[.coco]

Grado has always stuck me as having a "passion over science" mentality. I wonder how this will play out with IEMs..

 

[Wiggy Fuzz]

wonder why they aren't made of wood...

then again, they might sprout into trees in my horrible waxy ears

 

[Bilavideo]

HERE'S THE TEXT NOBODY BOTHERED TO COPY:

Quote:

A proprietary wide bandwidth balanced armature design provides the listener with unsurpassed performance. Small size allows earphone to nestle well within the ear canal, maintaining an excellent air seal for improved bass and reduction of outside noise without causing discomfort. Driver: Moving armature Connector type: standard mini plug (gold over brass) Frequency range: 20 -20,000 Hz Sensitivity: 118db/1mw Impedance: 120 ohms Maximum input power: 20mW Cable length: 51"/130mm (oxygen-free copper wire) Weight: 9 grams including plug and cord Raised dot on left earphone provides tactile indication of channel allowing earphones to be put on correctly even in the dark. Included: 3 pair ear tips (small, medium, large; proprietary blend of two silicon rubber materials) Ear wax proof cloth x4 Ear wax proof cloth ring x2

The same dealer has the iGi earphone ($89) but with no picture and no specs. Imagine buying a headphone on the basis of a box that says, "Image not available," and with nothing to go on except the statement, "Shipping Fall 2009."

I've nothing to say about the new Grados. Sound is what matters. If they do, in fact, sound "GR8," then who wouldn't want them? But if all the buyer has to go on is the Grado name, that's a little scary. Lifetime products - like Bose - have a tendency to sell something other than sound. You're buying brand. Klipsch tried that and didn't do well. If I were going to break into the already-crowded IEM market, I'd come with something fresh. Me-too products don't stand much of a chance.

One of the odd specs here is the mention of a "moving armature" and the reference to 120 ohms impedence. These are earbuds, like the Sennheiser IE8 but the IE8 has an impedence of 16 ohms. I wonder how they're supposed to drive these without a headphone amp.

 

[3X0]

Earwax-proof? That's hot.

 

[GarageBoy]

Me, I just wish the REGULAR headphones looked less "out of someone's garage"

 

[FYJX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am curious, how do you make an iem that looks expensive? We have the Vibes that are metal, a $150 wood iem. My Shure530s are plastic and don't look very opulent and UE universal iems all look kind of tacky to me, but I know that they sound very good. I wish Grado well with this effort. I think that a Grado sounding iem would make lots of people happy, especially if it is comfortable

Se530 is made of metal, it's just coated. ehhh, no idea how you would be able to make a IEM look expensive...

 

[LingLing1337]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarageBoy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Me, I just wish the REGULAR headphones looked less "out of someone's garage"

That's part of their appeal for me... however, looking at their 'factory', it appears to really be out of a garage.

 

[Punnisher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilavideo /img/forum/go_quote.gif HERE'S THE TEXT NOBODY BOTHERED TO COPY: One of the odd specs here is the mention of a "moving armature" and the reference to 120 ohms impedence. These are earbuds, like the Sennheiser IE8 but the IE8 has an impedence of 16 ohms. I wonder how they're supposed to drive these without a headphone amp.

Honestly it's about time someone made an iem with this kind of impedance. I am sick of all the 16-32 ohm earphones with high sensitivity. They hiss like a snake out of portable players and pretty much require an amplifier to quiet them down.

If my portable players can power my 250ohm 880s to high levels while sounding good, then these earphones should be a piece of cake to drive. Probably without background hiss either!

Sorry I get a little worked up because of all the "audiophile" earphones that hiss to unlistenable levels.

 

[Punnisher]

Looks like I'm a thread killer.

 

[hockeyb213]

Common guys you know how to make a headphone look expensive you cover it in precious jewels dayum....................

 

[.coco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punnisher /img/forum/go_quote.gif Honestly it's about time someone made an iem with this kind of impedance. I am sick of all the 16-32 ohm earphones with high sensitivity. They hiss like a snake out of portable players and pretty much require an amplifier to quiet them down. If my portable players can power my 250ohm 880s to high levels while sounding good, then these earphones should be a piece of cake to drive. Probably without background hiss either! Sorry I get a little worked up because of all the "audiophile" earphones that hiss to unlistenable levels.

jeez, what kind of player are you using that makes your headphones hiss that bad?

 

[Ferrariman]

120 ohm? Really?

 

[Punnisher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by .coco /img/forum/go_quote.gif jeez, what kind of player are you using that makes your headphones hiss that bad?

Any of them.

Take my Westone UM2 for example. It has a similar impedance and sensitivity as the top dual/triple driver phones from Westone, UE and Shure.

I can't use them out of these players because of the hiss:

Cowon D2
Cowon X5L
Ipod 5.5g
Ipod Nano 3g
Sansa Clip
Sansa Fuze
iriver h120
iriver h320

The only solution is to use an amplifier with a very quite background like my Tomahawk.

 

[Bilavideo]

Or change the filter. For about $3 in filters, you can eliminate that hiss in a heartbeat.

 

[Punnisher]

Possibly but I doubt it. On the louder hissing players, the hiss is just as loud as my music is.