[maverickronin]

Quote:

Oh, so something along the lines of the SR125i's or SR225i's then?
 

 
It depends on how much you like the sound and how much money you have to burn.  If you've got, or will have the cash, think about getting a get a used RS1  A lot of Grado fans like it the best out of Grado's current lineup and while its still a bit pricey its not in the same stratospheric league as the GS/PS1000.
 
If you're strapped for cash and slightly handy then you may want to mod your existing Grados and improve the sound.  I've been waiting for pair with a busted cord or something to show up on ebay for cheap to experiment with myself.
 
If you're somewhere in the middle you'll have to decide for yourself.

 

[GasMaskMan]

Quote:

 
It depends on how much you like the sound and how much money you have to burn.  If you've got, or will have the cash, think about getting a get a used RS1  A lot of Grado fans like it the best out of Grado's current lineup and while its still a bit pricey its not in the same stratospheric league as the GS/PS1000.
 
If you're strapped for cash and slightly handy then you may want to mod your existing Grados and improve the sound.  I've been waiting for pair with a busted cord or something to show up on ebay for cheap to experiment with myself.
 
If you're somewhere in the middle you'll have to decide for yourself.

Well, I'm graduating high school soon, and going to ask for a newer set of cans (Just got my 60's :X) for a grad gift (not the GS1000s!)...
Was also looking at AKG 701/271's...But I love my Grado's but might look out for some used RS1's.
Thanks for the info!

 

[Scornergy]

Koor, I never thought this thread would last so long.  There sure are a lot of Grado fans that have a lot to get off their chests.  I'm beginning to think that this thread might out last the heat death of the universe.  I can see it now, God on Judgement day calling out for any Grado fans to make a final statement. 
 
Keep it up.

 

[Usagi]

I believe the high MSRPs were a business strategy to control production/demand. It's been years since I've read the interview and past discussions but didn't Mr. Grado impose these prices so his company wasn't forced to grow beyond it's current size? 

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Their lower end offerings are pretty good values.  Their mid and high end?  Not so much...

I used to think that the RS-1 (when it originally was introduced) existed in order to make the lower end models that much more of a bargain and therefore sell more. That is, you could get an SR60 or SR125 and get a good deal of the RS-1 sound. Keep in mind that the original SR60 and SR125 sounded closer to the RS-1 than the current ones do, due to the fact that they all used the flat pads.
 

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

I used to think that the RS-1 (when it originally was introduced) existed in order to make the lower end models that much more of a bargain and therefore sell more. That is, you could get an SR60 or SR125 and get a good deal of the RS-1 sound. Keep in mind that the original SR60 and SR125 sounded closer to the RS-1 than the current ones do, due to the fact that they all used the flat pads.
 

That's before my time.  Well, my time in this hobby at least...

 

[TheDreamthinker]

So are Grados actually still worth buying?

 

[maverickronin]

If you like the sound, then yes.  If you don't, then no.
 
As I said above their value, compared to the competition, drops considerably as move up the chain but since nothing else really has the same sound it still may be worth it to you.

 

[rds]

Quote:

As I said above their value, compared to the competition, drops considerably as move up the chain...

This is your impression, and I can see where it comes from.  What Grado really fails at (if you want to look at it as a failure) is creating a sense of value through marketing hype.  Other companies invest a lot of money into packaging that would be suitable for a Cartier watch, literature touting their "advanced technologies", having a major presence at every audio event, having glossy pamplets available at audio stores, and all those things that get audiophiles drooling.  
 
Grado, on the other hand, sends the headphones to you in a basic cardboard box and leaves it for you to decide how good they are.  For people expecting jewelry style packaging this can be a let down and can create a sense of lesser value compared to velvet wrapped alternatives. 

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

This is your impression, and I can see where it comes from.  What Grado really fails at (if you want to look at it as a failure) is creating a sense of value through marketing hype.  Other companies invest a lot of money into packaging that would be suitable for a Cartier watch, literature touting their "advanced technologies", having a major presence at every audio event, having glossy pamplets available at audio stores, and all those things that get audiophiles drooling.  
 
Grado, on the other hand, sends the headphones to you in a basic cardboard box and leaves it for you to decide how good they are.  For people expecting jewelry style packaging this can be a let down and can create a sense of lesser value compared to velvet wrapped alternatives. 

Personally, I would rather have them invest their $$ into the headphone rather than fancy packaging and literature, so I like their packaging.  It's much more ecologically sound anyway.
 
 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Personally, I would rather have them invest their $$ into the headphone rather than fancy packaging and literature, so I like their packaging.  It's much more ecologically sound anyway.

While I agree, the question is whether they do or not.  Their most innovative product is probably the GR10 IEM?  That technology is farmed out too.  They probably do spend a decent chuck of change continuing to produce in the USA despite the appearance of the homegrown production facilities.  I can commend them for that. 
 

 

[rhythmdevils]

I also like their packaging and their lack of marketing hype as that's a turnoff for me, but marketing clearly works for most people (Beats and while it's different marketing, the HD800).  I have a feeling that Grado is not trying to grow any bigger then they already are because they don't want to change location or assembly methods, they want to remain a small, made by hand company.  Most companies want to continually grow, and if they don't see profits increasing they freak out.  But with the size that Grado is, I imagine John is happy with profits remaining at a steady pace, and if they start to decline, I imagine he will make some changes or increase marketing or come out with new headphones.  As it is, maybe some of their policies like international pricing is to keep international demand very low otherwise they would have to produce a lot more headphones.  And maybe he doesn't do more promotion because he doesn't need more business right now. 
 
As far as being nice to the head-fi community, I think the 2 head-fi phones were a pretty awesome gesture.  No other headphone company has done that, and while they weren't perfect, no one was forced to buy them. Some say that it was all about making money, but surely John would have made more money by selling them for 100 dollars more to the general public in much higher numbers.  It was clearly not, it was him doing something for other people he saw as being as enthusiastic as he is. 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

I also like their packaging and their lack of marketing hype as that's a turnoff for me, but marketing clearly works for most people (Beats and while it's different marketing, the HD800).  I have a feeling that Grado is not trying to grow any bigger then they already are because they don't want to change location or assembly methods, they want to remain a small, made by hand company.  Most companies want to continually grow, and if they don't see profits increasing they freak out.  But with the size that Grado is, I imagine John is happy with profits remaining at a steady pace, and if they start to decline, I imagine he will make some changes or increase marketing or come out with new headphones.  As it is, maybe some of their policies like international pricing is to keep international demand very low otherwise they would have to produce a lot more headphones.  And maybe he doesn't do more promotion because he doesn't need more business right now. 
 
As far as being nice to the head-fi community, I think the 2 head-fi phones were a pretty awesome gesture.  No other headphone company has done that, and while they weren't perfect, no one was forced to buy them. Some say that it was all about making money, but surely John would have made more money by selling them for 100 dollars more to the general public in much higher numbers.  It was clearly not, it was him doing something for other people he saw as being as enthusiastic as he is. 

I don't know why I find myself agreeing w/ you more and more.  Troubling....

 

 

[TheDreamthinker]

Having a  Headphone company, not trying to rule the Hi-Fi market is nice for a change....but also has it's drawbacks.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

While I agree, the question is whether they do or not.  Their most innovative product is probably the GR10 IEM?  That technology is farmed out too.  They probably do spend a decent chuck of change continuing to produce in the USA despite the appearance of the homegrown production facilities.  I can commend them for that. 
 

I agree with you that they don't put a huge amount of money into technology.  But IMO, the way a headphone is voiced is much much more important than the technology.  The HD800 is super high tech in every way and yet I could care less because it is voiced in a way that is really bothersome to me and no technology in the world could make it sound good the way it is voiced.  The same is true for the HD800 vs LCD-2 debate.  In that thread, people go back and forth about which is better technically but really it is just about which voicing you prefer.  Though John and Joe go for a different sound, Grados have always been voiced in a very unique way.   It doesn't matter that they don't use a ring driver if you like the sound signature they're going for.  That being said, I'm sure a ring driver couldn't hurt...