I get the feeling they are being left behind especially in the high end products category. They have not had an answer to the top end products from Sennheiser, Audeze, and Beyerdynamic.
I get the feeling they are being left behind especially in the high end products category. They have not had an answer to the top end products from Sennheiser, Audeze, and Beyerdynamic.
I for one don't want hifi to ever become a 6 month release cycle like apple would make it if they controlled that market.
I think Grado is fine. People who want a Grado get a Grado. I'd wager Grado has more market than Audeze does if you think about it. You don't need a super high end in the spot light that is new to keep a good market.
I think they're evolving for the worst sound quality wise. Quality went down and the headphones they have in production now aren't as nice sounding as when they produced them 15 years ago. Why can't they bring back the the PS-1, or the SR/RS series with pink transition sounding drivers? Those sounded really good and I wish I hadn't sold mine a while back. I had high hopes when they first released the PS-1000 but it turned out to be a huge disappointment. I think I'll pass on the newly released PS500.
I get the feeling they are being left behind especially in the high end products category. They have not had an answer to the top end products from Sennheiser, Audeze, and Beyerdynamic.
I get the feeling they are being left behind especially in the high end products category. They have not had an answer to the top end products from Sennheiser, Audeze, and Beyerdynamic.
Don't get me wrong, I like the RS1s and I own HF2s (the HP1000s I have don't count.) But in terms of evolving slowly, that's giving them too much credit. I don't think they are evolving at all. The driver technology, the cups, and even the tuning of the FR (with two minor exceptions), have been more or less the same for some time now.
Dunno about evolving too slowly since "retro" is apparently making a come back. Who knows... Maybe hipsters will start wearing them because they are "vintage?" (Despite not being vintage...) Personally I don't think there is a such thing as evolving too slowly in the audio world. This field usually does need a effort to be put in order for a headphone to sound good. Grado has a good thing going with a small, yet very vocal crowd behind them.
Given the business success they and even just buzz and interest here for the PS500s, I think it is hard to make the case they are not evolving fast enough. And you also have a new line of IEMs that is well regarded. They are doing fine.
It would certainly be nice if they pushed the technology a bit more on their flagships, or introduced a new high-end headphone that was more advanced, but I wouldn't touch their current line-up too much - it's just nice as it is. I'd be a bit gutted if they changed the RS1 so it sounded significantly different to how it is now, simply for the sake of progress. It's not perfect by any measure, but it is certainly charming - something my other headphones lack. However, if they could improve the comfort without touching the sound, I wouldn't complain!
Exactly ~ they offer one of the most unique, polarized listening experiences on the market.
As a consequence they have a fierce loyal crowd and a nice mob of haters and detractors who
cannot deal with the less than savvy attempts at modern packaging and finish quality.
If it is not broken then don't fix it.
Another point of view rarely offered on here is that the cartridge division is also probably
still responsible for subsidizing the headphone side of things. Business was poor back
in the early 1990's but the revival of vinyl has probably ensured that they can continue
to make both products for the community.
Grados are nice, particularly as an entry into Head-fi, but I wouldn't recommend spending more than a couple hundred of bucks on a Grado headphone. I like the GS1000i, but for the price, a used HD800 is much better.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.