Grado HF-2 Impressions Thread

[elnero]

I had a chance to briefly try Biggies via my Pico here at work on Friday. My initial impression was "great I'm going to save myself some money because these suck balls", then I realized they had bowls. With flats my impression was "damnit, there goes a couple hundred bucks".

I didn't get to do a side by side with the MS2i's but my impression was that they are cut from the same cloth with the HF-2's being less dry, nicer tonality with punchier, better defined bass. Treble seemed somewhat similar with little to no sibilance issues yet maintaining a nice level that is present yet doesn't intrude or sound at all harsh.

When I got home and listened to the MS2i's again with some of the same tracks it seemed like the gap was a bit wider than I initially thought, bass seemed muddier, less defined, mids drier and less involving than I expected, the overall presentation seemed a bit hazier than my recollection of the HF-2's. Again, this wasn't a side by side comparison so probably not worth squat as far as validity goes but for me at least I got the distinct impression the HF-2's solve what little gripes I had with the MS2i's but also seems to up the ante a notch as well.

[Voltron]

I was putting the HF-2s up against the PS-1 last night and the HF-2 held their own up to a point. No PS-1 killers, these cans, but they still sound great especially for the money. The PS-1 has more of what I like and the instruments sound more true. The music was Anthony Wilson Trio, a jazz group of guitar, Hammond B3 organ, and drums. The hollow-body guitar sounded really nice from the HF-2 but putting on the PS-1 gave the body more body. I could hear better the tone of the guitar and weight of the notes was greater. The bass is good on HF-2 but the bass on these PS-1s with Equinox recable has always been my favorite presentation so the HF-2 did not knock them off that pedestal. I will listen some more from the Luxman P1 and then later maybe from the TTVJ FET-A.

[Quadrangulum]

Mine have been sitting in the mailbox, along with a set of bowls, over the past weekend while I was on vacation. I'm glad I got a nifty serial number (101).

It's my first Grado ever so my expectations were based entirely on what I read on the internet, that is, forward and aggressive sound. I'm happy to report that it fits that description perfectly. It's not as detailed as the HD800 and it's a comparatively poor imager but it is excellent with certain types of songs and my poorer quality recordings. Right now, I prefer them with the included flats. It's pretty much everything that I was looking for in a second headphone as it brings forth a unique set of qualities.

[Hopstretch]

Those are bowls.

[Quadrangulum]

Whoops. Thanks for the correction.

[VPI]

Okay, in an effort to avoid the ban hammer, I am still enjoying mine and I am listening to Dave Brubeck Castilian Drums (Live at Carnegie Hall) right now and the HF-2s nail the percussion virtuoso performance on this recording. Bass is big but fortunately none of that one not lower register and the some headphones give on this song. The dynamics are also top notch and when it really gets down to it, soundstage is not bad as are ambient cues, though the space seems to have shrunk a bit.

My only complaint at this point is the short cable. With the 10 foot 4-Pin extension Nate made me I can still not listen to these from my listening chair without moving it up a foot. Minor but a bit more length would have been great.

[morphsci]

This is what I posted in the other thread, minus the bantering with Lesser:

No harshness IMO. They sounded to me most like a less bassy PS-1. Some people likened them to HP-1000s but they still sound more like John and not Joe Grado can to me.

Listening to the HF-2's off of the AA HPA v.1.0. This amp loves Grado's and the HF-2 loves the AA. Not surprising, as my favorite pairing at CanJam was the HF-2/FET-A.

Right now if someone said I could only keep one of my John Grado headphones it would be toss up if I would keep the HF-2 or the MS-Pro. That is saying a lot as the MS-Pro has seen a lot of headphones come and go in this house.

[saint.panda]

I was putting the HF-2s up against the PS-1 last night and the HF-2 held their own up to a point. No PS-1 killers, these cans, but they still sound great especially for the money. The PS-1 has more of what I like and the instruments sound more true. The music was Anthony Wilson Trio, a jazz group of guitar, Hammond B3 organ, and drums. The hollow-body guitar sounded really nice from the HF-2 but putting on the PS-1 gave the body more body. I could hear better the tone of the guitar and weight of the notes was greater. The bass is good on HF-2 but the bass on these PS-1s with Equinox recable has always been my favorite presentation so the HF-2 did not knock them off that pedestal. I will listen some more from the Luxman P1 and then later maybe from the TTVJ FET-A.

Al, what I really liked about the PS-1 was the really liquid midrange - as overused as the description may be. I don't really know how to describe it, but through the PS-1 the music just sounded really life-like with good weight behind the notes. Although the frequency balance and tone were a bit odd, or rather my ears were just biased towards Sennheisers back then, the weight and "roundedness" in the midrange made the PS-1 really special. Does the HF-2 retain some of that quality?

[Dusty Chalk]

Alright, here's my Grado HF-2 impression:

(ahem)

Hey, look, I'm a Grado HF-2!

End of impression.

[VPI]

Alright, here's my Grado HF-2 impression:

(ahem)

Hey, look, I'm a Grado HF-2!

End of impression.

What an uncanny resemblance. I actually went into the other room to make sure my HF-2s were not playing on the Internet.

[Cankin]

I did not compare HF-2 and MS2i directly since I sold both of my MS2i's sometime ago, so please take a grain of salt.

I always thought MS2i's sound a little bit dry, and HF-2 is easier on ear, sound fuller especially in lower frequency and it has more detail. To my ears, HF-2 is clearly a step up.

[Voltron]

Al, what I really liked about the PS-1 was the really liquid midrange - as overused as the description may be. I don't really know how to describe it, but through the PS-1 the music just sounded really life-like with good weight behind the notes. Although the frequency balance and tone were a bit odd, or rather my ears were just biased towards Sennheisers back then, the weight and "roundedness" in the midrange made the PS-1 really special. Does the HF-2 retain some of that quality?

Hey Tao, good to hear from you. The mids are where a lot of the PS1 magic resides and the weight, roundness of tone and real presence to the music is what I like so much with them. I need more HF2 time in general but the mids and the overall presentation are at least similar. They lack some of the body but I agree with morphsci that they have a similar feel, especially compared to other Grado options. I have a track I like on Dave Alvin's Black Jack David album that has a lot of deep vocals and instruments and real weight, and I was definitely impressed how well the HF2 did with that song. I also agree they are not like HP1s to my ears.

[riceboy]

I was putting the HF-2s up against the PS-1 last night and the HF-2 held their own up to a point. No PS-1 killers, these cans, but they still sound great especially for the money. The PS-1 has more of what I like and the instruments sound more true. The music was Anthony Wilson Trio, a jazz group of guitar, Hammond B3 organ, and drums. The hollow-body guitar sounded really nice from the HF-2 but putting on the PS-1 gave the body more body. I could hear better the tone of the guitar and weight of the notes was greater. The bass is good on HF-2 but the bass on these PS-1s with Equinox recable has always been my favorite presentation so the HF-2 did not knock them off that pedestal. I will listen some more from the Luxman P1 and then later maybe from the TTVJ FET-A.

Thanks for the impressions Al. I was wondering if your Anthony Wilson Trio is the same Anthony Wilson that plays with Diana Krall? I really how he can play the guitar. I'll be interested in hear your impressions with the Luxman P-1.

[Voltron]

Same guy, Laine. He is very cool and has some gorgeous guitars. You gotta get this new album. The impressions above are all on the P-1

Edited July 13, 2009 by Voltron

[riceboy]

Same guy, Laine. He is very cool and has some gorgeous guitars. You gotta get this new album. The impressions above are all on the P-1

Thanks Al for the info the impressions. I will certainly get that album. When Diana Krall came to Hawaii I really enjoyed watching Anthony Wilson and John Clayton play with her. I know they have played with her on various albums, but I love the Live in Paris album with all of them. They sure sound great together

BTW Anthony Wilson is coming out with an album in July 21

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Hearts-Anthony-Wilson-Trio/dp/B0026B6X1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1247444506&sr=8-1]Anthony Wilson - Jack of Hearts[/ame]

Edited July 13, 2009 by riceboy

[Voltron]

Thanks Al for the info the impressions. I will certainly get that album. When Diana Krall came to Hawaii I really enjoyed watching Anthony Wilson and John Clayton play with her. I know they have played with her on various albums, but I love the Live in Paris album with all of them. They sure sound great together

BTW Anthony Wilson is coming out with an album in July 21

Anthony Wilson - Jack of Hearts

That is the album I just bought yesterday, so July 21 came a little early this year. I know the 45 RPM vinyl is still coming out at some point, and I think there is an SACD, but the CD was in the store yesterday.

[n_maher]

I don't have a suitable amp for them (yet) so I'm not going to post flawed impressions based on a sub-par setting. I've heard them on good rigs, they are very good, but meet impressions are just that.

[postjack]

Alright, here's my Grado HF-2 impression:

(ahem)

Hey, look, I'm a Grado HF-2!

End of impression.

What an uncanny resemblance. I actually went into the other room to make sure my HF-2s were not playing on the Internet.

love my hf-2. easily betters my memories of any of the RS-1s I owned. I think the key is you get a fabulous Grado midrange with really perfect bass.

they still suck with classical; still a Grado, but with rock, they rock. scale up quite nicely with vinyl.

[riceboy]

That is the album I just bought yesterday, so July 21 came a little early this year. I know the 45 RPM vinyl is still coming out at some point, and I think there is an SACD, but the CD was in the store yesterday.

Oh snap. That is awesome you have it. I will have to pick it up once it comes out. Glad you are liking it . I hope to participate when my HF-2s come in.

[saint.panda]

Hey Tao, good to hear from you. The mids are where a lot of the PS1 magic resides and the weight, roundness of tone and real presence to the music is what I like so much with them. I need more HF2 time in general but the mids and the overall presentation are at least similar. They lack some of the body but I agree with morphsci that they have a similar feel, especially compared to other Grado options. I have a track I like on Dave Alvin's Black Jack David album that has a lot of deep vocals and instruments and real weight, and I was definitely impressed how well the HF2 did with that song. I also agree they are not like HP1s to my ears.

Great, thanks.

[screaming oranges]

Haven't done much listening since I am in the middle of moving.

Don't ban me, bro!

[hirsch]

Early in the listening (bowls only). Big images in a small space. Musicians intrude on each other's space. Tonally much nicer than all of the John Grado lineup except PS-1. PS-1 is the only other John Grado headphone that I've heard that sounds good with bowls. Not a fine detail monster. Pretty much what the SR-325 should have sounded like. Good headphone that might be more with burn-in. Belongs in the "fun" rather than "reference" category so far.

Having gone through a lot of experiments with Grado pads on various headphones (OK, most of the high-end Grado's), I tend to prefer the spaciousness and detail of the bowl pads. However, on most of the John Grado headphones, the tradeoff is the midrange and highs. If the midrange is recessed, and the highs are piercing, the flats are the cure. I can't use an RS1 with bowls (single-ended, anyway...it can get complicated balanced). When you switch to flats, t normally you lose a bit of detail and space to bring the mids back into perspective. If the midrange is right with the bowls, then going to the flats can kill the highs and fine details. Then there are the HD-414 pads (let's not forget the vwap pad), comfies, comfies with holes, rubber cement on bowls...ugh. Not going there again if I can help it.

[parhelictriangle]

Another dumb question:

I've seen a few posts on HF stating that the HF2 bowls have a bit shorter radius than the standard Grado bowls. I have no idea why that would actually be the case and doubt that it is. . . but is it?

Reason I ask is: I just got back from dxc in Culver City and confirmed that I have ridiculously, embarrassingly tiny ears. RS-1s (pre-i) with bowls are totally circumaural for me, and my ears sit right up against the drivers. My ears stopped growing when I was 7, I guess.

Just wondering, because I'd like to actually be able to reap the benefits of bowls over flats in terms of soundstage and balance, but I'm not sure if that'll be the case. Or do the flat pads have a slightly shorter radius (from the inner edge of the padding), such that they might sit on my apparently vestigial outer ears?

I guess the positive aspect of being a sub-human freak is that Grados with bowls are pretty comfy on my noggin.

[Edit: Sorry, meant to post this in the non-impressions thread. Please don't kill.]

[jinp6301]

The pain, for me, comes where the ears touch the drivers. 2 hours of the tip of your ear on the driver is not a fun experience for me

[parhelictriangle]

My ears are small enough that they don't press against those shower drains too much. I think foam protection would actually irritate me a bit more with the level of contact I get. Although I've never worn a Grado for more than a half-hour or so, so I'm mostly talking out me bum. Guess I'll find out soon enough!