John Grado has agreed to an interview, I invite you to suggest some questions
Jul 27, 2005 at 6:24 AM Post #61 of 87
What's the real pronunciation of your name?

(kidding, we all know the answer to this . . .)
 
Jul 27, 2005 at 7:15 AM Post #63 of 87
Quote:

Originally Posted by braillediver
2) Have you ever thought of producing an electrostatic headphone?
Mitch



I'd ask that same question! I mean, if you take a look at a Grado earcup, it looks like it could easily house an electrostatic transducer. Crap, I'd even try it myself if my SR60's bit the dust again at the right time (when I'm overloaded with money
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Alot of questions posed thus far on this thread are great questions, ones I'd surely ask him myself-sans the fact anyone would be bombarded by the sheer number of them.
The other thing I'd ask is if his company plans on making a tube based amp to drive their headphones, I could see this going very well for a company so dedicated to a great warm sound and vinyl record accessories(cartridges, phono preamps, etc.)

The last thing I'd like to mention is to say thanks Grado (John and Joe), for producing some really great products, and to keep on doing what you guys do so well.

(PS-Zanth, I hope you tell the guy thanks on behalf of all the fans at HeadFi!)
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,
Abe
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...One more post, and I'm there
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...!
 
Jul 27, 2005 at 7:35 AM Post #64 of 87
Quote:

Originally Posted by Xanadu777

4] What is the criteria used for matching drivers to 0.05db. Are they matched at one frequency and which one (or more). Is a sampling of a batch measured or is every set "matched"?

5] Besides PS-1, all drivers are physically the same in appearance, are they all the same and if not, what is different?



I also would like to recommend that these questions are asked as well as the possibility of returning to the HP1000 driver.


iDesign
 
Jul 27, 2005 at 8:01 AM Post #65 of 87
Quote:

Originally Posted by iDesign
the possibility of returning to the HP1000 driver.


My understanding is Joe still owns the rights to the HP drivers and wants to keep it that way. So as sad as it is, they won't be going in Grado cans anytime soon. Now if John wants to design a driver that emulates HP sound, I would guess he's capable of that, but does he want to...
 
Jul 27, 2005 at 12:49 PM Post #66 of 87
Quote:

Originally Posted by ServinginEcuador
That goes for me too. A nice high impedance set of cans would make for some serious tube-love in my book.


ditto.

there could be a RS-1i with 'i' standing for impedance..
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Jul 27, 2005 at 1:41 PM Post #68 of 87
Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey
Ask John if he has ever done or would he ever consider doing product placement in movies, etc.


Dr. House, on the T.V. show "House" is somewhat of an audiophile on the show, and there was one episode where they showed him listening to a nice turntable (I couldn't tell what) with a Grado wood-bodied cartridge, albeit on Bose Quiet Comfort II headphones.
 
Jul 27, 2005 at 1:44 PM Post #70 of 87
Wow we have a ton of questions so far, I wonder how Zanth is going to pare this down!
 
Jul 27, 2005 at 2:30 PM Post #71 of 87
When new headphone products are developed, such as the PS1, SR325i & MS2i, how is it decided when the sound is just right for release to the public. During the R&D stage, is that decision made by one person, or committee, and what steps are involved? Also, what standards & source material, both from a hardware & software standpoint are used to achieve consistency when reviewing prototypes prior to marketing them?

Also, I would be interested in why, since there is such demand for them, that the "flat pads can not be offered as an option directly from Grado at a reasonable price?

I would be interested in knowing if an optional high quality case could be made available for use with the Grado headphones. Even if it was not included with the phones, but as a separate purchase. I know many would love to have a case like the one the original RS1's came in. Or even something entirely different at is made for the Grados.

- augustwest
 
Jul 27, 2005 at 5:48 PM Post #72 of 87
Quote:

4] What is the criteria used for matching drivers to 0.05db. Are they matched at one frequency and which one (or more). Is a sampling of a batch measured or is every set "matched"?


Follow up questions to this:
It would be logical that drivers that don't pass 0.05db matching are used in lower end headphones.

Are there several "production lines" for drivers? Or is it just matching/testing of the individual drivers that decides what becomes a high end/low end RS or an SR?

If only one production line: Could this mean that if a batch of drivers were particulary sucessfull you could in theory get above normal quality drivers in lower end Grados?

I've been pondering on this for quite some time...
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Jul 27, 2005 at 6:48 PM Post #73 of 87
Thanks guys for all the great questions. I am not certain about how much time John and I will speak tomorrow morning, but I will try to get answers to many of these questions, some of them are quite interesting.

As some may have noticed, I've trimmed the fat in this thread. Frankly, I believe some people may be oblivious to the fact that Grado is one of the oldest hifi manufacturers in the world. Moreover, although Joe Grado has been inducted into the Audio Hall of Fame for things such as the invention of the moving coil cartridge among a myriad of other things all of which are patented, it was John Grado who resurrected a nearly dead company. Joe passed on the torch to John, but what once was a torch was more akin to a nearly burnt out horse-hair of a wick on a stub of a candle. With a renowned name and a solid history of products, it was John that reinvented Grado and projected the company into the realm it rests in today.

John has on numerous occasions opened up the doors to Grado Labs in Brooklyn for Head-fi Meets! In fact, he was the very first manufacturer to do so, and I believe the only one who has done so repeatedly. (maybe Wadia also? Can't recall)

John Grado is not just another manufacturer and this interview is not meant as anything other than gleaning some insight into the Grado products, the man behind the company and the musical goals he is trying to achieve.

That said, I'm not going to attempt to embarrass him, or myself in the process, by questioning comfort, style etc. These have all been discussed ad nausium with him before, either in the hi-fi press or privately from customers or would-have-been customers. Nor will I be so bold as to venture into anything financial, from his distribution policies to the pricing of his line-up.

I'm not Barbara Walters (thank God) nor am I even remotely interested in digging up any dirt if there is any to be found.

I have removed all questions that I felt went against the nature of this interview as I see it, if anyone feels they were somehow slighted by my deletion, sorry folks, it is how I feel and if I were on the other end of any of those questions or comments, my reaction would be less than pleasant. Moreover, if John Grado does read these forums (which is a good question btw) then how would it seem to him, such q's being asked in a thread regarding a favour, a courtesy he is extending to me and essentially the membership at large?

Grado Labs has contact information on their site, folks here are easily capable of contacting him and trying to get answers to their questions.

I have to work late tomorrow night, so I doubt I will have the interview up until Friday afternoon or so, but let me tell you, as excited as some or all of you are to read this, I'm even more excited to talk to the guy.

Cheers.
 
Jul 27, 2005 at 6:51 PM Post #74 of 87
Great work Zanth...I can't wait to read the interview! Most of the questions I have were already asked above, but here's a couple:

1.) Not sure if this is a better question for Joe, but I'd love to hear an account of the R/D behind the RA-1. How many capacitor/opamp combinations did they try before finding the one that synergizes so well with their 'phones? Were all the decisions made mostly by listening, or more by digging through spec sheets? Is John mad about the preponderance of RA-1 clones in DIY circles, or does he have a more "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" type of attitude?

2.) What turntables does he find work best with Grado cartridges?

3.) What kind of music does he like? Can we get a "Desert Island" list of favorite recordings?
 
Jul 27, 2005 at 6:56 PM Post #75 of 87
This last post is Excellent Zanth.

John Grado runs a successful company and as such we can learn something from him. It would be pompous (to say the least) to tell him how to run his business.


Best of Luck tomorrow

Mitch
 

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