[braillediver]

I have a spare pair of good HP-2 drivers and a good Signature Cable. Curiosity has the better of me and I wanted to know what current version of Grados would be closest to the HP-2’s dimensionally? Which ones do you think would be the best candidate for a transplant operation?


Thanks

Mitch

 

[Sovkiller]

Why not placing this good drivers in a lot more comfy open cheap headphone instead of a Grado.....???

 

[fliz]

not that they're at all similarly shaped, but i'd LOVE to hear what hp-1000 drivers do to a pair of RS-1. i emailed grado labs, and they flat out got pissed at me for even suggesting such an "atrocity" (i bet people here would call it an atrocity for the opposite reasons

)

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by braillediver I have a spare pair of good HP-2 drivers and a good Signature Cable. Curiosity has the better of me and I wanted to know what current version of Grados would be closest to the HP-2’s dimensionally? Which ones do you think would be the best candidate for a transplant operation?

If memory serves, the RS-2 has the same size chamber as the HP-1000. I believe the SR-325 does also. Do you want mahogony or aluminum?

 

[fliz]

as far as an answer to your question, i think the sr-325s are about the closest....

did the sr-300 have the same drivers as the hp-1000 series?

 

[NeilPeart]

Since the HP1000 enclosures are arleady very close in material to the SR-325, why not try the RS2? The mahogany enclosure paired with the HP1000 drivers might provide the ultimate in Grado sound: RSx warmth + HPx neutrality and resolution. It could be the best headphone ever...or it could be a disaster! Either way, I'd love to hear the frankenstein-like beast! Go for the RS2 enclosure; bring it to a meet and if I like it I'll buy it from you and call you The Grado.

 

[Beagle]

I have 'built' a kind of HP-2 clone, using original SR200 drivers (which were same as HP series) and the SR325 aluminum air chambers. This also involved removing button from rear screen and also the black plastic rings (THE PRESTIGE SERIES GRADO LABS), Using the flat pads, it sounds similar in character to the HP-1. Haven't been able to do a direct A/B yet, but hope to at an upcoming meet.

 

[ekwinix]

beagle, myself and more than half of head-fi are waiting for this a/b

Keep up the good work!!

 

[Beagle]

I am going to have an HP-1 owner compare and evaluate. This would be a more fair and accurate assessment.

 

[Canman]

Beagle, How did you attach the HP-1000 drivers to the 325 headphone? With the HP-1000 the driver there are set screws on the side that attach the driver to the chamber. Does the RS and 325 use the same method of driver attachment? If they did, drivers would be easily switchable (if they are same size). I have a pair of old HP-1000 drivers laying around from my newly replaced HP-2 drivers. One has a voice coil that is going bad but still works. I would be interested to see how these drivers do in a different enclosure.

One reason the HP-1000's sound so good is the lack of resonance in the enclosure (Joe said so himself). I think that putting the drivers in the wooden RS enclosure would create resonances that certainly would make a different sound than the stock HP-1000.

Do you guys know how different the RS-1 and the HP-1000 drivers are?

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally posted by Canman Beagle, How did you attach the HP-1000 drivers to the 325 headphone? With the HP-1000 the driver there are set screws on the side that attach the driver to the chamber. Does the RS and 325 use the same method of driver attachment? .................... Do you guys know how different the RS-1 and the HP-1000 drivers are?

I should have said the driver assembly. This would be the drivers plus the plastic housing that surrounds them (as on all Grado's except the RS-2 and RS-1). So essentially, it is the same way the drivers go into the 325. But since the SR200 drivers do not sound the same as the current Grado drivers, the benefits of the larger aluminum air chamber are much more obvious.

Removing the actual drivers from the plastic housing is a real bitch, and I don't recommend trying it, since it is likely that you will ruin them. They used to be easier to get out, but they are glued to the plastic perforated driver cap, which is then glued to the housing. It can be done, but you'd have to saw the housing down to the driver then split it apart. Not recommended.

From what I can see, the older Grado drivers have pleats on the diaphragm and the newer ones do not. Also, there is a section of white plastic with vented holes (and a port hole) on the back of the older 200 drivers. This tunes the drivers to a more neutral state, without the bass emphasis that the current ones exhibit.