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Youtube review: http://youtu.be/9oG6PZ5rbik Sources: iPad Pro 11-inch/iPhone XsMax/Various computers using the Chord Mojo/Oppo HA-2/AQ DragonFly Cobalt/Meridian Explorer2 DAC/amps, plus a custom-made tube amp. Looking over my recent review of the Grado White (WH1) headphone and my review of the PS1000e from 2015, and musing on the sound of the PS2000e that arrived two months ago, four key words stood out to me from those reviews and my impressions of the new PS2000e: Effortless, Breathtaking, Tactile, Palpable. Like the PS1000e and to some extent the WH1, the PS2000e impresses me as needing almost no effort to produce its very smooth** and very hi-fi sound. It may be a combination of superior drivers, earcup design, high efficiency and other factors, but compared to my other premium headphones, the sense that the sound is coming from a headphone is much less. Reviewer Steve Guttenberg made a video comparing the sound of Grado headphones to horn-driver speakers. Those comparisons are somewhat abstract of course, but the point I got right away is the effortless nature of horn drivers to make hi-fi sound, due to their incredible efficiency. **The PS2000e is much smoother (more neutral) than the PS1000e, and far smoother than the WH1. Those instances when something breathtaking occurs are rare - even moreso given my experience with the PS1000e where I noted such things. Still, in adding new music to my collection, I'm occasionally hearing things that amaze me, for example in the audiophile recordings of Baroque-era tracker** organs and their modern re-creations in churches and museums across the U.S. **Genuine tracker organs were designed with low-pressure pipes due to the lack of electric motors for pumping air into the organs during the Baroque era. The advantage of low-pressure pipes is a more acoustic type of sound, as compared to the somewhat artificial sounds of modern electric-action pipe organs. The confluence of acoustic sounds and the PS2000e is no coincidence, as the PS2000e was designed for the most accurate reproduction of voices and acoustic instruments. Tactile and palpable are similar in meaning, and in the case of the PS2000e, the sense that I can almost reach out and touch Diana Krall's piano keys, or the strings of Ray Brown's upright bass, practically defines tactile for me. Depending on the system you use with the PS2000e, and/or any tone controls etc. that you throw into the mix, you may already be hearing and feeling enough weight across the lows and mids to give you all the reality you desire from your music. In my case, the PS2000e's sound has just enough palpability to make the music real without coloring it beyond that. The foregoing are mere impressions of course, but they're based on owning eight other Grado headphones as well as a few others in the $1000 to $2000 USD range. The actual sound that I measure by ear, using live music as well as those other headphones for comparison, is more objective - i.e., if the music you hear live sounds exactly like your headphone system, then you're very close to accurate and neutral reproduction, assuming your recordings are accurate facsimiles of the live music they represent. In the case of my PS2000e, the tonality varies slightly depending on the amps I use, and especially the quality of the recordings I play. True audiophile remasters are nearly always the most satisfactory. Users who are experiencing the PS2000e for the first time, but who have other Grados or much experience with them, will likely be thrilled. Users of closed-back headphones who are making the PS2000e their first open-back headphone (or first in a long time) might not be as thrilled, noting that the bass doesn't get the same "reinforcement" as with closed headphones. In the latter case, a bit of research might be needed to clear things up. My purchase of the PS2000e was - oddly enough - inspired by my purchase of the Grado White headphone a couple of months ago. I hadn't had an open-back headphone for a very long time, and I used a parametric equalizer to minimize some of the problems unique to the closed-back headphones I enjoyed in the interim. What I experienced with the WH1 was not just the open-back sound, nor the basic signature (note my EQ comments), but a whole new (for this year at least) listening experience that was as different from my other headphones as night and day. I can't attribute that difference to the open-vs-closed designs, so I'll just say that it's due to the confluence of multiple factors. My experience with the PS2000e has - not surprisingly - surpassed the WH1 in a few key areas: The bass is clearer and goes deeper, the low-mid warmth is less colored, the mids are more neutral, and the treble is much more neutral. The EQ I did for the WH1 definitely helped, but does not make for a PS2000e-level improvement. Of the four words I noted above, the last two were the critical difference for the PS2000e. The overall clarity, detail, and tightness in the lows contribute greatly to the tactile reach-out-and-touch moments, and the greater palpability from the increased sonic range as well as dynamic range. Certain reviewers who've compared the PS2000e to other Grados (particularly the GS2000 or GS3000 models) have described a warmer sound for those "woodie" headphones, and a cooler or even more clinical sound for the PS2000e. In direct comparisons, "more clinical" might seem apt, but the truth is the PS2000e is not at all clinical. Pull the earpads off of the PS2000e and observe the wood used in its earcups. It's a more neutral sound, but still warm - and sounds as crystal clear as anything I've heard anywhere near its price tier. That's my summary of the sound, and while I've been disappointed in the musicality (or lack thereof) with other pricy headphones, I'm completely satisfied with my PS2000e purchase. Note that this headphone has a substantial amount of metal in the earcups, which makes it somewhat heavy for a full-size large-earcup headphone. The redesigned headband compared to the PS1000e makes it more comfortable than that older model, but the PS2000e is still not designed for walking around with significant head movements. You'll need to sit still, but then, you're not paying for an uber-premium headphone to use while doing chores around the house. I'm going to skip the sample music tracks for this review, as there is essentially nothing to test - i.e. there is some lack of deep bass weight or low-frequency pressure with the PS2000e compared to many of the closed-back headphones, but if you have an opportunity to spend some time with this headphone, you may begin to appreciate its genuine acoustic bass tonality that carries just the right amount of weight - like you'd experience in person. I'll also skip most of the physical descriptions, as this basic design has been around for many years and its parameters are well known. What I noted above about sitting still when listening bears one more bit of explanation, by way of comparison. I once owned the Final Audio Pandora VI - a very fine and quite heavy headphone, which was unstable on my head with even slight head movements. The PS2000e is not like that, i.e. it sits very comfortably and allows modest head movements as long as the user stays reasonably still and focused on listening. Summing things up, I highly recommend the Grado PS2000e to those who are 1) Willing to invest the money, and 2) Prepared for a headphone that will virtually disappear of its own accord, and allow the music to come through essentially unaltered.
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Youtube review: http://youtu.be/EBNCAZ2LQkk Photos: http://dalethorn.com/Photos/iPhone_XsMax/Headphone_Grado_Wh1_01.jpg Sources: iPad Pro 11-inch/iPhone XsMax with Oppo HA-2/AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt DAC/amps, various computers using the Meridian Explorer2/AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt/DAC-amps. Review note: My first impressions of the sound of the Grado WH1 'White' headphone ('WH1' hereafter) are based on direct comparisons to other headphones, particularly those that resemble its design (Full-size open-back), but also to a few premium headphones for reference. I'll describe how I relate to the 'WH1' (i.e., my objectives and how I use the headphone) only after covering all of the technical issues. Disclaimer: This might be the most unusual headphone review I've done, at least since I purchased and reviewed the Grado PS1000e a few years ago. Hint: Read this paragraph to the end. Like the PS1000e, I found the 'WH1' to have a very lean bass and a strong treble, yet with a modicum of EQ to tilt the sound a bit to the right (warmer), the result has a compelling quality that I don't hear with my other (mostly closed-back) headphones. The 'WH1' is a completely different experience from those other headphones, yet the overall sound is very seductive, and I find that I can raise the volume and "dial in closer" to the music and musical details than with the other headphones. I can't really explain that, so I'll defer to my review of the PS1000e, which has a similar size with the large Grado "Bowl" earpads, where I described its sound as "effortless" and occasionally "breathtaking". The 'WH1' soundstage is quite good, but not as large as I would have guessed based on the size of the earcups and earpads. Still, very good as it is, the ease with which it reproduces sound (a property it shares with the PS1000e) raises the overall experience to near bliss. That, coupled with excellent accuracy and tonality make the 'WH1' a most interesting headphone - one that I eagerly await other reviewers' impressions of. The 'WH1' is completely open to outside sound, and to fully appreciate that, just press your hands to the outside center of the earcups, and hear the amazing difference when those ports are blocked. I won't spend more time on the 'WH1's sound for now, for these reasons: 1) I haven't heard headphone sound like this in years (if then), and at this point I don't know whether I've stumbled onto an accidental miracle via a unique combination of gear and tuning, or whether this sound was intended in the design. In any case I'll wait for other reviews to come in before commenting further. 2) The music tracks listed below, which were included in my tests of the 'WH1', feature a wide range of music tonalities that highlight any sonic weaknesses in the headphone. 3) I'm not concerned with measurements or other tech issues, since musical neutrality is my only objective. The 'WH1' comes with a straight approx. 5-ft non-detachable double-entry cable, terminated with a 3.5 mm stereo plug, with a 6.35 mm adapter included. It's a typical (heavy-duty) Grado cable, meaning that it's made for sonic purity rather than small-and-light convenience. The headband is padded some on the underside, but given the headphone's relatively light weight and how much of that is borne by the large earpads, the padding is more than sufficient. The headband's range of adjustment is 1/2 inch smaller and 3/4 inch larger on each side from where it fits my head, which should accomodate a wide variety of head sizes. The 'WH1' is not a portable headphone in the usual sense, but if you obtain the large (but compact) zippered Grado carry case from their sales site, the 'WH1' will be easy to take anywhere. In previous reviews I've included music samples with comments about how the headphones sound with each track. In this case (note EQ comment above), I've chosen 30 tracks from a previous review that show off the strengths and weaknesses of the headphone, albeit with the 'WH1' the weaknesses (if any) are essentially nonexistent. Ana Victoria - Roxanne (Pop): Large soundstage around female vocal with good instrument detail. Anik Jean - Gaspesie (Pop): Another large-ambient female vocal, in French. Great test for the 'WH1'. Baaba Maal - Lam Tooro (Senegal Pop): The instrumental interplay here is unique to me, and sounds delicious with the 'WH1'. Babel Metis - Nips Naps (Pop/Electronic): Surprising bass here - sounds quite deep with decent impact. Belden-Carter - Everything I Love (Jazz): The instrumentation and ambiance are luscious here, especially the upright bass. Ben Goldberg - Root and Branch (Jazz): Another luscious jazz combo tune, with another decent bass line. Ben Heit Quartet - Suite-Magnet and Iron (Jazz): Energetic jazz combo playing, with a terrific piano tonality, especially the deeper notes. Benedictines of Mary - O Come Emmanuel (Choral): Large, deep ambiance, with excellent choral harmony. Betty Davis - The Lone Ranger (Pop): Atmospheric female vocal - just wonderful, with a solid bass line. Blues Project - Caress Me Baby (Pop/Jazz): My favorite of this genre, with great instrumental definition, particularly the loud piercing guitar at 0:42. Bob Dylan - Serve Somebody (Pop): Dark and moody Dylan-rap with soul chorus - a lovely tune with some decent bass detail. Bobo Stenson Trio - Indicum (Jazz): Wide range of instrumentation here, particularly the piano and bass instrument. Boz Scaggs-Booker T - I've Been Loving You Too Long (Pop): Great rendition of this tune by masters of the genre. The 'WH1' does this justice. Buckethead - Soothsayer (Pop): Good guitar tone with backing percussion. Played well by the 'WH1'. Camilla Johansson - Love is Blue (Pop): Bright treble instruments and fairly deep bass played perfectly by the 'WH1'. Candy Dulfer - Lily Was Here (Jazz): Sharp instrumental details abound. Carbon Based Lifeforms - Accede (Pop/Electronic): Atmospheric tune that builds in complexity and intensity. Carlos Mejia Godoy - Nicaragua Nicaraguita (Jazz): Sax, bass, piano, percussion - everything in a good combo, played well by the 'WH1'. Carmen Gomes - A Fool For You (Jazz): A very high-res recording played to perfection by the 'WH1'. Cat's Miaow - Neu Monotonic FM (Pop): Artistic musical noise - the song that never ends (or seems so). Changelings - Incantation (Pop): Atmospheric, ethereal, moody. Charlie Haden-Pat Metheny - Waltz For Ruth (Jazz): Very nice bass plucking with tonally rich guitar. Christophe Beck - Really Big Sandbox and Slayer's Elegy (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer): Atmospheric almost by definition - tonally worthy on the 'WH1'. Claire Martin - Too Darn Hot (Jazz): Great upright bass backing with female vocal. Clark Terry - Sugar Blues (Jazz): Some of the sharp trumpet blasts here can irritate with some headphones. Sounds good with the 'WH1'. Claude Pelouse - Paradise (Pop): Tune used in a popular tonal accuracy perception test - sounds fine with the 'WH1'. Cocteau Twins - Carolyn's Fingers (Pop): Excellent guitar/synth tones over an ethereal female voice. Commodores - Night Shift (Pop): The growling bass here is very satisfying. Cranes - Adoration (Pop/Goth): Nice deep piano chords lead off this atmospheric track. Scala and Kolacny Brothers - Creep (Pop): A female choral take on the Radiohead classic, with a decent piano sound.
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This is a bit different from the original review, addressing 4 common questions and testing with EDM music tracks. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/community/threads/grado-gw-100-wireless-headphone-followup-review.4534/
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This is my followup review of the Grado GH3, with new video and text and new music tracks. The music track listings are from the same template I used for the Grado GW100, and as it turned out I made only one change - to the Fairmont-Poble Sec track, where the GH3 bass was obviously not as strong as the GW100 bass. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/community/threads/grado-gh3-heritage-edition-headphone-followup-review-new-info.4536/
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Items ship to continental U.S. only, Paypal only. Shipping to Eastern U.S. included - Western U.S. add $25. Headphones used for testing only, like new. Camera is like new, all original packaging like new. Grado PS1000e, $1175. Beyer DT-1770 with Cardas cable, $475. B&O H6 Blue Stone ed., $255. Beyer DT1350 with T51p earpads, almost new, $145. Leica D-Lux typ 109 camera (same as Pana LX100), $695.
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Hi, Want to sell a Grado Alessandro MS2i that's in great condition. Comes with the box and a grado converter chord ($30). Looking for $250 for the cans. thanks reggie 91524043
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This is my first Grado 'woodie', excepting any Grado headphones where the wood parts are inside of the earcups only. I describe the sound compared to the SR325e, since I don't have a sense of how any of the Grado 'RS' series sound. This is a very good headphone, but be aware that some of the $650 USD price is because of the limited material from that Brooklyn tree. http://rockgrotto.proboards.com/thread/10824/grado-brooklyn-stereo-headphone-review
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I've always wanted one of these, but couldn't justify it until recently. I've been disappointed with more than a few expensive purchases in the past, but not this time. The PS-1000e is very different from the AKG K812, Beyer T1, and Sennheiser HD800 headphones that I've owned, physically and sonically, so rather than try to summarize here what's in the review (too complicated), I'll just point to the full review below. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4248
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Here's a small portable on-ear headband-behind-the-head headphone that has a Grado sound more-or-less. I can only compare it to the SR325e at present (besides the 4 portables I compared to in the review) as far as Grado Sound is concerned, so here's the recap, compared to the SR325e: Weaker lower bass (although the overall bass on most tracks is pretty good), a tendency for driver breakup on a few tracks (less than one percent of mine), a comparable treble with one little exception - there's a slight sense of sibilance or a peak in the mid treble, but I don't think it's a result mainly of the small 7 khz peak, I think the 4 khz recess ahead of the 7 khz peak is how it becomes more noticeable. But it's actually very slight and non-irritating compared to sibilance in many headphones I've had. I like it, but would not advise using it with EDM that has strong long-duration deep bass tones, which can cause driver breakup. Normal bass, even heavy bass, hasn't been a problem. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4239
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Excellent condition, like new. Bought Dec 2014. w/ box. No adapter, will keep it to myself. Open for trades. Interested in Fostex TH600. . Asking price 450USD. Will ship anywhere no problem. Photo on request.
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Full box set. Upgraded headband. Condition: 9/10 Asking $1350 SMS 83333321 Pictures link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ebbqijqed8vyxx7/AABWqADt4z04ieC-4KtKhi9Ka?dl=0
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Going for $350. Very good condition. Pl SMS me at 94314607 if interested.
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Asking $1500. Matte verson. SMS: 83333321