[Vargtass]

Hi there.
I have a pair of what I think is semi-vintage Grado RS1s that I just recently started using again paired up with a dacmagic and EF-1 amp I just purchased.
Yesterday night I again noticed a very suspect buzzing-noise connected to low frequency noises. I`ve noticed this now and then, but it took some Mogwai to really show me there is something really wrong with my left "speaker."

My question now is, is it really worth it sending them to Grado (presumably in the US) for repairs? I live in Norway, so shipping alone is expensive, plus I dont really know how much a new element + labor would be.
Would it be better to just source some new phones? Im quite upset that they decided to really show me they`re damaged now when my setup is finally complete, but hey, what can you do.

Anyone else with experiences regarding this? And ... err ... any thoughts on how other "cheaper" phones sound with the EF-1 I guess. Pondering Akg 701 / 702 or "lesser" grados. I would like a bit more bass if I were going for somethinge else tho.

Sorry for wall of text, just very frustrated at the moment. Had a good thing going that suddenly sort of died on me, and Im a pretty poor student so Im kind of worried about the probably absurd price of having grado fixing them.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[vpivinylspinner]

Typically a Grado that rattles on bass notes simply has a hair/debris in the housing against the driver that can be blown out and the rattle goes away. Might as well check that.

 

[rhythmdevils]

that is most likely the infamous "grattle", like ^ said, probably just a hair poking in through the screen and touching the driver. look closely, you'll probably see a hair. otherwise, there are various techniques that i don't know enough about to recommend, but do a search for grattle and ye shall find!

 

[Vargtass]

Tried blowing, sucking, shaking, knocking, twisting and whanot. It`s not going away, and it`s only noticable on lower frequencies. If it is a hair, I can`t seem to remove it. If I had plastic housings on the grados, It would be easy to open them up, but this is half a tree we`re talking about...

I`m pretty sure they`re somehow damaged, and I cant see anything inside of them indicating a hair. Guess Ill have to look again, but it`s looking grim.

 

[Tridacnid]

Try again. I thought the same thing happened to my SR80s at one point, but figured out it was just grattle. If you leave it for a little, shouldn't the hair just decompose into dust? I don't know how long that takes, though.

 

[Vargtass]

I`m going to try again tomorrow with a huge flashlight and good friends claiming I`m maximizing the disasterous about this.

Anyhow, anyone ever had to change the element in RS1-cans and have a vague price-estimate in case I can`t remove the grattle?

 

[rhythmdevils]

well it's most certainly just a hair, so if you sent it to grado, they would just open them up, clean them, and send them back. that couldn't cost too much.

I had a big grattle problem for a while, and couldn't find any hair in the driver, tried blowing, etc, couldn't figure it out, and it turned out that there was a certain stubborn hair on my head, that was curling at just the right angle to poke in there every time I put my phones on... so maybe try getting a hair cut too

 

[Tridacnid]

Yeah, how long is your hair? I used to have 5 or 6 inch long hair that would curl up and stick out in every direction. That didn't help with the grattle either.

 

[insyte]

I didn't know this could happen, and it even has a name, "grattle"

I guess I just learned something new today

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Yeah, I'd say 99.9% it's grattle.

 

[tintin47]

Same thing happened to me. I found a hair in the driver, the same as everyone else is suggesting. Either way, I think that grado will replace drivers for not too much. Maybe $70 or $100 each. Certainly not more expensive than new phones.

 

[Vargtass]

I`m sporting short neat hair, actually. And I`ve heard this grattle on / off since forever? But I suspect I never get close enough to the deep tones to really notice anything is "off." Staring at my Grados now. In the "back" where the RS1-button is I can actually see the whole inside, and cant see any long sneaky hairs. The "ear / sound" side is a different beast, though. The film covering the element is whiteish, and it`s very hard to get a look through. Im pondering if I should try to remove it, search for hairs / objects / whatnot and then somehow glue it back on again.

 

[rhythmdevils]

well if it comes to replacing the drivers, then beforehand you might as well get fierce with your blowing/vaccuming/sticking out of the car window, keep doing it more intense until either you get the hair out or the driver goes bad...

edit: and it's not likely to be in the back, it's going to be on the side that touches your ears...

 

[Vargtass]

What I thought as well, and yeah, I should step it up and go nuts. Box of compressed air ought to have done the trick, tho, If it`s a hair. They can`t possibly survive that? I`m listening to music right now and it`s making me a very sad panda hearing the buzz very clearly now and then. Respect to everyone able to get whatevers stuck out of your cans. Not being able is horrible.

 

[xkRoWx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tridacnid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Try again. I thought the same thing happened to my SR80s at one point, but figured out it was just grattle. If you leave it for a little, shouldn't the hair just decompose into dust? I don't know how long that takes, though.

AHAHAHA! Hair is like the last thing that'll decompose. Haven't you seen any of the mummified stuff on the TV?