Gerod Bowl Pads for Grado

These can be found here on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XYQ3PL1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The photo on Amazon is kind of confusing or incorrect. I am using the S-Small pads. They are a shallower and larger diameter bowl pad compared to the standard Grado bowls.

Gerod S-Small pads on Grado RS-1X


Gerod S-Small pads (left) vs standard Grado bowl (right)


The reason I got these was to have Grado RS1 series that weren't too thin sounding. Per my Grado RS-1X review, I found the RS-1X to be thinner in the lows - it did not have the localized mid/upper bass bump of the prior RS1e. See below graph where the 1E (in gray) has a bass bump centered around 160Hz.

Grado RS1X (BLU/RED) vs RS1E (GRY)
Frequency Response


While I loved the more resolving driver of the RS1X, and the fancy wood resonance from the triple wood sandwich, I preferred the nice punchy bass bump of the RS1e. So what to do? I think @Philimon or @E_Schaaf turned me on to alternate pads. I know Amazon had a set that were similar to the Grados, but more squishy so they set closer to the ears. These Gerod bowls take a slightly different approach. Taping the standard bowls helped a bit, but this approach seemed ungainly or unwieldy. It felt too cheap, too DIY.

My ultimate goal was just to get back that RS1e bass bump without changing too much else. That is to retain the charm of the RS-1 upper mids (or the terror of it depending upon your point of view). The latest F-cushions worked wonders on the SR-225X and HF2 to make them rather neutral sounding, but simply do not work on the RS1e/x series. The F-cushions on the RS1e/x series results in too dark of a sound with significantly depressed mid-treble. So I took a small gamble on the Gerod pads on Amazon.

Here are the measurement results.

Frequency Response
Gerod Grado RS-1X - WHITE
Stock Bowl Grado RS-1X - ORANGE
Stock Bowl Grado RS-1E - BLUE (the benchmark)


Woohoo. I would have to say that these pads went beyond my expectations.

• A better bass dump, slightly lower in frequency to be more mid-bass rather than mid-high bass
• Better bass extension
• A slight toning down of the upper mid / lower treble
• Maintained mid-treble

No, the Gerod pads will not make a Grado RS-1X into having a Sennheiser HD6xx frequency response. What it will do is maintain the John Grado sound, but perhaps bring about more a strong mid-bass bump with lower extension with some moderation of the upper mids.

I will report back on other Grado models.

 

Here are results with the SR225X

Frequency Response
Gerod Grado SR225X - WHITE
Stock F-Cush Pad Grado SR225 - BLUE
Standard Grado Bowl SR225 - ORANGE

With the standard SR X series, the Gerod pads sort of splits the difference between the stock F-cush and the older standard style bowls. The Gerod pads extend the lows like the F-cush while largely retaining the uppers mids and highs of the bowls.

Those who felt the F-cushions on the latest SR-xxxX went too far in taming the Grado sound should consider the Gerod pads.