Home Headphone Comparisons Grado GS1000e vs. PS500e

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Updates:

  • 9/8/19. Per comment, the materials for the PS500e were incorrect. Fixed for accuracy.

Greetings friend and Welcome aboard!!

Before we get into the Grado GS1000e vs. PS500e, grab a snack, sit back and relax because…

You’ve come to the right place!!

What I will bring you in this review

Today I will give a quick rundown of the Similarities & Differences between these two bad boys, and then give a recommendation towards the end! 🙂

  1. Introduction
  2. Similarities & Differences
  3. Final Word

Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!!

Introduction

I’m lucky enough to be able to demo most Grado offerings, as my local Audio Advice carries many of the e series line, as well as some i series scrubs. 😛

I’ve done a lot of back and forth testing of the 1000e and 500e, and came to a few conclusions.

Photo Gallery

(PS500e images coming soon!)

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Similarities & Differences

Similarities

Differences

  • Loudness & Sibilance. From my perception, the Grado GS1000e’s sounded less sibilant overall. What does Sibilant mean? I don’t think the PS500e’s are sibilant, but at higher volumes they have the capacity to sound just a bit grating. It’s an extremely minor thing, and doesn’t actually bother me that much. Because I like my music loud, it’s pretty exhilarating. However, I can see how it would cause fatigue after awhile. While the PS500e’s are very loud (but still detailed), the GS1000e takes that sound and really tames it down. I actually believe that the GS1000e strikes an incredible balance between loudness, detail, and zing. You can plug these into a phone, jack up the volume, and they’re going to sound just about perfect. Grado really got it right here. The PS500e retains that same level of detail, but the overall sound is louder, intense, and in your face. Does that make them better? Not necessarily.
  • Ear-cushion & Fit. The GS1000e’s are Circumaural (Around the ear), and use the G-cushion, while the PS500e’s are Supra-aural (On-ear), and use the L-cushion. I like both, but if I had to choose I would select the G-cushion. It’s nice and spacious, and with the 1000e on I can barely tell I’m wearing anything! It’s like going commando but not. 😛
  • Materials  & Color. The PS500e’s are made of leather for the headband, metal alloy/mahogany hybrid enclosures, and a powder coated aluminum housing, and foam padding. The GS1000e’s are comprised of a leather headband, a larger mahogany housing, and foam padding. Because of that, the 500e’s are silver and black while the 1000e’s are wood colored and black.
  • Frequency Response. The GS1000e’s go from 8 – 35kHz, while the PS500e’s go from 14 – 29kHz.
  • Driver Size. The GS1000e’s sport 50mm drivers vs. the 44mm of the PS500e. What is a Headphone Driver?

Final Word

If I had to choose between these two, I would go with the GS1000e, as it’s got a seemingly more spacious and open sound signature, while still retaining a lot of detail and clarity. It’s pretty much the perfect Grado headphone because it strikes an amazing balance between loudness, tone, clarity, soundstage, detail, and precision.

However, it may not be worth the asking price when you could get 90-95% of the Grado sound from the SR60e. It’s hard for me to say that because of how much I love the 1000e, but it’s the truth. You will likely be just as excited with the 60e’s sound signature, while paying a fraction of the price. Interested in learning more about my favorite headphone for rock and all things electric guitar?

 

 

Well that’s about it for today folks! I hope you enjoyed my comparison review of the Grado GS1000e vs. PS500e.

Which of these headphones sounds more your style?? What do you think about the 80e? Let me know!!

If you have any other questions for me, leave them down below or Contact me as well. I would love to hear from you!!

All the best and God Bless,

 

 

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

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2 comments

Adamson September 8, 2019 - 8:13 am

PS500e ‘Polymer, Plastic and Foam’………….bullshit! get your facts right before you try telling people you actually know what you are babbling about!

Reply
Stuart Charles Black September 8, 2019 - 12:05 pm

Thank you for the correction Adamson! I will edit the article to reflect the materials. Next time try to calm down a little before you post. A simple, “Hey the materials you listed out are incorrect. Please change it so they are accurate.” That would have also sufficed. Thanks for stopping by!

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