[joseph69]

  Maltronics,
 
Have you compared it to the others mentioned, ps500/rs2?
I heard the 325 was very hard on the highs.

Thats not the consensus on the 325e here on H-F at all.
Some opinions are that the 325/i/is have pronounced high frequencies…(but I don't). 

 

[maltronics]

All the "e" series Grado's have been designed to be less harsh in the highs than the "i" models. 
I have not spent much time with either the PS500 or the RS2/i/e/ but as I mentioned earlier I do not find the 325e to be shrill.
It is less bright than the 325i(s) but as Joseph mentioned, he isn't at all bothered by the brightness of his 325. Maybe as some have mentioned that this can vary between different samples of the same model, but again you would have to try your particular headphone and make sure that the store/website has a decent return policy. But also keep in mind that the sound will change between out-of-the-box and roughly 50 hours of usage.
Sometimes they start out bright and then mellow out after burn-in. I know this was somewhat the case with my RS1i.
 
Now I have read much about the PS500's being bassier than other models and some just find it too much. Again an audition of a burned-in sample would be best for only your ears can decide. 
The RS2e is supposedly not as dark sounding as the PS500.
 
Good luck!
Mal.

 

[rovopio]

  Maltronics,
 
Have you compared it to the others mentioned, ps500/rs2?
I heard the 325 was very hard on the highs.

 
i've heard 325e and ps500e. 325e is brighter in the midrange and trebles. ps500e is warmer, more bass, but a bit recessed in the midrange (only in comparison and only by a bit). My current conclusion of reading about rs2e is that it's a more refined version of sr325e with smoother trebles.
 
sr325e is not as bright as you imagine but it's still bright. I guess you have better bet with rs2e if you're a little wary about sr325e treble peaks.
ps500e is not dark either.
 
i can actually imagine some people owns both rs2e and ps500e as a "complimentary headphone" other than the usual rs2e / sr325e + hd650...

 

[sling5s]

There seems to be so many torn between the PS500e, SR325e and recently the RS2e.  So I decided to post some impressions and help those avoid the trouble of trying all three. 
 
Grado RS1e, RS2e, PS500e, & 325e Impressions 
 
First of all, I believe Grado Lab heard the public’s desire for more bass and less treble.
At the same time, the “e” series, I believe, have been tuned to iDevices rather than vinyl and tube amp as they were originally.  But this is my speculation. 
 
Therefore, the “e” series in general have added more bass making the mids fuller and at the same time tamed the upper mids and treble. 
 
As for background, I have owned all Grado RS1 models and all it’s various versions at one point or another (Vintage, Classic and “i”) and have owned all “i” models from SR, RS,GS and PS (except the 80i, 125i and RS2i).  It’s been a love and hate thing with Grados. I fell in love with the first Vintage Grado RS1 model and stupidly sold it to purchase the HD800 and have been in an unsuccessful pursuit to find that Vintage Grado RS1 sound again.  I even tried Grado Full Magnums and Woodied Grados with Turbulent X-drivers. But that too was chasing after the wind. 
 
Finally I heard that Grado had come out wit the “e” series.  So with some hope I started trying some out. Here are my impressions of the four (RS1e, RS2e, PS500e, & 325e) I tried: 
 
RS1e: 
I’ll begin with the RS1e since that was my first purchase. 
Right off the bat, the sound was off to say the least. 
The treble was too recessed while the upper mids was too spiked. Its as if they compensated for the recessed treble by increasing the upper mids.  Out of the four, I would say it has the most upper mid emphasis. As for the bass, it seemed to over power the mid and treble. The bass made the mids full but too thick and dull at times. I believe this was because of the lack of treble. There was no treble to give the voice and instruments the air it needed.  
Overall it’s the worst of the bunch. 
 
PS500e:
PS500 was my second purchase. I was initially pleasantly surprised. I had the bass(!) and the tamed upper mids and treble. It was very smooth sounding. The adjectives that I think of when thinking of the PS500e are clean and transparent (as Grado can be). The instrument separation and detail the best out of the four. Thus it has a very transparent and revealing sound. What people may call hi-end. Unfortunately, good as PS500e were, it just had too much bass to my ears. So much so that like the RS1e, it made the mids too full and thick at times. When singers get to lower notes, it made the voice unnaturally thick. But that’s only if you’re listening critically.
I think few have said the 500e has recessed mids, but I believe it’s only because the bass tends to overpower the mids and treble. Overall, it’s the most versatile of the bunch.  For those bass head Grado lovers. 
 
SR325e:
My third purchase and overall the most balanced. The bass, mids and treble are well balanced.
There’s definitely less bass than the 500e but not lacking at all. The mids I would say is full without being thick. Again the “e” series have more bass and therefore more fuller mids. So this is true for the SR325e as well. When comparing the mids and treble of the 325e to the 500e, I would have to say that the mids are not as full as the 500e but at the same time there’s slightly less upper mids than the 500e. I believe again, Grado Labs may have slightly increased the upper mids to compensate for the amount of bass in the 500e. I believe this why few have said that while the 325e is brighter than the 500e, the 500e nevertheless is more shouty. So are there any negatives to the 325e.  Unfortunately yes. There are two negatives. The first is that the 325e’s lacks the depth (cup depth) and therefore room to give the music the space it needs. So unlike the 500e and RS2e, it sounds a bit 2D or more flat than the 500e and RS2e. The second is that because of the aluminum cup, the treble while being smoother than the RS2e, has a metalic tone.  It’s not bad or even noticeable until you compare to Grado’s with wooden cups. But overall, I would say it’s the best Grado for the price and the most balanced.
 
RS2e:
Finally to the RS2e, my last purchase. Having never heard the RS2i, I can’t compare but like all the “e” series, I believe they have increased the bass and tamed the upper mids and treble of their RS2i model. So what do you get? Well I believe what you get is something very close to the RS1i. But than again, I no longer have the RS1i to compare so I’m just guessing from memory. Nevertheless, my impressions of the RS2e is that it definitely the most “grado like”.
There’s slightly less bass than the 325e (therefore all the rest of the four) and slightly more  upper mid and treble than the 325e (therefore all the rest of the four). What this also means is that the mids of the RS2e less full or thick than the 325e and 500e. But even than, it’s still an “e” series so it’s still follows the “e” series sound signature. Meaning, I believe it’s still has a little more bass and less upper mids and treble than even the RS1i. But I’m still operating out of memory so I could be wrong here. Finally, the verdict on the RS2e is that as I said, it’s the most grado like.  For some that may be good news and for others bad news. 
 
Bass: 500e>RS1e>325e>RS2e
And yet the RS2e is the punchiest of them all.  Why? The RS2e has more mid bass and treble.
The other three has more lower bass that tends the cloud the mids.
 
Treble: RS2e>325e>500e>RS1e
And yet the RS2e wooden tone makes the treble tone better than the 325e.
 
Mids: RS2e>500e>325e>RS1e
Why the RS2e again. The lower bass bleeds into the 500e and 325e. The RS2e is slightly thinner than the others but it has an airer and cleaner mids. 
 
Upper Mids: RS1e>500e>325e>RS2e
This one is the most tricky.  While the RS2e is the brightest treble of the bunch, it is the least shouty to my ears. My conclusion is that it has less upper mid spike.
 
Detail: 500e>RS1e>RS2e>325e.
The 500e is very clean and detailed. The RS1e detail is hard to make out because of the lack of treble but its there, be it hidden. 
 
Soundstage (width and depth): 500e>RS2e>325e (left out RS1e because it’s so hard to tell from memory). Without the treble the RS1e sounds like it has very little soundstage but in reality it’s pretty wide.
 
Musicality (fun factor): RS2e>500e>325e>RS1e
As I said, the 325e is most balanced, but it just lacks that fun factor. It has all the Gradoness but yet the magic is not there like the RS2e. The RS2e has the most classic mid bass and treble Grado sound. 
 
My Pick 
If it’s not already obvious, it’s the RS2e.  Why?  Couple reasons.
The bass retains the Grado punchiness and snap.  With the other three, the bass sounds too thick and slow. 
The treble while being the brightest is not an issue because I can always tame it with Tape Mod or with Flats.  Plus it gives it the airiness that the other three lacks. 
The mids is here the reason why it’s my favorite.  Grado Labs has dialed down the upper mids in the RS2e perfectly.  Meaning out of the four, it has the least shoutiness.  This has always been my problem with Grados.  Bass you can enhance with Pape mod or Flats which at the same time tames the treble, but you can’t really do anything with the upper mids spike but bare it when it happens. But here, they have finally tamed it down to perfectly. 
So what you get is the punchy and snappy mid groovy bass with a treble that gives you the airiness and guitar crunch with mids that are not compromised by shoutiness. 
Lastly, I love Flats and the sound signature it gives Grados, and the RS2e is the only one that can still utilize the Flats and sound great ( because out of all three it has the least amount of bass and the most amount of treble).  It gives me the option to use Bowls with Tape Mod with Tubes Amp (Lyr 2) and Flats with iPhone and portable dac/amp.
The Flats just don’t work with the other three.  The bass and mids become too thick and warm in a bad way. Therefore, the RS2e is my second favorite Grado, next to the Vintage Grado RS1.
 
Also posted in Grado Fan Club. 

 

[EkehMayu]

You guys are giving me a hard decision. Other than the treble being tamed on the e series, does anyone that have heard both the rs2e and the 325e have a couple of differences. Like I said, I love my 600s for their versatility and spectrum. I listen to too many genres to have a headphone with a speciality than balanced.

Once again, I really appreciate the opinion. I would have skipped the 325 if not for its assessment in the i series. It's hard to find comparisons for the e version, so again, any references (and article or post I missed onthe two) are a big hand as well.

 

[adtrance]

  There seems to be so many torn between the PS500e, SR325e and recently the RS2e.  So I decided to post some impressions and help those avoid the trouble of trying all three. 
 
Grado RS1e, RS2e, PS500e, & 325e Impressions 
 
 

 
Sweet comparison!  Love hearing headphones impressions with context.  Thanks for sharing.

 

[Zuqi]

  There seems to be so many torn between the PS500e, SR325e and recently the RS2e.  So I decided to post some impressions and help those avoid the trouble of trying all three. 
 
Grado RS1e, RS2e, PS500e, & 325e Impressions 
 
First of all, I believe Grado Lab heard the public’s desire for more bass and less treble.
At the same time, the “e” series, I believe, have been tuned to iDevices rather than vinyl and tube amp as they were originally.  But this is my speculation. 
 
Therefore, the “e” series in general have added more bass making the mids fuller and at the same time tamed the upper mids and treble. 
 
As for background, I have owned all Grado RS1 models and all it’s various versions at one point or another (Vintage, Classic and “i”) and have owned all “i” models from SR, RS,GS and PS (except the 80i, 125i and RS2i).  It’s been a love and hate thing with Grados. I fell in love with the first Vintage Grado RS1 model and stupidly sold it to purchase the HD800 and have been in an unsuccessful pursuit to find that Vintage Grado RS1 sound again.  I even tried Grado Full Magnums and Woodied Grados with Turbulent X-drivers. But that too was chasing after the wind. 
 
Finally I heard that Grado had come out wit the “e” series.  So with some hope I started trying some out. Here are my impressions of the four (RS1e, RS2e, PS500e, & 325e) I tried: 
 
RS1e: 
I’ll begin with the RS1e since that was my first purchase. 
Right off the bat, the sound was off to say the least. 
The treble was too recessed while the upper mids was too spiked. Its as if they compensated for the recessed treble by increasing the upper mids.  Out of the four, I would say it has the most upper mid emphasis. As for the bass, it seemed to over power the mid and treble. The bass made the mids full but too thick and dull at times. I believe this was because of the lack of treble. There was no treble to give the voice and instruments the air it needed.  
Overall it’s the worst of the bunch. 
 
PS500e:
PS500 was my second purchase. I was initially pleasantly surprised. I had the bass(!) and the tamed upper mids and treble. It was very smooth sounding. The adjectives that I think of when thinking of the PS500e are clean and transparent (as Grado can be). The instrument separation and detail the best out of the four. Thus it has a very transparent and revealing sound. What people may call hi-end. Unfortunately, good as PS500e were, it just had too much bass to my ears. So much so that like the RS1e, it made the mids too full and thick at times. When singers get to lower notes, it made the voice unnaturally thick. But that’s only if you’re listening critically.
I think few have said the 500e has recessed mids, but I believe it’s only because the bass tends to overpower the mids and treble. Overall, it’s the most versatile of the bunch.  For those bass head Grado lovers. 
 
SR325e:
My third purchase and overall the most balanced. The bass, mids and treble are well balanced.
There’s definitely less bass than the 500e but not lacking at all. The mids I would say is full without being thick. Again the “e” series have more bass and therefore more fuller mids. So this is true for the SR325e as well. When comparing the mids and treble of the 325e to the 500e, I would have to say that the mids are not as full as the 500e but at the same time there’s slightly less upper mids than the 500e. I believe again, Grado Labs may have slightly increased the upper mids to compensate for the amount of bass in the 500e. I believe this why few have said that while the 325e is brighter than the 500e, the 500e nevertheless is more shouty. So are there any negatives to the 325e.  Unfortunately yes. There are two negatives. The first is that the 325e’s lacks the depth (cup depth) and therefore room to give the music the space it needs. So unlike the 500e and RS2e, it sounds a bit 2D or more flat than the 500e and RS2e. The second is that because of the aluminum cup, the treble while being smoother than the RS2e, has a metalic tone.  It’s not bad or even noticeable until you compare to Grado’s with wooden cups. But overall, I would say it’s the best Grado for the price and the most balanced.
 
RS2e:
Finally to the RS2e, my last purchase. Having never heard the RS2i, I can’t compare but like all the “e” series, I believe they have increased the bass and tamed the upper mids and treble of their RS2i model. So what do you get? Well I believe what you get is something very close to the RS1i. But than again, I no longer have the RS1i to compare so I’m just guessing from memory. Nevertheless, my impressions of the RS2e is that it definitely the most “grado like”.
There’s slightly less bass than the 325e (therefore all the rest of the four) and slightly more  upper mid and treble than the 325e (therefore all the rest of the four). What this also means is that the mids of the RS2e less full or thick than the 325e and 500e. But even than, it’s still an “e” series so it’s still follows the “e” series sound signature. Meaning, I believe it’s still has a little more bass and less upper mids and treble than even the RS1i. But I’m still operating out of memory so I could be wrong here. Finally, the verdict on the RS2e is that as I said, it’s the most grado like.  For some that may be good news and for others bad news. 
 
Bass: 500e>RS1e>325e>RS2e
And yet the RS2e is the punchiest of them all.  Why? The RS2e has more mid bass and treble.
The other three has more lower bass that tends the cloud the mids.
 
Treble: RS2e>325e>500e>RS1e
And yet the RS2e wooden tone makes the treble tone better than the 325e.
 
Mids: RS2e>500e>325e>RS1e
Why the RS2e again. The lower bass bleeds into the 500e and 325e. The RS2e is slightly thinner than the others but it has an airer and cleaner mids. 
 
Upper Mids: RS1e>500e>325e>RS2e
This one is the most tricky.  While the RS2e is the brightest treble of the bunch, it is the least shouty to my ears. My conclusion is that it has less upper mid spike.
 
Detail: 500e>RS1e>RS2e>325e.
The 500e is very clean and detailed. The RS1e detail is hard to make out because of the lack of treble but its there, be it hidden. 
 
Soundstage (width and depth): 500e>RS2e>325e (left out RS1e because it’s so hard to tell from memory). Without the treble the RS1e sounds like it has very little soundstage but in reality it’s pretty wide.
 
Musicality (fun factor): RS2e>500e>325e>RS1e
As I said, the 325e is most balanced, but it just lacks that fun factor. It has all the Gradoness but yet the magic is not there like the RS2e. The RS2e has the most classic mid bass and treble Grado sound. 
 
 
Final notes for those who love TTVJ Flats.  
The Flats do not work well on the “e” series in general.  It sounds bassy and somewhat dull. The bass and mids of the “e” series are already too full for the Flats. There’s just not enough treble for the Flats.  Having said that, I said in general because the RS2e is I believe bright enough to work.  Not as well as the “i” series but it the only one out of the four that can pull if off without sounding dull and flat (forgive the pun).
 
Also posted in Grado Fan Club. 

Nice write up, very helpful.
One thing that I found interesting when I compare the mids of the RSe2 with the GR10, is that the guitar of the RS2e is quite forward, yet the vocal is recessed. Althoght I would say the vocal is still in the right position, but in some poor recording the guitar almost overwhelmed (yes, the vocal almost “submerged” in the guitar line) the vocal, that's the only part I'm not quite like the RS2e, other than that, it's almost perfect for my taste. The GR10, in contrast, it's vocal is quite forward, whereas the guitar and other instruments are in further position. So my verdict is, the RS2e is the guitar master and the GR10 is the vocal master. 
From memory, the RS1i is more 'V' shape sounding than the 2e. Which means the 1i has a bit more treble/upper mids and bass. Much as I loved the RS1i, it's still a bit fatiguing to me. Eventrually I decided not to keep it.
The PS500e, as you described, is the more 'hi-end' headphones of the group. I was impressed by the openess of its sound in the first place, but I was annoyed by the bass and a bit thin mids.

 

[winterandsummer]

great impression on those four, very helpful +1

 

[GreenBow]

 
RS2e:
Finally to the RS2e, my last purchase. Having never heard the RS2i, I can’t compare but like all the “e” series, I believe they have increased the bass and tamed the upper mids and treble of their RS2i model. So what do you get? Well I believe what you get is something very close to the RS1i. But than again, I no longer have the RS1i to compare so I’m just guessing from memory. Nevertheless, my impressions of the RS2e is that it definitely the most “grado like”.
There’s slightly less bass than the 325e (therefore all the rest of the four) and slightly more  upper mid and treble than the 325e (therefore all the rest of the four). What this also means is that the mids of the RS2e less full or thick than the 325e and 500e. But even than, it’s still an “e” series so it’s still follows the “e” series sound signature. Meaning, I believe it’s still has a little more bass and less upper mids and treble than even the RS1i. But I’m still operating out of memory so I could be wrong here. Finally, the verdict on the RS2e is that as I said, it’s the most grado like.  For some that may be good news and for others bad news. 
 
 

I am surprised to read that. I thought the 2e would have more bass than the 325e.
 
Do you have any views on the level of detail that the 2e has compared with the 325e please? How about it's timing and attack?
 
That was a cool effort to try help confused customers.
 
@ZuqiI read on an Amazon customer review that the best way to use the PS500/e is with the G-cush. Since then I read that the G-cush reduces bass and increases sound stage. As the PS500/e is based to the PS1000/e it's probably right. It's all confusing to me though, as why not sell them with G-cush and get rid of the question.

 

[zazex]

  I am surprised to read that. I thought the 2e would have more bass than the 325e.
 
Do you have any views on the level of detail that the 2e has compared with the 325e please? How about it's timing and attack?
 
That was a cool effort to try help confused customers.
 
@ZuqiI read on an Amazon customer review that the best way to use the PS500/e is with the G-cush. Since then I read that the G-cush reduces bass and increases sound stage. As the PS500/e is based to the PS1000/e it's probably right. It's all confusing to me though, as why not sell them with G-cush and get rid of the question.

FWW, the 325is had more bass than the RS2i.
 
(I have the RS1i, and I auditioned the RS1e which I returned.)

 

[GreenBow]

  FWW, the 325is had more bass than the RS2i.
 
(I have the RS1i, and I auditioned the RS1e which I returned.)

That's cool thanks.
 
I thought the RS2e was more bass than the 325e. Some say the 325e and 225e are similar, yet I think the 225e is little bass light. Some say the 325e has a bit more bass than the 225e but still a bit light. However everyone gushes about the 2e, which I wouldn't expect if it had a bass light signature.
 
(I don't know what FWW means.)

 

[sling5s]

I am surprised to read that. I thought the 2e would have more bass than the 325e.

Do you have any views on the level of detail that the 2e has compared with the 325e please? How about it's timing and attack?

That was a cool effort to try help confused customers.

@Zuqi
I read on an Amazon customer review that the best way to use the PS500/e is with the G-cush. Since then I read that the G-cush reduces bass and increases sound stage. As the PS500/e is based to the PS1000/e it's probably right. It's all confusing to me though, as why not sell them with G-cush and get rid of the question.

Yes. slightly less bass. But quality of the bass is better on the RS2e. And also details are better too on RS2e.

 

[zazex]

 
That's cool thanks.
 
I thought the RS2e was more bassy as some say the 325e and 225e are similar. Yet I think the 225e is little bass light. Some say the 325e has a bit more bass than the 225e but still a bit light. However everyone gushes about the 2e, which I wouldn't expect if it had a bass light signature.
 
(I don't know what FWW means.)

for what it's worth...

 

[rovopio]

Yes. slightly less bass. But quality of the bass is better on the RS2e. And also details are better too on RS2e.

 
hi Sling5s!
thank you for the comparison, and i saw your FS thread also, GLWTS. So... i'd like to ask... so from reading your (updated) comparison, do you mean sr325e has more sub-bass quantity but, the rs2e has more mid-bass quantity? (as in rs2e is more punchy but sr325e is more rumbly, hence rs2e is more musical....?)

 

[sling5s]

hi Sling5s!
thank you for the comparison, and i saw your FS thread also, GLWTS. So... i'd like to ask... so from reading your (updated) comparison, do you mean sr325e has more sub-bass quantity but, the rs2e has more mid-bass quantity? (as in rs2e is more punchy but sr325e is more rumbly, hence rs2e is more musical....?)

Yes. But I would not say 325e has rumbly bass but it's thicker because of the lower bass emphasis.