Grado HF-2 thread

[deepak]

Thunderpants don't get upset, they just go and eat another Denon.. Mmmmm, tasteh!!

'Cept their Achilles heel is the dalek!!

[Dusty Chalk]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3295[/ATTACH]

Okay, now I'm not sleeping.

[mypasswordis]

Kind of reminds me of this site: Nic Cage as Everyone

[Les_Garten]

Kind of reminds me of this site: Nic Cage as Everyone

Now that's a strange site, where someone needs something constructive to do with their time!

[Dusty Chalk]

Kind of reminds me of this site: Nic Cage as Everyone

Yeah, that site gave me nightmares, too.

[The Monkey]

I still like this headphone.

[postjack]

I still like this headphone.

me too. I still think it might be the best thing John's done.

[jinp6301]

me too. I still think it might be the best thing John's done.

x3

still get wowed by them once in a while

[deepak]

PS-1 imo. I would buy a pair at the original price, best youner G mids and bass.

[morphsci]

x4. Only these and the MS-Pro remain. In the end there can be only one.

[grawk]

I don't miss the PS1s, and I still like my HF2s...

[Wmcmanus]

Everyone knows the HD800 is just a big sissy.

Metrosexual. You know, at least in theory, that the HD800 is not looking at your ass, but you still wouldn't bend over to pick up a bar of soap if it's anywhere nearby. It really likes the way it looks though, so you can call it a sissy all you want to...

[Dusty Chalk]

I don't miss the PS1s, and I still like my HF2s...

I'm the other way around, but I don't think the two are really comparable -- the PS-1 was targeted at a very specific and different target market than the hf-2.

(The fact that I think the PS-1 is the best thing that John's done only means that I am part of that target market, and you're part of the other one.)

[Torpedo]

I like both. The PS-1 fit better my taste for rock. I think the HF-2 are somewhat more neutral so they sound to me more convincing with other music styles. For the price, the HF-2 IMHO are a wiser choice, but the PS-1 bring a smile to my face more often, so I don't regret what I spent on them.

[justin]

I like both. The PS-1 fit better my taste for rock. I think the HF-2 are somewhat more neutral so they sound to me more convincing with other music styles. For the price, the HF-2 IMHO are a wiser choice, but the PS-1 bring a smile to my face more often, so I don't regret what I spent on them.

The PS-1 were designed by John Grado specifically for European ears, so this is not surprising.

[spritzer]

It's strange that I didn't care much for it then. Could be because I'm technically born on the American continent...

[Torpedo]

More than European ears they were for German, which aren't much like Southern Europe or British hahahaha. It'd be funny knowing what does the German Grado distributor think of the HF-2.

[boomana]

I have mine in my office, along with the LaRocco PRI. I only get to listen to them about once a month, but I always enjoy them when I do.

[K3cT]

I still have mine. This is as good as a Grado can get IMHO and greatly prefer the HF2 compared to the PS1000.

[blessingx]

As we're mentioning other phones...

I know they don't get much love here, but the RS1s nicely compliment the HF2s within the Grado-acoustic/small band world (rarely listen to arena rock). Doubt I'd own a pair of RS1s if I didn't have HF2s around, if that makes any sense? RS1s become a 'lighter' signature tweek to more successful HF2s when Grado-time hits (have only heard the PS1s sound balanced a couple times - usually a bit bottom heavy). Course not that Grado-time is ever about finesse. Both phones don't get a ton of head time, but glad they're around.

[MacedonianHero]

greatly prefer the HF2 compared to the PS1000.

And here we are agreeing twice in a month! I do agree with you on this completely.

[mypasswordis]

Honestly you can replace HF2 with 99% headphones in existence in that statement and still have it be true. So that's not saying much. But I agree that it might be the best headphone John Grado has made.

[postjack]

As we're mentioning other phones...

I know they don't get much love here, but the RS1s nicely compliment the HF2s within the Grado-acoustic/small band world (rarely listen to arena rock). Doubt I'd own a pair of RS1s if I didn't have HF2s around, if that makes any sense? RS1s become a 'lighter' signature tweek to more successful HF2s when Grado-time hits (have only heard the PS1s sound balanced a couple times - usually a bit bottom heavy). Course not that Grado-time is ever about finesse. Both phones don't get a ton of head time, but glad they're around.

I'll always be a fan of the RS-1. I agree with your description of the overall signature sound being a bit "lighter". A bit more crack to the drum hit, a bit more air to the vocals, a little more life in the electric guitar, at least going from memory. I've owned a bunch of different RS-1s, but ultimately I prefer the HF-2's bass presentation. It reminds me of the MS2i's bass presentation but with more life, which also reminds me of the HP-2's bass presentation, at least in terms of slam, not perfection. Its almost like the bass in the HF-2 is like the John version of the Joe bass sound, if that makes any sense. FWIW I think the HP-2 has the best bass of any dynamic can.

The biggest win the RS-1 has over the HF-2 is the RS-1 rocks with FLATS baby! the HF-2 sounds terrible with flats. Ooh, this reminds me, somewhere in this thread I remember remarking how terrible I'm sure the HF-2 would sound with bagels. Well I actually got a chance to try the HF-2 with bagels recently, and you know what, it sounds pretty darn good! Worth checking out if you have some bagels laying around.

[dsavitsk]

I love them -- indeed, they have become the only phones I use anymore. Better than any other Grado, John or Joe, that I've heard.

[MacedonianHero]

I'll always be a fan of the RS-1. I agree with your description of the overall signature sound being a bit "lighter". A bit more crack to the drum hit, a bit more air to the vocals, a little more life in the electric guitar, at least going from memory. I've owned a bunch of different RS-1s, but ultimately I prefer the HF-2's bass presentation. It reminds me of the MS2i's bass presentation but with more life, which also reminds me of the HP-2's bass presentation, at least in terms of slam, not perfection. Its almost like the bass in the HF-2 is like the John version of the Joe bass sound, if that makes any sense. FWIW I think the HP-2 has the best bass of any dynamic can.

The biggest win the RS-1 has over the HF-2 is the RS-1 rocks with FLATS baby! the HF-2 sounds terrible with flats. Ooh, this reminds me, somewhere in this thread I remember remarking how terrible I'm sure the HF-2 would sound with bagels. Well I actually got a chance to try the HF-2 with bagels recently, and you know what, it sounds pretty darn good! Worth checking out if you have some bagels laying around.

While I am a big fan of the HF-2s....I still think the best John Grado headphone is the RS1/RS1i for some of the reasons you've given.