GS1000

[deepak]

*hear

[postjack]

The GS-1000 is completely inappropriate for both classical and jazz. Large orchestral works go to shit in the highs, and jazz horns are shrill (this on an MFSL Miles Davis SACD, which while a tad on the bright side, is certainly not an overly bright recording).

So far, the GS-1000 has done well with slower folkier rock, a la Wilco & Ryan Adams. It also did well with old Grateful Dead two-channel soundboards. All of this is good because I do listen to a lot of this kind of music. It performed exceptionally well with bass beat heavy dreamy house music. It also did very well with the straight industrial I threw at it, but I'm going to be honest with you, I have yet to hear a headphone that doesn't sound amazing when playing old Skinny Puppy LPs. So basically I'm still waffling on whether or not to let this one go. Still need to do some more listening.

I just did an interesting test. I put on a copy of Public Image Ltd's first record, which, for those who don't know, is basically a pulsing bass guitar pushed to the front of the mix, with a bunch of out of control electric guitar and John "Rotten" Lydon screaming nonsense amongst this sea of bass. Its badass as all hell. But really I wanted to do a bass test, but ended up doing an instrument coherence test, meaning how well do the vocals, guitars, and drums make themselves felt against such an intense bass background?

First, I did the GS-1000, and I was surprised to find I wasn't getting my bass fix. I kept cranking the volume, but this made the highs to shrill. The vocals and the guitars got all confused and sibilant when the volume rose. It was a decent enough listening experience, but it was seriously lacking in presence.

Next, the RS-1 (flats). Actually, the bass here was a lot better, more prominent and "up front", which is more appropriate to this album. The vocals actually sounded surprisingly like the GS-1000, only not sibilant! This was interesting, it was the first parallel I've drawn between the two Grados. The missing presence I spoke about with the GS-1k was back. However, unlike the GS-1k, all the instruments and vocals were a bit crammed together, not to the point of muddiness, but just a bit crammy.

Just for kicks I threw on the HP-2. Right at the first bass note, I was very surprised to find the HP-2 was hands down the bass winner! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since the HP-2 always seems to deliver just what the recording wants it to. Here, the bass is prominent in the mix, so the HP-2 gives it that way. This, along with of course none of the treble issues of the GS-1k, and none of the soundstage issues of the RS-1, make the HP-2 my favorite headphone to listen to PiL on.

Its almost disorienting how easy it is to focus on one instrument with the HP-2 and just follow it. If I just listen to the drums, my brain tells me that there is no way the drums can have their own nice space in the soundstage, yet still seem so intimate. Surely intimacy comes at the cost of soundstage smooshing? Apparently not the case with the HP-2.

[postjack]

Final verdict: ain't for me. The soundstage is great, the comfort is great, the bass is great, but the midrange is recessed and grainy, the highs can be sibilant, and the upper midrange/lower highs are slippery. Here's hoping the GS-2000 resolves some of these problems.

[n_maher]

Here's hoping the GS-2000 resolves some of these problems.

Here's a serious point of discussion for you. From what I can see Grado isn't exactly known for rolling out new models very often (the SR80 has been around for what, 20 years or so) so how long do you think it'll be before they replace their flagship can? I can't imagine seeing another high-end headphone from them for a decade or so.

[Spectator]

The GS1000 is absolute crap for the money in my opinion. Its sound is heavily flawed.

[postjack]

The GS1000 is absolute crap for the money in my opinion. Its sound is heavily flawed.

Welcome to head-case!

[Iron_Dreamer]

Well Grado has no trouble making overpriced headphones. To me the RS1 is worth about $400, the PS1 not much more than that, likewise for the GS1000. Oddly enough the only Grado I feel merits a high cost, the HP1000, only cost $400 or so when it was new. Go figure.

[Nanoha]

To me the RS1 is worth about $400, the PS1 not much more than that, likewise for the GS1000. Oddly enough the only Grado I feel merits a high cost, the HP1000...

Hah, is that so.

[Patu]

Well Grado has no trouble making overpriced headphones. To me the RS1 is worth about $400, the PS1 not much more than that, likewise for the GS1000. Oddly enough the only Grado I feel merits a high cost, the HP1000, only cost $400 or so when it was new. Go figure.

Try tell that to GS1000 fanboys at Head-Fi. I tried, now I'm a troll.

[humanflyz]

Try tell that to GS1000 fanboys at Head-Fi. I tried, now I'm a troll.

Ha, I enjoyed those threads where it's just you against the rest of the board. Hey, somebody's gotta do it, I just didn't want to stir up shit while I was there.

[Patu]

Ha, I enjoyed those threads where it's just you against the rest of the board. Hey, somebody's gotta do it, I just didn't want to stir up shit while I was there.

Yeah.

I was at my friends place today and once again auditioned GS1000. Now I can finally say that they just aren't for me. He had chosen a tube combination for SP Supra which he thought is the best or very good for GS1000. Still they sounded crappy with most of my demo tracks. Some electronic stuff was ok but with rock like Tool and Riverside, totally crappy. Boomy bass which overwhelms the other frequencies. This combined with shrill highs and hollow midrange.

I'm not sure should I post this to Head-Fi.

[granodemostasa]

I liked the GS1000.... when I EQed it to to my tastes. there's alot of potential there, just the treble and bass need to be tweeked a bit. and ya... whoever said it is right, the GS1000 doesn't have particularly good dynamics.

in any case, the GS1K isn't a head-fi favorite no more than any of the cans that are constantly praised here, and btw: the RS-1 sucks.

[Patu]

in any case, the GS1K isn't a head-fi favorite no more than any of the cans that are constantly praised here, and btw: the RS-1 sucks.

RS-1 > GS1000

[Spectator]

btw: the RS-1 sucks.

Fucking blasphemy.

Weren't you the one who thinks the K701 matches up to the K1000 and even beats it in some areas? Amazing.

[909]

I had good first impressions at the 2006 LA HES in Tyll's room with his GS-1000s.

So I bought a pair. Even with 300+ hours (on my tube rig) very different listening impressions. They've got this bloated and overpowering bass, extremely recessed mids, no low level detail, and pitchy sharp highs. I sold them within five weeks of ownership. The good--a comfy Grado that has a vast soundstage.

[granodemostasa]

Fucking blasphemy.

Weren't you the one who thinks the K701 matches up to the K1000 and even beats it in some areas? Amazing.

i was talking about bass texture... read the sentence before it! the K701 isn't in my rig anymore (and i doubt i'll ever return ) the K701 is a nice can, and it sounds a little better put together SE from the GS-X than the SE650 from the same amp... (not the case with the ZD however)

the RS-1 is distorted, shrill, and sounds like a couple of hammers on the side of my head.

[aerius]

the RS-1 is distorted, shrill, and sounds like a couple of hammers on the side of my head.

Run for your lives! The alien pod people have come to kill us, and they've already got granodemostasa!

[humanflyz]

i was talking about bass texture... read the sentence before it! the K701 isn't in my rig anymore (and i doubt i'll ever return ) the K701 is a nice can, and it sounds a little better put together SE from the GS-X than the SE650 from the same amp... (not the case with the ZD however)

the RS-1 is distorted, shrill, and sounds like a couple of hammers on the side of my head.

I don't know how you hear sound, but RS-1s with flats on your Zana Deux is definitely not shrill. Know what is shrill on your setup? The GS-1000s.

Case in point: Massive Attack - Protection

On RS-1s: sure, the sounds are crammed, but at least the female vocalist is not shrill.

on GS-1000s: Holy shit! Someone took out real cymbals and replaced them with plastic ones. And when did Tracy Thorn started singing with a fucking lisp?

[humanflyz]

And the same thing happened with pretty much all the other music I brought to your place that time when I listened to the GS-1000s in your system: Allman Brothers, Brian Wilson, Aimee Mann, Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Metallica, etc.

So I'll take the "shrill, distorted, like-two-hammers-on-the-side-of-my-head" RS-1s any motherfucking day over the "hi-fidelity" GS1000s.

[postjack]

Here's a serious point of discussion for you. From what I can see Grado isn't exactly known for rolling out new models very often (the SR80 has been around for what, 20 years or so) so how long do you think it'll be before they replace their flagship can? I can't imagine seeing another high-end headphone from them for a decade or so.

This is a good point. And the GS-1000 will always be, at best, a controversial can. At worst, it will completely fall out of favor with the headphone community.

It seems to be popular amongst non-headphone audiophiles who don't know any better. Meaning they know the Grado name from their $2,500 grado cartridges, so they grab up the most expensive can in the line and assume it is the bees knees, as good as headphones get.

[deepak]

Fucking blasphemy.

Weren't you the one who thinks the K701 matches up to the K1000 and even beats it in some areas? Amazing.

You're off to a good start m8

[Spectator]

You're off to a good start m8

Thanks.

I don't care for the Grado signature, but at least I know a good headphone when I hear one. I consider the RS-1 to be a headphone with some great points. I can see people liking it.