Any Grado fans out there?

Lee

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Feb 3, 2011
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I've steadily worked my way up to RS2i phones which I have had for under a week and I love them. So much in fact that I may be upgrading via my dealer to RS1is this weekend.

The RS2i are still breaking in but I'm hearing a nice bump over my modded (wood caps and silver wire) 225s.

Anyone else out there enjoy Grado cans?

Anyone have the RS1i or older RS1?
 

Lee

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Feb 3, 2011
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Bummer, was hoping we would have a few fans here.

Today my dealer is letting me upgrade to the RS1i cans for the price difference. I like the RS2i so much I figured I might as well get the ultimate Grados, at least before you get into crazy prices.

My classical recording season kicks off on Saturday so I need to get them broken in beginning today. On Sunday Nick and I record the Texas Guitar Quartet in 24/176.
 

Lee

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Got the RS-1i headphones and they sound great already but need lots of break-in like the RS2i. I can safely and highly recommend the RS2i cans for accuracy.

Really looking forward to the recording this weekend. I will be running them in on the Benchmark DAC1 using my 777 as a transport.
 

Jay_S

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Apr 20, 2010
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I'm a long time Grado customer and really respect the company. You might not think so from the comments that follow but it's really a matter of changing preferences.

I have a couple of pairs of Grado headphones, including the 225s. They're not bad but I'm not really wild about them and will probably move to another brand if I buy another pair of over the ear headphones.

I had a variety of Grado phono cartridges over the years. I used them for a long time but got tired of the Grado house sound - too colored. The premium models are better but I'm going to go in a different direction there as well.
 

mep

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Lee-Looks like you're an army of one.
 

amirm

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Apr 2, 2010
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No he is not Mark. He has me in his Army plus a ton of us at Microsoft who used the Grados for listening tests. We used to buy the SR-80s by the dozen :). The thing is not neutral but boy, does it have great tonality for the price and great comfort. For something that costs $60 or whatever, it was a rare, rare find.

I moved on Stax which provide much more neutral stance and built-in amp but overall, Grado is on my very short list of good headphones. I never got into the RS series but always wanted to :).
 

mep

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I was just teasing. I still have a pair of SR-60 headphones that sound great for the money, but I'm just not a headphone person. I have also owned many Grado cartridges over the years and they provide great bang for the buck. I have since moved on though.
 

Lee

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Feb 3, 2011
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No he is not Mark. He has me in his Army plus a ton of us at Microsoft who used the Grados for listening tests. We used to buy the SR-80s by the dozen :). The thing is not neutral but boy, does it have great tonality for the price and great comfort. For something that costs $60 or whatever, it was a rare, rare find.

I moved on Stax which provide much more neutral stance and built-in amp but overall, Grado is on my very short list of good headphones. I never got into the RS series but always wanted to :).

Stax are far more neutral but I am impressed with the RS-1i ability to capture string instrument tone. It does really well there.

The new Grado PS 500 is probably what I will trade in for since I need a little more neutrality. I'm probably going to drive my Grado dealer crazy but I will make him a fair offer. :)
 

Lee

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Gregadd

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Apr 20, 2010
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I'm old school. When you say Grado I say cartridge.
 

Lee

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Lee

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Stopped by Audio Alternative today to compare my RS-1i to the RS-2i. Alan set me up with the Peachtree Audio Nova and used a Sonos to capture wave files from a store iTouch. Very good sound overall. I then compared both cans to each other on the Nova and then on my 5G iPod. I learned three things today:

1. The RS1i is a considerable improvement over the RS2i but I can safely recommend both. The 1i has more bass that is better defined. The bass is good on the 2i but not as defined. The 2i seems more "tilted up" because of this so from a clarity/detail standpoint some may prefer but the 1i seems to offer similar detail and clarity but is better balanced. I also auditioned the 325is for like the 8th time and I still really like it but the bass and treble are not in the same league but still a great value at $300.

2. These cans, despite my need for a simple portable system like cans+iPod, really do benefit well from a quality hp amp. The Nova really sounded good but I need to find something more portable. They also sound good on the Grado RA-1 of course but I may want something even smaller. I am open to suggestions.

3. The RS1is really need a lot of break-in, even after cooking nightly on the DAC1 hp amp for a few evenings, they are still breaking in and getting better every day.

Audio Alternative really has a great selection of the Grado line so if you are local and need to do some auditioning I can recommend Alan's store heartily.

So I will keep the RS-1is for now but also look forward to hearing the PS500s.
 

Lee

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Just an update on the RS1is in case anyone cares... :)

After some 80 hours, they are sounding great today. There is much more instrument separation and better defined bass although nice bass has been a hallmark since it was out of the box.

I do plan to try the Audeze or HifiMan cans at some point but these Grados are a keeper. Although there is some coloration I find they are getting the mids and highs better than the Senn HD800s.
 

Phelonious Ponk

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Jun 30, 2010
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I like the Grado sound for some music, but I can't wear them for long. I have to have phones that go around, no on, the ears.

Tim
 

flez007

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I had a great time with the entry-level SR80s, used them until they felt apart!
 

Lee

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I like the Grado sound for some music, but I can't wear them for long. I have to have phones that go around, no on, the ears.

Tim

Tim, I think on some ears they are uncomfortable. On mine, they fit well. Maybe I have small ears. Also, there are tricks to softening up the ears pads like soaking them in Dawn.
 

Phelonious Ponk

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Tim, I think on some ears they are uncomfortable. On mine, they fit well. Maybe I have small ears. Also, there are tricks to softening up the ears pads like soaking them in Dawn.

The problem isn't solvable for me. You have a bend in the cartilage of your ear that folds it back toward your head, yes? I don't - Howdy Doody ears (sorry 50s TV reference). When I put on phones that sit on my ears instead of around my ears, they bend that cartilage back hard. It gets very uncomfortable after awhiile. It's OK. It brought me to Senns and I'm very happy there.

Tim
 

Lee

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The problem isn't solvable for me. You have a bend in the cartilage of your ear that folds it back toward your head, yes? I don't - Howdy Doody ears (sorry 50s TV reference). When I put on phones that sit on my ears instead of around my ears, they bend that cartilage back hard. It gets very uncomfortable after awhiile. It's OK. It brought me to Senns and I'm very happy there.

Tim

Oh, I can see how that would be an issue. Well the Senns are good cans too.
 

Summa

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Feb 1, 2012
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I know it's a ghost town in Lee-land here, but thought I'd chime in...I am somewhat new to headphones and just discovered my first pair that I fell in love with - the Grado SR80is. Planning to move into PS500s when the ol' tax refund hits the back account :) I'm in love with the airy-ness of these things! Also, they image far better than I ever expected and I find them very comfortable. Have had tons of fun so far!
 

mokobigbro

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Apr 17, 2012
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I am a fan of Grado recently. I used to listen to a few about 10 years ago and didn't like the sound or the comfort level.
However, I now think that Grado has the best mids for headphones and sounding most musical among the headphones I've tried/compared in a recent headphone shootout/gathering.
 

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