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Grado PS500


postjack

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There has to be more behind the scenes that we don't know, but damn.blink.png

I doubt it, that is just how Joe is, he is very "confident" in his hp1000 and his new mic, to say the least. He did say if you do not want to bother with the hp1000 and getting any issues resolved that you should just get johns sr125 and flat pads and that should be ok :)

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The ps500 sounding anything like the ps1 or hp1000 will be akin to how the ps1000 was supposed to sound like the ps1. Unfortunately that was not the case.

I do think there is some genuine competitiveness but it's been stated by closer sources than me that John and Joe do have a very mutual respect for each other, moreso from John towards Joe. I think there are some practical issues that also prevent John from doing anything like a hp1000, specifically sourcing the driver and manufacturing costs. If they currently charge $700 for rs1 build quality and $1000+ for gs1000 and ps1000 build quality, what would a hp1000 potentially cost?

The higher end Grado stuff (RS and above) has always been overpriced for what it was. Some people LOVE the sound (including me), so the price was rationalized away. Philosophically speaking, it's not a function of making the HP-1000 in the 2k range or so but more of a realization that the top end is over the top and should be adjusted down (or some models eliminated) so that the HP-1000 could fill the $1,000-$1,600 price point. Obviously prices never really go down on product lines, but the product line right now kind of prevents such a product from coming out. I am not sure many people would go for an HP-1000 over $2k (PS-1000 being $1.6k). I know I wouldn't, but I would never buy any headphone at that price point.

I doubt it, that is just how Joe is, he is very "confident" in his hp1000 and his new mic, to say the least. He did say if you do not want to bother with the hp1000 and getting any issues resolved that you should just get johns sr125 and flat pads and that should be ok smile.png

Ah, gotcha.

Edited by roadtonowhere08
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Fantastic Grado lesson I'm having here! I never cared that much for Grados, but it's great to learn so much about the company and its products.

Wasn't that the reviewer that several years ago went on and raved about the Markl modded LA7000 headphones as being the pinnacle of headphones at the time?? Anyways, I always find it funny seeing professional reviewers write about headphones since they really don't know much about them.

Couldn't agree more. When I travel to England I always buy What Hi Fi, The Absolute Sound and all the other magazines, and I'm happy when they have headphone reviews. But that doesn't last long because I always see absurd comments. I remember they spoke about the Sennheiser IE8 as being "textbook flat". WTF??? That thing has more bass than anything!

You know, I always had the feeling that headphones have a sound signature that's much easier to realize than speakers. To me, speakers tend to sound more like each other. But then as I started to read all those weird headphone reviews I started to suspect that maybe we are tuned to what we hear the most. I mean, maybe I'm more sensitive to a headphone's sound signature because I had many experiences with them, and the opposite for speakers. If that's the case, then it should be the same for them: they're more used to speakers and thus more in touch with their different sound signatures, and less sensitive to different sounding headphones.

Or not.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I wrote to Grado about my concerns, and they assured me in warm and friendly terms that I would like them. Imagine getting a reply from Beyer or Sennheiser: "Dear sir or madam, It has come to the attention of our PR department that you are questioning the quality of the XYZ product we make. Be advised that your concerns are a top priority at ______ Corporation, and our engineers are smarter than you anyway, so piss off."

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  • 4 weeks later...

I wrote to Grado about my concerns, and they assured me in warm and friendly terms that I would like them. Imagine getting a reply from Beyer or Sennheiser: "Dear sir or madam, It has come to the attention of our PR department that you are questioning the quality of the XYZ product we make. Be advised that your concerns are a top priority at ______ Corporation, and our engineers are smarter than you anyway, so piss off."

Grado is a small family-run business based out of Brooklyn. I'm surprised that they even bothered to answer you. They don't really have time for that. What they really meant to say was, "Ahh, fugget about it! If you don't like it, then just go away!"

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The PS500 at CanJam on the Butte and Arrete sounded pretty much like an HF-2 to me. I think you would be happy with it, Shelly. Also reminds me how impressive those two amps are, especially the tiny little Butte with the big gain. It doesn't just make headphone go LOUD, it has a very nice, clean and detailed presentation without being sterile. Pete does good things with opamps.

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Didn't want to make a whole new thread for this, but on the subject of Grado, I think it is a good time to be selling the older ones (have seen three pairs range between $1700 to THIS the last two weeks): $2550! WTF?!?!

NOTE: pics were resized by imageshack, so you cant read the description, but these were an immaculate pair being sold by first owner who bought them in 1993.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260878285854#ht_500wt_1413

gradohp1000.jpg

gradohp10002.jpg

Edited by screaming oranges
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I'd like to see a comparison between the Grado PS-1, the PS-500, and the Symphones Magnum (whichever version is current).

The HP-1000 is very neutral in absolute terms, but people accustomed to other cans' characteristic sounds may think differently.

Edited by HiWire
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Lower end Grados do it for me. I was more concerned how the fabled HP1000 performs in context of other phones at that price point. Because I see Grado as a fun colored can but the HP1000 is said to be of the neutral sort.

You would simply need to listen to them yourself and then make your own, informed, decision. Isn't that always the answer?

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