[Ranma13]

What is the phatpad mod?

The main issue I have is that even if I bend the headband out so that the cups are pretty much perpendicular with the ground, the right cup applies pressure to the top of my right ear. This wouldn't be a problem but I wear glasses and the lobe pushes against the leg of the glasses and causes pain after just a short while. The problem is somewhat alleviated if I make sure the cord hangs straight down, but because my amp is to the left of me, I prefer to have the cable run to the left of my leg rather than between them. I tried the jumbo pads but they ruin the sound and it makes the headband apply excessive pressure to my head, much like the K701's did.

 

[Mercuttio]

I remember having an RS1 and a DT880 at the same time for a while, and a 770 (which I still have).

No way does the 880 or 990 compare. They simply don't have the attack that is "Grado." Nice phones, but forget about them if you want the same representation of rock or anything punchy. I'm not saying that they're more accurate or less accurate with it, but they're a totally different kind of thing.

If you must have Beyer with punch, go 770. If you want the closest thing you can get to an RS1 in a totally different package, try the AD2000. It's a pretty good phone with some similar sound qualities. I borrowed one for a while and compared it directly with an RS1... I liked.

 

[Ranma13]

Mercuttio, I'm curious, can you give a breakdown of what you feel is good and bad between the DT880 and the RS1? Personally I feel that the RS1 is a bit lacking in the bass thump and is slightly too silibant in certain songs (though the Pico does a great job of controlling this). I'm interested in hearing your impressions though, as my friend only has the DT990 for auditioning.

 

[coolcat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio /img/forum/go_quote.gif No way does the 880 or 990 compare. They simply don't have the attack that is "Grado." Nice phones, but forget about them if you want the same representation of rock or anything punchy. .

That is exacly what I feel.

 

[musicmind]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranma13 /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is the phatpad mod?

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/pha...od-cans-28412/

 

[Wilashort]

I can recommend you the DT990 with slower or normal speed Jpop, but for faster (and slower too), the "New" Denons + my mod are much better with more present mids/aggresive but a little bit less sibilant/softer but sparkly treble (not as sparkly/lively than my stock DT990s but very near) than stock.
They have (I am speaking of the DT990 yet) the sparkle in the treble and lively highs (very lifelike) that few headphones has; and have a beautifull and sweet midrange too (sound lifelike in my setup, especially with female voices), but they are... (see below *)
The HFI-780 are another good alternative too (they doesn't have the bass quantity of my DT990s or my stock Denons (even the modified ones), which is necessary with 'some' Jpop).
Hey, i want to listen to your impressions, when your friend borrow you the DT990s. The pico could help, with the upper midrange weakness that this headphone have (*too polite/laidback for my taste with faster Jpop, super eurobeat...).
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranma13 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I probably don't have the equipment to run the GS1000 since all I have is the Pico amp. I have a friend who has the DT990's and I'll be auditioning them this Friday. I really wish I could use these RS1's because I just simply love the sound, but it's been almost a year since I've owned them and I realized that I'm mostly using speakers because of the pain they induce.

The DT990 maybe that doesn't have the attack that faster headphones (specially in the mids), but his bass/treble is faster enough....
In other hand the beyer DT990 In my honest opinion hits harder (%9 more) in his bass than the DT770pro that i had. It hits as hard as my Denons + mod (but the denons use almost three times the volume than my DT990s with the same amp, that i use to get the same punch)
The DT770 is a disaster of recomendation with this music (clear, at least that you use eq to tame the lowbass by more than -10db; and raise the midrange in the 1K-3k hertz frequencies by 3 to 6 db aprox, they will get a lot more engaging (a 360 degree turn)), they have a bloated bass that cover the midrange a lot (specially lower and a bit the mid zone), and shrill/harsh highs.
In other hand, the AD2000 can be an excellent alternative with fast Jpop/super eorobeat/electronica, thanks to his upper midrange forwardness....
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio /img/forum/go_quote.gif I remember having an RS1 and a DT880 at the same time for a while, and a 770 (which I still have). No way does the 880 or 990 compare. They simply don't have the attack that is "Grado." Nice phones, but forget about them if you want the same representation of rock or anything punchy. I'm not saying that they're more accurate or less accurate with it, but they're a totally different kind of thing. If you must have Beyer with punch, go 770. If you want the closest thing you can get to an RS1 in a totally different package, try the AD2000. It's a pretty good phone with some similar sound qualities. I borrowed one for a while and compared it directly with an RS1... I liked.

Really agree, and they have a much better soundstage/headstage what these grado (almost as wide than my DT990s, but a little bit deeper in my setup), except the GS1000.
They sound as my DT990 but faster with more present mids and detail in them, but have an more aggressive/energy treble (with a little bit of more resolution) too and obviously the midrange too....
Quote:

Originally Posted by silverrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif Consider Ultrasone HFI-780 for reasonable comfort, close-to-Grado-like highs, good mids, pluse bass-to-die-for as a bonus. And (relatively) low-priced to boot! But, if you want Beyers for ultimate comfort, the DT990 is the best of the three overall, (and I've had them all to compare) -- and do feamle vocals very well. Really well. Nice bass, too.

 

[Henmyr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicmind /img/forum/go_quote.gif The phatpad mod fixed the comfort issue for me and I havent looked back. If you havent tried it already I would recommend it, I didn't find it to alter the sound character of the headphones. I have a feeling the AD2000 would be closer to the OP's preference than the K701 or DT880.

I've used the tube mod for a long time now. The comfort is indeed better, but It still isn't perfect for me, as my ears get really sore after some hours.

The AD2000 and RS1 hurt in different ways though, so it's perfectly possible to switch between those without problem.

For me the tube mod did change the sound, but mostly for the better. To me, the AD2000 treble can be a little bit recessed without the tube mod, and the mids can be just slightly diffuse. With the mod the treble is not recessed anymore, and the mids are sharper.

 

[majkel]

At this time I have to agree, after some GS1000 auditions, that they are like the DT880's with the plush curtain removed, faster, harder, with slightly bigger and more distant soundstage. They are simply great but need some training with the transducer placement on the head, to obtain sweet, full, pleasant sound.

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranma13 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mercuttio, I'm curious, can you give a breakdown of what you feel is good and bad between the DT880 and the RS1? Personally I feel that the RS1 is a bit lacking in the bass thump and is slightly too silibant in certain songs (though the Pico does a great job of controlling this). I'm interested in hearing your impressions though, as my friend only has the DT990 for auditioning.

They're entirely different animals. If you're really looking for similarities:

Both tend toward the "bright" side of the spectrum.
Both can feel anemic on bass at times.
Both can become sibilant if your source / gear isn't tuned for them properly.

However, the main thing you're going to notice is the scooped out midrange of the 880 when compared to the RS1. It simply doesn't have the goods there, nor does it have the texture that the RS1 does. If you even remotely enjoy the Grado sound and attack, you're going to miss it when you listen to the 880 for a while. It just can't push as hard. If you want something to relax to though and find the Grados too punchy, the 880 might be your ticket.

Also, have you tried flats on your RS1? It often fixes bass concerns and sibilance.

 

[wpfloridian]

Buy the GS-1000bowl pads ans fit them on the RS1...

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wpfloridian /img/forum/go_quote.gif Buy the GS-1000bowl pads ans fit them on the RS1...

...and kiss any and all bass the RS1 had goodbye!

 

[Ranma13]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wpfloridian /img/forum/go_quote.gif Buy the GS-1000bowl pads ans fit them on the RS1...

I clearly stated in the very first post that I already bought them. They completely ruin the sound quality and are much less comfortable than the flat pads. It really annoys me when people give canned responses without even bothering to read the post in full.

On another point, I had the opportunity yesterday to audition my friend's DT990's. Unfortunately, I didn't like them too much. The bass overpowered the lower mids and sounded muddy, I couldn't make out the thumps in some of the songs I tried, it ended up being more of a fart. The highs also had some crazy sibilance going on, whereas the RS1's were perfectly fine, I had to rip the DT990's off my head for certain songs because whenever the singer said any s words, it hurt my ears. Lastly, the midrange does seem recessed compared to the RS1. For songs with female vocals, they sounded as if there was a thin layer of veil between me and the singer, whereas the RS1 makes it sound like I'm getting a private performance from them.

Overall, the DT990's aren't bad by any means and if I didn't have the RS1's to compare them to, I'd say they're quite good. But alas, I feel that the $650 I paid for the RS1's justifies the improvement over the $250 DT990's.

In the end, I think I'm just going to keep the RS1's and try and deal with the pain somehow. I don't think my head is designed for headphones at all because the K701's make me salivate like crazy, the AH-D5000's gives me headaches, and the DT990's also gives me headaches by pressing against area right in front of my ears.

 

[cavedave]

Hello been reading your post and have the same problem with the RS-2 I also wear glasses and the right ear at the top presses on the bow or arm of my glasses. I have also had the DT 880 loked them but sold them. Right now I have a rig with the Senns HD-600 and a Vincent amp and a Nad player very nice sounding and great with feamale vocals. I got the RS-2 awhile back and paired them up with a RA-1 amp and got to admit that with alot of music they are a great combo one thing i did as far as the pain goes is sometimes i take my glasses off even though I would prefer to just keep them on. Another thing I did was to go to a mirrior and see just how the headphones sit on my head and found that like most of us one ear is higher or lower then the other and ajust to fit while looking in the mirror. My self I use the flats depending on the cables and source they can be very nice and more comfy then the bowls. In the end I like the sound of the RS-2 and I have had many headphones while i would not sell the HD-600 either there is something that the Grados do that no other headphones do. When I first got the RS-2s I was wanthing to sell them for the same reason and I am so glad I kept them. Hope this helps. Dave

 

[M0T0XGUY]

Someone has probably mentioned this by now, but take a look at HeadPhile's C-Pads if comfort is an issue for you. They're not perfect in terms of sound quality or visual appeal, but will maintain the most of your RS-1s' signature and save you some cash as well.

I think you're heading in the wrong direction with Beyerdynamic, and Denons maybe a bit too dark for your liking. Audiotechnicas closely replicate the classic Grado sound but will probably remain even more anemic in terms of bass than your RS-1's. A pad change, then, seems like the simplest way to balance comfort and sound quality.

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by M0T0XGUY /img/forum/go_quote.gif Someone has probably mentioned this by now, but take a look at HeadPhile's C-Pads if comfort is an issue for you. They're not perfect in terms of sound quality or visual appeal, but will maintain the most of your RS-1s' signature and save you some cash as well. I think you're heading in the wrong direction with Beyerdynamic, and Denons maybe a bit too dark for your liking. Audiotechnicas closely replicate the classic Grado sound but will probably remain even more anemic in terms of bass than your RS-1's. A pad change, then, seems like the simplest way to balance comfort and sound quality.

C-Pads can sometimes add an echo. Comfy they are, and you do get an occasional moment of hologram, but they are in some ways similar to the GS1000 pads.