Leave it to HeadRoom and Grado to team up yet again at Rocky Mountain Audio Festival debuting a brand-new headphone to the world. Last year, we were the first to present the GR10, Grado Labs' top audiophile in-ear monitors at the famed Denver high-end event; this year we offered RMAF attendees advance ear-time with the latest addition to the family, the Grado PS500 headphones. The Grado PS500 design DNA descends directly from their top full-size 'around-the-ear' [circumaural] 'Professional Series' model, the upscale PS1000 ($1,695), and both headphones share similar metal outer housings encasing wood-framed drivers. The smaller 'on-ear' [supra-aural] size of the PS500 will typically rest on the outer earlobes for most wearers and employs standard Grado 'bowl' earpads [with cut-out center; L-CUSH]. The PS500 tone sticks close to Grado's lively signature sound with a more pleasingly plump bottom-end response than we hear in other Grado headphones, along with the expected super-extended mids and highs. For bass lovers hemming & hawing about Grado's low-octave authority, the PS500 delivers plenty of bass heft focused through the prism of Grado's beautifully balanced musical delivery. A few may perhaps find the overall essence leaning slightly towards 'bright' with some recordings -- a' la the Grado SR325i -- while seekers of ultimate presence and detail in the upper treble ranges will no doubt swoon with big-grinned delight at the astonishing clarity and clean punch. Always a uniquely appealing brand to headphone geeks, Grado's hand-built USA-made quality and charm are clearly embodied in the PS500. We think they're superb headphones bringing classic Grado performance down to a within-reach investment for music lovers questing for purity and resolution in their personal audio experience.
Rating at a highly efficient 32 Ohms impedance like most other Grado cans, the Grado PS500 sounds fabulous without needing a headphone amp. Naturally, we always feel that adding a dedicated headphone amplifier can help audibly improve timbral smoothness and expand soundstage imaging via our killer HeadRoom crossfeed circuitry, but it is certainly not a required accessory for enjoying the headphones direct from computers or portable iPhone and iPad sources. The PS500 have a padded leather-cushioned headband with metal height adjusters connecting the rounded matte aluminum earcups to the headband, thus allowing for up & down adjustment plus full 360 rotation. This feature is nice for placing the headphones down flat for storage or transit. The PS500 headphone cord is a straight high-definition 'Grado proprietary' copper/OFC cable attaching to both earcups in a 'Y'-type connection. As with other on-ear Grado designs, there exists a slight tendency for the earpad fit to be a bit uncomfortable after extended listening due to the texture of the pad cushions, which may sometimes be ameliorated by gently (gently!) bending the headband frame to better conform to the top of the head. The available Grado Lab 'soft' style earpads [$15, 'S-Cush' earpads; sold separately] may also help tame the comfort issue for some heads. The PS500 high-quality OFC headphone cable terminates to a full-size 1/4' stereo plug and measures approximately 6ft in total cord length.
