There have been many RS1 reviews over the years, so I didn’t start another thread and I am going to keep this brief and to the point. These are my views on how the RS1 (Classic B) sounds on my system. Harman Kardon HD 970 CDP, Meier Cantate.2 solid state amp.
Firstly, the RS1 is light as a feather and beautiful to look at. I owned an ESW9 and I thought they were just about the best looking headphone on the planet (besides the Ed8, but that is a totally different look), but in the “flesh” the little retro Grado woody, looks simply stunning.
The RS1 is part of the “reference series” well I don’t know what that means, it is not accurate or neutral, or reflecting of a live performance to my ears. However, that is not to say that the coloured tonality isn’t pleasing, because it is a very entertaining and fun headphone. As has been mentioned a million times before, the RS1 is very forward sounding, you can describe it as “front row” “on the stage” “in your face” or using any other similar metaphor, but it is very intense, it is an exciting listen. This is a passionate headphone, with very forward mids, excellent in vocal and guitar areas of music. Bass is strong, powerful and possesses plenty of punch. It may not go as deep as some, and it isn’t the tightest I have heard, but it does have significant impact and adds to the fun lively sound. With such mid emphasis and the ability to display powerful bass, I guess I would describe the highs as a slightly weaker point of the RS1. This is not to stay they are poor by any means, but possibly lack a bit of extension and smoothness, however from a positive perspective I have not noticed any excess sibilance that other people have reported, perhaps my ears aren’t as sharp as they once were. I would also say that the RS1’s soundstage is not very large, both in width and depth (no surprises to most) it lacks a sense of space between instruments.
Overall, it is a great headphone for when you are in the “right mood”, particularly with the right music, great for rock type genres-including acoustic, vocal and/or guitar focussed music. I guess the RS1 is the sum of its parts, and the package comes together and simply works. The RS1 has become one of my favourite headphones in a very short time, however I would not want it to be my only headphone; a bit like a sports car, perhaps tiresome going to the supermarket or stuck in city traffic.
