[Gwarmi]

Quote:

Well, how many new headphones has Grado come out with in recent years? All other headphone companies are evolving except for them.

 Evolution and therefore 'progress' in this game is sometimes just a subjective view - I won't go into discussing
 a few fellow competitor models but many of these new models from Grado's competition still fail to meet some
 hugely crucial elements - namely instrument tonality with piano and guitar.
 
 Ask any professional musician to take a spin with a Grado and many other headphones at the same
 price point and then ask them:-
 
 'Which actually reproduces that guitar solo or piano medley accurately and authentically?'
 
 You'll be surprised - many pick the Grado time and time again, especially the guitar pro's.
 
 

 

[AndrewG]

Grado went downhill around after the GS1000 disappointed everyone. They were THE company of headfi for a while.
 
they released HF-2s which were a disaster of lazy construction and bad PR. they release a bunch of "-i" models which just confuse people. then they tried to get into the ipod market with a bunch of IEMs and portables that no one really cared about. then there is the flagship PS1000 which was more of the same, at a time when companies are releasing HD800, LCD-2, Ultrasone... improving the form of headphones, doing new research for new technology. and here is a boring old GS-1000 with metal. PS500 the consensus seems to be it is not worth it if you can spend a little more for better.
 
IMO it is a great study for a company having no vision and running out of ideas. The love this site used to have for Grado, I am now seeing it has changed over to Audeze

 

[jiggawhat]

Yeah, that's a good point. Grado should be moving forward. I still don't understand why so many people use the Sony MDR V6, it's old as hell, I would think there would be better monitoring headphone available in the 21st century, the age of technology.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Well, how many new headphones has Grado come out with in recent years? All other headphone companies are evolving except for them.

Evolving into what? Ripoff artists who put out overpriced crap that sounds no better (and mostly worse) than stuff from the 90's??


Quote:

Grado went downhill around after the GS1000 disappointed everyone. 

Everyone? Speak for yourself.
 

 

[Gwarmi]

 
 
 I think this whole thread is fundamentally about 'tried and true, don't fix it' philosophy versus the new school
 who will buy anything that breaks new technological ground, whether it sounds any good does not seem to be a
 major criteria - technology first, sound quality second.

 

[WhiteCrow]

Grado is my Valentine.

 

[Melvins]

ahhhh how cute

 

[obobskivich]

Aside from (at least by their own claim) revamping their entire product line (at least the Prestige series got re-touched), the RS-2, the PS1000, the GS1000, the PS500, the iGrado, the HF series, and various in-ears...no they haven't released anything new. That said, releasing a stream of new products does not progress make. Some of the best headphones (as recognized by the community) are quite dated - the popular picks for such examples include the Grado HP1000 and RS1, a few Sony pairs, and the Beyerdynamic DT48. Just because something wasn't released last week doesn't mean it's bad. And, this thread is making me want to give Grado another shot. 

 
Quote:

Well, how many new headphones has Grado come out with in recent years? All other headphone companies are evolving except for them.

 


Quote:

Yeah, that's a good point. Grado should be moving forward. I still don't understand why so many people use the Sony MDR V6, it's old as hell, I would think there would be better monitoring headphone available in the 21st century, the age of technology.

 

 

[KG Jag]

Grado makes very good niche products--at least within the Prestige line.  More power to them and extra points for still being making them in the USA.  Were I to own only one or two decent headphones, none would be a Grado.  But since I don't, I'll take at least one and an Alessandro to boot.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 releasing a stream of new products does not progress make. Some of the best headphones (as recognized by the community) are quite dated - the popular picks for such examples include the Grado HP1000 and RS1 Just because something wasn't released last week doesn't mean it's bad. And, this thread is making me want to give Grado another shot. 

 


 


 

So true. One of the big lessons I've learned in audio over the past ten years is that people tend to discount companies and products that happen to be a little older than others. I liken Grado to Magnepan. I've owned Maggies since 2005 and I can't imagine owning anything as my main speakers. It wasn't until only recently that Magnepan updated their line, and their previous line was nearly ten years old. But as recently as 2010, the Maggie 3.6 (the model I own) was named Speaker of the Year in one or two major publications. Even though it was the same model that was produced nearly a decade earlier, it held up so well that it was still among the best - if not THE best - values in audio at its given price point. Older Maggies on the used market are some of the hottest speakers, many times being sent back to the company for a quick once-over and refurb job. Magnepan just does it right, and even though they move at a snails pace, the products they put out stand the test of time. It seems to me that Grado is very similar. A company that has a long standing track record and a signature sound that has allowed many, many people to enjoy their love of music. But as you said, newer does not always mean better.
 

 

[estreeter]

Grado-bashing has been a sport on Head-fi since I got here - I suspect that its been around as long as Head-Fi itself. I havent heard a single pair of Senns that I really liked, but I dont start threads to bash Sennheiser - What is wrong with some of us ? If you don't like Grado headphones, dont buy em - pretty simple, really. If you want them to release something new and shiny, fine, but don't bash them because they don't share Sennheiser's willingness to churn out new product every year. As Focker mentioned above, there are certain brands in higher-end audio which stick with the same design for many, many years - it gives their clientele a degree of certainty when they need to replace their cherished electronics. Boring ? That's a matter of opinion. 

 

[Melvins]

Some people just don't like music that's in their face, which is kind of an oxymoron to me.

 

[shimmer n roar]

Whatever Grado's reputation is nowadays, it hasn't put me off from coveting one of these iconic headphones from the USofA. The question for me is which one. I had my heart set on the RS1i but I've started noticing the PS1000 lately and it looks to be getting some more love around here.  

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

Whatever Grado's reputation is nowadays, it hasn't put me off from coveting one of these iconic headphones from the USofA. The question for me is which one. I had my heart set on the RS1i but I've started noticing the PS1000 lately and it looks to be getting some more love around here.  

 PS1000 rules

 
 Just converted a mate of mine - he was heading for an LCD-3 but no longer after a recent audition of the big chromies!
 

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 PS1000 rules

 
 Just converted a mate of mine - he was heading for an LCD-3 but no longer after a recent audition of the big chromies!
 

Excuse my drool   I'm targeting a pair of PS500s, but would you consider the 1000s a significant leap from there? Those are beautiful headphones!