[pcf]

My HP-1 came in with the switches disabled already also but I am not that alone would degrade the sound quality of the headphones.
The original HP-1 should in theory sound better than HP-2 because they were allocated the best drivers, but who knows....

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  My HP-1 came in with the switches disabled already also but I am not that alone would degrade the sound quality of the headphones.
The original HP-1 should in theory sound better than HP-2 because they were allocated the best drivers, but who knows....

My switches WORK!  

 

[pcf]

  My HP-1 came in with the switches disabled already also but I am not that alone would degrade the sound quality of the headphones.
The original HP-1 should in theory sound better than HP-2 because they were allocated the best drivers, but who knows....

You can tell us more about that then.

 

[Neal]

During my phone call with Joe he mentioned that the switches were rated for 1,000,000 throws. I can't imagine that anyone, even when brand new and used by an audio engineer, would need to throw the switchs that many times during the life of the phones. So they should be functional for a long time to come. With the switches in the signal path it is possible over time for the signal to degrade as it passes through the switches. That said, some believe that the HP-2 theoretically would sound better than the HP-1. Whether that is measurable or audible I don't know but I think that's why Joe wanted them out of the signal path. But as I alluded to before I'd take theoretical degradation of the signal to have these phones as they were designed. Just my opinion though.

 

[pcf]

Having the best graded drivers but with switches in the signal path- these are the pos and cons of HP-1. You take your pick.   I can never tell the difference.

 

[Neal]

Me either. So long as you're happy with the sound that's all that matters.

 

[recstar24]

Just saw on Facebook that joe passed away today. RIP.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Oh...... SOOOO sorry.  What a legacy he has left.... phono cartridges, headphones, headphone amp, the HMP Holographic Scalera Scanner microphone, and some BEAUTIFUL tenor music.  And a top-drawer company thriving today!

 

[Doflamingo]

Rest in Peace Joseph
 
So did everyone who sent in their HP1000 get them back? If not any idea if Grado will send them on to you?

 

[Mortalcoil]

Sad news indeed.  God Bless Joe RIP.

 

[wuwhere]

RIP Joe.

 

[devouringone3]

  Having the best graded drivers but with switches in the signal path- these are the pos and cons of HP-1. You take your pick.   I can never tell the difference.

 
The switch can act as a second life for your headphone –if one of the two signal pathways or solder contacts fail between it and the driver– one flick away. Other than that it crowds your cups like a rat's nest with wire, that's why the HP2 is considered “purer” sounding... the HP1 could be considered better “damped”.
 
I'm not sure they're better matched/graded:

(From the official HP 1000 promotion brochure, written by Joe)

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I wonder what the purpose of the switches is... each description I see dismisses them as "for professional use only" but doesn't quite say what that professional use is.  I do know that if I put one up and the other down, it demolishes the sound stage in many, but not all, cases.  Both down or both up are indistinguishable to me.
 
The effect of phase, or any other measurable entity, on sound stage is a topic being discussed under Sound Science  (http://www.head-fi.org/t/751881/objective-correlates-to-sound-stage-and-positional-resolution#post_11248301 ), so it is instructive to have this ability to at least reverse the phase of one ear vs. the other.   Curiously, the effect is greater for some songs than for others.  I wonder if the two channels are highly correlated, they might tend to cancel and collapse sound stage when switches are in different positions, but if the two channels are very different, e.g. from separate channels of electronically-synthesized music, the effect is not noticeable because there are no common elements to cancel. 
 
Of course, this phase "cancelling" would happen in your brain... the signals from each channel are kept separate after that polarity switch until they get beyond your eardrum!
 
(I suspect Joseph Grado is smiling, knowing that these switches he put in had JUST the confounding effect he wanted!!)

 

[icebear]

LOL, professional use only !!! 
... you switched them and now your are confused, that only happens to non-professionals

.
 
As you pointed out the phase switch usually will produce an "out of phase signal" with the sound stage not being recognizable anymore - that is based on the assumption that the recorded signal was "in phase" to begin with

. In case the sound stage imaging is improved when you switch, it means the phase was messed up during recording or post rec. processing... (but I'm non professional either

).

 

[devouringone3]

  I wonder what the purpose of the switches is... [...]

 
They inverse polarity (either [+/-] or [-/+] for each channel), the direction of the electron flow, in case someone did not follow the standard when soldering your headphone-out jack or upstream and your source is remarkably old. (See: http://www.head-fi.org/t/622756/joseph-grado-signature-product-hp2i-upgraded-hp-1000-headphone-information-journal-and-comparative-review-on-hiatus/240#post_10513246)
 
It has become a very common function electronically, you don't need a HP1 with toggles to do it, that's why Joe considered them as little more than additional potential for failure in the headphone's circuitry.