Customer Reviews

Grado RS1i Reference Series Headphones

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am extremely happy that Amazon.com started stocking Grado products.

To audiophiles, Grado is a very big name. Grado makes some of the world's best consumer turntable catridges, and makes some of the most notoriously fun, musical headphones out there.

The Grado RS-1 headphones are the second-most expensive Grado headphones on the market now. The PS-1 is a limited-edition headphone that is very seldom-made (but it is in production currently) that contains some of the best detail, fluidity, warmth, and excitement than any other headphone. However, the RS-1s are very close to the specifications of this headphone.

The Grado Reference Series 1 is, in my opinion, the true audiophile way to ENJOY your music. Others may say that they do not like the musicality, because it has a very colored sound. Audiophiles normally know that this is not good because it doesn't "faithfully" reproduce the information on your record/CD properly. However, I don't always want to sit there and listen to the minor details of my music. Sometimes I just want to rock out and enjoy myself as much as possible, which is where the Grado RS1 headphones take the responsibility of fulfilling this for me.

The RS1 headphones at first are going to look very cheap to those who are not familiar with them. The headband is leather, but it is thin. The earcups do not surround the ear at all, they just touch them. This is a very open headphone, so outside noise will come in, and your sound will leak.

But these are all very obvious and welcome shortcomings. This leads to a very good performing headphone. While they may not be as comfortable as the Senns, they are definitely faster, more enjoyable, and contain a much more fluid sound than the Sennheiser HD650s. If you want to listen to Rock on these headphones, particularly bands from the seventies and eighties, these are the best option you will have.

Another great thing about the headphones is that they are really easy to drive without the presence of a headphone amplifier. I have experienced, however, that with my Perreaux SXH-1 amp, it really improves the sound quality. Things that the Grado sound lacks are dynamic range and midrange neutrality, but the amp was able to tone down the midrange and bass was much more dynamic than before.

If you wanna have some of the best sound quality on the planet from a name you can trust, then you will want to go with a Grado headphone. Everything from Classical to Metal sounds amazing on these headphones. They are extremely versatile, are durable even though they look like they were from WW2, and, best of all, they are some of the best sounding headophones you can buy. Male vocals, drums, wailing guitars, you name it - Grado will reproduce it faithfully.

Some albums I recommend on the Grado RS1:
Pink Floyd - The Wall
The Doors - Morison Hotel
Todd Rundgren - Something Anything
Neil Young - After the Goldrush
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick

Happy listening!

Like other Grado's the RS-1's look like a throughback to the headphones I used on my crystal radio set of the late 50s. Unlike my Grado 125's, however, the materials used in the RS-1 are far superior and such be considering the price.

Having said that, these headphones produce, without a doubt, the best electronically-produced sound quality that I have ever experienced. I have written reviews for the 125's, Senn's and the Koss Pro 4a's as well as cheaper sets I use on an MP3 player. While many of these models give you great bang for the buck, they fall far short of the RS-1, the sound from which reveals even the most minute detail with the vibrancy of a live performance.

These puppies are fair trade items, so you'll be forking out $695 unless you find an unscrupulous dealer or buy a used set on eBay. I was able to get free 2nd day shipping and no sales tax, and that helped a bit. If you can afford them, they are worth ever penny.

All I can say is WOW! The changes in the drivers, cables and wood (there might be other physical changes that I am not aware of) result in the range being extended from lows to highs quite noticeably, and they are stunners.

As I told my daughter (a happy Grado SR60 owner and sharer of my RS1's since the age of 10 - she's 23 tomorrow -and currently enjoying HF1's) "These are NOT your fathers RS1's"!

Sort of... I'm still her Dad but the RS1i's themselves are not exactly what she grew up listening to. They are faster (resolving notes more quickly with zero smudging of sounds/tones together), with 'more bettter' bass (tighter, sweeter, more controlled and deeper), highs that are more transparent and do go on and on, the famous Grado midrange beautifully apparent (although perhaps a tiny TAD less coloured - though that may be simply be a function of their being heard in the context of the extended highs). And I guess it's a result of all that there is even more detail now to boot. Despite these changes there is no mistaking these for some other headphone, they are RS1(i)'s through and through. And all these delicious sounds are presented in a beautiful (to me perfect) balance.

These are amazing headphones, as were the originals. Noone who loves the traditional Grado "house sound" need shell out to those charging crasy high prices for the "vintage" Rs1's to get in on the mojo. THESE are the real deal(in fact even better than) and they sell for suggested retail (and a bit less used of course if you can find someone willing to let them go. hey, don't look at ME!).

I gave up a pair of Grado PS1's which I thought were the ultimate embodiment of the RS1 style Grado house sound. They were a bit too heavy for me to listen to for really extended periods or I'd have never sold them. I had thought I'd still be pining for them but would "get by" with a new pair of RS1's. RS1i's to the rescue!! The Rs1i is
SO great a pair of cans that I am not looking back to the PS1's at all - only closing my eyes and listening to the music.

I bought these to see how they compared to my Sennheiser HD-650's. The difference is remarkable.I do all my listening with headphones so I have gone thru about 5 difference kinds. These are amazing. Heavy choral parts(ie Bach B Minor Mass) are "sweet" not "edgy".

If you love music you need these!.

I own a SR125 and these blow those way out of the water. The sound is fuller and richer. The 125 sounds flat in comparison. The difference is huge. Definately worth buying if you have the cash.

This pair of cans sounded great out of the box. It'll sound even better after a couple hundred hours. Bass seems better than earlier RS1 versions. I bought this can because it can play rock and roll convincingly. What I did not bargain for was the mid-range, which is fantastic. Because of its speed and immediacy, it's very good on rock and pop material but it's even better for audiophile vocal recordings where midrange is king. Another strength is detail retrieval. You will surely hear a few things on familiar songs that you never thought were there.

I rate the Sennheiser HD650, which I also own, over the RS1i when playing classical and orchestral music, where soundstage is important. But in virtually all other music genres, the RS1i gives the superior listening experience. Comfort-wise though, the ultra-snug HD650 is 10 times better. The foam on the RS1i feels abrasive to my earlobes after a few hours on.

The Grado RS1 is a reference for listening to classic music. In comparison to the AKG K701 (which is another reference headphone) the Grado sounds with more precise and intense sound (nearly brutally natural). The Akg K701 in comparison with the Grado sounds more soft and less stunning.

I was curious about the sound of these and decided to give them a try. I have no comment about the way they look. IF you are going to pull the trigger on these and still care about aesthetics, then you should simply pick the ones that look the best.

They feel light on my head and ears and adjust perfectly, There is hardly any physical fatigue over extended listening periods.

DO NOT run these on an Ipod. They sound hideous and drain the battery in a matter of 30 minutes.

On my headphone output (Parasound preamp) they completely came alive. Audiophile sound. Wide spectrum and very detailed at low listening volume. Hours of fatigue free listening per sitting.

The bass is amazing. These are rated at 12hz and I believe it. Standouts to me are the impressive soundstage and the depth of the music. I want to say these do for music what 3-D does for movies...but you need the right recordings...These cans are accurate!! What I said about the unit you plug these into goes double for the recording medium...They will illuminate an excellent recording but shred a bad one.

IF you are serious about music, and can afford the price, you will be very satisfied with these.

Yes, these are on the expensive end, but if you are looking at them seriously you are ok with that. I don't like the vacuum feeling of high-end closed headphones so I decided to take the plunge on these open-backed headphones. With these phones, you will hear all the intricacies of the music without being too over-bearing. If you have the funds, these are second to none.

I have a number of Grado headphones. I think that these are the best available despite the fact that Grado makes more expensive models. I also have the Grado GS1000. I really wanted to buy the PS1000, but the price is just too high and I don't really like the sound that much. I have tried to get to like the PS1000 as John Grado once indicated to me that the PS1000 is his best creation to date. I really like the Grado "house sound". It is a really fun sounding headphone. I think that John Grado does not worry if his headphones are the most "accurate" which is a subjective judgment, he seems to focus on what he likes in a headphone. We are fortunate that he has such good taste.

I think that headphones sound better with a dedicated headphone amp (even if the headphone amp is a portable--like Ray Samuels Audio amps, HeadAmp Pico, TTVJ Hybrid-Tube, Leckerton, Quable I-Cube, Meier 3 Move, etc. It is not just about volume, it is more about the sound being full and rich during really dramatic moments in the music. I know that Grado headphones are not hard to drive compared with the Sennheiser 650, 800 etc or AKG 701/702, Beyerdynamic 600 ohm models, but they still sound better if they are powered properly. That lesson was really driven home to me at a high fi audio store where speakers that were rated for 100 watts were driven by 250 watts. It is not about volume, it is about the speaker never straining to reach difficult sounds to reproduce.

The RS-1 is one of the most rewarding headphones that I own. I have many of the best headphones available. The RS-1 are very lively. They have a good bass response. They sound warm. These phones sound great for jazz, classical music, and rock. There are a number of alternate earpads that can be used for Grado headphones. Some of them are after market ear pads. By giving you more space between the transducer (speaker) and your ear, you can alter the sound placement of the instruments. It can give you a greater sense of being in a concert hall.

I think that the headphones are actually pretty comfortable to wear. they are actually very light weight. I know that some people do not like the way Grado headphones feel, but I like them fine. The cord and 1/4 inch adapters are well made. If you intend to use the RS-1 with a portable amp or directly from an IPod headphone jack, purchase the Grado 1/4 to 1/8 inch adapter. If you use one of the straight line adapters that routinely come with headphones, it puts a lot of pressure on the I-Pod headphone jack. It creates too much leverage. It can cause the 1/4 headphone jack to become loose inside an Ipod which can require repair. The Grado "rat-tail" adapter takes any unnecessary leverage pressure off the IPod headphone jack. The headphones will also sound better if you use a 30 pin adapter (like the adapter that connects to the Ipod to charge of synch the IPod. Nowadays, there are lots of 30 pin adapters that end in a 1/8 jack to fit into most portables.

These headphones need to be taken care of. I have not ever had one break to date, but they really need to be properly put away to ensure that they do not break. They are high quality, but I am concerned that they are not as hardy as the Sennheiser 600 or 650. A person should not toss them around.