[KG Jag]

Those two cans as complementary in many ways (although I would go with older "i" version of this Grado or its Alessandro cousin) from sound signature to how easy/difficult each is to drive. 

 

[potkettleblack]

  so i've owned a pair of hd600s for about 3 years. i'm looking for something that is not as difficult to drive, i.e. grados @ 32ohm. taking ito account the hardware that i'm currently running, AND the hardware i plan to buy in the future, i think a lower impedance set of cans is in my future. that being said, i enjoy the sennheisers very much, i think their sound reproduction is spot on. i dabble in some recording, but mostly use them for listening to music. without further ado, here is my setup(s):
 
setup #1: focusrite 2i4 audio interface (for recording) ---> headphone out jack -----> sennheiser HD600
setup #2: NuForce uDac2 ------> analog RCA out ------> woo audio 6 -----> sennheiser HD600
setup #3: focusrite 2i4 -----------> RCA output ------->woo audio 6 ------> sennheiser HD600
 
i have a hard time deciding which sounds best because i like to think that the nuforce is geared directly toward converting digital to analog (thats what it was built to do). the focusrite has that built in seemingly as an afterthought. also, the headphone out jack on the focusrite is supposedly only ~10ohms, so im asking a lot of it to drive 300ohm cans. out of convenience, i tend to use the focusrite more as my all around music listening device due to its flexibility to connect to external preamps via rca or the built in headphone jack.
 
would a purchase of the grado rs1e be a better match for my focusrite? for the record, im looking to get rid of my tube gear as i am moving to CA from MA anyway, (i dont want to travel with fragile, expensive tube gear). so losing the woo isnt a big deal to me. my intention here is not to push items as i am not yet eligible to post on the classifieds, but im a long time lurker with good intentions... i feel as though the focusrite could push the grados better, but would be less utilitarian than the sennheisers which are apparently industry standard for monitoring...
 
regardless, just in case anyone is interested, i would be willing to trade a pair of hd600s AND a woo audio 6 w/ stock tubes for a brand new grado rs1e.
 
this is what data im working with at the moment:
 
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=573&graphID[]=293&scale=30
 
i hope this is a good post, as i said before i'm a long time lurker, first time poster..

 

  Keep them BOTH, unless you are financially strapped and can only afford one.  Seriously you are talking about two different cans that do so many different things so well.  There are LEGIONS of HF members over the decade who sold off those cans, only to scale up and down the ladder of dimini$hing return and return right  back to square 1.
 
I listen to the same kinds of music and honestly having both an RS1 and HD650 (an array of headphones actually) at my disposal really allows me to enjoy the music that much more.  Progressive rock is such a diverse field of musical styles, instrumentation, artist influences and recording techniques that in all honesty I don't think any one headphone can really do it all... at least not without missing a beat or two along the way.
 
Just my thoughts...  Good Luck though in whatever you chose!!

Completely agree with this poster. Never get rid of the 650's - I've read so many times about people going back to them.
 
As for the Rs1's I'd highly recommend trying to get the I model and not the e's. The R1e's are getting VERY bad feedback on the Grado threads, so much so that a rumour has started about Grado withdrawing that model.
 
Though that may be made up I think it's reflective of how much flack they are getting. People are simply hoping Grado are doing something about it.

 

[xsk3l3t0rx]

not to nitpick, but you do know i have hd600s and not the 650s right? and i was not aware of the grados e series issues. can you link meh? im genuinely interested in this now. even if i do keep the 600s (which i most likely will), i was hoping to pick up some grados at some point because i really like to support made in america products, especially when its family run and seemingly good quality like grado.

 

[potkettleblack]

Forgive

not to nitpick, but you do know i have hd600s and not the 650s right? and i was not aware of the grados e series issues. can you link meh? im genuinely interested in this now. even if i do keep the 600s (which i most likely will), i was hoping to pick up some grados at some point because i really like to support made in america products, especially when its family run and seemingly good quality like grado.

forgive me. I still wouldn't get rid of the 600's.

I can't link you because I'm on my phone. I'd you type in ''grado e series'' there's a huge thread going - you won't miss it.

General opinions are awful really. They moved the driver closer so the comfort is even worse than it was. And they removed some of the treble so overall they don't really have any redeeming features. Some people are actually baffled as to why they sent them out.

I would strongly recommend the ps500e's and if you want the complete opposite of what you've got I would strongly, strongly recommend the Sr80e's. They sound astonishing for the price and with rock they are possibly my favourite headphone I've listened to. After a couple of days, you'll fall in love, trust this opinion with your life.

my dad doesn't like headphones but listens to 90% rock.

I've MADE him let me get them for him for his birthday.

 

[xsk3l3t0rx]

i hope this doesnt sound like a silly question, but do grado headphones usually have removable cords? i would think/hope so, seeing as how they cost 600$ and some people have pets/kids to worry about.... its crucial for me when making a buying decision for headphones...

 

[potkettleblack]

Not silly at all. They don't. But they have very rugged cables.

get the sr80e's. They cost a fraction of the price (100 dollars or less) and I liked them just as much as, if not more than rs1i and rs2i.

 

[Kaaf]

IMHO, 
Grado's and Sennheiser are complete opposites. I wouldn't trade my hd600 with any Grado (soundwise/comfort)
If you are looking for easier to drive headphones with similair sound. Than try to look for the NAD hp50 or Beyer Custom One Pro. But everyone is Different and don't beleive graphs only your ears. Please try to listen in a shop, And buy it there. Or else we don't have any shops to listen to headphones. Resulting in ending up spending more money on the wrong headphones online.