Grado HF-1 Special Edition Headphone Review

As a long time Sennheiser guy I was excited to try out the 'Grado' sound when the HF-1's were announced. It seemed like the perfect combination of value, forum support, limited edition-ness, and the fact that it was housed in wood was a huge plus. Here's how I tested them out:

Sources

NAD 505 CD Player
EMU 0404

Amp

Gilmore Dynalo (aka Gilmore Lite)

Cables

Custom EMU-0404 Breakout (20 awg silver plated copper soldered to D-Sub, fully shielded)
Custom Analog Interconnects (4x18 awg silver plated copper, double signal/double ground, fully shielded)

Music

Sarah Brightman (operatic/classical)
Nirvana MTV Unplugged (acoustic/live)
Mars Volta / System of a Down (loud rock)
Dark Side of the Moon (mellow rock)
John B / High Contrast (drum'n'bass)
Adam Beyer (minimalist techno)
Typical Cats (Chicago underground jazzy hip hop)

Using my HD650's w/ custom cable as a benchmark here's how the HF-1 stands up:

Bass: Very good bass response in the HF-1. It's deep, full, and punchy. Pretty much on par with the HD650 for rock and electronic, though the HD650 takes the lead with Sarah Brightman since it's a little more controlled and smooth. For rock, electronica, and hip hop I rate it as a tie.

Mids: The HF-1 is very forward - no surprise there. The mids were clean and clear, a very high quality sound. A tad bright for my tastes but not disturbingly bright or anything. For pretty much everything but Sarah Brightman and Nirvana the mids are quite satisfying, but the HD650 again wins on the acoustic/classical side of things since it's a little more refined and clear.

Highs: The HF-1's are brighter than the HD650, but not as much as I would have guessed from reading all the Senn vs. Grado threads. Maybe the wood tones it down? However, the HF-1 is still noticably brighter than the HD650 and with some tracks that's fine (Dark Side, electronica, hip hop) and on some tracks it's not as nice (System and Mars became a bit overpowering, classical seemed to forward). Also I noticed some grain in the highs. For this the HD650 takes the cake on all tracks, though that shouldn't be taken to suggest the HF-1's are 'bad' at highs. This is probably an area where the comparison is a little unfair since I'm comparing the Senn flagship can to a more midrange Grado.

Soundstage: Grado has a pretty small soundstage. The common analogy is that Grados put you on the stage while Senns put you in the audience. I feel like it's not so much that Grados put you on stage while Senns puts you in the audience, it's more like Grados put you in the *recording* while Senns put you in the *room*. I feel like the HF-1 shoots sound into my ear and is very accurate. I've attached some pics so notice how the Grado driver is mounted very close to the ear-facing opening leaving almost no chamber space - it's like the driver just shoots the recording into your ear as is. For Dark Side, which seems to have a bit of reverb built in, this was fine. More intimate than the Senns and very pleasant. For Sarah and Nirvana it seemed to close up the space that the Senns give me, as if instead of a concert hall I was in a recording studio. It didn't feel as 'real'. Ultimately soundstage is highly subject to personal taste so take it as you will. I've attached some pics, notice how the Grado driver is mounted very close to the ear-facing opening leaving almost no chamber space - it's like the driver just shoots the recording into your ear as is.

Build Quality: Here was one area where I was a dissatisfied with the HF-1. We all know Grado loves hot glue and that the money goes to drivers and not the build. I'm not a snob who thinks the use of hot glue is bad in and of itself, but when my HF-1's literally fell apart when I was trying to take off the bowl pad I was stunned! And for the record, I was NOT tugging hard. In fact I had barely started trying to remove it and the whole wooden cup just popped out. For a $200 headphone that's pretty crappy. While it was open I looked inside. It seems 3/4 of the wooden chamer is behind the driver, and a zip tie was used to both secure the wire cover and as a strain relief. Cheap, yet admittedly clever. Luckily I'm pretty handly so I removed the old glue and hot-glued it back together, but for a headphone that's 4x the price that any 'normal' person would pay I would expect it to at least stay together properly.

Overall: Besides the build quality I'm very impressed. Great sound and not nearly as bright and forward as the Senn vs. Grado threads would have you think (though it IS more bright and forward than the Senn). I'm glad to add it to my collection.

--Sean

posted on 10.04.05

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