Leo
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 15, 2003
- Posts
- 252
- Likes
- 15
Equipment used:
Headphone: Grado RS-1 (stock bowl pads)
Amp: Grado RA-1 w/Plainview 9v batteries
Interconnect: DH Labs Silversonic BL-1 Series II, Straightwire RCA-Mini
Source: Sony SCD-C222ES SACD/CD Player, Panasonic SL-320 PCDP
Well it’s been 4 days since I acquired the Grado RS-1 headphones. I’ve put it thru the paces in both a portable and home rig. And I must admit I’m completely impressed. The overall detail is incredible. Hearing the sense of a musician’s fingers rubbing along the strings of a guitar while it is being played surprised me. Pairing the RS-1 with the RA-1 is a well matched combination. I listened to both SACD’s and CD’s and was just amazed out the sound that was being generated. For me audio reproduction is a soulful experience. I like sitting listening to music intently as if the artist was there to perform just for me and my enjoyment. And with some of the SACD’s I own I can realize this experience.
I made some initial adjustments to widen the band for better comfort. The first thing I noticed when putting the cans on was how light they were. My expectations were with the weight of the wood it would be felt. I had previously tried the SR-325 and the aluminum was a bit heavier. Not so with the RS-1. It’s great to be able to put on a can and not work about it getting in the way of my listening. Folks have said that the sound of the Grado line is forward, but I tend to enjoy this sense of forward. I listen to lots of classic jazz music and prefer that intimate feeling of a simple trio – piano, bass or horn and percussion. With the RS-1 I could sit there and listen to Bill Evans and the gang play in front of me some of the tunes from the Waltz For Debbie album (yes, I’m older and still call them albums). I would sit for a few hours and go thru a variety of songs ranging from jazz, to classic rock to classical. Within the past 4 days I’ve gone through a small portion of my audio collection just trying to see what I could hear and glean from the music with the Grado’s.
I look forward to see how things may change as the cans continue breaking in. Folks may ask and wonder how I can justify buying the RS-1’s and the way I look at it is if I had to attempt to reproduce my music using a pair of speakers (my choice is either PSB Stratus Silver or Meadowlark Audio Kestrel 2 and an amp VTL ST-85 then cost of the RS-1 is just a small drop in the bucket. So is the RS-1 worth it? I can give a resounding yes for my response. Is it the end all be all can for everyone? No I doubt it. Because everyone’s ears and hearing is different, what one person may enjoy may be a complete turnoff to another. My advice is that you try to experience this set of cans as well as many others so to help round out your listening experience. Who knows, you to may find that the RS-1 does just what you are looking for in a headphone. Thanks for your time and as always, enjoy the music.
Leo
Headphone: Grado RS-1 (stock bowl pads)
Amp: Grado RA-1 w/Plainview 9v batteries
Interconnect: DH Labs Silversonic BL-1 Series II, Straightwire RCA-Mini
Source: Sony SCD-C222ES SACD/CD Player, Panasonic SL-320 PCDP
Well it’s been 4 days since I acquired the Grado RS-1 headphones. I’ve put it thru the paces in both a portable and home rig. And I must admit I’m completely impressed. The overall detail is incredible. Hearing the sense of a musician’s fingers rubbing along the strings of a guitar while it is being played surprised me. Pairing the RS-1 with the RA-1 is a well matched combination. I listened to both SACD’s and CD’s and was just amazed out the sound that was being generated. For me audio reproduction is a soulful experience. I like sitting listening to music intently as if the artist was there to perform just for me and my enjoyment. And with some of the SACD’s I own I can realize this experience.
I made some initial adjustments to widen the band for better comfort. The first thing I noticed when putting the cans on was how light they were. My expectations were with the weight of the wood it would be felt. I had previously tried the SR-325 and the aluminum was a bit heavier. Not so with the RS-1. It’s great to be able to put on a can and not work about it getting in the way of my listening. Folks have said that the sound of the Grado line is forward, but I tend to enjoy this sense of forward. I listen to lots of classic jazz music and prefer that intimate feeling of a simple trio – piano, bass or horn and percussion. With the RS-1 I could sit there and listen to Bill Evans and the gang play in front of me some of the tunes from the Waltz For Debbie album (yes, I’m older and still call them albums). I would sit for a few hours and go thru a variety of songs ranging from jazz, to classic rock to classical. Within the past 4 days I’ve gone through a small portion of my audio collection just trying to see what I could hear and glean from the music with the Grado’s.
I look forward to see how things may change as the cans continue breaking in. Folks may ask and wonder how I can justify buying the RS-1’s and the way I look at it is if I had to attempt to reproduce my music using a pair of speakers (my choice is either PSB Stratus Silver or Meadowlark Audio Kestrel 2 and an amp VTL ST-85 then cost of the RS-1 is just a small drop in the bucket. So is the RS-1 worth it? I can give a resounding yes for my response. Is it the end all be all can for everyone? No I doubt it. Because everyone’s ears and hearing is different, what one person may enjoy may be a complete turnoff to another. My advice is that you try to experience this set of cans as well as many others so to help round out your listening experience. Who knows, you to may find that the RS-1 does just what you are looking for in a headphone. Thanks for your time and as always, enjoy the music.
Leo
