I owned Sennheiser HD580 for years, this year decided to upgrade and listened to HD600, HD650, Grado RS2 and Grado RS1. As result purchased Grado RS1 as it had best sound, clarity, details, sound stage, instrument seperation and realism of music you are listing to. I did not find Grado RS1 particularly uncomfortable and several hours of listing do not tire me at all. If you can afford Grado Rs1 definitely try them. Note: as test music I listend to Edgars Pump and Circumstance, Mahler symphony no. 2 Resurection. CD player Densen B-410 and headphone amplifier Musical Fidelity X CAN V3 (tube).
Hope this helps.

Good sound, detail, bass.

Price

I thought I had heard the best headphones when I recieved my Sennheiser HD650. (I listen trough a Musical Fidelity X-CAN V3 headphone amp and an average Denon cd player). But then I received these Grado RS-1 headphones. I noticed that it has better detail and better bass. If you want the best headphones, purchase these.

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Sennheiser HD650

The world's best when it comes to overall sound quality and price!!!!!

none

It is probably the best headphone ever developed. It cost 1/5 the price of a Stax Omega 7 and can stand toe to toe with it all day long in sound quality. The first time I put on a set of Stax Omega 7, I thought mankind had finally achieved the epitome in headphone development. But sure enough, a small company out of Brooklyn New York by the name of Grado’s Lab proved the world wrong. The first time I put on and listened to a set of Grado’s Lab’s RS1 headphones, I thought I had finally gone to heaven. It was better than being in the land of milk of honey. The sound and tonal quality of the music is just completely indescribable. It left this listener completely speechless. The clarity and resonating warms tones from these mystical cans truly cater to the palate of ones ears. Talk about being live at a concert. It is like having the concert come to you at home when you put a set of cans on. One can understand why John Grado has won so many top awards for creating the worlds best headphones. It is amazing that a small business like Grado Labs can develope and manufacture a world class headphone that can complete against the best (e.g.-Stax, Sony, Sennheiser, and etc.). Sometimes the largest is not always the best. The whole series of Grado's headphones have respectively earned the right to be consider by many as the best headphones ever made by man. One can only imagine what the audio world would be like if John Grado's had the research and development funding of Sony! John surely knows how to engineer and make a headphone. As for me, it is time to saddle up my RS1 cans and rejoin the land of milk and honey.

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Stax Omega 7

Breathtaking detail,realism and musicality

Reveals flaw in source material and associated equiptment, Not the most comfortable after about an hour

Simply a work of musical art!You become one with the music. I think the Musical Fidelity V3 is the best match so far! The tubes seem to warm up the sound nicely.

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HD-600's

Clarity, Bass just right, takes you into the music and the looks. Given 5 stars because ok build is naff but its the sound what counts as long as I think it will last for a good few years. Also I gave 5 star for value at the price I brought it for

Build quality, take time to get adjustment just right, price. Also you will want to upgrade your existing hifi unless you have speakers and amp worth I would say at least £2,500 each minimum maybe more!!!! You have been warned!!

Note the price is UK £375. OK at last I have the RS1's I read all the reviews first about how these headphones compare to the HD600. I am an amateur piano player and the rest of the flamily play instruments (intermediate or good) bass player cousin who has played with Ronny Jordan and co, drummer who has played with Pato banton (remember with UB40 rat in my kichen lol), my wife plays violin, kids play, etc so I have a musical ear hehe. I also auditioned these against the HD600. I previous owned the Grado SR80, also have sennheiser px200, mx500 and mx400 (for personal hifi use). When I brought the Grado SR80 I auditioned against comparable Beyer and Sennheiser and thought the Grado won just on clarity. I thought the bass was just right and the Senn's were too bassy. My musical preferences are Jazz, classical and RnB so I like both bass and Treble. Then I thought I just have to go one step further and let me tell you the RS1's are definately the best. I am a pround owner of the Musical Fidelity X-CAN v3 and have a reasonable marantz CD player (DR6000) so everything source wise is ok. I listened to Jill Scott (RnB), Regina Carter (Jazz violinist) and Mozart 'jupiter' (classical) to compare the headphones. I can say that the RS1's won on every category bass, clarity of instruments, environment feel (e.g. you get lost in the music thinking your there). When I first put RS1's on then went back to listen to my normal system (Marantz CD, Pioneer 2011 Amp, Kef Q5 speakers) I am both home cinema and hifi buff so had to match both. I can say I was angry. I thought my system is rubbish now!!! I heard so many small bits to the music I had not previously heard (soooooo much). You take the headphones off and now know your missing loads of detail. Damn!!!! It also shows how wonderful your ears are!! Anyway back to the headphones. The RS1's look lovely too when I was in the shop comparing the too both men and women commented on the look of RS1's favourably (in the shop we compared on Linn CD player). However the build quality of the RS1's are poor for headphones that cost the average man a couple of weeks wages (c£700 rrp) I think Grado need to look at this. The ear felt seems to be coming away and looks like someone just stuck it on in the factory with kid's glue. Also the Senn's out the box are more comfortable but after careful adjustment of the Grado's you can wear for hours (I have even played many a PC game using the headphones to help burn them in). The HD600 were the shop demo' and at the time the RS1's had maybe only had about 10 - 20 hours use so I think it was maybe a fair comparison. I wanted to get the HD600 as I could get them for about a third of the price £129 from Ask Direct UK but I know I would have regretted it having heard the RS1's where as now I have no regret having not got the HD600. I have tried to be as objectional as I could as I like both headphones but if you can get a second user pair go for the RS1's but I think the retail price of £650 - £700 is just too much. At £400 the RS1's are a good price..

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Beyer 990 Grado SR80 Sennheiser HD600 sennheiser mx400 & mx500 (very good in ear phones) sennheiser px200 (make ears sweat but good for mp3/portable) Sennheiser RS 45 and 65 (wireless ok for outdoors, etc)

Brings out Detail, Smooth like honey highs, extended tight bass, trasparent midrange

price, not the most comfortable, needs time to break in before really shining

I started out comparing the SR225 and the Senn hd600. I owned the 225, my dealer let me borrow the 600. I thought the 600 had poetry but was laid back so much that I felt I was missing the detail that the 225 had. Enter RS 1 - I didn't even consider this because of the price jump, but as time went by I realised I'd have kicked myself if I didn't go for the best. It does everything the best systems do (except for the soundstage limitation with all headphones) and keeps the detail the 225s had but without the brightness. The specially treated Mahogany makes a difference. There is really no comparison between the hd600 and the rs 1 like there was between the 225 and 600. I will keep this for a very long time for nighttime listening. I’m completely satisfied even though it's a bit pricier. I'm using an Antique Sound Lab tube headphone amp which improves the sound more.

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Senn hd600, Grado SR225

ultra transparent sound. detail. dynamic swing similar to my wilson.

sound unnatural and bright with some records.

these headphone are masterpiece. I drive them with Wheatfield audio ha-1 ( all tube upgraded) and meridian 508.24 cd player. ( transparent cabling and power cond.) This setting is impressive. I'd have to say it bring out about 70% of my reference system consit of wilson audio maxx/ goldmund 29m with accuphase digital. very nice value for the price. i'd have to admit that even at 1500$ this headphone is worth; however don't waste your mone if you don't have good eletronic

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senn600s (owned) too but i prefer rs-1

Deep, tight bass. Silky smooth mid-range. Ecstatic highs. Expansive soundstage. Incredible coherence. The "Grado Sound!" Mahogany ear cups. Gorgeous retro-style looks.

$700 dollar retail price. Durable but mine cracked and needed repair. No problems with sound quality.

I got these cans used from a fellow member at http://www.head-fi.org for $430 dollars. The right Mahogany ear cup suddenly developed a hairline fracture and I sent them back to Grado Labs in Brooklyn, NY for repair; it cost me $75 dollars which totals $505 dollars. These cans are worth every penny I paid for them. They are the best headphones I have ever heard in my entire life! I have never heard music to be so alive and rich in my entire life! I will never sell or trade my Grado RS-1 cans for anything in this world!

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Sennheiser HD-600 w/Cardas Cable. Etymotic ER-4S. Sennheiser PX100, HD497.

You are in the performing group. Great bass and dynamic range.

Sometimes an over-emphasis of sibilants in choral groups or brightness, depending on the mikeing of the group. Unfortunately, most choral mikeing and mixing of choral groups is atrocious, with echos and etc. added or accentuated. With a high quality system, this is all revealed. Nonetheless, goosebumps are a good assay of how the music is getting through, and the RS-1 do not disappoint.

I was able to compare Senns 600 vs RS-1 side-by-side on a great deal of my CD collection using the Cary 300SEI amp headphone output driven by a Cary 303-100 CD player. Ultimately sent the Senns back. I am an amateur musician in the real sense of the word, now only singing in choral groups, but with an instrumental background. The Senns 600 are great. They put you mid-way back in a concert hall and you hear wonderful detail. However, if you have ever performed music and know what it is like actually being in the performance, the the RS-1's are for you. I wanted to spend less money, but ultimately, the performance experience was worth it. If you have sung in a choir or played in a band or orchestra, you know what I mean. Not cheap, but compared to a speaker experience of the same quality? A good deal. When it gets too late to listen loud, this is the supreme alternative. Hey, ultimately we all grow up and have families and neighbors...

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Senns 600, 560, Denon something or other I bought in Japan. Haven't tried the in-your-ear models, however.

See 12-12-2002 Dairybeat.

Bottom end and comfort.

See my previous review 12-12-2002 by Dairybeat. I have just sold the Grado's again for a little more than I paid for! I still stand by most what I said, but I found them lacking in the bottom end; the bass isn't rich enough for me and they're not great for comfort. I started in the 1980's with the Beyerdynamic DT 990, they were my friends for more than 13 years; great phones but the bass was always a bit woolly. Since last year I bought the Philips 890; good phones, but a little too laid back; so I sold them again. Then the Sony MDR-CD480, I now only use them for my Discman, because of their high sensetivity; they're a bit restless with not enough bass. Then the Sennheiser HD600 which I sold because of the purchase of the Grado's. I'm back now with the Beyerdynamic DT 990, the PRO version. Full tight gripping bass with the detailed and the spacious open sound of the Grado's, but... a lot cheaper! They're like my main speakers the Klipsch RF-7; the only difference is that I don't feel the bass.

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Beyerdynamic DT 990 (rated: 6) Philips ...890 (4) Sony MDR-CD480 (5) Sennheiser HD600 (3) Grado RS1 (2) Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO (1)