Grado RS1i Avis | 93 Données comparées

The Grado RS1i headphones ($695 MSRP) are open-ear dynamic transducers praised for their comfortable 9-ounce lightweight design, handcrafted mahogany earpieces, and rotatable ear cups that lie flat for travel. Sonically, they offer an exceptionally rich, velvety, and realistic midrange that excels with vocals, pop, and stripped-down acoustic music. Thanks to their 32-ohm impedance and high sensitivity, they are incredibly easy to power directly from smartphones or tablets without requiring a dedicated amplifier, though they still benefit from one. However, the review highlights several distinct drawbacks, including a loose, "woolly" bass response and lost low-end definition when pushed at high volumes with demanding electronic or rock tracks. Out of the box, they exhibit a slightly cold presentation with noticeable hardness in the upper midrange and lower treble, which requires roughly 50 to 60 hours of break-in time to diminish. Additionally, they fall short of more expensive planar magnetic competitors regarding ultimate soundstage depth and absolute "see-through" transparency, resulting in a colored but deeply engaging listening experience.

The Grado RS1i is a lightweight, 260-gram open-back on-ear flagship headphone from Grado's "Reference Series" that features a distinctive vintage aesthetic highlighted by handcrafted mahogany wood cups. Priced at an original MSRP of $695, its standout pros include a timeless exotic look, full 360-degree earcup rotation, a gentle clamping force, and passive noise isolation and sound leakage control that surprisingly outperform many competing open-back headphones. Additionally, it ships with a functional "pizza box" storage case and a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter cable for portable device compatibility. However, the headphone suffers from major comfort and design drawbacks. The primary con is its severe lack of long-term comfort; the stiff, sponge-like stock earpads dig into the user's ears and cause noticeable discomfort after just a couple of hours. The build quality also features notable compromises, such as an unpadded single-piece leather headband, a non-clicking cup adjustment mechanism, and a thick, stiff, non-detachable dual-sided cable that is inconveniently short for standard listening sessions.

The Grado RS1i is highlighted as an exciting, rhythmic, and highly engaging headphone specifically voiced to excel with rock, metal, and electronic music. Its key pros include an aggressive, forward midrange and pushed upper bass that successfully deliver an immersive, "on-stage" listening experience with punchy, hard-hitting timing. It provides remarkably precise imaging and unexpected physical isolation, which helps keep the audio presentation cohesive and musical without introducing any metallic coloration into the treble. Furthermore, its lively sonic character remains incredibly involving when paired correctly with warm or analogue-sounding audio sources. However, the headphone features several distinct cons that limit its sonic versatility. Its physical structure and forward tuning result in a very small soundstage, and its frequency response is heavily colored, making it a poor choice for classical music where instrument accuracy is vital. There is a pronounced peak around 3–4 kHz that can cause vocals to sound excessively close or nasal, and electric guitars to become overly snarling. Additionally, it lacks true sub-bass extension in the lowest frequencies and risks sounding thin, harsh, or uninvolving if paired with a...