[refault]

I just acquired the Grado HP-2 and am really enjoying its sound. Very lush midrange and very detailed.

I was thinking of maybe one day acquiring the Grado RS-1 or GS-1000. Since both include a good amount of wood in their designs I wonder if termites would be a problem ("eating" the wood in the Grados.)

Could you get a Terminex type system of protection for the headphones?

Alright, thanks!

 

[silence57]

 

[JaGWiRE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by refault I just acquired the Grado HP-2 and am really enjoying its sound. Very lush midrange and very detailed. I was thinking of maybe one day acquiring the Grado RS-1 or GS-1000. Since both include a good amount of wood in their designs I wonder if termites would be a problem ("eating" the wood in the Grados.) Could you get a Terminex type system of protection for the headphones? Alright, thanks!

Dude, I am sure we would know about that being a problem if it was. I think as long as they don't sit rotting away it'll be fine. BTW, the gs-1000 is supose to sound totally different then the older grados, or something, so just a warning, although I'm sure you know.

 

[Naris]

I wonder if that was taken into account with the laquering of the wood. Maybe they have something repulsive to such a problem.

Either way I think that if they're not on your head like they should be they should be in a fairly protective container.

 

[lmilhan]

Drugs are bad, gang!

 

[Mercuttio]

Part of my burn-in procedure actually includes a specially trained group of termites that eat away any "bad sounding wood." While Grado labs may have excellent equipment with which to test the lumber, most wood has small pockets of "ugly" sound. Termites, with enough training and very small whips can be taught to eat only "ugly" sounding wood. They move slowly, tapping with tiny feelers and smelling bad guitar solos.

 

[Sovkiller]

Mahogany (and Cedar) usually does not get eaten by any bugs due some natural resistance to them, one of the main reasons they are used for the making of expensive furniture...just FYI...IIRC Grado uses mahogany in all their products, even though IMO the mahogany I remember tends to be more dark in color, that the one i have seen on the Grado products, at least the one from Cuba is definitely darker, something like this one:

 

[Wmcmanus]

Termites tend to go for easy targets, like things that are low to the ground (or on the ground) and stationary, at least the subterranean termites which are the nasty ones. They also need a water source to survive, so as long as you don't leave your GS-1000's on a dank floor for months on end without moving them, you should be alright.

Now dry wood lice types of termites are another matter. They have no problem in dieting on higher up items, like kitchen cabinets. But I don't think they favor hard woods any more than do the subterranean termites.

Essentially, there would be better odds that you would run the GS-1000's over with your car or lawn mower than having them eaten by termites.

 

[analog'd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio Part of my burn-in procedure actually includes a specially trained group of termites that eat away any "bad sounding wood." While Grado labs may have excellent equipment with which to test the lumber, most wood has small pockets of "ugly" sound. Termites, with enough training and very small whips can be taught to eat only "ugly" sounding wood. They move slowly, tapping with tiny feelers and smelling bad guitar solos.

I thought I was way too tired to laugh this hard!

 

[analog'd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Essentially, there would be better odds that you would run the GS-1000's over with your car or lawn mower than having them eaten by termites.

I thought the lawn mower thing was recommended for breaking them in? I spent today repeatedly driving over them in a go-cart to try to vary the sonic imprint of the burn-in.

 

[gigit]

burn in with termites? thats just crazy.... iburning in with wood headphones all you need is a match

 

[nikongod]

this thread is intersting.

althogh i dont have gs-1000's i used to have ms-pros. i played them most of the time i was home, which is abotu 12 hours a day. when my home was inspected for termites, my "corner" was found to be the least infected. i think its the headphones that kept the bugs away so well.

im trying to convince mommie to get a set of gs-1000's for each room to help control termites, and other wood-eating-pests. this thread will be cited as a reason....

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikongod im trying to convince mommie to get a set of gs-1000's for each room to help control termites, and other wood-eating-pests. this thread will be cited as a reason....

I think you're on to something here, but you have to be careful with the GS-1000's. I'm told that the wood earcups and are prone to getting painted by house painters who have not been given adequate instructions.

 

[lostbobby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Essentially, there would be better odds that you would run the GS-1000's over with your car or lawn mower than having them eaten by termites.

yeah, but all that aluminum, gold contacts, etc you're almost certain to get hit by lightning. So send me all your GS1ks, I'll make sure they're stored in a termite-free, lightning free environment

 

[Uncle Erik]

Mahogany (especially the heartwood) is somewhat resistant to termites. I wouldn't worry about it so much, though. They like to come up through the ground into wood that's damp. If you left your Grados wet, half-buried under the house, they'd probably go after it.

Treating the wood with arsenic or other chemicals will prevent infestation, but you might not want to wear them after that.

A more particular threat, however, are woodworms. Well, they're wood-boring beetles actually and there are several varieties. You can find more here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodworm

They're far more likely to damage your headphones than termites. Tough to prevent, too. Believe it or not, most antique furniture collectors, dealers, appraisers, et al., look for evidence of woodworms. Not so much for damage, but to establish the age of a piece.