I don't understand Grados... can someone explain it me?
Dec 1, 2008 at 8:13 PM Post #31 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by cash68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I have a friend with a few pairs of Grados that he raves about. I have some older cans, like a goofy Zenith quadraphonic monster, some recently acquired Pioneer SE-205s (brand new in box never used!, FREE!
biggrin.gif
) and the typical DJ Sony MDR-V700s. I listened to them all, back to back, and I don't get the grados... the bass was muffled and weak, and the highs weren't very crisp. Most music sounded better on the MDR-V700s, which I know don't sound very good. I've listened to some other high end headphones and they blew me away, but the Grados... man... I just don't understand what the hell people are raving about.


It's simple:

The lower-end Grados that you have listened to are simply not your cup of tea. The Grado sound (or shall I say Grato sound?) isn't for everyone.

Even with that, I still like and dislike various Grados individually. But the MDR-V700s... gosh... It sounded quite muddy to my ears, and what little highs that the MDR-V700s reproduce are a bit shrill. Granted, I've heard worse headphones than the MDR-V700s, but the extremely painful discomfort that the MDR-V700's earpieces produce is reason enough for me to recommend avoiding them.
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 9:17 PM Post #33 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle_Driver /img/forum/go_quote.gif
It's simple:

The lower-end Grados that you have listened to are simply not your cup of tea. The Grado sound (or shall I say Grato sound?) isn't for everyone.

Even with that, I still like and dislike various Grados individually. But the MDR-V700s... gosh... It sounded quite muddy to my ears, and what little highs that the MDR-V700s reproduce are a bit shrill. Granted, I've heard worse headphones than the MDR-V700s, but the extremely painful discomfort that the MDR-V700's earpieces produce is reason enough for me to recommend avoiding them.


Yeah, I know the Sony's aren't exactly accurate, but they represented the lower frequencies a lot better than the Grados did, and everything sounded much brighter and deeper. Honestly, the Grados remind me of vintage headphones, with a bit more detail, and less bass. I guess I was just expecting something else, like the soundstage to sound 'bigger'. I listened to some Sennheisers that made my jaw hit the floor, and ... wow. I was hoping for something kinda like that, I suppose.

Oh, and for the record I was listening to ambient, electronic, and some beatles.
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 9:42 PM Post #36 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by cash68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I listened to some Sennheisers that made my jaw hit the floor, and ... wow. I was hoping for something kinda like that, I suppose.


Did you remember exactly which Sennheiser model you listened to? (I'm asking this because not all Sennheisers sound alike.)

The Gratos, on the other hand, sound somewhat unrefined compared to most other high-end brands of headphones.
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 9:50 PM Post #37 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by cash68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Yeah, don't mind me, I'm clearly a ****ing idiot who doesn't know anything about how stuff sounds.

PS: Here's my system:

Home_Theater_Desk__COMPLETE_by_cash68.jpg


Wow what a piece of crap.


Wow! You must be an audiophile idiot savant!
wink_face.gif
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 10:02 PM Post #38 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by cash68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
People like you are the reason I left. Thanks for the reminder.


Anytime. Still driving your "quasi-exotic" Subaru?
biggrin.gif
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 10:06 PM Post #39 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by wae5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Wow! You must be an audiophile idiot savant!
wink_face.gif



LOL! I can't figure out if we were seriously supposed to be impressed by an 8-track player?
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 10:28 PM Post #40 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by subtle /img/forum/go_quote.gif
LOL! I can't figure out if we were seriously supposed to be impressed by an 8-track player?


It's quad, it's rare, and it doesn't work anyway. Eventually I'll get it fixed for my quad 8 tracks.

And yes, still driving the Subaru, just hit 198,000 miles on it.

Svxy_by_cash68.jpg
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 10:30 PM Post #41 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by subtle /img/forum/go_quote.gif
LOL! I can't figure out if we were seriously supposed to be impressed by an 8-track player?


I was never impressed by any 8-track cartridge equipment - not even a high-end unit. This is because the format itself imposes serious fidelity restrictions: The tape is twice as wide and runs twice as fast as an audio cassette tape - but the audio tracks on an 8-track cartridge are, if anything, actually narrower than the tracks on a 4-track cassette. Add to that the cartridge itself allows too much misalignment, resulting in some tapes' sound to go tinny and muffled alternatively. And because the pinch roller in an 8-track cartridge system is inside the cartridge itself, the wow and flutter of even the best 8-track cartridge decks is much higher than those of the better cassette decks.

And the OP appears to have a quadrophonic 8-track cartridge recorder in that pic. This quadrophonic setup reduces the recording time in half, with the same narrow tracks as stereo 8-track cartridges and the same compromised fidelity. And tape designers have refused to improve the 8-track tape formulations to anywhere near the same degree as the cassette tape formulations for fear of the near-complete loss of compatibility between old and new 8-track cartridges. As a result, the tape formulation in 8-track cartridges remained the old-style ferric oxide for nearly the entire production life of the cartridges.
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 10:40 PM Post #42 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle_Driver /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I was never impressed by any 8-track cartridge equipment - not even a high-end unit. This is because the format itself imposes serious fidelity restrictions: The tape is twice as wide and runs twice as fast as an audio cassette tape - but the audio tracks on an 8-track cartridge are, if anything, actually narrower than the tracks on a 4-track cassette. Add to that the cartridge itself allows too much misalignment, resulting in some tapes' sound to go tinny and muffled alternatively. And because the pinch roller in an 8-track cartridge system is inside the cartridge itself, the wow and flutter of even the best 8-track cartridge decks is much higher than those of the better cassette decks.

And the OP appears to have a quadrophonic 8-track cartridge recorder in that pic. This quadrophonic setup reduces the recording time in half, with the same narrow tracks as stereo 8-track cartridges and the same compromised fidelity. And tape designers have refused to improve the 8-track tape formulations to anywhere near the same degree as the cassette tape formulations for fear of the near-complete loss of compatibility between old and new 8-track cartridges.


Everything you mentioned is true, and that is also why the cassette tape won out over the 8 track. Mine doesn't even work, but I plan on getting it repaired eventually. It's a period and brand correct piece for my system, and it represents THE BEST that was available at the time. To put it another way, both the Porsche 356 and Jaguar XJE are bested by a new Honda Minivan (Soccer Moms' Revenge: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine), but that doesn't mean they're not worth preserving. History is important, and even if something isn't competitive in performance, it can still offer years of pleasure in ownership and use.
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 10:55 PM Post #43 of 50
Listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan right now, and his guitar (and my air guitar) disagrees with you.

I can agree the bass leaves some to be desired- but muddy it is not.
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 11:03 PM Post #44 of 50
Quote:

Originally Posted by xnothingpoetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan right now, and his guitar (and my air guitar) disagrees with you.


Oh, yes, the tapes inside 8-track cartridges did get better towards the end of their production lifespan (sometime in the mid-1980's). But it was too little, too late.
 
Dec 1, 2008 at 11:07 PM Post #45 of 50
Sorry- miss understanding- I was responding to the OP and his opinion on the sound of Grados.

My fault- I should have quoted him. And the thread has clearly moved on to a new topic.
redface.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top