I recently bought a pair of RS2e headphones, stepping up in price from the SR325e model with its lower spec and heavier aluminium casing. My reference point for comparison of the sound quality is against Sennheiser's HD650, which are a foundation of my headphone stable. The comparisons were done in short order, although there was a bit delay as I had to switch the gain settings up for the Sennheisers given that they have much higher impedance than the Grados, which ran fine on low gain settings.
Unboxing and handling
The visual presentation, once you get past the pizza box packaging (which I don't really mind at all - it just gets discarded anyway), is immediately impactful. These are well-made headphones, which feel great in the hand (if not on the ear, but more of that later), with the organic materials - wood, leather - carrying all the earthy textures and scent that you'd wish for. The stitching, bonding, joins and hinged parts all feel solid. This being my first pair of Grado Labs headphones, I was slightly concerned from pictures that the clamped pins for adjusting the earpieces would be flimsy but these fears proved unfounded and the joints feel grippy and solid. The cable is thick and heavy, with very little kink - giving the impression of inherent insulation and protection.
Plugging in
The headphones come with a short cable, which wasn't a problem for me as I was plugging into a Marantz DAC/Amplifier unit only a foot away, but if you are planning on sitting more than a couple of metres away from the headphone jack then an extension would make sense. The tip is a 3.5mm plug, with a removable gold 6.5mm adapter attached. Both plugs are high quality and snapped snuggly into the jack without any wobble or movement.
The sound
As this is my first pair of Grado Labs headphones, I am describing the experience of hearing music through it for the first time and then subsequent changes through the period of burn-in.
I started with acoustic music, and was immediately astonished by the clarity and the breadth of the sound. Guitars rang with precision, and the resonance was spot-on for my taste - you can feel the pull of the thumb on string, and even bass notes were true without being overpowering. Grados are not known for bass, with middle and uppers being key to the sound signature, and this was true of the tracks I listened to - the bass was there to give voice to the drum and lower notes, but it didn't boom. Some acoustic songs that really drew my breath through the Grados:
"Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky" - Manic Street Preachers
"Shine" - Benjamin Francis Leftwich
"Pitseleh" - Elliott Smith
"Over and Out" - Foo Fighters
As compared to the Sennheiser HD650, the sound feels closer and more immediate - I noticed that even the clarity of the 650 felt remote after listening with the Grado headphones.
I switched to vocals - notably operatic recordings.
A high-precision operatic number such as the "Sull'Aria" duet from Le Nozze di Figaro really accentuated the shrill, soaring complementary voices, capturing the accuracy and technicality of the voices. This was the same with Marietta's Lied from Die Tote Stadt, and "I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls" studio recording by Joan Sutherland. When fuller orchestral music accompanied the vocals, and was less stripped down, the performance was perhaps not as clear - the sheer volume of concurrent voices and notes seemed to overwhelm, and whilst not unpleasant the sound fell short of the 650s, which excel when reproducing the vastness of the orchestra. This was evident when listening to the Pearl Fishers duet, which had an intensity that was almost too harsh when played through the Grados, but felt more rounded and warm with the 650s.
I tried a bit of jazz - one of my favourites genres for extended listening. "St Vincent" by Sonny Rollins was delivered superbly - the opening drums immediately enticing the ears, and then that wonderful Grado clarity allowing the saxophone riffs to punch through. The closeness of the sound really works with music that makes you want to be present - you feel involved, the music can be pulled into your body rather than being held at a distance. The listening experience with the 650s is different - it's smooth, beautifully precise and deep. But arguably it's less involving.
Finally, I went to something with a more modern production sound - I say modern, but I mean 90s onwards! I went back to one of my favourite musical memories - "Missing" (Todd Terry Remix) by Everything But The Girl. This is a track that I have played on the 650s as a way of showing friends / visitors what the difference is between reference quality audio and what you get without having the equipment - and I love how it sounds through the 650s, so my expectations with the Grados were mixed (could they really be as good?). This is where the Grados probably let themselves down - the lack of balance at the lower end means that the clarity of the vocals and synthesisers aren't balanced by the drive of the bassline. To be clear, this doesn't mean that the sound was poor but it certainly didn't blow me away versus the first time I played the same song over the Sennheisers.
All in all, I loved the sound - it doesn't work for all music types and I can't see myself abandoning the 650s for certain type of (most grand orchestral and more modern beats-oriented) music - but for acoustic and stripped-back vocal music it was excellent. I keep using the word "closeness" but that's the only way I can describe it - you feel like the sound is present and near your soul.
Comfort
The reputation Grado headphones have for being uncomfortable was certainly backed up by my usage of the RS2e. It took about 40mins before I really felt the soreness in the ears, but it was undeniably a failing of the design. The earpieces are surrounded by a narrow foam cup - and hard, rough foam at that. As much as I love the sound, you have to suffer a bit for it. This is in comparison to the Sennheisers, which have a very different design, one that allows for literally hours of continuous listening without any discomfort. After doing a bit of research, I've ordered a pair of replacement pads (Zonk G cushions) which may help - I'll add an update once i've tried them.
Overall
I really like the Grado RS2e headphones for the intimacy and bright, clear sound signature. I can imagine listening to classic acoustic stuff with them and enjoying them immensely. But the comfort issue means it's not a model I'd recommend as a primary listening pair for long sessions. If the new earpads make a difference, I may change that view...
UPDATE** 06/02/2016
I've changed the earpads to the Zonk G Cushions and it has made the world of positive difference. The new earpads are soft, and much larger in surface so they sit nicely on the ears. An hour of listening and no pain. The impact on the sound is negligible - the cans still sound fantastic. Highly recommend trying changing the pads.
Unboxing and handling
The visual presentation, once you get past the pizza box packaging (which I don't really mind at all - it just gets discarded anyway), is immediately impactful. These are well-made headphones, which feel great in the hand (if not on the ear, but more of that later), with the organic materials - wood, leather - carrying all the earthy textures and scent that you'd wish for. The stitching, bonding, joins and hinged parts all feel solid. This being my first pair of Grado Labs headphones, I was slightly concerned from pictures that the clamped pins for adjusting the earpieces would be flimsy but these fears proved unfounded and the joints feel grippy and solid. The cable is thick and heavy, with very little kink - giving the impression of inherent insulation and protection.
Plugging in
The headphones come with a short cable, which wasn't a problem for me as I was plugging into a Marantz DAC/Amplifier unit only a foot away, but if you are planning on sitting more than a couple of metres away from the headphone jack then an extension would make sense. The tip is a 3.5mm plug, with a removable gold 6.5mm adapter attached. Both plugs are high quality and snapped snuggly into the jack without any wobble or movement.
The sound
As this is my first pair of Grado Labs headphones, I am describing the experience of hearing music through it for the first time and then subsequent changes through the period of burn-in.
I started with acoustic music, and was immediately astonished by the clarity and the breadth of the sound. Guitars rang with precision, and the resonance was spot-on for my taste - you can feel the pull of the thumb on string, and even bass notes were true without being overpowering. Grados are not known for bass, with middle and uppers being key to the sound signature, and this was true of the tracks I listened to - the bass was there to give voice to the drum and lower notes, but it didn't boom. Some acoustic songs that really drew my breath through the Grados:
"Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky" - Manic Street Preachers
"Shine" - Benjamin Francis Leftwich
"Pitseleh" - Elliott Smith
"Over and Out" - Foo Fighters
As compared to the Sennheiser HD650, the sound feels closer and more immediate - I noticed that even the clarity of the 650 felt remote after listening with the Grado headphones.
I switched to vocals - notably operatic recordings.
A high-precision operatic number such as the "Sull'Aria" duet from Le Nozze di Figaro really accentuated the shrill, soaring complementary voices, capturing the accuracy and technicality of the voices. This was the same with Marietta's Lied from Die Tote Stadt, and "I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls" studio recording by Joan Sutherland. When fuller orchestral music accompanied the vocals, and was less stripped down, the performance was perhaps not as clear - the sheer volume of concurrent voices and notes seemed to overwhelm, and whilst not unpleasant the sound fell short of the 650s, which excel when reproducing the vastness of the orchestra. This was evident when listening to the Pearl Fishers duet, which had an intensity that was almost too harsh when played through the Grados, but felt more rounded and warm with the 650s.
I tried a bit of jazz - one of my favourites genres for extended listening. "St Vincent" by Sonny Rollins was delivered superbly - the opening drums immediately enticing the ears, and then that wonderful Grado clarity allowing the saxophone riffs to punch through. The closeness of the sound really works with music that makes you want to be present - you feel involved, the music can be pulled into your body rather than being held at a distance. The listening experience with the 650s is different - it's smooth, beautifully precise and deep. But arguably it's less involving.
Finally, I went to something with a more modern production sound - I say modern, but I mean 90s onwards! I went back to one of my favourite musical memories - "Missing" (Todd Terry Remix) by Everything But The Girl. This is a track that I have played on the 650s as a way of showing friends / visitors what the difference is between reference quality audio and what you get without having the equipment - and I love how it sounds through the 650s, so my expectations with the Grados were mixed (could they really be as good?). This is where the Grados probably let themselves down - the lack of balance at the lower end means that the clarity of the vocals and synthesisers aren't balanced by the drive of the bassline. To be clear, this doesn't mean that the sound was poor but it certainly didn't blow me away versus the first time I played the same song over the Sennheisers.
All in all, I loved the sound - it doesn't work for all music types and I can't see myself abandoning the 650s for certain type of (most grand orchestral and more modern beats-oriented) music - but for acoustic and stripped-back vocal music it was excellent. I keep using the word "closeness" but that's the only way I can describe it - you feel like the sound is present and near your soul.
Comfort
The reputation Grado headphones have for being uncomfortable was certainly backed up by my usage of the RS2e. It took about 40mins before I really felt the soreness in the ears, but it was undeniably a failing of the design. The earpieces are surrounded by a narrow foam cup - and hard, rough foam at that. As much as I love the sound, you have to suffer a bit for it. This is in comparison to the Sennheisers, which have a very different design, one that allows for literally hours of continuous listening without any discomfort. After doing a bit of research, I've ordered a pair of replacement pads (Zonk G cushions) which may help - I'll add an update once i've tried them.
Overall
I really like the Grado RS2e headphones for the intimacy and bright, clear sound signature. I can imagine listening to classic acoustic stuff with them and enjoying them immensely. But the comfort issue means it's not a model I'd recommend as a primary listening pair for long sessions. If the new earpads make a difference, I may change that view...
UPDATE** 06/02/2016
I've changed the earpads to the Zonk G Cushions and it has made the world of positive difference. The new earpads are soft, and much larger in surface so they sit nicely on the ears. An hour of listening and no pain. The impact on the sound is negligible - the cans still sound fantastic. Highly recommend trying changing the pads.
