[tha_dude]

Hello,

As far as headphones go I've only had experience with the Grado SR-80s. I think they're a good value for the price but have been thinking of upgrading to high end headphones. I'm rather intrigued with the RS-1's but from reading the forums I don't see them mentioned much anymore. How do they compare with the headphones of today such as AKG K701, Senn HD650, DT880, etc? Are the RS-1's still recommended?

Thanks

 

[HiFiRE]

Quote:

Are the RS-1's still recommended?

Yes, but not by me.

 

[Rise To The Top]

I found them "ok" next to my HD650s. It may just be due to the fact that I am a bass heavy person, and the fact that I'm not a fan of the pads. I'm sure they would be better if I actually had them though, 2 hrs of listening doesnt give a headphone justice.

 

[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tha_dude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello, As far as headphones go I've only had experience with the Grado SR-80s. I think they're a good value for the price but have been thinking of upgrading to high end headphones. I'm rather intrigued with the RS-1's but from reading the forums I don't see them mentioned much anymore. How do they compare with the headphones of today such as AKG K701, Senn HD650, DT880, etc? Are the RS-1's still recommended? Thanks

The RS1s are great cans. If you like the Grado signature, than you can't go wrong with the RS1s. Some say they liked the SR225 more than the RS1s. Some say that the RS1s don't justify the cost and having the SR225 are good enough. Some say that the RS2 are pretty close to the RS1s. I would say to purchase them from a vendor like Headroom and try them out for 30 days. Without hearing them with your own ears it's hard to really know. The one thing I learned is that the source makes a huge difference on how good your cans will sounds. The amp does make a difference, but the source IMHO makes the most difference, with of course the headphones being first. I have the AKG 701s, had the HD650s, and had the DT 990s (not the 880s) and they all are good in their own ways (signature characteristics). A good SS amp that goes with the RS1s are the EC/SS. The RS1s go great with them. Good luck on your search

 

[Gabe Logan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by riceboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif The RS1s are great cans. If you like the Grado signature, than you can't go wrong with the RS1s. Some say they liked the SR225 more than the RS1s. Some say that the RS1s don't justify the cost and having the SR225 are good enough. Some say that the RS2 are pretty close to the RS1s. I would say to purchase them from a vendor like Headroom and try them out for 30 days. Without hearing them with your own ears it's hard to really know. The one thing I learned is that the source makes a huge difference on how good your cans will sounds. The amp does make a difference, but the source IMHO makes the most difference, with of course the headphones being first. I have the AKG 701s, had the HD650s, and had the DT 990s (not the 880s) and they all are good in their own ways (signature characteristics). A good SS amp that goes with the RS1s are the EC/SS. The RS1s go great with them. Good luck on your search

Very true!.The RS-1 is definetly a bigger upgrade from the SR-225 but the thing is the higher you go up the Grado ladder the less you get for the money.

I agree that a good sounding source will change very much what you get coming out of whatever headphones you put on so you might not get all you can from an RS-1 unless you are prepared to move up also in that area.

 

[tbonner1]

Quote:

Yes, but not by me.

X2
I did not think they were that much better than the 225. Different but not better.

Build quality was not that good for $700 ($500 used) headphone. I have always had problems with the Grado sliders that adjust the left/right earcup height.

 

[jjhatfield]

I think the RS-1 is a fine headphone, but only for a few certain types of music, mainly rock and acoustic rock. Just last night I was spinning Ryan Adams vinyl and listening to the RS-1 through my Dynahi, with flat pads of course, and the sound is truly romantic and magical.

But having said that, I tend to listen to my HP2 much more then my RS-1, due to its better resolution, soundstage, and lower fatigue factor.

 

[M0T0XGUY]

Everything that has been posted in this thread is true: RS-1's sound great to many (including myself), but have notable build issues / quality control problems, and some will question how much "bang for the buck" they provide with relation to other lower-end Grado's, such as your SR-80's or the SR-60's. For example, my RS-1's came with scratches on the left plastic piece, and many people have opened brand new boxes only to find numerous dings and scratches on the wood ear cups themselves. Plus, the rod adjusting feature has failed on many headphones, causing, in some cases, an ear cup to actually slide off the headphone assembly and permanently damage the wood. With that said, most of the relatively minor quality control issues do not bother people enough to return them, and then wait another month to get a new pair (after all, there's always a chance of getting a more damaged product than the one you received originally).

So, it's really up to you to decide whether or not the great sound makes up for the lacking quality control standards and questionable build quality, although in my opinion, it's certainly worth taking a chance.

 

[unclejr]

I am a very happy recent RS-1 owner, I love the sound of Grados. I still do not think they are a good value new, admittedly. Mine have had zero issues thus far. Bought from a reputable dealer off demo.

 

[Mher6]

I just bought the RS-1 recently (to compliment, or perhaps replace my HD650). So far I'm pretty happy with the RS-1 regardless of QC issues. I actually can't find any defects with my RS-1 except for a SLIGHT sanding issue on one of the 'buttons'.

The SQ is quite different from the HD650, although the music I listen to is almost exclusively rock, acoustical, etc. which the RS-1 excels at. I'm still determining whether or not I should keep or sell off my HD650s.

 

[tha_dude]

thanks for the info guys. what "level" of source seemed to bring out the best in the RS-1? Do you need a full size player or would an old PCDP (Panasonic SL-S330) or DAP (iAudio F2) work? For max output, the F2's specs say "16 Ohm earphone : 30mW + 30mW".

Thanks

 

[robm321]

Still stacks up very well today if you mostly listen to rock.

The HP-2/PS-1/GS-1000 all better the RS-1 from my point of view, but the RS-1 competes very well against K701/HD650/DT880. It just has a unique sound and is really dependent on the listener whether they like it or not.

 

[grawk]

if you stack them up in their shipping case next to a stack of hd650s, you can get many more in a stack

 

[augustwest]

The RS1's are the classic John Grado headphone and have accumulated many fans over the years. Whether they offer value for the dollar spent is a debatable issue, with both pros & cons.

Like the above post, I think they take a back seat to the Joe Grado HP series and have been superceded by both the GS1000 & the PS1. But if they provide the sound you like, what's the harm in buying them? Especially if you can find a good second hand pair.

- augustwest

 

[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbonner1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif X2 Build quality was not that good for $700 ($500 used) headphone. I have always had problems with the Grado sliders that adjust the left/right earcup height.

I have to agree with tbonner1 that the build quality is not the greatest. I don't like the Y connector as well as the adjusters as well.

Besides that I do love the sound coming from them with the Ear+ HD2.