ZetsuBozu0012
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2011
- Posts
- 348
- Likes
- 26
First of all, holy crud has it been a while since I've posted. I had to reset my PW since it's been ages since I last logged in. I guess that's primarily due to my having become content with my lower-mid-tier K550s and my having gone head-first into another fairly pricey hobby, which in this case would be calligraphy and collecting fountain pens.
It's nice to be back, though.
Anyway, here's a bit of backstory to provide a bit of context: I've always been curious about Grado cans since a lot of people have been praising them as great cans that offer excellent performance for what they cost. Well, the diminishing returns curve still comes into play towards the summit of the ladder, but that's another story.
Given that they weren't available locally, a few out of the way shops with limited selection aside, I decided to give up on the brand and just enjoy what cans I could get for now. I should also add that I'm not overly trusting of the post office here, which reduces my options substantially.
Fast forward a few years and I'm working my first job with some money in the bank. I still enjoy my K550s immensely, and I'm even happier with them now that I've managed to content myself with their sound; while I agree that they have little in the way of bass impact, I find that I actually like the lighter sound. I do listen to techno, dance, and other genres that are traditionally associated with bass slamming you in the face, but I could listen to anything with complete contentment on these cans. I guess that establishes me as someone who likes bass, but doesn't need to have it thumping my eardrums so long as it's audible.
Recently, I dropped by a local mall that I've seldom been to; the Philippines, especially in my area, is replete with shopping centers and the like. And yet despite my being spoiled for choice, I usually stick to my usual haunts. That probably was for the better, else I'd have been moving up the SR-series chain from 60 to 325 all throughout college!
Anyway, to cut the rest of the story short, I promptly auditioned what Grado cans were there. Well, I say promptly but I vaguely remember doing mental cartwheels like a kid given a free pass to a toy shoppe. (insert wry grin here)
Of the cans I cans I was able to try out, the RS2e and the PS500e left the biggest impression on me. Of course, I promised myself that I wouldn't even ask to try on the GS/PS1000s, since I knew that I'd regret asking soon enough. I decided to go for the RS2es because I preferred their look and sound signature, believe it or not, and because I'd be saving money for a better amp in the process. The PS500 did have more bass, but as earlier mentioned, as long as the extension is good and the details all present and correct, I'm golden.
The thing is, though, there's an impressive discount on the older i-series models, which I've yet to try out. With regard to the RS-2 and PS500 series, was the upgrade to gen 3 that big a leap? Also, I wasn't able to try out the RS-1e as they didn't have any in stock, but if it has a similar signature to the RS2e with improvements in other areas, then I may go straight for that after a few more months of penny pinching.
I was a bit of a classic rock geek a few years back, but I've since grown to appreciate mellower tracks (e.g. acoustic arrangements, soft orchestras, jazz, lounge). I still keep a lot of metal and J-pop/funk on hand for when I need an exciting pick me up, but I have fun picking out individual instruments from small ensembles. I'll be picking up a nice amp to complement these cans (recommendations accepted!), but I'll also be using these straight out of my mobile at work every now and again; the 32-ohm impedance was part of what attracted me to Grados in the first place.
Cheers, all, and thanks in advance!
Kevin
It's nice to be back, though.
Anyway, here's a bit of backstory to provide a bit of context: I've always been curious about Grado cans since a lot of people have been praising them as great cans that offer excellent performance for what they cost. Well, the diminishing returns curve still comes into play towards the summit of the ladder, but that's another story.
Given that they weren't available locally, a few out of the way shops with limited selection aside, I decided to give up on the brand and just enjoy what cans I could get for now. I should also add that I'm not overly trusting of the post office here, which reduces my options substantially.
Fast forward a few years and I'm working my first job with some money in the bank. I still enjoy my K550s immensely, and I'm even happier with them now that I've managed to content myself with their sound; while I agree that they have little in the way of bass impact, I find that I actually like the lighter sound. I do listen to techno, dance, and other genres that are traditionally associated with bass slamming you in the face, but I could listen to anything with complete contentment on these cans. I guess that establishes me as someone who likes bass, but doesn't need to have it thumping my eardrums so long as it's audible.
Recently, I dropped by a local mall that I've seldom been to; the Philippines, especially in my area, is replete with shopping centers and the like. And yet despite my being spoiled for choice, I usually stick to my usual haunts. That probably was for the better, else I'd have been moving up the SR-series chain from 60 to 325 all throughout college!
Anyway, to cut the rest of the story short, I promptly auditioned what Grado cans were there. Well, I say promptly but I vaguely remember doing mental cartwheels like a kid given a free pass to a toy shoppe. (insert wry grin here)
Of the cans I cans I was able to try out, the RS2e and the PS500e left the biggest impression on me. Of course, I promised myself that I wouldn't even ask to try on the GS/PS1000s, since I knew that I'd regret asking soon enough. I decided to go for the RS2es because I preferred their look and sound signature, believe it or not, and because I'd be saving money for a better amp in the process. The PS500 did have more bass, but as earlier mentioned, as long as the extension is good and the details all present and correct, I'm golden.
The thing is, though, there's an impressive discount on the older i-series models, which I've yet to try out. With regard to the RS-2 and PS500 series, was the upgrade to gen 3 that big a leap? Also, I wasn't able to try out the RS-1e as they didn't have any in stock, but if it has a similar signature to the RS2e with improvements in other areas, then I may go straight for that after a few more months of penny pinching.
I was a bit of a classic rock geek a few years back, but I've since grown to appreciate mellower tracks (e.g. acoustic arrangements, soft orchestras, jazz, lounge). I still keep a lot of metal and J-pop/funk on hand for when I need an exciting pick me up, but I have fun picking out individual instruments from small ensembles. I'll be picking up a nice amp to complement these cans (recommendations accepted!), but I'll also be using these straight out of my mobile at work every now and again; the 32-ohm impedance was part of what attracted me to Grados in the first place.
Cheers, all, and thanks in advance!
Kevin
