Grado Hemp (2020) Measurements, Reviews, and Impressions

Discussion in 'Headphone Measurements' started by Vtory, Jul 22, 2020.

  1. Ruined

    Ruined HD700 ruined my ear holes

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2020
    Likes Received:
    234
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Parts Unknown
    Yeah with this amp I do get x2 gain from balanced

    That being said though unbalanced in high gain mode (~1.35x gain increase) I am not hearing the interference on the grado, and its very loud in low gain bal mode. Again it sounds like what you'd expect from a grounding issue.

    With the balanced Y adapter the interference is quite loud in the grado. Also tried hooking the HPA up via analog with a MicroHD HD400 ground loop isolator and got same exact noise via balanced adapter; exactly same noise via digital USB to DAC and balanced to HPA. Seems to get noticably worse when amp side of Y cable is moved.

    I am going to try another Y adapter, hopefully that will fix the issue. The grado doesn't need the balanced gain but its just easier to use 4pin bal for all my headphones, and the 820s can use the gain

    edit: did some more testing, disconnected the DAC and its source connection, only thing plugged in is HPA with no source and cable still noisy especially when moved. I think that confirms it.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2020
  2. Accrued

    Accrued Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2020
    Likes Received:
    311
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    those are a beaut!
     
  3. Ruined

    Ruined HD700 ruined my ear holes

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2020
    Likes Received:
    234
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Parts Unknown
    "Waiting for the Sun" sounds really good on these...
     
  4. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2017
    Likes Received:
    10,961
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Philippines, The
    I sincerely hope that Yaxi's Grado pads don't mirror the effect of their Sennheiser ones much. That... was a bit jarring on the HD650. Do share impressions please!

    Thanks for the update but may be worth giving them a thorough listening session (or fifteen) before sharing impressions, perhaps instead organising thoughts then presenting them all in a comprehensive manner. Even stream of consciousness posts on here tend to all be in one post instead of spread out :)
     
  5. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

    Pyrate Contributor Banned
    Joined:
    May 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,092
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Images were posted by @Ksorota on HF.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    ^ No goop and extra venting, compared to RS2e driver:

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2020
  6. Ruined

    Ruined HD700 ruined my ear holes

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2020
    Likes Received:
    234
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Parts Unknown
    [deleted]
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2020
  7. TheIceman93

    TheIceman93 El pato-zorro

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2016
    Likes Received:
    1,300
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    SoCal
    When did everyone start loving Grado's again? Madness. Reefer Madness.



    Be careful gentlemen.
     
  8. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

    Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2016
    Likes Received:
    10,831
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    East Coast
    1. Not everyone yet. only a very very few people use Grados for critical listening purposes. Might gain more awareness than last year though.

    2. Looking at this thread, forum-wide, it could be early this year that everyone started to look at Grados again: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...rs2-ttvj-deluxe-pad-appreciation-thread.8952/

    3. Personally for me, HF3 review triggered reconsidering Grados.

    So overall, #2 and #3 suggest we need to blame @purr1n lol
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2020
  9. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2017
    Likes Received:
    10,961
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Philippines, The
    They weren't great all-rounders but I loved the old square-rod RS1 for certain recordings that weren't contingent on headstage performance. I had them when I was still new on SBAF ~2017 but kept quiet because I knew some people really hated them and I was... intimidated.

    Still can't get around the salad bowl pad models but that's whole different thing. Really not my cuppa tea, those, especially for the price they go for. My tastes have changed since then (biodyna ftw) but there are times when I admit missing the presentation they offered.
     
  10. Ksorota

    Ksorota Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2018
    Likes Received:
    1,780
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    01810
    [​IMG]

    Got it all back together last night and it feels like a weight off my shoulders both figuratively and literally.

    Couple of warnings for those who would like to attempt this:
    1. the hemp is essentially a fiberboard and is very fragile. I used a new set of bits and increased the hole diameter by minor increments but still had some of the Hemp material fray/pull out of the cup housing. I even taped around the housing...but its light and fragile stuff
    1a. I filled in the areas with wood shavings and a good quality clear wood glue - actually turned out really nice and is hard to notice (the unique coloration is also helpful in hiding defects!)
    1b. If I were to do it again, I would place the cups in a vise to keep pressure on the housing while drilling.

    2. I chose HD800 sockets due to their small size and limited amount of drilliing needed but boy are those suckers tough to solder too. The barrel solder pins are probably meant for 30guage wire...but since I wanted to use the stock Grado wire (which is around 24/26 guage I had to do some work to slim it down to fit. I should have taken some pictures of the soldering, but I did not think of it until I had already applied the shrink tube and I was not going back.
    2a I probably should have just used the 3.5mm sockets I had on hand for this mod, and would do so in the future.
    2b I have some Grado Whites coming and wonder if I should do the same?!?!

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    I am more than happy with the way this mod turned out and hope that Grado will at some point consider doing this across the line. Probably want to use 3.5 mm plugs instead of HD800, but I really wanted to use the Campfire and Wywires cables that I already have.

    Note: I was surprised how easy it was to remove the drivers after hearing others concerns over melting drivers or ruining the headphones. I simply removed as much glue as I could see with a razor/scalpel, then gently warmed with a hair dryer driver side down and they pulled right out. The hemp wood composite transfers heat energy pretty easily and warmed up enough with only a few minutes of heat.
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2020
  11. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

    Pyrate Contributor Banned
    Joined:
    May 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,092
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
  12. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2018
    Likes Received:
    10,517
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Palms Of The Coasts, FL
    Moon Audio still has tons of them for US sales.
     
  13. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

    Pyrate Contributor Banned
    Joined:
    May 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,092
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I see, Canadian stock is out. Apparently US dealers cannot sell to The North. Still, Grado states demand and wood complexity is slowing orders.
     
  14. Ruined

    Ruined HD700 ruined my ear holes

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2020
    Likes Received:
    234
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Parts Unknown
  15. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2018
    Likes Received:
    10,517
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Palms Of The Coasts, FL
    Gear List At Time of Impressions/Review:

    Thinkpad X260 via Roon or Foobar2000-UPnP > Schiit Eitr > Massdrop x Airist R-2R DAC (RDAC) > Zampotech SW51+

    Roon or UPnP > PI2AES [Coax Output] or Pioneer DV-79AVi DVD Player (CD Transport) [Toslink Output] > Schiit Bifrost 2 > DNA Starlett (Via BF2 RCA Output)

    Senn HD600, Senn HD6XX, ZMF Auteur, and JVC + Drop HA-FDX1


    I recommend to go here to this post that I made in order to have a better background about this Hemp impressions. Too lazy to retype about my Grado stories and stuff. Also, the stuff from that post will reflect in this impressions as well.

    Grados are from Booklyn, NY, so this impressions will be spoken upfront and blunt like we do in Kings County. Too bad Grado's advertising about the Hemp is eh.


    [​IMG]

    This shit is a real thing, go to the Grado Store 4OurEars website and see the sliding ads for this.


    Why I did I paid $420.00 for this?

    If you go to my RS2E/TTVJ post about that loaner I did, I did enjoy the Grado sound without the infamous Grado brightness, but comfort on the TTVJ Flats sucksssss. I thought if I get the Hemp and bend the crap out of the headband and wear down the standard F-Cushion on the Hemp then I could live with it perhaps Doesn't matter how good the Senn/ZMF stuff is, the upfrontness type of sound works great for rock and hip hop/rap. I don't always need the sound staging, or technicalities. I just want to turn up the Grados when I'm listening to my leather daddy:

    [​IMG]

    However, after doing Grados for several years I was getting so sick of its bright treble. Sometimes you need something different in a world of Senns, Focals, ZMFs, etc. To me the Grado sound not using the G-Cushion stuff in the GS/Higher PS series. It always to me been the SR stuff and the RS models. The Limited Models are good for the most part since you get something different. The Hemp is pretty LOL on the ads you been seeing them (word foreplay, $420.00 MSRP in the US, and it said Hemp on the box and on the headphones).


    Build Quality:

    Still kind of overpriced for $420.00 for what you get. Then again, it's hand assembled in Brooklyn. The HD6XX will have better build quality than anything Grado IMO. Also, should be easy to take apart to swap out parts. Of course Grados have that hardwired cable which is on the thick side. Some hate it, but I can live with it. Default cable connector is actually a 1/8, but a 1/8 to 1/4 adapter is already on the headphone when you get it out of the box. Unlike the bigger "pizza box" packaging from the i series, you just get a smaller pizza box to tell you that you need to lose weight. Standard stuff that just works. For a limited edition this is priced fair because their other stuff is normally $500+ unless it is a HF edition or something else. Headphone looks like a Grado with the Hemp look. You will either like it or hate it, no inbetween.


    Comfort:

    Sucks, and this part is a big deal breaker for some. The F-Cushion helps with the sound being good (I'll get to it in a bit) but doesn't help with comfort. F-Cushion feels like sandpaper is keep feeling your ears, and it doesn't help since these are on-ear headphones. Then again, I remember having Grados where the more you use the pads, the more they start to feel better. This is due to what Grado said in the past that "the oils from your ears will make the pads softer." So far after two days I'm not there yet, and who knows if I'll get there. After one hour my head hurts. If this part isn't your tea, then Grados are not for you.

    With that being said you can bend the headband just like the ZMF stuff. I stretch out the headband where there's very little pressure on my ears from the headphone. I got it to the point where the cans are almost "floating" near my ears with very little pressure. Still sucks but I can deal with it. I remember the longer I use Grados the more I get used to it, including the pads and how it feels on my head. We'll see......


    Sound Quality:

    Classic Grado without the bright treble and a guess a minor bass boost? Tone is on the warmer funner side. You might notice a roll off on the treble and also a minor roll off on the sub-bass (I noticed it). I think this is the best cheaper Grado that I heard with good fun bass response. If you hate roll off on both ends, then avoid this.

    Treble I keep saying already, doesn't hurt my ears. The classic Grado treble tires me out after about an hour. Not on the Hemp, which is one reason why I like it. The Midrange is upfront with some breathing room (but not much as a HD600/650/6XX). It's where you are sitting on Row 2 with the Hemp (not Row 1 like most Grados), but still close enough to the signers pants. Still aggressive sounding but not as bad as other Grados. It loses the battle on the Senn HD series on so many levels, but it beats it on speed and it closeness to the sound where it sounds "live." Rock and Golden Age Hip-Hop and Rap sounds better IMO on the Hemp than the HD series. Bass as I stated is boosted to me, which helps on those fun recordings that I like from Rock and Golden Age Hop-Hop and Rap, but could be too much on some recordings (some video game music soundtracks from the 90s has a bass guitar fetish, it could be too much on the Hemp where it bleeds in the mid-range I feel like). Due to sub-bass roll off, I wouldn't fully recommend it with electronic music and things that has a fetish on sub-bass. Soundstage is just as tall and wide as the driver, so much smaller not wider than the HD6** series on good tube amps, then again, you know this when you are thinking about getting the Hemp. You get the Hemp for the fun tuning and the upfront sound, not beating other headphones on everything.

    Technicalities be damn, this is a fun turning headphone with crap comfort. Nothing more to say than that.


    Amp Pairing:

    I only have two tube amps. I prefer using the High Ohm input in both my SW51+ and Starlett due to running the Hemp on Low Ohm Input made them a little too bassy for my taste (which is nuts since these are GRADOS, they don't do bass but treble). If I feel like being letting the bass loose I use Low Ohm Input, but High Ohm otherwise. On Starlett I prefer running it on High Ohm mode but do the sound at -6db to lower the gain (also gives you more volume control with the Hemp). Yeah Hemp sounds great with t00bs, but we all know this with Grados. Due to being Grados they will work with just about anything due to their easy to drive nature. It all comes to sound pairings like cheese and wine and junk.


    Conclusion:

    Hemp reminds me of Brooklyn (and Queens) in the 90s before all the rich people started to invade it. Hip-Hop and Rap music blasting on the ghetto blaster playing dominoes was a nice memory at my aunties house as a kid (since this was at my aunties house, tons of Hindu music with Rap music being mixed in together). What I mean is the sound is warm and upfront, but doesn't pull all the details that you get from a Senn or a ZMF. Yeah comfort is a big deal breaker for a good bit of people (sandpaper on your ears is meh plus head hurting), but I think the sound is a possible crowd pleaser.

    What is really stupid is the limited edition on the Hemp. Well, I don't care the Hemp is the limited edition part, it's the sound that I'm scared that is going to be limited edition. I still think $420.00 for what you get sucks for the build quality, but it is better than getting a new RS2e paid $50 for those TTVJ flats on top that the Hemp is from Brooklyn. I hope Grado make the F-Cushions for sale in the future so we have a cheaper way to add them to some of the cheaper Grado models, we'll see about that.

    I'll say this again: Technicalities be damn, this is a fun turning headphone with crap comfort. Nothing more to say than that.

    So with that being said, you must learn to live with the shit comfort and must be into the upfront Grado sound without the shit treble and minor bass boost. Into the OAFAS catalog for your music, this sucks. Have other killer stuff but want a fun headphone for Rock and Rap? This could do the trick. Want one headphone that is better than your cheap ones, can't recommend this one. This is more like a side item with your other good stuff than anything else. If you are like @pure5152 who could maybe live with this headphone, buy some overpriced silver cables. Be more like @Vtory, use Hemp with your other headphones.

    Well, I hope I can keep this headphone long term. If comfort doesn't get better long term then I guess I can't keep the Hemp.
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2020
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,776
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    Muhahahahahahahahaha. My evil plan to get people back into Grados is working! Muhahahahahahahahaha!

    More seriously F-Cush or TTVJ DX pads if you want something more neutral and not as bright.
     
  17. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

    Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2016
    Likes Received:
    10,831
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    East Coast
    Nice write-up @YMO !

    This. Any potential buyers coming from "typical comfort world" must read this part seven times at least.

    I am getting more and more accustomed with their comfort. Days with SR1a trained my head a lot (in accepting suboptimal comfort) although Raal never got me in this aspect. Anyway now I feel myself more qualified to adventure grado or grado-like supraaural world. As a contingent plan, I can always escape to Verite with lamb pads when I need luxury comfort.

    By the way, I don't necessarily agree with all YMO's subjective evaluations but it was kinda expected from the beginning. I believe my ears are more on the side of deaf, biased, weird tastes, and/or looking for different things. Hahaha. Love diversity.

    Just for fun, a picture of my current status below...

    [​IMG]

    left: primary critical listening
    middle: new member, currently being tested
    right: primary iphone listening
     
  18. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2018
    Likes Received:
    10,517
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Palms Of The Coasts, FL
    I'll say this again:

    Be more like @Vtory, use Hemp with your other headphones.
     
  19. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2017
    Likes Received:
    10,961
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Philippines, The
    Odd question, has anyone ever tried the TTVJ Deluxe/F-Cush with the bigger GS/PSX000 that come stock with salad bowls? I vaguely recall the topic but not the conclusions.

    That said, massive props for the mod, @Ksorota. Besides non-fixed cables being a bonus, while I have nothing against weed personally dear lord was the medallion on that Hemp ugly. It looks so much more tasteful with just the composite cups.

    The PS500 comes immediately to mind for a less-bright Grado, that one errs on the side of being warmbutt. I've actually gotten ears on that one on a few occasions out of various sources, how does the Hemp with F-cushes compare to those from a tonality standpoint?
     
  20. Ruined

    Ruined HD700 ruined my ear holes

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2020
    Likes Received:
    234
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Parts Unknown
    I was a bit skeptical at first with the Hemp initial impressions that I might have made a mistake buying it, but there are some genres it really excels at the more I listen.

    Synthwave, for instance, I feel is Hemp's best genre. Benefits from the impactful bass of the Hemp and the treble rolloff is fitting for this genre with its smooth, mid-heavy 80s sound - Hemp sound profile really plays well with this genre, if not enhances it.

    Also a good headphone to listen to Phish, of course :)
     

Share This Page