[john_jcb]

Radio Shack sells soft foam pads that fit Grado products perfectly and they are very comfortable. They have roughly the same sound as the flat pads. They are very inexpensive as well so it won't hurt to try them.

 

[Patu]

Sounds weird. I haven't heard SR60 but I've compared RS-1 to SR80 and there really was no comparison between these two. RS-1 was CLEARLY superior in everything. I also didn't find it any too bright. HF-1 was brighter imo and even HF-1 doesn't hurt my ears. The RS-1s which I heard were a couple of years old and well burned in. I hope burn in makes them sound better to you, they really are a great headphones.

 

[jbunniii]

Another vote in favor of flat pads. This $30 investment from Todd the Vinyl Junkie makes a night and day difference. With bowls, I found, and still find, the RS-1 to be shrill and fatiguing and unlistenable for more than maybe half an hour at a time. With flats I can listen all day and the RS-1 is one of my favorite headphones.

That said of course, not every RS-1 owner shares this opinion and some prefer the bowls. But for $30 (compared with $699 for the headphones) it's a pretty cheap experiment, especially justifiable if you don't like the RS-1 with the bowls.

 

[mrarroyo]

You can also take the bowls and wash them in warm soapy water a couple of times. This will softem them up significantly and remove the scratchiness (is that a word?) I would suggest you let the RS-1 burn for at least 100 hours (although 200 hours is better).

I have heard my RS-1 thru an SR-71 and the sound is awesome. You will be surprised how well they sound after a couple of hundred hours.

In the unlikely event you still do not like the sound make sure you return them in before the end of the trial period. Good luck.

 

[Cyrillic]

I actually like the bowls. They don't bother my head at all, and they sounded great. Granted, I had no flats to try on that particular phone (the RS-1), but I'm sure I would have liked them too.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyrillic I actually like the bowls. They don't bother my head at all, and they sounded great. Granted, I had no flats to try on that particular phone (the RS-1), but I'm sure I would have liked them too.

I got the flats and did not like them. To me the sound was muddle and the cans would not stay in place. With the bowls the sound is much more detailed.

 

[DobsOnly]

Things do change. I'm not a big believer in physical/mechanical Burn-in and sonic changes but I'll say this about the HF-1 and psychological changes.

When they first arrived I was somewhat disappointed. Comfort was an issue as well as this new Grado Sound Signature. I almost exclusively used my HD600's and was adapted to that Sound, as you might well be to the SR Series. I attempted to go back and forth between the 2 for a few days and it just wasn't working.

I made a decision to put my HD600's away for at least 30 days and concentrate on identifying what I liked and disliked about the HF-1. The longer I listened to these the more I began to enjoy and appreciate this new sound.

Mechanically - I think the Pads and Headband became much more comfortable and that is no longer a problem.

As for the sound - The aggressive, upfront presentation actually works really well with Blues and some other Genres. Piano and most vocals are awesome. They are not the most accurate or detailed headphones I have but they might be the most "fun".

Anyway the Grado 's have worked out well for me by deciding to devote some time to them. Hope the RS-1 settles in for you!

Good Luck!

 

[kramer5150]

burn them in before judging them too critically.

Garret

 

[kuma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer5150 burn them in before judging them too critically. Garret

Then revisit the amp and the source.

 

[wolfen68]

Lot's of good advice here. However, get senn 414 pads coming in the mail. After your RS-1's are burned in, you'll want to try those.....

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

Get some senn 414 pads or grado flat pads.

Biggie.

 

[MD1032]

Flat pads. After a while I realized that my HF-1's could be used with bowls in a way my SR-80's couldn't, but the fact was that the highs were still just a tiny bit on the bright side, and why should I suffer when I can toss on the flat pads and get all the bass I can handle (minus soundstage and detail, of course). For me, it's still worth the trade for most listening.

 

[GoRedwings19]

To the thread starter>If after a while after all this burn in and different pads if you still don't "get" them, then maybe they are not for you. THe Rs-1 is an acquired taste due to it's unique if a little strange sound.

 

[Jeremy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoRedwings19 To the thread starter>If after a while after all this burn in and different pads if you still don't "get" them, then maybe they are not for you. THe Rs-1 is an acquired taste due to it's unique if a little strange sound.

I love everything about the Grado sound except those screeching highs, which I must say are already starting to subdue since I've had the cans burning in all Christmas Eve day while I've been out auditioning other cans.

Anyway, thanks for all the advice. I shall definitely try the flat pads from my SR60s and see if that makes for softer highs and a more comfortable fit. If it seems promising, I'll buy those mods from Todd for $30 that he told me I'd be needing in the first place when I bought the cans from him!

I received no instructions on how to adjust the headband. I'm not sure which way I would shape and bend it anyway to get the cans sitting higher on my ears. Any suggestions?

So I've spent all day driving from one side of LA to the other auditioning the rest of the cans on my list - Senn HD 650, 580 and 595, and Grado SR-325i. I took my Karma and SR-71 amp with me as my source, to create a fair comparision. My verdict, for what it's worth, and we all know these are highly subjective ... the uncomfortable, over-sized RS-1s sitting on my head as I type this ... blow the others out of the galaxy!

So I guess I'm going to have to live with them and hope those highs continue to soften because the rest of the sound is so awesome I can hardly put it into words. I was hoping I would come to the opposite conclusion so I could return them and save my wallet. Oh well ...

 

[chrisfromalbany]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpippel I'm a bit confused, because the RS-1 is shown fitted with flat pads on both Todd's site AND Grado's site, yet they're wearing bowls in the images on HeadRoom. Which do they ship with?

When I got mine from Todd that came with bowls. I think that is what Grado wanted. If you read the Grado interview.

As for being worth the money that depends. I would burn them in and see. They aren't for everyone.