[DoYouRight]

I compared the bass of Denon D7K and HF2 today, and they are in the same league. While the Denon has more pressure and you feel the low hz regardless of volume, the HF2 does not upset when switching back and forth. For those who thought HF1 had good bass for Grados, man this thing is 3x that and the texture is fantastic. The bass guitar layers and decays as precisely as most guitars it is a real treat on the HF2.

 

[blargman]

"I am still interested in reading impressions about salad bowls on the HF-2. I don't want to buy some expensive salad bowls before I read what others think about them."

Me too!


I haven't been here in awhile didn't know until after i read a bunch about how great the hf-2's are that they were limited ed.

M3ntal has lots of equipment and honestly i'm biased but I think he's awesome for selling me equipment that is really hard to find. I don't know why he did but from what he said they just werent' for him. I'm sure we've all here had headphones that weren't what we thought or want. Grado's are love or hate I think.

Personally he sounds like a standup guy and did this partially as a favor, I mean it wasn't THAT much of a markup. I had other ask for more in my WTB thread

So lay off M3NTAL already! jeez. On with the reviews and impressions !

 

[SemiAudiophile]

i went back to listening to the HF2's with bowls today. it is nearing the 500 hour mark and the sound has opened up for me significantly. they seem to be nearing it's final stage. i'm really starting to enjoy them now; they have opened up really nicely, i don't get that congested feeling like i did before: bass cloud is gone!!

the bass is still very present but it's not exaggerated like before. before, the bass was nice but sounded unnatural and did not sound like a grado. on bass heavy tracks, it can still be heard with nice oomph and texture. still more present than any other grado i've ever heard.

i think it will be safe for me to say that i'll put the HF2 right in between the RS1i and the 325i where it belongs. it does have the best of both worlds to me. the detail of the 325i mixed with a bit of the tonal richness and timbre of the RS1i. soundstage doesn't quite go as wide as the RS1i due to its cups i think, but still very nice.

it is a little more refined than the 325i, the sound being more textured, but not as much as the RS1i. in terms of speed, the attack isn't as fast as the 325i and sounds more laid-back in comparison. but still having that same crispness as the 325i. the HF2 does acoustic just as well as the 325i but in a different flavor.

on regular tracks, it still sounds very neutral to me, which is nice. my salad bowls have shipped, so i'll be able to see next week how the sound changes and if it is significantly better than regular size bowls.

 

[Sean H]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoYouRight /img/forum/go_quote.gif I compared the bass of Denon D7K and HF2 today, and they are in the same league. While the Denon has more pressure and you feel the low hz regardless of volume, the HF2 does not upset when switching back and forth. For those who thought HF1 had good bass for Grados, man this thing is 3x that and the texture is fantastic. The bass guitar layers and decays as precisely as most guitars it is a real treat on the HF2.

I appreciate your posts and impressions as I am contemplating a pair right now. I currently have the HF-1's and love them. When you say the bass of the HF-2 is 3x that of the HF-1 I can't quite decipher what you really mean here. If it's a matter of them having 3x more bass, eh, well, honestly I think they would sound like ****. I get awesome bass, probably on the heavier side, with my HF-1's/Senn 414 pad/Mapletree Purist HD combo. If you mean that the bass quantity and quality, together, in other words "all around," is 3x better than the HF-1, then I can start to form a mental picture. BUT, I'm having a hard time imagining the bass of the HF2's to be THAT much better.

I am very satisfied with my HF-1's. I've thought about going for a pair of Senn HD650's lately to have the variety in my system. I tend to be in favor of a sound that is warmer and a bit more laid back, which is why I like the HF-1 so much. The RS-1 was at times too "hot" for me. So, hence the reviews and impressions I see out there tell me the HF2 may be something I would like. But when people start to mention that the HF2 is kind of like taking an HF-1 and making it out to be a bit more like the 325i in some ways, eh, that turns me off a little. Anyway, I digress.

 

[blargman]

After opening my HF2's today and realizing I didn't have a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter (epic fail), I finally got one on my way home and plugged it into just my plain old sansa 8gb. Love it. It's liquid sex.

I can't wait to hear what it sounds like with a proper amp dac wihen my pico usb dac and gilmore lite show up.

*initial thoughts* definitely lower bass lite , compared to my k81djs

after a few songs, high end starting to hurt my ear a bit. Could be the volume i have them at

Liked them for softer stuff but they don't seem to have the same in your face attitude I'm used to *like* in my hard rock. hrm.


*so*

High's getting to my ears on the sansa. Plugged it into my laptop. much more definitition in the bass. Not just thumping bass like the k81djs. I can hear the bass reverb. NICE , liquid sex comes to mind again

 

[rhythmdevils]

One thing I've been noticing with these cans is that they seem to sound laid back, without sounding warm at all, or at least not to my ears. Very strange, as those usually go hand in hand in my experience.

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif One thing I've been noticing with these cans is that they seem to sound laid back, without sounding warm at all, or at least not to my ears. Very strange, as those usually go hand in hand in my experience.

they do sound warm to me. definitely warmer than the 325i and maybe just slightly warmer than the RS1i. not as warm as a HD650 but the warmest grado i have heard.

 

[blargman]

I'm asking this as a newbie, but I hate generalizations as well. "warm?"

 

[3X0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blargman /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm asking this as a newbie, but I hate generalizations as well. "warm?"

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/des...ossary-220770/

Quote:

Warm - Good bass, adequate low frequencies, adequate fundamentals relative to harmonics. Not thin. Also excessive bass or mid bass. Also, pleasantly spacious, with adequate reverberation at low frequencies. Also see Rich, Round. Warm highs means sweet highs.

 

[blargman]

I'd definitely agree with the abundance of mid-bass. The high's do seem a bit shrill and flat though. hrm I don't very good ears though.

or a decent source or amp.

 

[DoYouRight]

3x better meaning texture, decay, layering, quality in general, and impact. Hope that helps, and the sizzle on the top is gone yet still fantastic, no fatigue unless rediculous volumes. Plus the weight of them is perfect and it sits where you place them, makes HF1 feel like baby cans in comparison, these are solid and real grados, I love mine. Try and pry them from my dead body!

 

[Ph34rful]

Anyone done any listening with reversed bowls? I'm curious what the effect might be.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif One thing I've been noticing with these cans is that they seem to sound laid back, without sounding warm at all, or at least not to my ears. Very strange, as those usually go hand in hand in my experience.

I went back and did some more listening with the stock bowls, and I am hearing what you are describing. The top end seems reticent, like it is supposed to be brighter but something is muffling it. At the same time, the highs have a bit of an aggressive nature. A warm sound usually is smooth and grain-free but this does not describe the sound of my HF-2. It has a bit of a cold, grey characteristic in the upper midrange and treble yet is laid back in this part of the spectrum. The extreme top end is not apparent, the sparkle that you got in the older Grados is gone. It is like something has been tweaked to tame the brightness of the older driver but it is affecting other things you didn't want affected. I'm also finding the HF-2 uncomfortable.

Anyway, I'll do some further listening and see what transpires..

 

[YtseJamer]

Am I the only person to prefer the HF-2 over the RS-1 (the new buttonless version) ?

 

[Drumonron]

Anymore hf-2s shipping...I know there was a delay due to headbands, if memory serves?