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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2011 18:36:07 GMT
After trying Mick's PS1000 which really impressed me, I decided to have another go with my SR80i's. Up until I heard Mick's headphone, I was ok with them but after hearing the P{S1000, I realised just how limited the SR801 actually is.
Biggest complaints included:
a) Comfort with bowls, so I stayed with soft pads. b) The lack of depth in the bass. c) The lack of imaging/space in the sound. d) The harshness at high volume.
I didn't want to play with Mick's pads because it's not my place to tamper with them so I decided to look for a pair of PS1000 pads.
They arrived today. Expensive but .......
a) Very comfortable. Just like the PS1000 b) The appearance of more apparent depth. (Yes, I was shocked by this one since I had heard reports of the opposite) c) Imaging is way superior. d) High volume is pleasant.
The sound with these beautiful pads is gorgeous and as far as I'm concerned, I feel like I have a completely new pair of headphones. I have been listening all afternoon with them, so all kinds of genres. It really works well. I was really shocked just how good this is, so it seems that the pads have an enormous effect on what the ear is hearing. I love this sound to death!!
I compared to the K701. K701 has a thinner treble response - perhaps cleaner? More mids on the SR801. Bass is a little stronger on the Grado.
The physical impedance is higher since the drivers are further away but not as hard to drive as the K701.
These two are more on an even keel now that the Grados have these pads, with a tad more fullness from the Grados!! Strong bass slam.
It's really worth doing imo, so if you're thinking of getting rid of the SR60, 80 or 125 - I suggest these pads quick.
Don't ask me whether I would still buy the PS1000. The SR80i is just about £120 and the pads are 40-50 I think. That makes the package about £170.
I prefer it to the Senn HD600 -= more open. I could buy 8 pairs or more for a PS1000 so it's a difficult one.
This is a really good sound and worth doing imo.
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joethearachnid
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Post by joethearachnid on Feb 23, 2011 22:08:58 GMT
I've been doing some interesting mods to my MS-1s lately, though little in the pads department beyond a 10p (same diameter as a US quarter) sized hole cut out. Apart from that I've fashioned some wooden cups out of a random piece of hardwood found in the garden and also punched some holes in the felt on the back of the driver. You can do it with a ballpoint pen, and if you've ever found Grados lacking in bass this is the mod to do. Coupled with the Panda, listening to the opening of Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms makes me feel like I'm actually in a thunderstorm. Just magical.
-JoetheArachnid
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 23, 2011 22:42:53 GMT
The logical test would be to try the PS1000 with the standard Grado pads.... I bet you any money they would sound like a pair of SR-80's
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2011 7:18:49 GMT
Yes, I wondered about that Mike. The bass quantity really surprised me. I expected the opposite since there is more space and the drivers are further back. They sound much less like a grado and they have a more ' full' sound. I really like them fhis way.
They cost too much for pads but that's typical Grado in the UK. I imagine MS1's would be really lush with these pads.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 24, 2011 9:29:04 GMT
£50 for a bit of foam? These people are taking the piss. There is no way that these pads cost more than "pennies" to make yet they are charging FIFTY pounds for a pair.... absolute daylight robbery!!
It really makes me angry when I think that some greedy bastard is sitting there rubbing his hands together and actually "getting away" with charging £50 for two pieces of FOAM. There is no excuse for this, it is pure GREED and I, for one, would certainly not entertain these crooks.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2011 9:52:14 GMT
£50 for a bit of foam? These people are taking the piss. There is no way that these pads cost more than "pennies" to make yet they are charging FIFTY pounds for a pair.... absolute daylight robbery!! It really makes me angry when I think that some greedy bastard is sitting there rubbing his hands together and actually "getting away" with charging £50 for two pieces of FOAM. There is no excuse for this, it is pure GREED and I, for one, would certainly not entertain these crooks. £71.75 for the HD800, yes its taking the piss, in the same way as you pay a premium on any brands higher priced models, on most consumer products sold, no doubt at some point there will be a cheaper copy available, but the originals should last many years, if not abused. If like you and Ian are suggesting, the results of fitting these brings the SR 80`s up to PS1000 levels, money well spent IMO, considering the total cost difference. Mick.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2011 9:54:32 GMT
Yes, it is really poor. I was lucky in that my priveleges ran to a dealer giving me them so I'm not exactly sure but I'm certain it's between 40 and 50 which is bad value. I'm thinking more along the lines of sr60 and pads coming out at about 140. The sound is dramatically different. Any foam pressures out there? I actually like the sr80i now, whereas before, I could take it or leave it. I hated the bowls. (and the toppy sound with them). The real potential is released with these pads. More weight and airier sounding, not to mention comfort. Funny that Grado never mentioned this option in order to make themselves a fortune! What is surprising is how much the pads contribute towards the ps1000 sound which I really liked a lot. From memory, the ps drivers had perhaps a smoother sound - not absolutely sure, but when I spoke to a UK rep when it was released, he said that the bass on the p1000 had to be raised in order to compensate for the distance that the drivers are from the ears. This is most definitely not the case. The sr80i is producing a good stong bass which raises the question as to whether the company is being honest with us and the dealers who have been fed this info from somewhere and spout it out to customers. If there's a cheap sourcefor these pads, I would absolutely recommend a change.
Sorry for any typos, I'm stuck on a Kindle at the moment and this message took ages!!!
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pjc68
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Post by pjc68 on Feb 24, 2011 10:21:47 GMT
Ian I have read that the bowls turned inside out sound better than the right way round (the cheaper ones not the ones you now have) I have a pair of sr60,s that i bought about 10yrs ago and they have the comfies on them, had to replace them about 4 yrs ago as they started to turn green. They were £15 then (robbing bastards), wonder if these ps1000 bowls would be a worthwhile mod as i have put them back in the grado pizza box they came in about a year ago. paddy
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2011 10:31:44 GMT
If your sr60/80 pads have totally failed and you do not want to spend an absolute fortune then these fit and sound perfectly fine too... www.maplin.co.uk/large-foam-ear-pads-11388They don't look large enough when you see them in the store but they do fit; I use them myself. And the cost? £ 3.19 for a PAIR! At that price you risk nothing in trying them. I wouldn't use anything else now. The foam is thick enough to be comfortable yet thin enough to have no effect on SQ. And you could always do the 'dime-sized' cut out trick and then the foam is out of the equation. Derek
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Post by JohnnyBlue on Feb 24, 2011 11:28:05 GMT
Having a pair of 325is* (with bowls) to which I rarely listen, I shall be following this thread with interest!
* Grados are generally seen as the preferred choice for Naimites (Naimists?) such as me, but I'm much happier with my HD600s: much more comfortable, of course, but also to my ears more pleasant and natural-sounding, especially on piano recordings.
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mrarroyo
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Post by mrarroyo on Feb 24, 2011 11:46:46 GMT
Guys/gals take the bowls of and wash them with lukewarm water and a mild liquid soap. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry overnight. You will be very happy with the results since the bowls will be much softer and comfortable.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2011 20:09:39 GMT
For me Miguel, the sound with bowls is better than pads but too toppy. I expected the PS1000 pads to make them thinner but that's not the case. I do like them with these pads whereas I could take them or leave them before.
Mick's headphone was a stunning listen and changing the sr80 pads does not transform them into a PS1000 but it improves the cheaper Grados immensely. The PS1000 still has more really deep bass and a more refined sounding treble (to answer you Mick) It's no PS1000 but it makes them much more listenable for me.
Of course I'd forgotten how much I paid for hd650 pads! They were a terrible price too. Personally, I think this is a worthwhile upgrade for cheap Grados and makes them really enjoyable.
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mrarroyo
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Post by mrarroyo on Feb 25, 2011 11:27:51 GMT
We all hear differently, I have tried the large pads on the RS-1 and SR=80 and did not like the sound, I much prefer the bowls on them.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2011 20:19:34 GMT
l wonder whether the sr80 is voiced differently from the sr80i? They are sold with foam comfies rather than bowls. I can't be certain, but my memory of the original was very top orientated with strong bass slam. The one I have seems less shrill in the top register with the same slam. Did Grado ever say anything about he new version? I had the first new version of the 325 in the UK and that was slightly less gritty up top. I keep going back to the sr80i with these large pads and it's really quite impressive. It's warmer than the k701 with a igger bass but the k701 has a more refined top, although in comparison it sounds very thin. Maybe it's exactly what you say Miguel; we all just hear differently.
I was led to believe that these big pads would offer no bass and that the ps1000 was voiced to compensate, but I'm hearing loads of bass.
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mrarroyo
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Post by mrarroyo on Feb 27, 2011 16:11:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 21:10:20 GMT
I tried the flats quite a while back and wasn't keen. They gave a lot more bass but were shut in sounding for me. I've beebn listening over the weekend with the jumbos and it's really engaging for me. Until now, I haven't ever been very keen about Grados but this has me hooked. I've also had pads and bowls on to compare. The weird thimg is the jumbos give (me) a deeper sounding bass and a more mellow sound. Strange since the drivers are perhaps further away from the ears. In fact, I found the bowls more constricted sounding and more 'middley' in tone. Also a bit congested at high volume whereas with jumbos, they seem to fatten out more.
Now I'm tempted by the 125i with jumbos!
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 27, 2011 21:47:37 GMT
I tried the flats quite a while back and wasn't keen. They gave a lot more bass but were shut in sounding for me. I've beebn listening over the weekend with the jumbos and it's really engaging for me. Until now, I haven't ever been very keen about Grados but this has me hooked. I've also had pads and bowls on to compare. The weird thimg is the jumbos give (me) a deeper sounding bass and a more mellow sound. Strange since the drivers are perhaps further away from the ears. In fact, I found the bowls more constricted sounding and more 'middley' in tone. Also a bit congested at high volume whereas with jumbos, they seem to fatten out more. Now I'm tempted by the 125i with jumbos! Ian, I have a pair of SR-225 that I never use, as you were so kind to send me the Goldrings then you can have them... the large bowls should go well with them! I have araldited the housing together on the 225's to make them totally "dead", I think you'll like them.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2011 7:55:26 GMT
I tried the flats quite a while back and wasn't keen. They gave a lot more bass but were shut in sounding for me. I've beebn listening over the weekend with the jumbos and it's really engaging for me. Until now, I haven't ever been very keen about Grados but this has me hooked. I've also had pads and bowls on to compare. The weird thimg is the jumbos give (me) a deeper sounding bass and a more mellow sound. Strange since the drivers are perhaps further away from the ears. In fact, I found the bowls more constricted sounding and more 'middley' in tone. Also a bit congested at high volume whereas with jumbos, they seem to fatten out more. Now I'm tempted by the 125i with jumbos! Ian, I have a pair of SR-225 that I never use, as you were so kind to send me the Goldrings then you can have them... the large bowls should go well with them! I have araldited the housing together on the 225's to make them totally "dead", I think you'll like them. Mike, You owe me nothing. You don't have to send me stuff 'cos of that!! You have done an enormous amount for my headphone listening and I am indebted to you!! Funny thing .... are they the 225's I sent you a year or more ago? Had glue on the grills where the buttons had been? Remember, I didn't like them then either? Funny what a change of pads do. I just don't understand where the bass is coming from with these pads!! When the GS1000 was originally released, there was a lot of talk of the GS being tailored to suit them and that other Grados would lack bass, but this is definitely not the case with the 'i' series.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 28, 2011 8:24:02 GMT
Hi Ian,
No..... Miguel sent me these a few years ago.
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pjc68
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Post by pjc68 on Feb 28, 2011 12:09:13 GMT
Ian have you tried the bowls inside out, i read on the web that someone tried every mod for his grados and this was the best one out of the lot, if you still have the bowls you can try it out. Here is the forum (reply 7/dononus) www.headphiles.org/index.php?topic=271.0 paddy
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2011 21:34:03 GMT
I have tried it Paddy, way back in the past and remember it being ok. I haven't directly compared it with these big thingies!! I am very impressed by them.
Mike, the sr225's were sent to you by me when Miguel asked me to post them direct. I remember some moron kid had ripped the badges off the grills and there was glue residue on them which you 'heated' off. That was when IO had stupid little kids following me around and they used little Grados that we had. That sr225 was one of them.
The Grados are very sensitive to pad configurations so they are pretty mallible really. I've even wondered about sticking bowls on and then stretching foam over the bowls to warm the sound up but still retain the more open sound of the bowls themselves!!
They are pretty revealing actually - I can hear different amp sounds quite distinctly on them. I normally resort to the K701 for that sort of thing. Even op amps show with them Mike, so I think that they are quite a revealing headphone.
It's just getting a tonal balance that you feel ok with imo. Bass response is lightening and there is a good bass slam with them.
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Post by freddypipsqueek on Feb 28, 2011 21:50:42 GMT
Ordered a pair of 1000 bowls. Agree they are a rip off but my MS2's have been sitting the cupboard for a year or so £50 maybe good value to get them into service. I will post my thoughts shortly.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 28, 2011 21:51:44 GMT
Oh yes..... I remember now I must dust them off for a listen.... thing is, Grado 'phones usually spend 5 minutes on my head before I rip them off.... it's a pad thang
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2011 21:56:25 GMT
Ordered a pair of 1000 bowls. Agree they are a rip off but my MS2's have been sitting the cupboard for a year or so £50 maybe good value to get them into service. I will post my thoughts shortly. It's quite difficult to find someone who stocks the bloomin' things!! They have made Grados much more listenable for me. Warmer than the K701 with more bass; perhaps a less refined treble although the top can be a little 'thin' on the AKG imo. I've really been enjoying the SR80i, coming from the V1 and X-10 or even the Neco which drives them so easily. I imagine the MS2 may sound more lush than the sr80. The pads seem to have increased the scale of the presentation. (I always fancied an MS2!!)
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2011 21:58:06 GMT
Jumbos work Mike!! BTW - All working again so I'm back on line without the poxy Kindle so I can cause a bit more havoc .....
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