With the arrival at the HD Store of the range of helmets grade, our dear ears were delighted: we were able to intensively test all the helmets of this legendary manufacturer. The Grado PS500 and GS1000 particularly caught our attention…
All Grado helmets really have a sublime sound, whether it is the SR60i offered at 115€, or the PS1000 worth more than 2000€. All our testers were amazed. However, two helmets particularly caught our attention: these are the remarkable Grado PS500 and Grado GS1000 ! Sure, the price may put a lot of readers off, but when you consider the quality of sound they deliver, then every penny is fully justified. A real favorite…
First contact made with the GS1000, first feeling of happiness! This super comfortable helmet is surprisingly light considering its imposing size. This lightness, it owes it to shells in rare wood, and to a metal hoop lined with genuine leather. Of course, its foam earpads wrap the ear perfectly, and exert no pressure on the hearing aid. Entirely made by hand, this helmet GS1000 knows how to treat our precious ears, by broadcasting a particularly balanced sound.
The bass is ample but all in control, while the medium proves to be highly appreciable sweetness. The treble goes high, without ever being aggressive, garish, or hissing. Pure precision, without exaggeration! Hard-to-manage tracks, with strong drum attacks, deep bass, and more than complex choruses, weren’t a problem for the GS1000, also awarded with an award 5 stars What Hi-Fi… And guess what: its impedance of 32 Ohms allows it to be associated with all the sources you have. From the iPod to the CD player, via the computer, it will be able to reproduce your songs with disconcerting acuity, which is devilishly reminiscent of the mythical Orpheus headphones… Only better! It is said.
For his part, the PS500 takes a slightly different course. First, it uses metal shells with extremely tasty acoustic properties, and adopts an over-ear design for a more compact design. Just as comfortable as the GS1000, although a bit heavier, the PS500 displays a disconcerting restitution of timbres, and a hyper faithful reproduction of the tiniest details of the midrange/treble. Compared to the GS1000, it offers a slightly more “flattering” sound, led by a more pronounced bass, but which seems a bit less deep. A simple matter of taste…
The treble retains impeccable intelligibility, and the midrange is perfectly balanced. Whatever kind of music you listen to, the PS500 will be able to reproduce all the work done by the engineer on the mastering or on the sound recording. Just like the GS1000, these beautiful headphones have an impedance of 32 Ohms, for association with most sources, without having to add a headphone amplifier. Nevertheless, to obtain optimal sound reproduction, the purchase of such a device is a plus. Once this is done, you are in the company of one of the best current helmets in this range.
In the end, only one piece of advice is in order: trust your ears. Find on this blog a short history of the Grado firm, as well as all the Grado products available on BHson. And to try these helmets, only one place: the HD Store! “Brooklyn we go hard, we go hard”…
Details on the equipment used for the test:
GS1000/PS500 + iPhone + 16Bits/44.1kHz WAV files (Albums: Nancy Sinatra – Straight outta Cashville, Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of, Whitney Houston – My Love is your Love)
GS1000/PS500 + Marantz SA15 S2 + original CDs (Albums: Nancy Sinatra – Straight outta Cashville, Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of, Whitney Houston – My Love is your Love)
GS1000/PS500 + Marantz SA15 S2 + Beyer A1 headphone amplifier + original CDs (Albums: Nancy Sinatra – Straight outta Cashville, Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of, Whitney Houston – My Love is your Love)
