[jjinh]

thanks cheemo

and congrats on the 1000 posts!

 

[cheemo]

^eh Thanks jjinh! Post your impressions when you receive your HF2's.

 

[Huckster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rasmushorn /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would consider selling my HF2's for 1200 USD or more...

The grilles on these arent even turned the same way.. I would expect a longer cable or extension for $500 dollar headphone as well.. much more so since it IS a limited edition.

edit: btw, everyone should get Headphone softies if they are having issues with the bowl pads. It changes the rough pads into cotton balls on your head!

 

[tin]

this might be a wild question, but is there quick easy mods designed for better comfort, performace and anything silly?

i havent even heard them yet... or even seen a grado in person.... crossing my fingers that they good for me..

ps. Anyone know a place where i can try headphones in a store in Nassau county NY?

 

[jjinh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheemo /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^eh Thanks jjinh! Post your impressions when you receive your HF2's.

i have a feeling its going to be a while. for some reason nearly everything i get from the states takes about two weeks to get here (australia).

this time i've paid for international express (its still apparently 1 week to get here) so fingers crossed for sometime late next week.

 

[MD1032]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chimxchim /img/forum/go_quote.gif After reading all the analysis and reviews, I'm going to take the dive and level up from my MS1's into a pair of HF-2's. Thanks all for taking for the time to write all of this up.

You won't be disappointed. The HF-2's have that "sparkle" of extra detail and separation only the higher-end Grados have that is the ultimate "BS-detector" when it comes to low-end versus high-end Grados. That and a lot of bass for a bowl-pads Grado.

 

[fraseyboy]

Ok. My opinion about them has completely changed.

The bass has tightened up and become more controlled and now they're much more enjoyable. They're fun, up front, typical grado with reasonable bass impact, ok extension, not overly sibilant treble, sweet mids, nice tone... Typical Grado. It does have more soundstage than I remember my MS1's having (still nowhere NEAR as big as my AD700's) and its nicely detailed and separated.

I prefer my AD700s for some genres still, although they seem to have a weird tone compared to the HF2's. They sound sorta fake and plasticy.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fraseyboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok. My opinion about them has completely changed. The bass has tightened up and become more controlled and now they're much more enjoyable. They're fun, up front, typical grado with reasonable bass impact, ok extension, not overly sibilant treble, sweet mids, nice tone... Typical Grado. It does have more soundstage than I remember my MS1's having (still nowhere NEAR as big as my AD700's) and its nicely detailed and separated.

Glad the burn-in is helping as we promised it would.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fraseyboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I prefer my AD700s for some genres still, although they seem to have a weird tone compared to the HF2's. They sound sorta fake and plasticy.

That is how I would compare the DT880 to the HF-2 as well, the HF-2 sound more natural and the DT880 did not sound real.

 

[Voodoochile]

Figure I can safely weigh in on these, finally.
I've owned three pair of Grado phones, including the HF-1, and auditioned at length many more. I really want to like them, but it just hasn't happened for me. Combination of the perceived SQ (meaning with my ears VS yours), and the typical supra-aural VS circumaural design comfort issues (again, for me at least), I just haven't been able to enjoy them.

Despite these past experiences, I felt compelled to give Grado yet another shake, again without any audition, as they were not out yet. After trying a pair at the NY meet this spring, I felt comfortable with my decision initially, as the HF-2 seemed to have a more balanced presentation than the former sets I've used, and they were also notably lighter than 325s. They felt reasonably comfortable, but it was a brief tryout.

I got another chance to give them a more thorough audition at a mini-meet hosted by hopstretch over the summer, just before my pair were due to be shipped. It was a lot quieter there than it was in Queens, and of course, more relaxed/casual. Not only was the pair I tried (Ian's?) more comfortable than any previous Grados I've owned or used, the sound was still really nice and well balanced. None of the harsh grattle I had come to associate with the general design. I spent a good amount of time with them on both my Dynalo, Mapletree, and a shorter bit of time on the Menace. I was feeling better still for my decision.

The cans arrived very late, a good 5 or 6 weeks beyond the original projection, but I had them at last. Unfortunately I was also in the middle of putting a new roof on my house, coincident with a bonafide heatwave lasting more than 5 days. I finally got that task behind me and had some time to try them out. Washed the pads, as they were pretty crispy-starchy feeling out of the box. They sounded as nice as I recalled. A bit tight on the clamp factor, but I gently flexed the headband a bit, and fiddled endlessly with the driver positioning over the ear. I did end up washing the pads another time a week later, and they feel pretty nice now.

Since then I have worn them for about 120 hours, and am much relieved to say that not only do they sound excellent, they are quite comfortable as well. No, they do not feel the same as the circumaural Senns, but I can easily listen for a few hours, which is something I could never do with Grados in the past. I used Senn pads on my 225s, which were more comfy, but I never cared for the sound, for instance. Highly modded RS1s were pretty nice sounding, but still uncomfortable, and a slight bit harsh sounding TO ME. I know they are wonderful cans, but maybe my ears are very sensitive. After all, I hear no veil with Senns, for instance.

Of the 120 or so hours spent listening, probably 20-25 has been through the computer, the rest through the Mapletree. Nate has my Dynalo for now, which has been sitting idle for years, as it just isn't a happening amp when paired with Senns. Fortunately the Mapletree amp does a great job with Senns, and arguably even better with Grados, or so I've been told. I've been told on several occasions that the amp is very, very good with Grados, and I always felt bad because I just couldn't cope with them. Although the Senns are excellent with this amp, the HF-2 are more forward, but not smashing you in the face with a tennis raquet forward. They are NOT laid back for sure, but they offer a much more plausible presentation than other models have offered. The Senns are nicer for some content, particularly acoustic or vocal-heavy pieces, where there is a more airy or analog quality to the production, whereas the Grados are just a bit tighter and more impactful on electronic, or more heavily-produced work. They still sound great on other pieces as well, but they really shine with faster, edgier stuff. And the bass is really cool. The Mapletree is remarkably fast and tight with bass handling, not bloated at all. People seem to associate tube amps with tubby bass response, but it isn't always the case.

I'm not into constantly swapping out gear, or falling for the FOTM, but I do enjoy auditioning anything new. To adopt something into my rig is another story though, I have to really like it a lot, otherwise it's just a fun visit. I'm really digging the HF-2, and hope to enjoy them for a long time to come. Highly recommended, even for Grado skeptics.

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voodoochile /img/forum/go_quote.gif Figure I can safely weigh in on these, finally. ... I'm really digging the HF-2, and hope to enjoy them for a long time to come. Highly recommended, even for Grado skeptics.

A nicely written post. Informative, engaging and enjoyable to read. I'm really glad that the HF-2 worked out for you, Voodoochile. I enjoy them very much when used with a Mapletree amp as well.

 

[tin]

damnnn it... i should have upgraded the shipping... wait is killin me and its only been 1 day... and im really happy with the service so far as they shipped within 3 hours of me ordering it..

 

[jamato8]

They sound gooder with the Grateful Dead. The new 77 boxed set works the bass.

Acoustical blues is also very nice with these. Harmonica and guitar sing.

 

[thechungster]

The bass is definitely calming down after 24 hours of burn in. When comparing to my Sennheiser IE8s, they sound lifeless and less detailed. There's also a lot more bass compared to the HF2s which was rather surprising since I thought they actually had more bass than the IE8s at first.

 

[azncookiecutter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thechungster /img/forum/go_quote.gif The bass is definitely calming down after 24 hours of burn in. When comparing to my Sennheiser IE8s, they sound lifeless and less detailed. There's also a lot more bass compared to the HF2s which was rather surprising since I thought they actually had more bass than the IE8s at first.

The IE8s sounding lifeless or HF2s?

 

[thechungster]

Woops must have forgot to put it in

The IE8s sound lifeless in comparison.