessions. Why not every manufacturer uses nice memory foam on the headband I am astounded by, it really helps comfort.

 

[Mozu]

Please, lets not corrupt this thread with preposterous displays of fanboyism.

I think it's well past that point already.

 

[customNuts]

 


Quote:

I'm relatively new to headphones, but even I know this is bunk. I've researched quite a few models over the past few months, and while the HE-500s are considered excellent headphones, the same is true of the PS1000s and PS500s. It's not even close to "equal parts adoration and hate". I actually hope to own a higher end model of both companies, but this sort of sensationalistic "anti-company X" mentality serves little purpose, IMO. If I had listened to the people who are anti-Grado for unsubstantiated reasons, I would not have had the opportunity to enjoy my SR80is over the past few weeks. Just like if I allowed the anti-hifiman folks deter me from enjoying that product line, I'd be missing out just the same. But just as with the HE-500s, there is FAR more praise for the Grado PS series than there is hate, and it's not even close.

Absolutely. This all or nothing attitude on something so subjective is pretty childish.

 

[bbophead]

to the OP:
 
disclaimer - never heard the HE-500's.
 
BUT, I have extensive experience with the HE-5LE's through a Will Vincent Dyna 70 in triode mode (22 WPC) and I own PS-500's and HD-598's driven by a Peachtree Nova.
 
The Grado's are more fun.  They're brighter with a little mid-bass hump that brings music to life.  I slapped the G-Cush on them for comfort and soundstage.  I'm a classical and jazz snob and they work for me better than the HiFiMan.  The 5LE's are a much darker sound but very pleasant.  I didn't have a problem with the comfort of them.  Just not my cuppa'. The 598's are completely different from the Grado's.  They have a rep for being brighter than the rest of the Senn line but, IMHO, still exhibit that Senn veil.
 
I appreciate that folks like to graph the FR of phones.  It may even be useful but nothing can substitute for putting the cans on your head and listening. 
 
Perhaps purchase of the cans you are interested in could come with some kind of return option.  Then you'll know more.
 
Good Luck from a Grado fanman.

 

[Gradofan2]

 
Quote:

to the OP:
 
disclaimer - never heard the HE-500's.
 
BUT, I have extensive experience with the HE-5LE's through a Will Vincent Dyna 70 in triode mode (22 WPC) and I own PS-500's and HD-598's driven by a Peachtree Nova.
 
The Grado's are more fun.  They're brighter with a little mid-bass hump that brings music to life.  I slapped the G-Cush on them for comfort and soundstage.  I'm a classical and jazz snob and they work for me better than the HiFiMan.  The 5LE's are a much darker sound but very pleasant.  I didn't have a problem with the comfort of them.  Just not my cuppa'. The 598's are completely different from the Grado's.  They have a rep for being brighter than the rest of the Senn line but, IMHO, still exhibit that Senn veil.
 
I appreciate that folks like to graph the FR of phones.  It may even be useful but nothing can substitute for putting the cans on your head and listening. 
 
Perhaps purchase of the cans you are interested in could come with some kind of return option.  Then you'll know more.
 
Good Luck from a Grado fanman.

I had the HE500's driven by the EF-5... and... they had a thick veil, or fog, in the bass and mids.  I returned them they were so inferior to all my other phones.  
 
Now... maybe you can attribute it to a defective set of phones, or defective EF-5, or lack of burn-in, or whatever... but... I wasn't willing to take the risk that they might never "clear up."  
 
I just demoed the PS500's and they were so superior to the HE500's I had... it wasn't even close.  In fact, the PS500's may well be the best phones I've had, or tried - which include most of the good ones.
 

 

[dleblanc343]

Of course the HE500's sound veiled through the ef5; it's not a great pairing. Sorry, but I can't take your post seriously either. Having owned the ps500's and the hifiman's, there's no way you can claim the ps500's being superior... no matter who decides to be the judge (unless the person has severely broken hearing).
 
The HE500's are a class above the ps500's, outclassing it in almost every way. The advantage to the grado is intimacy with the small sound stage.
 
You'd want to compare some HP series or maybe symphone magnums with the HE500...
 
Quote:

 

I had the HE500's driven by the EF-5... and... they had a thick veil, or fog, in the bass and mids.  I returned them they were so inferior to all my other phones.  
 
Now... maybe you can attribute it to a defective set of phones, or defective EF-5, or lack of burn-in, or whatever... but... I wasn't willing to take the risk that they might never "clear up."  
 
I just demoed the PS500's and they were so superior to the HE500's I had... it wasn't even close.  In fact, the PS500's may well be the best phones I've had, or tried - which include most of the good ones.
 

 

 

[Focker]

Quote:

Of course the HE500's sound veiled through the ef5; it's not a great pairing. Sorry, but I can't take your post seriously either. Having owned the ps500's and the hifiman's, there's no way you can claim the ps500's being superior... no matter who decides to be the judge (unless the person has severely broken hearing).
 
The HE500's are a class above the ps500's, outclassing it in almost every way. The advantage to the grado is intimacy with the small sound stage.
 
You'd want to compare some HP series or maybe symphone magnums with the HE500...
 


 

You say he's not credible, but you do the exact same thing in your post lol.  I've read quite a few reviews, both professional and amateur, where the PS500 is stated to be 85% the quality of the flagship PS1000s at 1/3 the price. Some people may prefer the Grados to the HifiMans...this hobby is SUBJECTIVE more than anything else. You have your preferences, he has his.

 

[dleblanc343]

I wouldn't say the ps500's are 85% ps1000's... they're not that similar
 
Quote:

You say he's not credible, but you do the exact same thing in your post lol.  I've read quite a few reviews, both professional and amateur, where the PS500 is stated to be 85% the quality of the flagship PS1000s at 1/3 the price. Some people may prefer the Grados to the HifiMans...this hobby is SUBJECTIVE more than anything else. You have your preferences, he has his.

 

 

[shimmer n roar]

 
The PS500 doesn't look like a mini PS1000 according to this graph.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
The PS500 doesn't look like a mini PS1000 according to this graph.

Sure doesn't, but graphs only tell you so much. I haven't heard either one yet, I just know that I've seen several reviews where they felt the 500s got you pretty close to the 1000s for much less money.