Grado RS1e Review - All Grado Gloriousness

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by purr1n, Feb 22, 2020.

  1. IUONA

    IUONA Thief that stole Bloom Audio gear

    Pyrate AWOL Banned
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    I’m a sucker for mahogany & that shade of leather. I’ve had guitars made of mahogany for most of my life, and the varying species & cuts of wood all have their subtle beauties that still catch my eye...eh, the point is, I can still talk about it like I want to F it.

    I’ve stayed away from Grados forever. Never even gave them a shot, or much consideration. Mostly because of all the things I’d read about them being “bright”, and seeing measurements that looked like shit on IF with no redemptive commentary from Tyll to win me over. Since I’m relatively sensitive to some upper mid & treble peaks, and because the only real source of evaluations that didn’t seem like crazy BS when I was exploring headphones was Tyll... So, I’d just completely relegated Grado to, “Winner of the headphone category for men having midlife crises who look up ‘best’ and see these in a pretty article & notice their price.” Grado, a manufacturer who hadn’t really innovated since the 80’s & sold things like the PS1000 that seemed objectionably worse than their entry level product for absurd sums.

    Thanks for the noteworthy take on them. I’m sincerely intrigued & am reevaluating some assumptions I’ve held for a long time about some brands & products that I’d just written off. I’d love to hear these on some of my favorite guitar-heavy albums.

    Now, the price & availability...
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2020
  2. Orkney

    Orkney Acquaintance

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    Thanks for this great, detailed and generous review. I've had a pair of these for a while now and, while I've stayed away from Grados in the past, these newer RS1es are a real improvement on my old ones from the buttons/buttonless era. Not an Everyphone, but great fun on a lot of the music I listen to, and the ones I tend to reach for most often lately. A nice way back into Grado for those burned by the ear-acid of the older 325s, etc.
     
  3. saint.panda

    saint.panda Friend

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    My first proper headphone setup was a RS1 with a RA-1 clone almost 20 years ago. Fond memories. Recently found a a good deal for the RS1e on ebay for 330 EUR because the cable was broken and fixed. I don't think this affects the sound (not sure how a broken cable would sound besides intermittent or blatantly bad sound like a headphone not being properly plugged in). Some impressions after 3 weeks of extended listening from BF2 / Jot2:

    Great
    - Refined sound with strong microdetails and microdynamics.
    - Was expecting a bright sound, but they're not harsh or bright at all with good air up top.
    - Excellent transient response. The headphone feels fast on its feet, like a well-struck badminton shuttlecock where the HD6xx feels like a slower tennis ball. The Verite C is faster but has a rounder attack and slower decay (probably because of the reverb).
    - Absolutely glorious with guitars. Any kind of guitar really: acoustic, electric jazz, distorted.
    - Decent soundstage depth.

    Not so great
    - Bass roll-off is real. Probably the biggest turn off for me. Bass is tight and textured but the lower bass missing. Music lacks slam and information because of it.
    - Odd tuning with midrange weirdness. Voices can sound nasal and some material sounds genuinely strange (RS1e clearly wasn't voiced for jpop...). Everything is baked in an orange glow. Limits its versatility.
    - Well known but doesn't hurt to repeat it: very narrow headstage.
    - Lightweight but I just don't find the bowl pads comfortable for extended sessions

    Misc
    - Difficult to A/B with other headphones because the FR is so different.
    - It takes some time to get used to and appreciate the RS1e's sound. Day 1 was "hell no".
    - G-pads give them a bigger soundstage but loses the magic. Not recommended.
    - Sounds better on Jot 2 than Val 2 because less claustrophobic.
    - The Grado HF-2 pales in comparison: less refined, tinny highs and with the bass turned up.

    Verdict: There's a coherent vision at play here. Don't think I could live with them as my only headphones. Definitely high end.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2021
  4. YtseJammer

    YtseJammer Almost "Made"

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    Great feedback ;)

    You should try the Grado Hemp if you have the chance. I think you would prefer them over the RS1e.
     
  5. Tachikoma

    Tachikoma Almost "Made"

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    Definitely try the tape mod if you need more bass. Micropore tape works nicely here (electrical will kill air), and you can add/subtract layers to tune the sound.
     
  6. sonique

    sonique New

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    Thank you for the interesting thread...

    If searching here and there, I often see some reviewers claim RS2e to be superior to RS1e in terms of sound quality. I have never auditioned RS2e myself but I am just curious which cans perform better and in what respects.

    Yes... I have found some answers in some previous posts but still feel the topic needs more in-depth approach. Does anyone know and can explain?
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The RS2e is "better" with respect in that its sound is less colored. Using the stock Grado pads, the RS2 has lower bass extension with arguably more benign peaks in the highs (lower less broad at 2kHz, peak at 10kHz instead of 8kHz) than the RS1e. The RS1e is rather unashamed about its midbass and upper mid bump which results in a perma-punchy, perma-crunchy, and vocal emphasized sound.

    Also the RS2e can be "corrected" to have a darkish-to-neutralish sound, not too dissimilar to an HD650, with the use of TTVJ Deluxe pads. This cannot be done with the RS1e as the use of these pads kill the top end and result in too much bass.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2021
  8. sonique

    sonique New

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    Thank you for your explanation. I find the idea to compare the cans "wearing" stock Grado pads most accurate here as that seems to be closest to John's vision of Grado sound... which is of some value to me.

    So the RS2e seems more neutral and adding less colour - one may prefer that or not. But what pros the RS1e has over the RS2e, if any...?
     

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