[raif]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhd812 looks like a nice meet, how where the ps-1's? did the leatherhead compare ?

I own a pair of A900s. The L3000s sounded very much like the same phone, only improved in every way. The midrange was more present and smoother. The highs were not as harsh as the a900 can be. The low end was also alot more defined. Supposingly the W2002 are a better a900 with a slower attack. The leatherheads would be a W2003(i.e. better still) but with a quick attack. I could go in to detail about the sound minus comparisons, but I will leave that to someone better with obtuse metaphors.

The ps-1 were my favorite headphones at the meet. I fell in love. They are a completely different animal than the L3000. I never thought it would happen, but I have become a fan of the "grado sound." One easy comment to make is that all grado's lack a 3d soundstage. All the music is presented as a wall of sound. Well, the ps-1 outputed the most beautiful wall I have ever seen/heard in my life. After listening for a while, I couldn't take them off my head. When I finally started comparing to other phones, it almost annoyed me how the drums would be a little behind me, the guitar in front to the left, the bass right beside me, etc.

The bass was really strong, and at times the treble could be a little harsh, but as ayt999 said, it wasn't burned in at all.

If you are a fan of the grado sound, this is the phone for you. NeilPeart said it best when stating "it is the love child of the hp2 and the rs-1, except it got all the best traits from each side."

Don't get me wrong, it isn't objectively better than any other phone.(outside the grado line) I am sure the omega II, r10, and Leatherhead would better satisfy most traditional audiophiles, but the ps-1 are the absolute perfection of the "fun" sound. IMHO

The question is whether or not you want to pay $1,400 for a "groovalizer." I personally believe that with all headphones, the curve of diminishing returns becomes a lot steeper once you break the $500 mark.

 

[ayt999]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raif The question is whether or not you want to pay $1,400 for a "groovalizer." I personally believe that with all headphones, the curve of diminishing returns becomes a lot steeper once you break the $500 mark.

they are so pretty.

raif should click this link

 

[raif]

ha ha!

I have actually contacted todd by email. The thing is, I can't buy them until the bank sends me my card, so I am going to have to wait at least a week or so.

My girlfriend was suprisingly accepting of my decision to purchase these phones. I think it is probably because she is getting a new ibook and ipod mini.

 

[ayt999]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raif I have actually contacted todd by email. The thing is, I can't buy them until the bank sends me my card, so I am going to have to wait at least a week or so.

Head-Fi meets are very dangerous... you come to one with a nice setup to hang out with other cool Head-Fiers, and a few hours later you are contacting Todd (or any one of the other fine retailers we have around) for a pair of PS-1's.

always glad to help people. you are very welcome.

so soon there will be at least three PS-1 headphones in the bay area? (I know gpalmer has one, add to that you and me to get three. sorry if I missed anyone.) that is insane!!

 

[bhd812]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayt999 Head-Fi meets are very dangerous... you come to one with a nice setup to hang out with other cool Head-Fiers, and a few hours later you are contacting Todd (or any one of the other fine retailers we have around) for a pair of PS-1's. always glad to help people. you are very welcome. so soon there will be at least three PS-1 headphones in the bay area? (I know gpalmer has one, add to that you and me to get three. sorry if I missed anyone.) that is insane!!

yelp two days after the chicago meet i ordered the rs-1's from todd....lol


well the 325's left ear blew out so hey...lol

 

[episiarch]

Ow! I am so sorry I missed this.

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

Head-Fi meets are very dangerous... you come to one with a nice setup to hang out with other cool Head-Fiers, and a few hours later you are contacting Todd (or any one of the other fine retailers we have around)

So true!

Looks like you guys had a great time (almost too good with those Leatherheads

). Thanks for the pics.

 

[Rizumu]

That Kenshin wallscroll doth rock. Great looking gear as well...between the Grados and all the ATs my brain can't figure out which to drool over.

Thanks for the pics and impressions, especially on the PS-1.

 

[gswpete]

Finally, I get a chance to post! First of all, I'd like to thank ayt999 for being a great host (and for letting us play with his phones

). I truely had a great time. Neil, Raif ,hey and utep10 were also headfiers with a true passion for the hobby (maybe in Neil's case a bit too much passion

).

Ok onto the gear...well, my ears kinda burned out half way through the meet. Just too many headphones too fast

. My favorite phone from the meet is probably the Leatherhead. It had a certain naturalness that sucked me in for more. I didn't really compare it in detail with the other phones, but I really liked the picture it painted. Oh yeah, it was super comfy too. The PS1's seemed like a winner. Once the bass settles down from burn in it's going to be one heck of a phone. Raif instantly fell in love with it and we couldn't pry it from his head . The HP2's were excellent as well and the SR225's were very fun to listen to.

I got a chance to compare the 600/Cardas, 600/Equinox, 650/Zu and all I can say is three different variations of the same sound. Can't really say which is better without spending a lot of time comparing, which means they're all good

All in all, I had a great time. Let's do this again sometime, only next time WITH the O2's and R10's

I'll try to add some pictures later on.

 

[raif]

ORDER DETAILS
Name Cost Discount Total
Grado PS-1 1 @ $1,400.00 - $1,400.00 Sorry, we can not discount this item
Grado Flat Pads 1 @ $30.00 - $30.00
Federal Express Express Saver $9.00
Order Total $1,439.00

by the way, I am holding ayt999 personally responsible for this

 

[minya]

raif,

Ahhhhhhhh, nice.

- Chris

 

[gswpete]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raif ORDER DETAILS Name Cost Discount Total Grado PS-1 1 @ $1,400.00 - $1,400.00 Sorry, we can not discount this item Grado Flat Pads 1 @ $30.00 - $30.00 Federal Express Express Saver $9.00 Order Total $1,439.00 by the way, I am holding ayt999 personally responsible for this

You should've did what Neil did and just moved in with ayt999

 

[haycheng]

Thank for the invitation and warm welcome,ayt999. I enjoy the leatherhead a lot

. As for the PS-2, it is too heavy for my small head. It does not matter how good it sound, it is just too uncomfortable for me. I do enjoy trying it out though.

 

[LobsterSan]

I miss Cal. And demoing headphones. Where were you guys when I was still in Berzerkely?

Well, eat some Blondie's or Zachary's for me, will ya? I miss having real pizza. West Coast cheesy bread... *gaaaaaahhhhhrghhhh*

BTW... is that a るろうに けんしん (rurouni kenshin) poster in the back of some of those photos?

 

[NeilPeart]

[size=x-small]Berkeley Meet Impressions:[/size]

First of all I’d like to thank ayt999 for his generous hospitality (and refreshment selections); thank you so much Alex! I’d also like to thank utep10 for laughing off my antics as we carpooled to Berkeley in his truck – thanks for putting up with me, Bruce! And of course thanks to all who attended (gswpete, Alex (not Aayt999), haycheng and raif) who attended the meet – without the members there is no meet!

There were plenty of headphones and associated gear, and it stretched from the $20 PortaPro2 to the $2000+ L3000. I really enjoyed the iPod/PortaPro2 rig, though I heard it only briefly; those $20 PP2s are truly one of the best bargains in headphones. Another dark-horse setup that I really enjoyed was Alex’s (not ayt999) NEC transport/crazy DAC I-don’t-recall-the-name-of/DT531 combo; it really tamed the sometimes splashy 531 treble and controlled the bass very well – it grooved!

The Sennheisers:
I listened to the HD600/Cardas/Equinox, HD580/Stock and HD650/Zu Mobius. Yes all three sound like Sennheisers! While I admit the HD650/Zu Mobius can be breathtaking at times, on many pieces I preferred the HD600/Cardas (and I always preferred the Cardas over the Equinox – the midrange just sounded so “right” with the smurf)! I now realize that my HD580 is holding me back sonically, even though it does come damn close to its brothers. I did feel that the Perreaux SXH1 lacked the impact necessary to liven up the Senns, but it synergized well with the SR225. I thought the Grace 901 sounded very nice with the Senns, if a bit on the analytical, hyper-detailed side. My favorite Senn combo was the NAD C521BEE/Corda HA-2/HD650/Zu; it really sounded “just right” with nearly every piece I tried it with.

The Audio-Technicas:
I started with the W11JPN, which I thought sounded very similar to my old W100, but even more “wrong” in the midrange and totally lacking in the bass department; it sure is purdy though! The A900 is still a great value and one of the best sealed cans around – definitely the baby version of the CD3000. The W2002 is still the most beautiful can ever made, IMO and still a bit slow in the attack (though none of the amps powered it well enough for my liking – where’s that modded Sugden). The L3000 basically corrected everything wrong with the W2002’s presentation – and it smelled like a Ferrari while doing it (though it’s still an ugly ‘lil b@st@rd, IMO). The stunted attack if the W2002 was corrected and very W1000 in that regard, and the highs and midrange were as beautiful as ever. The L3000 is the best AT can I’ve ever heard, and with better amplification it would really shine. Still, there was something about the L3000 (and all the AT cans) that I didn’t like, but still fail to pinpoint exactly what that is and I’m not sure any amp could change that.

The Grados:
I’ve always felt very attracted to the Grado sound, but only for certain genres of music. The RS-1 has always been too colored for my tasted and the MS-Pro never corrected that (though it did change the balance a bit). On the other end of the spectrum is the classic HP-1000, whose neutrality and detail are legendary, and the reasons why the headphone is still sought after today, often times selling for double its original MSRP – how’s that for resale value?! Still, even with some of the best amplification (modded Melos SHA-Gold w/Mullards, not present at this meet), the HP-1000 always bored me. Despite its detailed, speedy presentation and shimmering top end I could never groove to the HP-1000. If the RS-1 and HP-1000 were brothers, they were separated at birth, found each other and never spoke again. The PS-1 Pro was the result of an unholy hybrid of the three top Grados: the fun and groove of the RS-1, sans its odd colorations, the speed and beauty of the HP-1000 minus the sleep-inducing sound, and the removal of the buttons a la Alessandro. The PS-1 Pro is the heaviest of all Grados, and it can be uncomfortable to some (ask haychen). I loved it. The detail and highs of the HP-2 and the fun of my SR225 – add a healthy dose of bass while you’re at it! Speaking of bass, it was a bit too much at times, and I suspect two variables were the reasons: #1 under 20-hours of break-in. #2 no synergous amps to tame the PS-1 and make it truly sing. A Melos, HP4 or SDS would have altered the essence of time itself, but even without such amplification the PS-1 shined with nearly every configuration I tried. There were times when the HP-2 seemed to exhibit better bass detail (but less bass quantity) or more treble energy, but the presence of any vocals or electric guitar earned the PS-1 another victory (I always thought that vocals sounded strange on the HP-1000). I never thought there was an upgrade path for my SR225, because I truly preferred it to the RS-1 and HP-1000. Now there is and I’m scared (and my wallet is in a self-imposed exile). The PS-1 is the best Grado I’ve ever heard and one of the best headphones I’ve heard – period. It’s the only headphone that ever made me question the possible existence of the HD600 “veil” and the first Grado I could actually use as an “everything” can, the way I use my HD580. Of course, if I bought the $1400 PS-1 I’d have to upgrade my MPX3 to an SDS! And then my source would need a boost…and the cables too…and some power conditioning could help…

My favorite amp of the meet: Corda HA-2 (I know it’s mine but it’s still my favorite of the meet)
My favorite source: Benchmark DAC1
My favorite headphone: PS-1
Biggest letdown: Perreaux SXH1 (no offense, Bruce)
Favorite combos: DAC1 (as a source & amp)->PS-1 & NAD C521BEE->Corda HA-2->HD650 w/Zu Mobius

I’d like to thank all the attendees and the host, ayt999 for an entertaining and successful meet – I can’t wait to see you guys again. And Alex, we’re still going through with that PS-1/DT531 exchange, right?