Grado PS 500E Hi-Fi headphones

This PS 500E is the latest product in the US manufacturer's professional range. It partially uses the features that have made its big brother, the PS 1000E, such a success. It features the same leather headband with the vintage look that makes it depart from the current production. The system is extremely basic but it works a treat! The loudspeaker chambers are manufactured from a high density mahogany shell covered with aluminium. The hybrid design makes for great rigidity and minimises unwanted vibration and mechanical distortion. The earphone chambers accommodate a great 44 mm speaker with stunning capabilities in terms of frequency response 14 Hz/30 kHz! The speakers undergo uncompromising selection and pairing (0.05 dB!). The coil wiring of the transducers uses HPLC conductors. The lead is designed with 8 high purity copper conductors (High Purity Long Crystal). Though some of you may be put off by the design of old Grados, we have to say that these Grado PS500e Hi-Fi headphones are very comfortable to wear. The build quality is meticulous and shows good craftsmanship, in the positive sense of the word. It is entirely assembled by hand in the company’s historic Brooklyn workshop.

Like all headphones in this range, the PS 500E takes a good fifty hours of breaking in to achieve the perfect balance. Playback is detailed and very transparent. This PS 500E reproduces all the details of the recording to perfection. The signal is clear from any veiling or distortion. The timber quality and harmonic richness are amazing. The balance is also mind-blowing. This Grado PS 500E gives off a powerful and perfectly well articulated bass. The mids are superb in terms of authenticity and intelligibility. The high frequencies reach a very high pitch and are very pure.

These Hi-Fi headphones are definitely a top pick. They will easily please professionals and audiophiles with exacting standards alike. Grado's aim was to develop affordable headphones in direct lineage to its great PS1000E. They have definitely risen to the challenge!

A classic in this range.

AWARDS:

What Hi-Fi

Haute Fidélité - Best buy