Harry Manback
500+ Head-Fier
I'm not aware of any dedicated threads to the newly released Grado GH-1. It would be great to get some feedback from owners as to how it sounds, and how it compares to other Grado headphones.
Grado GH-1 Discussion
- Thread starter Harry Manback
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Harry Manback
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To open or not to open? What would you do?
McPatD
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I would open them and have a listen. After 543 hours of burn in, of course 
Douger333
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I just heard a pair at Custom Electronics, my longstanding Grado dealer, and this being the 3rd day of running in, through a Parasound integrated amp, and they are truly rich and full. I was determined months ago to stop buying headphones, but these have me thinking...
Pics or it didn't happen, Douger.
stacker45
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Great idea Harry, I will post my impressions about my GH-1 tomorrow.
Harry Manback
500+ Head-Fier
Transferring my GH1 first impression post from the Grado Fan Club thread to this thread:
First impressions of GH1:
Very very similar to PS500e (A very good thing...). I would bet money that it uses the same driver. Very nice looking, and light weight. No obvious manufacturing flaws.
Tracks:
Queens of the Stone Age - Debut album (Queens of the Stone Age) - nice natural sound
Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R Deluxe Ed.:
The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret - maracas stand out more than I recall before, nice snap
In The Fade - bass seems a tad recessed, high hats are emphasized
Never Say Never - drums sound nice and sharp, lead guitar sounds pronounced and crisp
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream:
Mayonaise - Intro sounds tight, guitar is detailed, can hear picking noises from guitars that I don't think I've ever noticed before.
Today - song explodes from the simple guitar intro, excellent detail - starting to think the GH1 does have better treble extension than PS500e.
Cherub Rock - song is made for Grado headphones, GH1 doesn't disappoint
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network Soundtrack
On We March - wow.
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Bridge Burning - another song born for Grados. Guitar sounds crisp and snappy. Cymbals are fast and clear.
White Limo - I still can't tell what Dave is saying...I don't think he knows either.
A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms
Judith - bass light, may come with break-in.
Kyuss - Blues for the Red Sun
Writhe - lead guitar played on bass amp sounds nice, most clear I've heard the somewhat recessed vocals in this recording.
Allen's Wrench - let's hope break-in is real and that bass improves. Man, you better never...
The Eagles of Death Metal - Heart On
I'm Your Torpedo - drums sound spot on, nice balanced sound, again, let's hope for some bass improvement with time
Wannabe In LA - this diverse sounding song really shows off the GH1. I'm liking what I hear. The Grados seem quick.
Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
The Man Comes Around - the man likes the sound of this song on these phones. The acoustic sounds pretty nice here.
Sam Hall - more acoustic goodness. Sam Hall may hate you one and all, damn your eyes, but he'd like this sound.
Tame Impala - InnerSpeaker (CE)
It Is Not Meant to Be - kind of harsh sounding. Lots of highs sound a bit piercing.
Solitude Is Bliss - smoother than previous song, still requires less volume to enjoy than on PS500e.
Marilyn Manson - The Pale Emperor (DE)
The Devil Beneath My Feet - very nice, no harshness, bass sounds smooth
Deep Six - bass is MIA. I think I can hear where it is trying to assert its self but not quite succeeding.
The Police - Synchronicity
Syncronicity II - thin sounding. Nice detail in mid/highs, but bass is AWOL.
Wrapped Around Your Finger - I'm starting to consider some bass EQ. It's tantalizingly close, it just needs to step on out.
Miss Gradenko - don't tell the director I said so, but this sounds really good.
The Power Station - The Power Station
Get It On (Bang A Gong) - the bass is peeking around the corner, come on out big guy, drum work sounds great
Some Like It Hot - bass drum and guitars are recessed. Not a great song for GH1 at this stage of break in. Horns sound sharp, not sibilant.
Now for the music that really counts, Tool
Lateralus
Lateralus - sounds close to right, like after break in, it will focus into what it should be. Detail presentation is top notch. Guitars sound perfect. Bass guitar sounds like it's being played from a distance. Needs a bass boost for sure.
Parabola - needs more break-in. Lack of bass is causing the backbone to be weak. Bass drum and guitars need help on GH1. PS500e is much better for Tool at this stage of GH1 break in.
No more Tool on GH1 until it's had time to open up. Tool has to sound good, so if the bass doesn't come around, then these go up for sale. I think they will improve over time. Overall, color me impressed with the GH1 though. I have high hopes for them post break-in.
First impressions of GH1:
Very very similar to PS500e (A very good thing...). I would bet money that it uses the same driver. Very nice looking, and light weight. No obvious manufacturing flaws.
Tracks:
Queens of the Stone Age - Debut album (Queens of the Stone Age) - nice natural sound
Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R Deluxe Ed.:
The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret - maracas stand out more than I recall before, nice snap
In The Fade - bass seems a tad recessed, high hats are emphasized
Never Say Never - drums sound nice and sharp, lead guitar sounds pronounced and crisp
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream:
Mayonaise - Intro sounds tight, guitar is detailed, can hear picking noises from guitars that I don't think I've ever noticed before.
Today - song explodes from the simple guitar intro, excellent detail - starting to think the GH1 does have better treble extension than PS500e.
Cherub Rock - song is made for Grado headphones, GH1 doesn't disappoint
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network Soundtrack
On We March - wow.
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Bridge Burning - another song born for Grados. Guitar sounds crisp and snappy. Cymbals are fast and clear.
White Limo - I still can't tell what Dave is saying...I don't think he knows either.
A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms
Judith - bass light, may come with break-in.
Kyuss - Blues for the Red Sun
Writhe - lead guitar played on bass amp sounds nice, most clear I've heard the somewhat recessed vocals in this recording.
Allen's Wrench - let's hope break-in is real and that bass improves. Man, you better never...
The Eagles of Death Metal - Heart On
I'm Your Torpedo - drums sound spot on, nice balanced sound, again, let's hope for some bass improvement with time
Wannabe In LA - this diverse sounding song really shows off the GH1. I'm liking what I hear. The Grados seem quick.
Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
The Man Comes Around - the man likes the sound of this song on these phones. The acoustic sounds pretty nice here.
Sam Hall - more acoustic goodness. Sam Hall may hate you one and all, damn your eyes, but he'd like this sound.
Tame Impala - InnerSpeaker (CE)
It Is Not Meant to Be - kind of harsh sounding. Lots of highs sound a bit piercing.
Solitude Is Bliss - smoother than previous song, still requires less volume to enjoy than on PS500e.
Marilyn Manson - The Pale Emperor (DE)
The Devil Beneath My Feet - very nice, no harshness, bass sounds smooth
Deep Six - bass is MIA. I think I can hear where it is trying to assert its self but not quite succeeding.
The Police - Synchronicity
Syncronicity II - thin sounding. Nice detail in mid/highs, but bass is AWOL.
Wrapped Around Your Finger - I'm starting to consider some bass EQ. It's tantalizingly close, it just needs to step on out.
Miss Gradenko - don't tell the director I said so, but this sounds really good.
The Power Station - The Power Station
Get It On (Bang A Gong) - the bass is peeking around the corner, come on out big guy, drum work sounds great
Some Like It Hot - bass drum and guitars are recessed. Not a great song for GH1 at this stage of break in. Horns sound sharp, not sibilant.
Now for the music that really counts, Tool
Lateralus
Lateralus - sounds close to right, like after break in, it will focus into what it should be. Detail presentation is top notch. Guitars sound perfect. Bass guitar sounds like it's being played from a distance. Needs a bass boost for sure.
Parabola - needs more break-in. Lack of bass is causing the backbone to be weak. Bass drum and guitars need help on GH1. PS500e is much better for Tool at this stage of GH1 break in.
No more Tool on GH1 until it's had time to open up. Tool has to sound good, so if the bass doesn't come around, then these go up for sale. I think they will improve over time. Overall, color me impressed with the GH1 though. I have high hopes for them post break-in.
Another quick positive impression on the GH-1 as I'm listening again for a couple hours more…I find instruments coming from far distance from the sides
(out of my head) like I'm listening to a binaural recording at times.
(out of my head) like I'm listening to a binaural recording at times.
stacker45
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A few Storm Troopers, seemed eager to read my impressions about my GH-1, so, last night, as planned, I fired up my vintage Marantz 2226B, and my Yamaha DVD-S 1800, grabed that beautyful box containing my GH-1, and then nothing...I couldn't bring myself to break that seal...I'm very sorry if I've let some of you down. trust me, I feel terrible!
I'm just kidding!, you should see your faces...it's priceless. I couldn't help myself...sorry guys! The GH-1's seal is now, officially broken!
For different reasons, I had set the bar pretty high for the GH-1. Well, within the first few seconds of listening to my, ''Best Audiophile (female) Voices Vol 5'' CD, I could tell that the GH-1 are VERY good sounding headphones.
Grado says that the GH-1 sits between the RS2e, and the RS1e, so I thought I'd do a quick comparison with my RS1, wich, by the way, are still in their burn in process.
They have deeper bass than the RS1, the mids are comparable, to the RS1, the GH-1 don't have quite as much treble extension as the RS1, but it's definately not rolled off. The soundstage seems similar to that of the RS1, meaning that it's adequate.
I'd say that after the PS500 (never heard the e version) the GH-1 are probably the most forgiving Grados that I've heard. That's not to say that they'll gloss over everything. They won't make chicken soup, out of chicken poop!
As you know, I'm VERY disapointed with the GH-1 presentation, and finding out that the gimbals are made of plastic, doesn't help either. That being said, and keeping in mind that it's still early in the game for me, and the GH-1, I can say that I am VERY impressed with the GH-1's sound quality.
Joseph, I want to thank you Buddy, your favorable impressions, and the assertiveness with wich you were saying that I would like the GH-1, are the main reasons why I went ahead, and broke that seal, so thank you, Buddy.
Oh!, and I will post this, and my following impressions, in the new GH-1 thread .
I'm just kidding!, you should see your faces...it's priceless. I couldn't help myself...sorry guys! The GH-1's seal is now, officially broken!
For different reasons, I had set the bar pretty high for the GH-1. Well, within the first few seconds of listening to my, ''Best Audiophile (female) Voices Vol 5'' CD, I could tell that the GH-1 are VERY good sounding headphones.
Grado says that the GH-1 sits between the RS2e, and the RS1e, so I thought I'd do a quick comparison with my RS1, wich, by the way, are still in their burn in process.
They have deeper bass than the RS1, the mids are comparable, to the RS1, the GH-1 don't have quite as much treble extension as the RS1, but it's definately not rolled off. The soundstage seems similar to that of the RS1, meaning that it's adequate.
I'd say that after the PS500 (never heard the e version) the GH-1 are probably the most forgiving Grados that I've heard. That's not to say that they'll gloss over everything. They won't make chicken soup, out of chicken poop!
As you know, I'm VERY disapointed with the GH-1 presentation, and finding out that the gimbals are made of plastic, doesn't help either. That being said, and keeping in mind that it's still early in the game for me, and the GH-1, I can say that I am VERY impressed with the GH-1's sound quality.
Joseph, I want to thank you Buddy, your favorable impressions, and the assertiveness with wich you were saying that I would like the GH-1, are the main reasons why I went ahead, and broke that seal, so thank you, Buddy.
Oh!, and I will post this, and my following impressions, in the new GH-1 thread .
Harry Manback
500+ Head-Fier
I'm beginning to lean more toward my GH1 than the PS500e. I wish I could use Calvin's transmogrifier to combine the two headphones into one!
Joseph, I want to thank you Buddy, your favorable impressions, and the assertiveness with wich you were saying that I would like the GH-1, are the main reasons why I went ahead, and broke that seal, so thank you, Buddy.
Oh!, and I will post this, and my following impressions, in the new GH-1 thread .
Your welcome, and I'm glad your first impression of the GH-1 was positive!
stacker45
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As more positive GH-1 comments keep coming, it's going to be interresting to see if the GH-1 will cannibalize some of the RS2e, and PS500e sales.
gregorya
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Since the GH is a limited edition, I assume it won't cannibalize sales for too long.... of course we don't know how many cups that maple tree produced...
Since the GH is a limited edition, I assume it won't cannibalize sales for too long.... of course we don't know how many cups that maple tree produced...
Good point…I keep forgetting its a "Limited Edition"
stacker45
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It's nice to see that you agree with me. Contrary to fanboys, being Grado fans allows us to remain objective in our comments. If I decided to break the seal on my GH-1's box, it's mainly because of Joseph's objective, and informative comments.
Some people seem ready to accept, and forgive Grado, anything. They also try very hard to find excuses for Grado. My favorite ones are, ''Grados are hand built'', and ''Grado is a small familly buisness''. Both statements are true, but I fail to understand why this would constitute an excuse for anything.
I was expecting more from the GH-1, simply because, for $395, Grado gave us so much, and had done such a great job with their previous special edition Bushmills. Like you've said, we are talking about a $650, ($700 for us Canadians).
That being said, last night I got an other hour on the GH-1, and they continued to impress me. I like everything about their sound, exept one. I'm aware that I'm nitpicking here, but their soundstage is a bit shallow . To test this, I used Rebecca Pidgeon's ''Spanish Harlem'', and I could easily tell that the maracas didn't seem to come from as far back, as they did with the RS1. I'm no expert, but the fact that the RS1 have deeper earcups, probably has something to do with this.
1) - PS1000
2) - GH-1
3) - RS1
4) - HP1000
5) - Bushmills
6) - GS1000
7) - SR80e
8) - SR80i
Some people seem ready to accept, and forgive Grado, anything. They also try very hard to find excuses for Grado. My favorite ones are, ''Grados are hand built'', and ''Grado is a small familly buisness''. Both statements are true, but I fail to understand why this would constitute an excuse for anything.
I was expecting more from the GH-1, simply because, for $395, Grado gave us so much, and had done such a great job with their previous special edition Bushmills. Like you've said, we are talking about a $650, ($700 for us Canadians).
That being said, last night I got an other hour on the GH-1, and they continued to impress me. I like everything about their sound, exept one. I'm aware that I'm nitpicking here, but their soundstage is a bit shallow . To test this, I used Rebecca Pidgeon's ''Spanish Harlem'', and I could easily tell that the maracas didn't seem to come from as far back, as they did with the RS1. I'm no expert, but the fact that the RS1 have deeper earcups, probably has something to do with this.
1) - PS1000
2) - GH-1
3) - RS1
4) - HP1000
5) - Bushmills
6) - GS1000
7) - SR80e
8) - SR80i
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