[563]

I'm at a loss.  Mine seem just fine, and I don't really crank up the volume on my PS1000.  If you're really concerned, then you could send them to Grado to be checked, but it may be a synergy problem.  I heard the PS1000 at a meet a while back and they sounded awful, while mine, with a tube amp, sound great.  I can't say whether the ones I heard at the meet were defective, though.   I can't remember the rig I heard them on - it may have been solid state.   Why not bring them to a meet or two and try them out on different rigs and see if you hear a difference?

 

[pbandstefanwich]

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You can send your headphones to Grado for checking even if there is nothing wrong. I sent my PS1000 to them and they checked and returned the phones to me without charge. If there's something needs replacing, you might have to pay for it but I think the standard charge is relatively small. It is $100 for RS1 and maybe $150 for PS1000( I am not 100% sure, you have to check). That will include changing the drivers.
If your D2000 have a better soundstage than your PS1000, something is not quite right.
 
 

Good to know, thanks! May I ask why you wanted them to check yours out? Were you having problems with them, and did they find anything wrong with yours? I would hope that if they had to replace the drivers they would do it free of charge. I just bought these not more than a month or two ago so they're still under warranty! I am going to try to send them in within a week or two. I've heard they can be quite slow to respond via email, would you suggest giving them a call and explaining the situation?
 


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Well you are coming from an electrostatic headphone and they do have unsurpassed clarity. It's possible that the PS1000 while being no slouch in that area, might not sound quite as crystalline as what you've been used to. Although having heard some electrostats and the PS1000, I honestly couldn't pick one over the other in that department.

See, I was expecting a good amount of the electrostatic clarity when I bought these, because I've heard people describe them as approaching a sort of electrostatic sound with respect to speed, clarity, etc. I didn't have time to do more detailed listening tonight, but it just doesn't seem like it's doing that for me. I will likely send them to Grado to get them checked out. If it turns out there's nothing wrong I guess I will sell them and write them off as not being my type of sound signature, which would be odd because I've liked all other Grados I've had to date.
 


Quote:

I'm at a loss.  Mine seem just fine, and I don't really crank up the volume on my PS1000.  If you're really concerned, then you could send them to Grado to be checked, but it may be a synergy problem.  I heard the PS1000 at a meet a while back and they sounded awful, while mine, with a tube amp, sound great.  I can't say whether the ones I heard at the meet were defective, though.   I can't remember the rig I heard them on - it may have been solid state.   Why not bring them to a meet or two and try them out on different rigs and see if you hear a difference?

My initial thoughts mirror yours... I thought it might be a synergy issue, but the Beta22 is a fantastic amp and I have yet to hear it make any headphone sound bad (aside from PS1000, but I think there's something else at play here). I have heard that these sound better with tubes, but I don't think SS would make them sound like this. I have a Little Dot 1+ hybrid I am trying them on right now. I mean, it sounds good, but I prefer my B22 and I don't think this is what a $1700 headphone should sound like. I think I would like these better on a nicer full tube amp, but I am still apprehensive to say that a tube amp would completely change the sound and change my impression from somewhat lackluster to brilliant. I would love to bring them to a meet or find someone else who has one around me, but I don't think there are any PS1000 or meets coming up in my area (Boston).
 
I really want to love these headphones given the money I spent on them and given the rave reviews, but it just isn't happening right now. Grado seems to have been having some QC issues with this model, so in a twisted way I'm kind of hoping I got a defective pair and that they'll repair it for me and I will be thoroughly impressed when I get them back. Time will tell I guess.

 

[pcf]

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Good to know, thanks! May I ask why you wanted them to check yours out? Were you having problems with them, and did they find anything wrong with yours? I would hope that if they had to replace the drivers they would do it free of charge. I just bought these not more than a month or two ago so they're still under warranty! I am going to try to send them in within a week or two. I've heard they can be quite slow to respond via email, would you suggest giving them a call and explaining the situation?
 



See, I was expecting a good amount of the electrostatic clarity when I bought these, because I've heard people describe them as approaching a sort of electrostatic sound with respect to speed, clarity, etc. I didn't have time to do more detailed listening tonight, but it just doesn't seem like it's doing that for me. I will likely send them to Grado to get them checked out. If it turns out there's nothing wrong I guess I will sell them and write them off as not being my type of sound signature, which would be odd because I've liked all other Grados I've had to date.
 



My initial thoughts mirror yours... I thought it might be a synergy issue, but the Beta22 is a fantastic amp and I have yet to hear it make any headphone sound bad (aside from PS1000, but I think there's something else at play here). I have heard that these sound better with tubes, but I don't think SS would make them sound like this. I have a Little Dot 1+ hybrid I am trying them on right now. I mean, it sounds good, but I prefer my B22 and I don't think this is what a $1700 headphone should sound like. I think I would like these better on a nicer full tube amp, but I am still apprehensive to say that a tube amp would completely change the sound and change my impression from somewhat lackluster to brilliant. I would love to bring them to a meet or find someone else who has one around me, but I don't think there are any PS1000 or meets coming up in my area (Boston).
 
I really want to love these headphones given the money I spent on them and given the rave reviews, but it just isn't happening right now. Grado seems to have been having some QC issues with this model, so in a twisted way I'm kind of hoping I got a defective pair and that they'll repair it for me and I will be thoroughly impressed when I get them back. Time will tell I guess.

I don't have any problem getting email replies from Grado but I think calling them is the best way.
I bought my PS1000 used and the seller didn't like the "boomy bass" that's why he sold them. I just wanted to make sure that they were not defective. I sent them to Grado and a few weeks later they came back. I didn't get charged. If your pair are still under warranty, you should have them checked out.
I have heard a couple of other pairs of PS1000 and they all sound different! One pair was particularly bad with fuzzy treble. Grado  might indeed have some quality control problem with them.

 

[purrin]

As pcf said, just give Grado a call. E-mail usually takes longer. I called on a Saturday once and I think John himself picked up. Service turnaround time was quick and I wasn't even charged for a driver replacement even though I was quoted $100. Grado even shipped it back 3 day express to CA too.

 

[fhuang]

you guys are scaring me.  i was thinking about getting one.....

 

[563]

well, buy them from someone that has a 30-day return warranty.  there's a number of sellers out there that offer that, i believe.

 

[fhuang]

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well, buy them from someone that has a 30-day return warranty.  there's a number of sellers out there that offer that, i believe.

 
or get a vendor to recable it?  supposed they'll test it out first, or after they recable it?  never a fan of the newer grado cable.
 
 

 

[pcf]

Quote:

 
or get a vendor to recable it?  supposed they'll test it out first, or after they recable it?  never a fan of the newer grado cable.
 
 

Or you can use Moon Audio (if you like their cables). They get their recabling job done at Grado lab. That way your phones will be checked by Grado before you get them back.

 

[563]

the risky part about recabling, i think, is that you lose the 30-day try out period, unless some vendors (moon audio?) include that.  but then, unless you try a couple of pairs without the recabling, you really won't be able to tell if the recabling is an improvement or not.

 

[pbandstefanwich]

Quote:

I don't have any problem getting email replies from Grado but I think calling them is the best way.
I bought my PS1000 used and the seller didn't like the "boomy bass" that's why he sold them. I just wanted to make sure that they were not defective. I sent them to Grado and a few weeks later they came back. I didn't get charged. If your pair are still under warranty, you should have them checked out.
I have heard a couple of other pairs of PS1000 and they all sound different! One pair was particularly bad with fuzzy treble. Grado  might indeed have some quality control problem with them.

Thanks for the tips, I will have to try calling Grado soon then! It turned out yours weren't defective, I'm guessing? I'm still kind of surprised at why all of them sound different. The construction of Grados is actually rather simple when you think about it. I don't know what could possibly cause all these variations... I can't imagine there to be too much variation in the aluminum, wood, or cables they're using. Maybe they're using some special new method of doping the drivers (if that's the correct term) which makes them sound heavenly if done right, but is hard to perfect? I still can't get over why their two top models are the ones that have the most problems. Busted drivers on the prestige and reference series are very rare in comparison to how often they happen with the GS and PS series.
 

 
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As pcf said, just give Grado a call. E-mail usually takes longer. I called on a Saturday once and I think John himself picked up. Service turnaround time was quick and I wasn't even charged for a driver replacement even though I was quoted $100. Grado even shipped it back 3 day express to CA too.

Thanks for the advice! I'll certainly do that, and hopefully they'll be able to help me out. What ended up being wrong with your driver? Seems like although the quality control might be subpar, the customer service is generally pretty good.
 


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you guys are scaring me.  i was thinking about getting one.....

I wouldn't let this deter you from getting one! The time it takes to ship these out to Grado if you happen to get a bad pair is very minute compared to the time most people spend swapping around their gear, browsing the forums, and curing the itch for upgraditis. Also, if these are as good as people claim, sometimes even superior to the Orpheus and Omega, then it's well worth the effort it takes to get a good pair, in my opinion. It might be worth it to buy used if you can, and try them before you buy them and make sure they're up to par.
 
What don't you like about the new cable? I don't really mind it... only part I don't like is near the Y-split, but if you're diligent about not rotating the cups around then it's not a problem (for me at least).

 

[pcf]

It turned out that my pair was not defective but they still did the service without charge. I actually feel pretty safe about buying Grados even though their quality control can be suspect. They charge so little for the repair that the warranty doesn't even matter too much. The most you would need to pay is $100 to $150, including drivers( less for the lower models). That might be less than the amount you save by buying used or from ebay( there is NO authorized Grado dealers on ebay).
I agree with 563 about recable- I wouldn't want to do anything until I have heard the headphones in stock form.

 

[bumblingbooby]

I've only had mine for three days so I'm trying to temper my enthusiasm but I think this is a wonderful headphone. John Grado's headphones are renowned as "fun" cans that are great for rock n roll. Well I think that the PS1000 is "serious fun". This is a mature, highly resolving headphone that manages to retain an engaging musicality that can be lacking in other high-end offerings. It should be able to handle most any musical genre you care to throw at it with ease. It's early days yet but I can't think of a headphone that I've enjoyed listening to more from the outset and it even sounds great straight from an ipod.

 

[fhuang]

i was talking/thinking about recabling only because i can get somebody to make sure the headphone sound as good as they should be.  and for getting a vendor to do it, yea i was thinking about getting drew(noon audio) to do it for me.  i've done business with him and i think he's trustworthy.  although, i've never heard of ps1000 so yea getting a different cable is a risk.  and if i were really to get it recabled i would also get it balanced so that basically double the risk.  so i'm thinking hard.....

 

[563]

@bumbling - congrats and welcome aboard!!!!

 

[vherr]

Glad to see some PS1000 love! I got mine 6 months ago and love them.  Unfortunately due to lack of funds I haven't been able to buy a decent amp, although I'm saving to get the WA 6SE by the end of the year.  I recently heard the LCD-2s at a local meet and based on all the raving on these forums I thought they would blow away my beloved PS1000, but that didn't happen.  Although they sounded pretty good, they were too dark for my taste.  I highly recommend the JMoney headband if you can buy one.