[justindth1]

Hi guys,
 
I've only been in the headphone market for about a year. I started with a pair of beyer DT770, then got a Senn HD650, and briefly tried a Grado SR60i for fun. I even bought a $20 pair of the Koss KSC75. Man was I ever impressed by the sound quality at the price point. I also really liked the emphasis on the bottom end and sparkle in the highs. All I have left now are the Senns which I think sound amazing and are pushing me to try different styles of music. I have found that the Senns sound best with really well recorded music and genres that I would refer to as "bed time music". Although this music does sound good it is not my preferred choice. I find myself only going to it/ searching it out because the genres I love just don't sound very good on the HD650 (or the DT770 which is why I sold them).
 
You see the music I love the most is really hard and fast paced rock music with singing, shouting, and screaming. The genres are punk, screamo, hardcore, post-hardcore, metalcore, ska etc... (Bands like NOFX, Lagwagon, Strungout, Alexisonfire, Haste the Day, Atreyu, Rx Bandits, Mad Caddies, Protest the Hero, Alkaline Trio, Catch 22, Pennywise, Destroy the Runner, Bullet for my Valentine, list goes on and on...
 
The problem with those genres of music I think is that the recording is not always the best. Having a headphone that is neutral or analytical just doesn't do it. The SR60i that I had gave a nice punchy sound but also my ears some pain. Only when I had them in the laptop was I able to turn down the equalizer 1-2db at the 2k Hz to remove the painful noise. The pain would come after about 20-30 mins and when I took the headphones off my ears were kind of ringing like if you just came from a live concert. I also was not very impressed with the 2D sound. I think I want something with a larger sound stage too. 
 
I'm looking for a sound that adds bass to the low or no bass recordings. I like a strong punchy sound that emphasizes the kick drum and snare drum. Also, when the toms are hit I want to hear the nice deep powerful thuds. I want to follow the crazy guitar solos within the music and play along air guitar style. I want the highs to be more present than on my HD650, but not painful or over powering. I want something that won't make 320kbps mp3s sound like garbage. Yes I record my entire collection lossless but that takes up so much space and I can't have a very large collection on my portable. (30gb 5th gen ipod > L9 > E11)
 
So to sum it up I think the SR60i was going in the direction I wanted but it had its flaws. The painful 2k spike and 2D sound were the negatives. The punchy sound and brighter top end were good. I also found that lower quality mp3s sounded pretty much as good as the lossless ones. I believe this was perhaps because the phones weren't of high enough quality to show the flaws? Or, was it due to their frequency boosts in certain areas that "colored the music and made them sound better"? I have spent a couple weeks digging through GS1000i reviews and have seen quite conflicting statements. People claim they are very colorful, bass monsters, great highs that aren't harsh. But, I also read not enough bass, analytical, harsh high end. If the frequency response curve on www.headphone.com is accurate then I do not understand how the later comments could be true. Also, I notice the little peak at 2k Hz I found painful in the SR60i not present on the GS1000i frequency curve.
 
There is a local shop in Ottawa I wanted to buy the phones from new. They have almost every headphone they sell on display except the GS1000i and RS1i which I am thinking of buying. Any help would be great. I wonder is there anyone in Ottawa, ON that has either headphone and would let me try them? Any input from people that have had more than a brief experience with either headphone would be great. Do you guys understand what I'm looking for? Have I explained myself correctly?
 
Cheers and thanks in advance for any help!
 

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Well, if that can help, I  see people from time to time mocking the GS1000 at head-fi.
I have the feeling it's the grado to avoid.
If you don't want to spend too much , get the 325i.
After that the rs1.
This conclusion after  reading many discussions, didn't hear any of them.

 

[DaBomb77766]

Try asking them if there's a way you could try them out?  If you're serious about buying them they might let you.

 

[Gwarmi]

 
 
 +1 for the RS1i ~ if you find these harsh then it's time to look at something outside of Grado, these are very smooth
 and have yet to show any real harshness or sibilance compared to the odd number with my 325i.
 
 The GS1000i is going to give you sound stage but it's renowned for not turning average recordings into a sweet
 listen - NOFX, Lagwagon, Pennywise, Millencolin, early Blink 182 - ahh memories of my youth - I'm with you
 mate but I cannot say any of those bands or the genre in particular are very well recorded. Any form of punk
 is not meant to be in the first place - nothing wrong with that but any flagship is going to show that up.
 
 I think the RS1i will be the more forgiving option with more forward vocals as for some reason, a lot of punk bands are
 mike'd quite far out as it is or the frontman tends to lean away from the mike. You may also want to add the PS500 to your
 short list and jump on the PS500 threads.
 
 I'm yet to get my hands on the PS500 but the reviews suggest if anything it's tamer than the 325i.

 

[stacker45]

I like my GS-1000's,big soundstage,good bass,extented highs,i use them for listening to DVD concerts,New Age.and Celtic music,when it comes to Jazz,Blues,vocals,and New Flamenco,i use my PS-500,if i could only keep one pair,(thank god it's not the case),it would be the PS-500,wich by the way i prefered to the RS1i,i just love these things and i think they're price is right

 

[justindth1]

,if i could only keep one pair,(thank god it's not the case),it would be the PS-500,wich by the way i prefered to the RS1i,i just love these things and i think they're price is right

For what reason would you keep the ps500 over the gs1000?

Why did you like the ps500 over the rs1? Is it punchier? I want a very full and punchy bottom end with semi bright highs (that don't hurt). Which would I like?

 

[stacker45]

The PS-500 don't have as big a soundstage as the GS-1000,but they do a lot of things right,i think that the PS-500 are the ''best buy'' among the Grado line.
 
I posted the following somewhere else,i hope it helps.
 
Well it's been two weeks since i got my PS-500,and so far i'm impressed,i had the chance to comprare them with the RS1i for a few days,and i'm glad i did,because i was initially set on getting the RS1i and never thought for a moment about the PS-500.But after reading so many favorable reviews i decided to ask my dealer to lend me a pair.

 

The first thing i noticed was the bass that the PS-500 is deeper than the RS1i,as far as the mids go,i have to give the nod to the RS1i,but not by much,and some peoples might prefer the lower tone that the 500 gives to voices,but the highs on the 500 are sweeter,more polite so to speak, every detail is there,but they're less ''agressive'' for lack of a better word,than the RS1i.

 

Some headphones like my GS-1000 bombard you with every last detail,and i feel this prevents me sometimes from getting ''pulled'' into the music.But the PS-500 have a tubelike sound that to me,is just addicting,i have never gotten ''into'' the music the way i do with the PS-500.I don't know if some of you have experienced that,but it's like i'm in a ''trans'' and when the music stops,i feel like i'm coming back from a far away place,it's a very good feeling.i can just imagine how they'll sound,if they get better with time,the 500 are definately a keeper.

 

 

[bookaboo]

allesandro ms pro are a smooth listen in the rs1 vein, although i've not heard the rs1 by all reports they are very similar with the ms pro have less pronounced highs. if you're up for a modded pair buy a pair of sr325is and send them in to symphones for the magnum mod - smoothest sound i've heard from a grado and my current favourite - a cross between the hd650 and rs1 they have been called and it is right on the money. that being said i love the ms pro as well  - either way you're not going to be disappointed.