Grado PS1000

[Marks World]

Hello,

I recently picked up a fully built Crack kit without the speedball. I have a few different headphones and am loving the sound. After doing some searching on the forum, I can't seem to find an answer to a simple question. With the Grado PS1000being such a low impedance (32ohms I believe) I have been reluctant to try them. I am turning the Crack on and off with no headphones installed. With the Grado's, would I damage them by using them with the Crack?  Or is it just the sound quality and or volume issue that I should be aware of.

Thanks for any help and my apologies if the answer is posted elsewhere and I just could't find it.

Happy listening, Mark

[Mike B]

I don't think it would hurt anything, but it will sound like crap.

When I built mine I first plugged in the Sony MDR-V6 (65 ohms) and the bass was farting.

[mcandmar]

Nice pair, i'm a Grado man myself

I think the only issue will be sloppy low end response. "Poor damping" i think it is referred to here.  The S.E.X. or Mainline are what you really need for those headphones.

[Marks World]

OK thanks

Knowing that I won't damage them I plugged them in. I'm using a Nufirce hDP for  A/D conversion and it has a variable output. I don't know if that is making a difference or if it is my lack of discerning ear, but to me they sound great!  I'll take the time to play with some other music later and let you know if my impression changes.

Thanks again for the comments

[Marks World]

Ok. After listening to several other tracks that actually had bass, I now know what you mean. The only thing I had available was the best to make an opinion with. The bass does seem to be "truncated" but still better then I was expecting.

Thank you again for the insights

[Paul Joppa]

Another way to say "flabby bass" is "generous bass" ...  :^)

The IHF/IEC standard of 120 ohms output impedance for headphone jacks is great for equalizing the level over the usual range of 32 to 600 ohms.  Headphones that have a problem mostly do so because they have an impedance peak in the bass (I believe centered around 100-200Hz, more often than not). This peak combined with a high output impedance causes an elevated level in that region. It's not huge, a few dB, but can be quite audible. (Not everyone hates it.)

I speculate that this peak is a result of trying to get the most sensitivity possible. Technically that would reflect having little mechanical damping and relying on electrical damping of the fundamental mechanical resonance. The reason for seeking greater sensitivity is that portable devices usually cannot achieve the 5vRMS output that is also part of the IHF/IEC standard - they are limited by the low-voltage battery.

Really, there should be a distinction between headphones designed for iPods and headphones designed for high-fidelity home listening. But for obvious rea$$ons manufacturers would prefer to be all things to all people, so we have this continuing problem. The impedance is a clue - low impedance means it works with iPods - but the marketing has led designers to do their best to deal with both environments with both kinds of 'phones.

[mcandmar]

Another way to say "flabby bass" is "generous bass" ...  :^)

The IHF/IEC standard of 120 ohms output impedance for headphone jacks is great for equalizing the level over the usual range of 32 to 600 ohms.  Headphones that have a problem mostly do so because they have an impedance peak in the bass (I believe centered around 100-200Hz, more often than not). This peak combined with a high output impedance causes an elevated level in that region. It's not huge, a few dB, but can be quite audible. (Not everyone hates it.)

I speculate that this peak is a result of trying to get the most sensitivity possible. Technically that would reflect having little mechanical damping and relying on electrical damping of the fundamental mechanical resonance. The reason for seeking greater sensitivity is that portable devices usually cannot achieve the 5vRMS output that is also part of the IHF/IEC standard - they are limited by the low-voltage battery.

Really, there should be a distinction between headphones designed for iPods and headphones designed for high-fidelity home listening. But for obvious rea$$ons manufacturers would prefer to be all things to all people, so we have this continuing problem. The impedance is a clue - low impedance means it works with iPods - but the marketing has led designers to do their best to deal with both environments with both kinds of 'phones.

AFAIK most Grados have this peak ~100hz, and they are known for running fine directly off portable gear like iPods.  Most of my own opamp based amplifiers are setup for unity gain so they all run Grados with less than 2v.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stereophile.com%2Fimages%2Farchivesart%2F666G60IFIG1.jpg&hash=36ff2d62ae53af04d2fc459b3f7989cf9b209b11)

[Marks World]

Thank you Paul, Thank you Mcandmar.  I will continue to experiment with my library as I'm finding I like the sound on some recordings.  The feedback is most welcome as I continue my journey of learning and listening.

[mcandmar]

The feedback is most welcome as I continue my journey of learning and listening.

That's what its all about at the end of the day.  From what i know the PS1000 isnt known to be particularly bass heavy headphone, which is interesting as the the PS500 seems to be the most bass heavy of the Grado range.  I imagine it sounds very good regardless.

How did you end up with those headphones anyway, did you have other Grado models prior to that?   I have to confess i've been stalking PS1000 and GS1000's on ebay

[Marks World]

Hi mcandmar,

I ended up with them by trial and error.  I originally headed into our local store (I'm in Canada so it was all the way downtown to Bay and Bloor) to hear the HD800s.  I was convinced by the reviews that was what I wanted.  At the time I was using some files from HD Tracks with Audirvana on my laptop and a Nuforce HDP.  I tend to travel around a lot as we have a house down in Florida and this is the portable rig.  So although I don't require portability down to a carry on, this is one of my primary listening environments that I wanted the headphones to perform in.  I listened to a few of the Grado's (PS500 and few more) and really didn't enjoy them on this setup.  Then I listened to the HD800 and they were good, but seemed sharp to me and a bit too precise (probably due more to the Nuforce, but that's what I would use) if that makes any sense.  My wife and I both swapped cables and listened to our setup and the the Peachtree amp that the store used.  Both of us preferred the Grado PS1000.  We also tried the GS1000 at the same time but weren't really impressed.  So we then left without buying anything.  Waited 2 weeks and I got a large contract through which made decide to take the plunge.  We both went down again and listened to just the HD800 and the PS1000 on my setup (which also included a dragonfly) and a McIntosh amp they had in store.  Again, we both came to the same conclusion, the Grado's had a more natural sound to our ears and the HD800 had a sharper sound which didn't seem to flow. 

It was probably the setup that we were using, but I went for the Grado's and haven't regretted it at all.  I also use them with a modified Audiogon amp from the UK when at home in Canada. 

The crack came up for sale and it looked like a quality build,so I have to admit I jumped on it before fully researching it.  I figured it would be fun to play around with a maybe modify a bit, if I didn't like it then I could resell it for about what I paid for it and someone else would enjoy it.  I also have a set of Sennheiser HD650 and those seem to be great with it.  Now it's just a case of deciding which modifications to try out.  The previous builder changed out the RCA jacks, new tubes and different Volume pot, so I might try installing the Speedball next and then play around with the capacitors.

Longwinded, but I hope that answers your question.
M