Grado PS1000 Headphones (Playback 25)

A Well-Balanced Flagship

For a sense of the instrumental separation that the PS1000s can deliver, go no farther than Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s version of “Stairway to Heaven” [Rodrigo Y Gabriela, ATO Records]. As a bridge out of the slow intro gets going, there is a lot of fast chord work happening on acoustic guitars and you can hear every string clearly. The sound on this track was amazing enough that I had to play it twice.

Going back to Forget About It, the song “Maybe” has a solo bass drum whack that is startlingly powerful and well defined—or at least can be if your headphones are up to the task (though the air pressure limitations of headphones may limit ultimate dynamic impact to some degree). Even so, some headphones deliver a rendition that sounds very like what one hears from a bass drum in a concert hall. The Grados, however, don’t really get the rising edge of this drum whack quite right and so deliver less bass power and depth than is fully realistic.

On “Icky Thump” from The White Stripes album of the same name [Warner Brothers/WEA], the pounding drum/bass combo sounds damped enough through the PS1000s that it is more a bumping beat than a pounding force. No offense to Grado, but Jack White pounds or hammers.

Competitive Comparison

The Sennheiser HD 800 is the obvious direct competitor. Some key differences between the PS1000 and the HD 800s:

• The HD 800s are a little more accurately balanced in the upper midrange, while lower midrange body on the PS1000s seems more natural.
• The HD 800s are slightly brighter than the PS1000s; the difference is small.
• The PS1000s have somewhat more mid-bass than either live music or the slightly reticent HD 800s.
• The HD 800s seem to have better deep bass.
• The PS1000s have smoother yet more detailed treble.
• The PS1000s are slightly softer or more damped sounding; they are also more forgiving of bad recordings (a strength of both models, actually).

COMFORT FACTOR/ACCESSORIES

The PS1000 ear cups are very big and the clamping force is low. I thought they were comfortable for long periods, though they are heavy. They might they aggravate pressure points after very long sessions. If you move around, their weight might make them feel tippy.

The PS1000s come with a one-meter cord and a phone plug. Grado also includes an extension cord.

BOTTOM LINE:

Grado’s PS1000 is a well-balanced headphone that gets excels on the details and subtleties of music.

SPECS & PRICING

Grado PS1000 Headphones

Accessories: Extension cord
Weight: n/a
Sensitivity: 98dB (1 mw input)
Impedance: 32 ohms
Price: $1695.00

Grado Laboratories
4614 Seventh Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11220
(718) 435 5340
www.gradolabs.com