Lets settle this: Where do you stand on Grado?

[FooTemps]

It's a simple matter, lets just pile it all up in one thread. I've done my fair share of questioning, but I also like Grado products.

Lets just post our opinions on what we like/dislike WITHOUT criticizing others or defending anything. I just want one thread where people state their opinions and leave it without fear of being engaged in some sort of spectacle.

I'm also including a poll for those who don't feel like reading a whole thread of people being opinionated.

For me: I like Grado. Used to own a SR225, loved it, and wish I could currently afford an HF-2.
Grado makes good sounding headphones, albeit using a dated design and I'm assuming dated design principles also. I want Grado to have better quality control without sacrificing what they do in the sound department. I hope they eventually can turn enough profit to create a completely new generation of Grado headphones without losing their identity.

I'd say the "i" iterations are a half generational step in terms of product development.

 

[LingLing1337]

Lets settle this, this thread should be deleted. You're just fueling the fire.

 

[limin]

i think grados are the purest headphones. the grado family obviously loves sound and that passion shows through in the product.

 

[aristos_achaion]

Grado does things a little different from everybody else. Then again, they're a very different company from everybody else. Their sound is good, and, from what I can tell, their QC isn't bad from a falling-apart, breaking, or sounding-bad point of view...they're cosmetic problems. A minor issue.

I'm quite content to buy from them & enjoy their products, knowing that they're not Sennheiser and I don't really want them to be.

Oh, and I hope they never change their look...I'm absolutely in love with the driver-on-a-stick thing. Seriously. It's refreshing.

 

[jrosenth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LingLing1337 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lets settle this, this thread should be deleted. You're just fueling the fire.

X2

 

[gevorg]

The only thing I don't like about Grados is that their performance is not the same from one headphone to another (same model). Of course, all headphones are like that to some degree (even HD800 has slight differences), but Grados have the highest swings in sound. Not sure if this applies to all Grado series.

As for the looks/cosmetics, I don't really care, as long as they sound great, are durable and clean.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I like the passion for sound they have. I like their style, but don't like other factors of the headphones (comfort and complete lack of isolation which were are deal breakers for me). I don't know if I like the sound (haven't heard them). I would have considered trying them, but finding out about, in my opinion, poor customer service has made me decide not to.

 

[tvrboy]

I think most people here like Grados, even if the sound signature isn't for them. The headphones themselves sound great. The company... clearly has some issues. And it's good that those issues surface here on head-fi. I have been a critic of Grado before, but I don't hate the company or anything. I just want to see customers happy and Grado not losing future sales. But for me the sound quality outweighs any bad points about the headphones, and I think a lot of other people have the same opinion.

 

[jrosenth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvrboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif The company... clearly has some issues. And it's good that those issues surface here on head-fi.

Strikes me a such a poor take in a host of ways - almost a flavor of the month kind of cheap wisdom - frankly it's getting pretty old - but not unpredicted given this thread's nature.

The company also has amazing attributes. Working with this community in fact to create a specific product for us (following our general requests even - a $200 can with wood - then again a next gen 325i/MS2 version of it). I have yet to see many other companies come close to that.

 

[jrosenth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FooTemps /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd say the "i" iterations are a half generational step in terms of product development.

what?

-

as opposed to product tiering you'd find between the sen 580 and 600 or the new versions of the PX100, or etc., etc. etc.

I won't go on pulling on this thread by way of defense of Grado but this sort of thing is really just silly -- literally don't understand where this FOTM pontification-based criticism is coming from - yeah everybody can have and share their opinions but the quality of those opinions in terms of their basis (see example above), the tenor and the general amount of this strain as of late is really off-putting and strikes me as just weak

 

[Drubbing]

Kind of a pointless thread stared with the intention of simply raising criticism for the sake of it. Which serves no purpose given the support Grado enjoys around here, given any shortcomings they have are well documented here already.

There are +/- for all thing headphone; Grado does a number of thing differently than others, so do the others. Grado sounds different to most others brands, so do the others. Grado's customer service appears variable in quality, they're not Robinson Crusoe's there.

You either like what they do or you don't. If not, it's not like there isn't a shortage of choice.

 

[RushNerd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LingLing1337 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lets settle this, this thread should be deleted. You're just fueling the fire.

And you love it, guaranteed.

 

[vcoheda]

in general i like grados. PS1, HP1, RS1, and HF2 all are very good. however, i like sennheisers more.

 

[squall343]

Neutral

neither hate nor like them

 

[scytheavatar]

I think:

- It's pure nonsense to think that Grados have a monopoly when it comes to good, exciting rock cans. The ATHs, Ultrasones and even to a certain extent the Denons are more than a match to the Grados.
- There are huge limitations in a Supraaural design. No matter how good the Supraaural Grados are they can never approach the soundstage, comfort and resolution of a full-sized can. Which is why the high end RS1 and RS2 comes off as being a bit of a rip off. (That's what I feel about the ESW10 too).
- The Grados are exciting, but when you need something laidback they fail to deliver. Which is why I would never recommend them for classical or jazz. And I can't understand why Grado fans recommend the Grados for classical or jazz.