I've got nothing to do at the moment, so here's a short review:
For the purposes of this test I'm using the rig stated in my signature, and using the following CDs:
1. Marcus Miller - Silver Rain (Japanese Press)
2. Dave Weckl Band - Synergy (US Press)
3. Dave Matthews Band - Crash (Australian Press)
4. Sarah Chang - Fire & Ice (US Press)
5. Dream Theater - Octavarium (US Press)
As of the moment the HF2 has been burnt in for around 60 hours.
Design
Score: B
What can I say? It's pure head-fi pornography. I love the beautifully machined metal cups teamed with the black leather and retro design. It's like an old aston martin. Just like an old aston though, there are some problems. The rods are not squarish like the older rs1's (that's expected, but it's still a design flaw) so the heavy cups are loose on the rods and fall really easily when held by the headband, the etching on the cups are not right somehow, it's sort of "out of focus" and fuzzy, and I miss the button in the middle of the grill. Oh, and the pads are horrendously uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it's really pretty and photogenic.
Build
Score: C+
It's typical of Grado really. Bad overflowing glue, illegible serial number carvings, bad fit and stitching, loose insulation on the wires from the cups to the y-joint. Not to mention the Head-F1 fiasco. Strangely though, they seem to have an air of invincibility to them, it's probably the weight of the metal, but the cans seem like they can handle a beating then fixed with nothing but spit and elbow grease.
Sound
Treble Score: B+
Sharp, piercing, unbearable highs are what I've always associated Grados with. The HF2, is strangely civilized. I'm not saying that it's laid back, no no no... it's as tame as a grizzly can get. These babies are really quick, every strum of the guitar, every drum fill, every note is clearly defined, crisp and exciting. But, because of its relentless assault on your ears, they can get fatiguing really quickly, moreover, they still require a little refinement, smoothening of the edges a little, maybe a little more "air" and room for the music to breathe. I suppose they'll improve after massive amounts of burn-in (like with the SR-325i). What I absolutely love about the treble is its ability to be together with the music, yet unaffected by the rest of the frequencies. For example, on a bass heavy track, the bass can be going crazy while the treble is totally unfazed. Through other cans the only way this will work is if the music is disjointed as well, but, there's none of that with the HF2.
Mid Range Score: A+
SWEET. Guitars really shine through the HF2 they just sound right. The HF2 gives the music body and weight with just the right amount of mid-bass. Again, just like the treble, it's precise and quick on the draw. Definitely my favorite part about the HF2s.
Bass Score: B
Bass heads rejoice! If you've ordered a HF2, get ready for copious amounts of bass pounding against your skull. Forget about bone conduction technology, these dynamics will conduct your entire skeleton. Ok... maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but seriously, the HF2 is a beast. If you turn it up enough, you can actually feel the bass (not recommended if you treasure your ears though). So that's bass quantity covered, like 20 times over, but what about quality? I'm disappointed really, I expected deeper bass and more control, but the HF2 just can't handle bass properly. It's relatively loose and muddy (it gets worse if I use Grado flats). I doubt people will notice this upon first listen though since as I mentioned earlier, the HF2 has the weird quality of sounding right despite the heavy bass (i.e. the treble and mids aren't affected), pay close attention, then it will become apparent. Again, hopefully they will improve after burn-in. (Shoo... non-believers... shoo... a guy and hope can't he?)
Separation Score: A+
The separation is amazing, every instrument is in it's place, everything is defined with pin point precision. I've noticed details in the music that totally escaped the grasp of my K501, my Senns, my speakers, my SF5... everything. It's like listening to my music all over again. Really cool.
Other Stuff
As with all Grados, the HF2 does not have much of a soundstage, the music sounds like it's set in a tiny studio rather than in a performance hall (like my K501). Also, I'm picking up radio sounds off my amp, what's with the low impedance and high sensitivity guys? Who's plugging in a HF2 into a ipod? Also, I've noticed something I just can't explain. The HF2 seem to emphasize the music rather than the vocalist. It's like the instruments are surrounding the vocalist, drowning him/her out.
Conclusion
Final score: between B and B+
If you're thinking why the weird score, it's because I feel that it's a little cruel to score it at a B, it sounds too good for that, but given the price point, miserable build and all the niggles here and there, it's just not a B+ or A headphone. For those people who are too lazy to read what's written above, haul your butt back up there and read, I'm not going to do a recap. All I would say is that the HF2 is absolutely unique. Nothing sounds like it, not even other Grados. They are quite genre specific, classical music just sounds weird through it and vocals don't work (as the singer takes a back seat among the orchestration). Also, the HF2 is not a particularly emotive headphone, I wouldn't call it clinical, but as amazing as it is, it leaves me a little cold.
Ok, I'm bored of typing now. I hope you guys will enjoy yours when it eventually arrives.
Just my 2 cents. Enjoy!
More pictures:
(This looks similar to the previous photo with a cool sepia effect)
