[devouringone3]

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They just plop out:
 

 

Ok thanks, cool pictures!

 

[Chefguru]

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Just to add some observations...the set I sent in and am waiting for currently is my 5th set I've owned.
4 had the ultrawide cable, 1 standard, 1 was a hp3. All sounded slightly different. The standard cable one was the bassiest and darkest. The others were different in that some were more open sounding, some more closed in. I would agree that all exhibited some shout in the midrange, albeit nowhere near a John Grado.
My 5th set had a busted driver. I sent it in years ago for joe to replace with matched drivers. Not only did it return perfect but it was clearly the best set I had ever owned. Only difference I saw was a tarlike substance lining the inner part of the enclosure. $350 well spent.
My upgrade should be done and joe last week told me he would send it by the end of the week, so hopefully next week I'll get to add more impressions. Joe in both experiences was really nice to talk to.

Did you get the new pads/upgraded phone yet? I'm waiting for mine too!
 
 

 

[563]

is there a link somewhere about ordering the pads?  off topic, but one poster mentioned he'd ask joe to disable the polarity switch on the hp1.  while i own the hp2, i've heard the hp1 a couple of times and actually liked the polarity switch (and noticed a difference), so i'm wondering what the downside of the switch is, other than that it can break(?)  one concern i have (though i'm not about to get my hp2 modded) is - and this should not be taken the wrong way - but how good can a 90-year old person's hearing be that he can do this mod and improve the sound at this stage of the game.  maybe joe has defied the laws of nature, but don't we experience certain hearing loss by a certain age (and 90 is getting way up there)....

 

[Chefguru]

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is there a link somewhere about ordering the pads?  off topic, but one poster mentioned he'd ask joe to disable the polarity switch on the hp1.  while i own the hp2, i've heard the hp1 a couple of times and actually liked the polarity switch (and noticed a difference), so i'm wondering what the downside of the switch is, other than that it can break(?)  one concern i have (though i'm not about to get my hp2 modded) is - and this should not be taken the wrong way - but how good can a 90-year old person's hearing be that he can do this mod and improve the sound at this stage of the game.  maybe joe has defied the laws of nature, but don't we experience certain hearing loss by a certain age (and 90 is getting way up there)....

 
There is no order page, Joe has recently found a way to improve the original pads and if you call him up he might sell you a pair (might because I'm not so sure he is selling them solo) for $150. As of right now, the pads are as far as I'm aware only available to hp1000 upgraded customers/people that getting the upgrade now. He probably doesn't have too many pairs made. I tried to ask him what he did to improve them and he said something that I didn't really understand about how the hair and dust is removed and some other chemical added to prevent it from changing.
 
 As far as the age thing, this is certainly something many people have probably wondered about - but the upgrades don't really rely on his hearing. Also keep in mind Joe was in his late 60s when he even invented the hp1000... if that isn't defying the laws of nature I don't know what is.
 
 
 
 

 

[devouringone3]

He can experiment with a lower quality headphone and seek to improve it's sound drastically, then apply "proven upgrading tweaks" he discovered here and there to his old HP1 design.
 
I have studied audiology for one year and the most of the hearing loss occur from 55-60 to 75 years old; for Joseph, that was when he actually designed the HP1000 legend. Hearing loss stabilizes / maximizes after this, usually. I would not worry about his hearing if I were you.
 
People who spoke to him on the phone, or who have seen him / went to his house, told us he was very lucid and well hearing too, not asking to repeat louder or anything.
 
 
Also studies have been made and people who focus on their hearing sense all their life worth, like musicians, statistically have less hearing loss than average people, when growing old. Be reminded that Joseph Grado is/was, amazingly, an opera singer.
 
The ones the most affected by presbycusis (hearing loss due to aging) are noisy industry workers...
 
Cherish it and you will preserve it.
 
 
I'm also planning a HP1 purchase and I'm still on the fence whether to send it to him just for cutting off the switches, or benefiting of the full upgrade at the same time... vs. simply keeping it stock.
 
If the switches fail on me, I can always send it to someone else like Drew at Moon Audio and have it recabled, should be as simple as that? After removing all that's left in the cup and have the equivalent of a HP2, with a dud switch.

 

[devouringone3]

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is there a link somewhere about ordering the pads?

 
Yes. You can try there http://www.joegradosig.com/hp1000creation.html#upgrade
 
It's a phone call that you will need to do. Doesn't hurt to ask.
 
Chefguru might be right too, about it being only available to those who send their headphones in.

 

[563]

thanks for the info.  i once tried to call him about a year ago - i believe his wife (she may have died since) answered, but he never got back to me.  may have slipped through the cracks.  it certainly is worth a try calling him and asking him about the pads. as for hearing loss (sigh) as a former merchant marine radio officer, i sure have it but it doesn't stop me from pursuing great sound though!   still, i have to be a little concerned about joe's age as well as his ability to upgrade more than one or two hp1000s - especially if it's been taking him around six months or so to do these.  again, and no offense intended towards joe, but half a year when you're ninety is, well, a lot of time ....
 
still wondering, what's the advantage of disabling the polarity switch, if any?
 
 

 

[pcf]

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still wondering, what's the advantage of disabling the polarity switch, if any?
 
 

One less thing in the signal path.
 
 

 

[devouringone3]

 
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One less thing in the signal path.

 
Which implies one less thing that can break and prevent your headphones from functioning.
 
 
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still, i have to be a little concerned about joe's age as well as his ability to upgrade more than one or two hp1000s - especially if it's been taking him around six months or so to do these.  again, and no offense intended towards joe, but half a year when you're ninety is, well, a lot of time ....

Yeah well it is a well known fact that time goes by faster as you grow older. Because you are more busy, and because your senses aren't as accurate... and you brain as long stopped produced new neurons (stops at 20 years old), so you cannot learn as fast so much and as well, yet you still can create neural bridges and perfect knowledge and learn new languages. Still I think 6 months was in a busy period of his life, with the health problems (cancer) of his wife and maybe the lack of parts (he needed to find them in his old stocks). Now he has gotten a lot better at doing this upgrade and I wouldn't expect him to take more than 3 months to do the upgrade.
 
 
Me I would like to buy a 300$ power supply from him for a HPA-1.

 

[pcf]

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Which implies one less thing that can break and prevent your headphones from functioning.
 
 
 

I was thinking more about the fact that a direct and simple single path would result in better sound quality.
Some people think HP2 sounds than HP1 because of that. I am not sure since I could never hear any diffenence between my HP1 and HP2 before they were modded, but I could hear clear difference between two pairs of NOS HP-2!  If there are different sounding HP1000s, it maybe be because of the drivers.  Joe did mention that they would "grade" the drivers and put them in different models. HP1 would get the best ones followed by HP2 and HP3. The lesser drivers would then go into the prestige series.
Maybe they still have drivers variation issues even now. That would explain why there are different sounding RS1s or PS1000 (especially PS1000!).
 

 

[563]

best drivers in the hp1? - please don't tell me that, as i've maxxed out my spending with my hp-2!

 

[devouringone3]

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best drivers in the hp1? - please don't tell me that, as i've maxxed out my spending with my hp-2!

 
Good job!
 
We won't, HP2 drivers are just as good, as stated by Joseph on a sheet of paper that sometimes accompanied the headphone (or maybe they gave it to you when you went to see Grado Laboratories).
 

(not my pictures, I wish I could read the back of this)
 
Says:
"JOSEPH GRADO SIGNATURE HEADPHONES
 
 
HP-1 WITH POLARITY SWITCHES [...] $ 595
 
HP-2 SAME AS HP-1 WITHOUT POLARITY SWITCHES [...] $ 495
 
HP-3 SAME AS HP-2 BUT LESSER TOLERANCES [...] $ 395
(SONICALLY ABOUT 85% AS GOOD AS THE HP-2)"
 
But now when Joseph talks about the HP-3 he says they are just as good...
 

 
Only 50-55 made.

 

[devouringone3]

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Hey Purrin, I'm about to open my HP1000 to fit some strain relief mechanics to the cable near the cutouts. Do you have any tips or warnings to give me to handle such a procedure?
 
Thanks!

Dang!
 
I have found my reason to send my headphone for an upgrade. Grrr.
 
I opened the headphone, cleaned all the dirt, metal oil, it became silver and shiny, good looking, but as I manipulated the cable near the driver, trying various tapes (Gorilla tape and Scotch tough duct tape) to wrap and use as a strain relief it felt off, stupidly easily, only with the shaking of my manipulation (and I was doing it with the driver resting on a table, the driver wasn't lifted or anything). It's like if the copper was rusted, weakened by age or something... look at the pictures.
 
I ADVISE ANYONE NOT TO OPEN THEIR HP1-2-3, the wire solder-attached to the driver isn't holding as strong as one could expect I've had my lesson), now that the headphone is 20 years old.
 

 

 

 

Transparent detached first, I held the driver looking at it dumbly, and blue wire felt off.
 

White thing around which the copper wires are twisted.
 

Incredible to think our music goes through, in and out of those only two ~0.01 millimeter thin copper wire... I hope they're not as fragile as the solder joint that using to be holding my cable and left driver together.
 
I'll be listening to my SR100-0 until I find 1500 dollars... If Joseph Grado becomes sick or anything happen to him I will begin my quest for finding a Grado HP-1-2-3 knowledgeable recabler. Two candidates I know of are Alex at APureSound and Larry at Headphile. *Edit, I have never soldered anything, I won't start on my HP2 ! lol
 
More pictures of the cable's ends
 

 

 

 

 
Pictures of before:

 

*Edit, I now realize how dumb I was to clean this acoustically purposeful, intended oil... it's not dirt! it was hand applied by John are the time of the building (or Joseph whatever)... definitely need to send this headphone in to Joseph for a repair!! and upgrade too.
 
I remember listening to them before breaking, but after cleaning them: I thought they sounded better. That's because I like treble... the oil had the effect of taming the highs a little bit. It was really noticeable though!
 

 

 
I'm awaiting a HP1 in the mail, I won't ******* touch to it...

 

[recstar24]

Quote:

Just to add some observations...the set I sent in and am waiting for currently is my 5th set I've owned.
4 had the ultrawide cable, 1 standard, 1 was a hp3. All sounded slightly different. The standard cable one was the bassiest and darkest. The others were different in that some were more open sounding, some more closed in. I would agree that all exhibited some shout in the midrange, albeit nowhere near a John Grado.
My 5th set had a busted driver. I sent it in years ago for joe to replace with matched drivers. Not only did it return perfect but it was clearly the best set I had ever owned. Only difference I saw was a tarlike substance lining the inner part of the enclosure. $350 well spent.
My upgrade should be done and joe last week told me he would send it by the end of the week, so hopefully next week I'll get to add more impressions. Joe in both experiences was really nice to talk to.

Did you get the new pads/upgraded phone yet? I'm waiting for mine too!
 
 

Nope not yet. I spoke with joe before canfest and he was very apologetic, but he does have some health issues and recently had surgery. He said mine had maybe a hour or so of labor left, I will probably call him end of next week. My set is currently the one he is working on in his queue and will update when I receive them for you.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

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Quote:

Dang!
 
I have found my reason to send my headphone for an upgrade. Grrr.
 
I opened the headphone, cleaned all the dirt, metal oil, it became silver and shiny, good looking, but as I manipulated the cable near the driver, trying various tapes (Gorilla tape and Scotch tough duct tape) to wrap and use as a strain relief it felt off, stupidly easily, only with the shaking of my manipulation (and I was doing it with the driver resting on a table, the driver wasn't lifted or anything). It's like if the copper was rusted, weakened by age or something... look at the pictures.
 
I ADVISE ANYONE NOT TO OPEN THEIR HP1-2-3, the wire solder-attached to the driver isn't holding as strong as one could expect I've had my lesson), now that the headphone is 20 years old.

I'm not clear if you can solder or not but you now have the opportunity to re-cable with something else easily DIY-able where you can beef up the strain relief with heatshrink or something.  You can re-use the cable or solder a new one on.  Inside the stock Grados I have seen, the strain relief is either a zip tie with slack inside the cup or hot glue.  You're essentially halfway there already!