[dleblanc343]

Is it actually black chrome or is it just regular chrome with a dark reflection on it?
 
I've never seen them in a glossy black finish 

 

[chirawatf]

  I don't know if that makes any sense, but I think that the PS1000 have a way of reproducing music in an effortless manner.

That's what I like it too.  Among my headphones, PS1000 is the best in connecting me to the singer's emotion.  I love to listen to female singer through PS1000.

 

[CH23]

  I stumbled across a pair of "black chrome" Grado PS-1000 headphones on Ebay.  I'm not affiliated with the seller, just sharing a beautiful picture in the appropriate appreciation thread.  Grado should offer a 2nd choice for the PS-1000.  The black chrome is sexy!
 
 

 
now seriously thinking of getting my PS1000's anodized.

 

[San Raal]

The Chrome PS1000 are jaw dropping. I've had my pair modded to accept various headphone cables using HD800 plugs but the finish isn't the best and there are blemishes in the metal.
 
They sound brilliant however so I'm all good

 

[nonverbal]

Hello everyone,
I'm a follow this thread(and other Head-fi discussion threads)for a long time,but I still decide to post my first Head-fi reply here,
because I have a pair of Grado PS1000 too.
 
Uh,I think I'm lucky enough to live at a place that is easy to hear kinds of DAC&headphone amplifier,and choose those that suit PS1000(and my space to set my gear up,I dont have enough space to place a normal-size CD-player,so I use computer as my source.)
 
My Grado PS1000 is number 374,Old Version.
My setup is:
Chord Toucan Blue(As DAC+Amp) 
Supra USB Cable
JRiver & J-play
 
Seems to be simple,but good enough,though I really want to buy PS Audio PWD DACII and Woo Audio WA5,but my room is too small...

And,English is not my mother language,if the article above has grammar error or not fluent,please tell me ,thanks.

 

[nonverbal]

In fact,before I buy my Chord Toucan Blue(for qiute a good price ),I take PS1000 and my friend’s GS1000i to try some DAC/amp combo:
DAC:All DAC is under the same circumstance-my room)
When source is CAT:
Benchmark DAC1:This DAC is the basis that I’ll compare with others,because I’ve used it for a long time(OK,about 2 years,listen to it at least 2 hours everyday,with internal headphone amplifier and a pair of SR325i…a combo that the treble section is too sharp to listen before 500hrs.)Before brun-in,it has flat soundstage,emphasized treble,but if burn in for while,the sound signature will be clean as crystal.The headphone amplifier doesn’t suit Grado,including PS1000 and SR325i,and under DAC1, I don’t think PS1000 and SR325i share the same sound signature.
 
Mytek 192 DSDetailed,and more neutral when listen to Classic music,especially those Symphony and Concetos,compare to those in real music hall.But,it’s headphone amplifier is a joke…
 
Grace design M903:A great all-in-one machine for low-impedience headphones,especially for Grados and Ultrasones,and consider the price…buy it under $2000 is quite a bargain.DAC.But I won’t simply use it as a DAC,its capability is based on the DAC+headphone amplifier.
 
Chord Toucan:Small DAC+amp,DAC section is stronger than Centrance DACmini,but will lose to Becnmark DAC1 a little,and has great hiss when use IEM.Great when use it as an all-in-one machine.
 
Centrance DAcmini:Good Value consider the price,DAC and amp is about 50/50 of the price.
 
Onix DAC25B:Coloered mid,mass bass,but I don’t like it.DAC should be less colored and less distorted.
 
Audiolab M-DAC:great for its price at around $800(about the same price with Onix DAC25B). ESS9018 is a great chip though.
 
Benchmark DAC2:I prefer this to Mytek 192.If I say Mytek 192 is neutral when it comes to Symphonies,DAC2 has less soundstage and emphasize treble details,but very different from DAC1,wont be uncomfortable(the problem of sharp treble) when use internal headphone amp,even with a pair of SR325i.
 
Chord DAC64 mkii:Great,and nothing left to be said.OK, I think it’s not neutral compare to mytek 192,but more lively, and much more detailed.
 
Weiss MAN301:I think it has the same DAC section of DAC202,great though,but too pricey.
 
When Use CDP as source:
Rega CDP+Rega DAC:great combo consider the price,won’t lack anything but the amont of bass.I don’t recall how the CDP called,but I’sure that price of CDP and the DAC is about the same.
 
CEC TL3N+DA3N:not so great with Grados I think,may be good for headphones of Japan like ATH or Sony,but when it comes to DAC ability itself,is greater than Bechmark DAC2 I think.
 
Trigon Recalloor,I use this with EF-6 and HE-6 and STAX 4070,I think the DAC section wont compare with Mytek 192.Maybe good when use only as a sourse,haven’t tried.
 
 
About the headphone amplifiers…all is listen with benchmark DAC2
 
RA1:Just a RA-1…not great with GS1000i/PS1000
 
Shiit Asgrad:hmm,it darken the SR325i’s bass,but cant control the massive bass PS1000 has.
 
Woo audio WA6:Great with PS1000,but it’s like adding more bass andcontrol the treble when compre to the internal amp of DAC2’s.Expanded sounstage when use RS1i on it.
 
Woo audio WA2:Weird,great with GS1000,but wont suit PS1000 in any case.I guess the condition of GS1000 is close to HD800,need a lot of power.When I I use PS1000 with it ,The treble is just too sharp that I can’t listen.
 
Woo audio WA3:about the same condition of WA2.
 
Woo audio WA6SE:Great with loe-impedience heaphones,but a little expensive.Can hear the difference between WA6 and the SE.
 
HifiMAN EF-6:lots of power,have to set gain to -10Db when use with PS1000.Great sound,but too heavy.By the way,Audeze LCD2 is good on them.
 
Earmax pro:Great for RS1i,not great enough for PS1000.Should try the silver edition.


Firestone bobby:Balanced heaphone amp.Great with BeyerDynamics Tesla1 consider soundstage and those Hi-Fi thing (but the weakness is songs that full of vocal) and AKG K701,but soso with PS1000.
 
DIYer’s Dynalo:Controlled treble,but cant control the massive bass.Maybe Headamp GS-Xmkii can meet my standard.
 
Graham slee solo Ultra-liner diamond edition:uh,maybe good for Sennheisers…
 
Woo audio WA5:It’s the amp that I’ve heard suit PS1000 best.

 

[priest]

nonverbal, thanks for sharing your thoughts and gear!

 

[Bradders0-14]

I've just put the Grado G cushion on my PS500's and whilst there is a slight loss of bass there is a significant gain in the treble area. I've always fancied the PS1000's I'm just wondering if there's that much difference between the two now I have the G cushions has anybody tried both?

 

[stacker45]

I have tryed both, but I never had the chance to compare them directly. I remember the PS500 having good bass extension that unfortunately bled into the mids, wich made women's voices sound a bit too chesty for my tastes. The treble was also a bit rolled off compared to other Grados.
 
As far as I'm concerened the PS1000 do everything right, they too, have good bass extension, but it's more well defined than the PS500's. The mids are lush and neutral, while the treble is extended and airy. They also have a wider soundstage than the PS500.
 
As I've said many times, I think that the SR80i and the PS500 are the two best buys among the Grado lineup, that being said, I never regretted taking the PS500 back to the audio store to get the PS1000.

 

[flailure]

Just wanted to chime in and say that I am appreciating my ps1000 headphones #4033 more and more each day

 

[stacker45]

I'm glad to see you're enjoying your PS1000 flailure. I think that  they're one of the most underrated headphones on Head-Fi.

 

[flailure]

Thanks stacker they certainly don't seem too popular here, but I have fallen in love with them.

I've had them for about 3 weeks thus far, and I have been rediscovering all my music, I've been listening to stuff I haven't listened to since college. Everything Sounds awesome.

Admittedly though I have had a very limited exposure to good headphones, I heard the ps1000 and the hd800 at a customers house where I was repairing an air conditioner, and he let me listen to both. He loved his ps1000 the most, so he was particularly pushing it, but, while the separation was spectacular on the hd800, I vastly preferred the ps1000, it had, and still does now that I own my own set, a tremendous presence, like the music has substance and shape.

I wish they hadn't cost so much, it took a lot of saving up, and ramen noodles, but it's a price I'd gladly pay again

 

[stacker45]

''Ramen noodles'' good one, the PS1000 is either the headphone industry's best kept secret, or you and I have very weird taste. Do you have an idea wich amp you're going to go with?                                                                                        

 

[flailure]

Right now I'm listening to them through my pc with an asus essence stx sound card, and admittedly, they don't sound quite as good as the ones I first heard (going by memory), but through various tweaks and settings such as finding the uni software drivers and hifi setting along with asio through foobar2000, I think I got them as good as this setup will allow :-B

I have been told that both the woo wa7 and the slee ultra linear diamond would both be solid upgrades, one tube and one ss. I was considering building one and had pretty much narrowed it down to the bottlehead mainline, if I went that route. So at the moment I have three options I am considering, though I have plenty of time to consider as it will take me some time to save up enough. Wa7 would make the most sense with its built in dac, although the stx could do as a dac too for awhile and then maybe a bifrost down the road.

I am definitely open to suggestions and advice though. I have plenty of time, and I'm technically skilled enough to do most diy stuff, if I can find a good wiring diagram, and preferably a guide with suggestions for build (mostly so I can get ideas for improvements and pitfalls since audio components are so finicky sometimes).

Thanks again for the replies

 

[stacker45]

I'm an old school kind of guy, so no downloaded music for me, not only I'm I still fidling around with CDs, but I even have 2 Reel to Reel tape recorders.
 
I prefer tubes with the PS1000, and if you want to try an affordable amp that works well with the PS1000, you might want to give the Little Dot 1+ a shot, I ordered mine with the stock tubes, and I like it very much. In fact, I prefer the LD1+, to Grado's own HPA-2, with the PS1000.
 
To be fair though, the HPA-2 was voiced for the HP1000, not the PS1000, and when it's paired with the HP1000, they make magic together.