[Nerull]

This also isn't some unknown secret. It just shows the headphones and their house sounds. For example:

Sennheiser:

Denon:

Audio-Technica:

Beyerdynamic:

Grado:

The house sounds of each respective manufacturer are seen in each of these graphs. It gives a glimpse of how it will sound, but it gives no indication of quality of any of that reproduction. Separation of instruments? Soundstage? The details of such listening are for you to decide. It's not as simple as looking at a graph.

~Thomas

 

[ph0rk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerull /img/forum/go_quote.gif The house sounds of each respective manufacturer are seen in each of these graphs. It gives a glimpse of how it will sound, but it gives no indication of quality of any of that reproduction. Separation of instruments? Soundstage? The details of such listening are for you to decide. It's not as simple as looking at a graph. ~Thomas

And sometimes, the graphs are just wrong:

 

[jsaliga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ph0rk /img/forum/go_quote.gif And sometimes, the graphs are just wrong

I think most of the time the graphs are just wrong.

--Jerome

 

[tintin47]

I have very rarely heard a phone that sounds to me like the frequency response looks.

 

[CTechKid]

The real problem about this thread is the title, coupled with the first sentence. What the OP has portrayed in his initial assessment is by no means unique to Grado headphones, so why set out to make this a Grado witch hunt?

You've put far too much onus on a products perceived 'surface' value, and haven't given a fair shake to its holistic value.

 

[cavedave]

There I fixed it. I still wont argue with you about it. Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio /img/forum/go_quote.gif I feel like I WANT to argue with you based on your tag line, but I can't actually read your post. See what I did there? I just did it again. Those are called line breaks. Could you add a few?

 

[ph0rk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTechKid /img/forum/go_quote.gif The real problem about this thread is the title, coupled with the first sentence. What the OP has portrayed in his initial assessment is by no means unique to Grado headphones, so why set out to make this a Grado witch hunt? You've put far too much onus on a products perceived 'surface' value, and haven't given a fair shake to its holistic value.

Exactly - like the wine study, while the $90 wine and the $10 wine did not differ, the reaction in the pleasure centers of the brain did differ, and in a measurable way.

If all you're after is a bit of dopamine, the $90 wine is as good a method as any (and less likely to get you slapped with a drug charge than some). Don't underestimate how much meta-processing the brain is capable of.

(note that in the study the wines were essentially the same, in the case of grados, even the headroom measurements show differences, so there is obviously another layer of perceived differences interacting with the sense of the value of the headphone).

 

[Happy Camper]

KevinD's explanation sums it up well. You have to live with a hp for a while, then go back to another to be able to tell a difference. Same with ICs, power cords, opamps and tubes. You have to learn the language of each set to know the different accents. I was able to listen to several Grados on our last meet and while the house sound is common, the MS-2, RS-1 and GS-1000 all handled the same song with just a bit different accent. There is no way memory would have given me those differences in accent until I got used to the Grado language and then listened to them at one setting.


Notice the differences in the Beyer charts. Looks like a Georgian, New Yorker, Texan and Californian are in a bar........

 

[jaw2ek]

I have yet to hear Grados, but want to try them very much. I think the OP has convinced me to go straight for 325is

 

[wae5]

Most say expensive Grados sound better than cheaper ones. A few say expensive Grados sound different but not much better than cheaper ones. Only a fool would say here that cheaper Grados sound better than more expensive ones. This is why more expensive Grados cost more. ;O)

 

[LingLing1337]

^Jaw2ek, consider that many forumers, I among them, feel that the SR225 and 325i stand juxtaposed in the Grado hierarchy. Be sure to demo both models and decide for yourself.

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaw2ek /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have yet to hear Grados, but want to try them very much. I think the OP has convinced me to go straight for 325is

That's kind of a silly idea, being convinced by an OP that hasn't listend to a particular headphone for more than 30 minutes, isn't it?

 

[Rakooon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ph0rk /img/forum/go_quote.gif The brain's pleasure centers fire up more when the brain "knows" an item costs more.

Personally i would agree.Its not all about that, but it has a certain influence.We'll always want to find an improvement in a more expensive phones.This is normal, but inevitably , it will more or less influence peoples.
We're not stupid , but maybe sometimes our brain feel the need to justify this little 500+ (whetever) expense. (like someone else state higher in this thread)


BUT..............................


Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper /img/forum/go_quote.gif You have to live with a hp for a while, then go back to another to be able to tell a difference.

IMO this is the answer.You can't notice the whole difference between 2 headphones by just switching em at minutes.I've only been able to notice the biggest difference between mines after a complete day of listening to one.

Even if grado sound all "alike", i believe that one person expose to a higher model for a long time will notice the switch to a lower one.Still .... does it worth the cost ? Depend on how much you love your hobby !

 

[achristilaw]

Hard pressed to find a better value in Audio than the SR60.

You can never actually understand how something sounds until you live with it, your source material, your sources and amps! No distractions and in a completely relaxed setting. After Burn-in can valid comparisons be made but the results are for personal edification, and should be of little value to anyone else. After all it's MY experience and should be seen in that light.

To much has been said of late about the ingredients of components. That the sum total's of materials don't add up.

The same ingredients are used by two Chef's to concoct Chicken soup. But the preparation differs and the amount of ingredients vary. One is the best YOU ever tasted and the other, while edible tasted like the contents of a well known "canned soup" variety. Both are valid but one is preferred.

Opinions are personnel until they are shared..then they become public domain. But everyone should try to be civil and treat one another with a baseline respect, and agree to dis-agree!

Is anything, worth anything?...Only to the purchaser!

 

[Baimi]

I agree with achristilaw's statements above wholeheartedly and let's just leave this thread at that. Instead of wasting time arguing about headphones, invest time to learn more about them through listening!