[maverickronin]

Quote:

Woow, nice !

Yep, BAs and orthos absolutely own dynamics to my ears.  If I can eke a little bit more soundstage out of my T50RPs (IMO they're already better in every other area) I'm gonna sell my HD650s and officially join Team Anti-Dynamic.
 
More on topic.  To my ears, Grados (at least the current ones) are fun but extremely colored headphones.  As someone stated earlier, they are one or two trick ponies.  Those tricks (rock and metal) do make up the majority of my listening, but there's another reason I don't own a pair of them anymore.  They're too darn bright and peaky in the treble.  In my head, I like it.  They sound good.  Before too long my ears will start to rebel and I'm forced take a rather long break or switch to another 'phone so I will be able to hear things in the future as well.
 
I don't follow enough fads and pop culture trends to know how, why, or what this should do to their brand image though.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

LCD2

 
vs
 
Grado HP2 (since this is a Grado thread!)
 

The 30Hz on the HP2 isn't too hot, but the 300Hz is surprisingly good.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

What system is LCD 2 ? Normal dynamic or some el.static ?

Iso/Ortho-dynamic.  Its the best of both worlds.

 

[vrln]

Many in the EU boycott Grado because of their pricing policy outside the US. The competition just offers better value over here.

 

[vrln]

Not everyone would agree with that statement. Personally I think the LCD2 (had them, sold them) were very two dimensional and lacked proper soundstaging compared to dynamic headphones, not to mention the missing high frequencies. They are also uncomfortable (too heavy). I think both electrostatic and dynamics are better than what the ortho world has to offer, at least judgng by the LCD2.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

 
Quote:

Not everyone would agree with that statement. Personally I think the LCD2 (had them, sold them) were very two dimensional and lacked proper soundstaging compared to dynamic headphones, not to mention the missing high frequencies. They are also uncomfortable (too heavy). I think both electrostatic and dynamics are better than what the ortho world has to offer, at least judgng by the LCD2.

But that wouldn't be fair. There is also the Hifiman lineup that's voiced differently, according to the reviews (I have not heard the hifimans). Stronger treble, thus more like Grado.

 

[Antony6555]

Meh, I think old head-fi had more fluff. People would spend even more time describing their reviewing philosophy (which isn't necessarily bad, since at least this helps you know what you're getting into if you haven't read a review by them before). True, the typical review had a much longer description of the sound, but this description was often written in a pretentious, overly-verbose, yet ultimately extremely vague style, which often made the whole review meaningless. At least reviews now are more straight-forward and less annoying to read. Additionally, plenty of older members were annoying fanboys. Of course, this is true of newer members too.
 
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People seem to think a 'review' means getting sidetracked into babbling on about their life problems and/or philosophy of hi-fi audio, spending most of the time talking about how cool their headphones look, and writing maybe two sentences about the actual sound

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

Not everyone would agree with that statement. Personally I think the LCD2 (had them, sold them) were very two dimensional and lacked proper soundstaging compared to dynamic headphones, not to mention the missing high frequencies. They are also uncomfortable (too heavy). I think both electrostatic and dynamics are better than what the ortho world has to offer, at least judgng by the LCD2.

I'd tell you to try the HE-6, but from your profile it might be too bright for you.  To my ears though, the LCD-2s were like vastly improved HD650s.

 

[Steve999]

Quote:

I purchased my Grado 225's almost 10 years ago.  Back then, everyone I knew were talking about grado vs sennheiser headsets and those that were made of money talked about Stax and thousand dollar or more amps.  Now, I hardly see anyone talk about Grado's headsets for anything except the cheap entry level SR60's.  What happened and When? 
 
I have a nice set of SR225's with a DIY impedance matched amp. 
 
What prompted this question was a desire to upgrade my setup came here, and not only were all the brands and models I knew discontinued, but the general consensus is "there's better elsewhere" and "poor build quality." 
 

 
 
I received a pair of Grado SR80i's as a birthday present a few weeks ago.
 
I have an old pair of SR60s, which I used a great deal, and in the past at headphone meets I couldn't hear a dime's worth of difference (not that I would care about anyway) between them and SR80s or SR225s, assuming the pads were the same.
 
Let me tell you, to my ears, the SR80i's are a huge improvement and at least for that specific model have the Grados playing with the big boys again.  Grado's reputation took a huge leap forward in my house on the day I received the SR80i's.  I hear deeper bass and a more even frequency response. 
 
It is interesting, while other manufactures recycle the same concepts and try to give them a more sleek look and feel, Grado really updated and redesigned the SR80i's for the better but tried to make them still look like the older Grados, only even uglier.  Sort of ironic.

 

[Scornergy]

Well those are some interesting wave patterns but I have no clue as to their meaning. 
 
Question for ya'll, though I hate 'jacking my own thread here.  But I was recommended a Dennon D5000 with a KICAS amp and Jmoney leather ear pads. 
 
So since there isn't a sound store anywhere near me for several hundred miles, I was wondering if the Dennon D5000 or the ATC - AD900 would have some of the bass I enjoy from Grado, but be different enough to warrant their existence.  I'm not looking to replace the Grado 225's, I'm looking to expand my listening capabilities.  I don't want to go completely 180 from what I have now, I just don't want two identical purpose Grado headphones. 

 

[rhythmdevils]

hey DAC, where did you find the HP2 measurements?  I'd like to check out the FR as well.  I didn't know Tyll measured the HP2

 

[spaceconvoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argyris /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Like I said, I haven't really been here for very long so I can't speak to what Head-Fi was in the past, but I have come across what smacked of bitter resentment for newcomers quite a few times on this site. I guess on some level I resent that, but on another level I think I understand it. As I've spent time here I've noticed that some people just don't listen, and you the impression they're more interested in asking the questions and getting people to respond than they are in actually using the information to zero in on something that fits. This isn't just a Head-Fi phenomenon....

Yes, just like evolution, only it's survival of the loudest. I'm sure that for every 1 person who asks "shud I get teh beats?!" there are 9 polite lurkers reading the archives and comparing previous reviews. But you'll never hear from them... It's not a new phenomenon, but it happened less in the past because high-end headphones were nerdier back then. Dr. Dre really has opened up the market to a new crowd of slack-jawed mouth breathers, and to those who remember the olden days, they feel like barbarians at the gates. 
 
 
Quote:

Meh, I think old head-fi had more fluff. People would spend even more time describing their reviewing philosophy (which isn't necessarily bad, since at least this helps you know what you're getting into if you haven't read a review by them before). True, the typical review had a much longer description of the sound, but this description was often written in a pretentious, overly-verbose, yet ultimately extremely vague style, which often made the whole review meaningless. At least reviews now are more straight-forward and less annoying to read. Additionally, plenty of older members were annoying fanboys. Of course, this is true of newer members too.

You're right about that. The downside of the former, nerdier crowd was having to wade through a lot of masturbatory garbage. But with fewer people and each person writing more, on average, you could get a better sense of where everybody stood in the audio-preference spectrum. You knew whose opinion you could trust and whose to discount... You can debate which version is more annoying, but I feel the past was more information-rich.
 

 

[jenneth]

Good post. I was one of the older members, and to me, the atmosphere was quite different than what it is now. There are still a lot of informative threads about all things related to headphones, it's just that they're surrounded by a bunch of recommendation threads.
 
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I'm a relative newcomer, so I don't remember a time when Head-Fi wasn't filled with recommendation threads. I actually waited until I had found something I liked before I joined up. I was more interested in being a part of the community and talking to people who shared my passion for audio than in pestering for information. I actually did my research as a lurker. I also came to help people, even if my experience is limited to about half a dozen different headphones. Within that total I've experienced quite a palate of different sonic signatures. Like nikongod said, I was trying to find my sound and, months after that purchase (my third headphone I spent a decent amount of time with), I've finally dialed it in. Grado was one stop on that path and I found what several people here said to be true: at least with the SR225i I found the genre bandwidth to be too small (and, interestingly enough, I didn't much care for rock on them!).
 
Like I said, I haven't really been here for very long so I can't speak to what Head-Fi was in the past, but I have come across what smacked of bitter resentment for newcomers quite a few times on this site. I guess on some level I resent that, but on another level I think I understand it. As I've spent time here I've noticed that some people just don't listen, and you the impression they're more interested in asking the questions and getting people to respond than they are in actually using the information to zero in on something that fits. This isn't just a Head-Fi phenomenon. One of our very best customers owns an aquarium shop and every so often somebody comes in and just asks question after question but never makes a move to buy anything. After a while he loses his patience, and I suppose that's what's happening with the older members. Maybe that's why many of them have given up and gone elsewhere. People who don't want to do anything for themselves and aren't really interested in advice but in a so-called "best headphone for $$$" can wear just about anybody down if there are enough of them.

 

 

[jenneth]

I agree, but that also has something to do with the fact that back then we had much less selection on, well, pretty much anything. For example, in the early 2000s, if you want an dedicated HP amp, your choice was very limited; you had the RA-1, EMP, the Headroom amps, and that's pretty much it I think (assuming you don't go the DIY/Stax route).
 
Quote:

You're right about that. The downside of the former, nerdier crowd was having to wade through a lot of masturbatory garbage. But with fewer people and each person writing more, on average, you could get a better sense of where everybody stood in the audio-preference spectrum. You knew whose opinion you could trust and whose to discount... You can debate which version is more annoying, but I feel the past was more information-rich.
 

 

[Uncle Erik]

Since no one has addressed it, I think Grado has made a few missteps over the past few years.

First, the GS-1000 rolled out as a heck of a FOTM. Pretty much everyone bought them right away and things were rosy for a bit. Then they got shredded, lots of people sold them, and it's a rare day when you see the GS-1000 recommended. They rarely come up for sale because so few own them and I can't remember the last time I saw the GS-1000 listed in a sig. Count me among the rare folks who sorta like the GS-1000, but I can't bring myself to buy even a used pair. Maybe someday.

Next was the Head-F1 fiasco. When the HF-2 debuted at CanJam '09, it was warmly received, but some griped about the quality of the engraving on the cups. Apparently, Grado went with a different engraver. That caused the HF-2 to be shipped late and, unfortunately, the cups were engraved with "Head-F1." They offered refunds, but no effort was made to correct the typo. Quite a few were outraged by this sloppiness and I think a few big Grado supporters here stopped being supporters. I own and like my Head-F1 headphones, but not everyone took the typo in stride.

Then there is the PS-1000. It was introduced to a collective yawn. I've heard it a couple of times and there's no way I'd drop $1,700 on it. I found nothing remarkable about the PS-1000 other than the price tag. The PS-1000 has a small group of lovers, but it's generally disregarded and rarely discussed. When the high-end is discussed today, you hear about the HD-800, T1 and LCD2 mostly. The PS-1000 isn't even a consideration for most.

With all of this, Grado lost a lot of its mystique.

I also think Grado made a mistake by not attending recent CanJams. John doesn't have to sponsor, but having Mr. Grado there in person would do wonders for PR. He has attended in the past, has given interviews and factory tours, talked to members on the phone, etc. I don't know if he's busy or otherwise obligated, but a little personal contact goes a long way in this hobby. Grado was doing a great job with PR and I sure hope he attends future meets - I would love to meet him.

As for the character of Head-Fi, things have changed. I do like the growth and traffic. That's good. But a lot of deeply experienced members aren't here. People who have been to a lot of meets and who have listened to and owned a wide variety of gear. Today, you just get an armload of recommendations for the AD700 and M50. Even when experienced members show up, they get drowned out by people recommending the FOTMs. There's a big difference between someone who owns and enjoys the AD700 and hasn't heard anything else and someone who has owned 20+ pairs and has been to a few meets and listened to pretty much everything. That doesn't make the experienced member's opinion correct, but I give it a lot more weight than 20 voices recommending the only decent headphone they've ever heard.