“The
apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”… Grado Labs takes “IP” learned from the
development of the State of the Art PS1000 and
has applied it to a form factor
that is compact resulting in the PS500.
The PS500 creates an articulate and
dynamic musical presentation that will put a smile on the most demanding sound professionals and music enthusiasts.Grado releases the little brother of their state-of-the-art PS 1000
Headphones, using trickle-down technology to cut the price by
two-thirds, while retaining much of the performance! Also made in
America, the new PS 500s are Grado's second offering in their
Professional Series line, designed both for the audiophile and recording
engineer who value neutrality and high definition over all other design
goals. They are an open air design, as are all high end Grado's, and
are very light and comfortable. At an MSRP of $595, they are an
extraordinary value, and fully appropriate for both reference and
critical listening. In the category of musical neutrality for the picky
audiophile and the demanding recording engineer, the PS 500s are
unsurpassed at this price point.
Grado achieved this minor miracle by applying the lessons learned in
constructing the wondrous PS 1000s. While still using mahogany to cover
the motors, they added aluminum shells to double dampen the housing and
kill vibrations. This sandwich design creates the most neutral
performance under $600. The large diaphragms contain rare earth metals,
including gold wire for maximum definition. The connecting cable is
Grado's newest formula, with some fifteen wires enclosed in a
proprietary shell. By being American made, they save big bucks from
having to import phones from China and can, instead, bulk up on the
technology. The PS 500s are available now as you read this review.
