Should I get the RA-1?
Nov 18, 2008 at 6:26 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 15

freakmax

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I just sold my HD650 and bought the GS1K.
My system is:
Mac Mini(Apple lossless files)> Monster Toslink Cable > Stello DA100>Anti ICs>Earmax SE (amperex white PQ usa x2 , siemens ecc801s)

Now I have two headphones :Grado RS-1 and GS1000 ,I really love them and I think I will 'em as long as possible.
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Overall,the GS1k sound great, the bass is tight and deep ,the mid is a bit far compared to the RS-1s (which is good IMO) , and the large sound stage.
But..
I'm having the sibilant problem with my GS1K.
Everytime when there is "S" sound in my music I'm very annoyed.
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I think the treble is a bit too harsh.
I just cant enjoy my fav song anymore.(The Sun is Burning in the Sky -simon and garfunkel , too many s and z.)
Then I go beck to my RS-1's and notice some sibilant too but not too harsh as on the GS1K.

Do you think getting the RA-1 will solve the problem??
What should I do?
I also tried swapping the tubes but no better.
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Nov 18, 2008 at 6:37 PM Post #2 of 15
I'd look elsewhere. Here's what you get for $425 besides the wooden case

Grado_mod_5.jpg
 
Nov 19, 2008 at 1:13 AM Post #4 of 15
The RA-1 (battery version) sounds very nice with Grados (despite the cheap parts as shown above). It's just synergy. That said, unless you can score one used for $150, there are far better amps from Ray, Justin or a variety Chinese manufacturers in the $300+ range.

I've used the RA-1 with RS-1 and it's indeed a good match. But with my former GS1000s, it was not so good, except at low volumes. The RS-1s are easy to drive, the GS1000, polar opposite. A lot of GS1000s have been sold because their owners couldn't find a proper amp match for them. I suspect these phones have a lot to offer once they are driven properly.

Search/ask GS1000 threads to see who liked what with that finicky fone.
 
Nov 19, 2008 at 1:34 AM Post #5 of 15
freakmax...further to my previous post, I too found the GS1000 shrill in the upper midrange and that they became congested with complex music or rock (just the opposite of the RS-1).

I'm sure I was too quick to dismiss the phones ...patience in finding the right amp might have helped immensely. But when they failed to live up to their reputation on $2.5K SinglePower, I gave up.
 
Nov 19, 2008 at 2:52 AM Post #6 of 15
I heard the GS1000 at a meet being driven by A WooAudio2 amp and Jack Woo's Denon CD Player.
It sounded awesome. I didnt hear any siblance that day, but it was a meet, and we all know meets dont offer perfect auditioning conditions, but if you can get somewhere and hear a Woo2 on a GS1k, give it a shot.
The Sennheiser HD650 and AKG k701 sounded just as good on the same set up....., just a bit different.
 
Nov 19, 2008 at 5:54 PM Post #9 of 15
Get a tube amp. Wooaudio is a very good match. Both of those headphones sound best to me with tubes.

You can also tuberoll to help bring out the midrange and help with the strong top end that they both have.

Those two phones are a great combo. I owned the RS-1 for years and owned both for at least a year before I finally sold my RS-1 and kept the GS-1000.

I used a Melos for both phones. Found it used for about the same as the RA-1. While the RA-1 sounds good, the Melos sounds much better.
 
Nov 19, 2008 at 11:05 PM Post #12 of 15
Of the amps I own, the Musical Fidelity X-CANV8 does the best for the GS-1000 sibilance. The XCAN sounds great with the RS-1's as well.
 
Nov 20, 2008 at 7:10 AM Post #13 of 15
I have to say that I don't understand how people buy Grado headphones, regardless of how good they might sound, due to the so uncomfortable fit that they offer compared to the alternatives. Why is that? Why can they make comfortable headphones?
 
Nov 20, 2008 at 7:27 AM Post #14 of 15
IMO, GS1000's are one of the most comfortable fullsize headphone.
They are very light and with the big GS1000 pad ,nothing touching your ears.
If you have comfort issue with Grado headphones , you can adjust the headband to fit your head.
This works with my RS1's.

Back to the topic, I found my local shop having the Grado RA-1 and the Xcan V8, so I'm gonna try both next week.
Hope at least one of them will work fine with the GS1000.
Otherwise I will sell 'em and get back my HD650's.
:)
 
Nov 20, 2008 at 5:20 PM Post #15 of 15
Your local shop should let you try out the headphones and amp before you buy it. I am going to have to make a CD I think would be really great to demo out a new systems. then bring that cd into different places to shop for speakers/heaphones stuff.
 

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