Outer Fidelity

After listening to these monitors for a little over a year now, I've come to appreciate just how brilliant they are. That being said, there are a few things I have to get off my chest before I continue with the review. For a good part of my time with the A5+s, I had them sitting with the tweeters positioned not but 4 inches below my ears. In this position, I couldn't help but realize that anything in the mid-high range sounded incredibly muddy and lacked any sort of brightness whatsoever. Recently, however, I set them a'top some old books to see if positioning was playing into their sound in any way. As soon as I pressed play on some lossless Santana (Smooth, Supernatural) I realized that putting them down at neck level was a huge mistake. The monitors were far brighter than they used to be and above all they suddenly became highly accurate in the mids. After listening to them for quite some time now in their new and superior position, I have come to adore their highly accurate sound. Using my fairly neutral FiiO DAC, I've found that while the AudioEngines may not sound as warm and modified (in a good way) as some of their competitors, they do produce a very crisp and clean sound that can reign supreme in home studio and editing environments.

These are my third pair of decidedly "good" headphones I've owned, and they are by far my favorite.

In order to get a fairer sense of where I'm coming from, I should provide a brief history on my headphone collection.

It started off December of 2013, when I received a pair of B&O H6 over ear, closed back headphones. When I had first tested them, I was blown away by the soundstage, the crisp mids and highs, and the neutral response. Even with a pair of AudioTechnica ATH-M50x's, these remained my reference for the year. 

The M50x's had a boomier bass, was quicker, but lacked transparency. It's wobbly high's, and punchy mids, make these headphones very specific.

This was when I fell into the Grados. Up until then, I hadn't really heard high end audio, so I wasn't sure what I should be looking for. The first time I listened to Grados, was a pair of SR80i's at UrbanOutfitters, and only for 5 minutes max. But already I was blown away by the soundstage, transparency, and the intimacy of open back headphones.

The are all impressions from someone who has never heard anything else, and should not be considered true reviews.

I have a local Audio Store a few blocks from my school, and I only intended to peek at first. Seeing Wilsons, Sonus Fabers, and a Vivaldi Stack, to only scratch the surface, this was my first experience with true equipment. They have a fantastic headphone room, stocked with Grados, Sennheisers, and an Audeze LCD-X. That day I spent two hours trying out the SR80's, the SR125's, and then jumping up to the GS1000's. 

The Grado GS1000's fantastic soundstage, clear, warm and punchy mids, and plenty of bass, put these as the best I've heard.

Of course, the GS1000's were a little out of my price range, but after another two hours on another day, I settled upon the RS2e model, right at the top of my price range. I didn't like the plastic 225's, the 325's were too heavy, and the RS1's were too expensive, 

As the little brother of the RS1's, the RS2's sport the same Mahogany earcups, leather headband, and a solid controlling cable. I love Grado's down to earth, warm, rich, and simple design. Out with Sennheiser's sparkly plasic or metal cages:

Or Stax's square earcups:

(Need I mention the Jecklin Floats?)

Grado's simplistic headphones may seem undeveloped, ancient, whatever you want to call it, but I think it keeps them luxurious.

But!!! How do they sound?

Good. Bright. Sibilant. Warm. Intimate.

This may sound like a contradiction...I'll get there.

These headphones aren't about accuracy, they aren't about that bass, not even treble, what they do well, is the midrange. 

Bass is shallow, but when it's there it's present. Pairing it with an old NAD 3125 stereo receiver adds some bass response, and proves they handle it well. With my Little Dot 1+, it's present, but recessed. Drums are there, but lack the punch that a pair of Audezes will provide.

That being said, the mid section is the strongest suit. Warm, inviting, and just kind of there. The drivers are so close to the ear, and so simply implemented, the mid tones are very transparent. 

At the treble region, the RS2's perform well, although without the fine detail achieved from a pair of HD800's, or K702's. While these headphones can be sibilant, or bright, I find them to not be fatiguing. This makes them excellent for rock and jazz. Electric guitars, and saxophones are piercing and present.

While the soundstage isn't very wide, I find that it has a pleasantly round stage. Instruments are well separated, although it's a little difficult to place them. The open backs certainly make the headphones feel larger than they are.

These headphones are my go to for rock and jazz. The warmth, the intimate soundstaging that puts you right there with the artists, and the electrifying highs, make these headphones fun and always exciting. They are easy to drive, and very forgiving, they'll sound decent on almost any amp, but will definitely reward you if you purchase a nicer one.

What they lack in neutrality, speed, and fine detail, they make up with their fantastically low sound floor, fun sound, and easy drive requirements. 

Grados certainly improve as you ascend their ranks, if they're worth the extra money? That's up for you to decide. If springing for a pair of RS2e's seems a bit steep, try the SR80's, much cheaper, but still retaining the signature Grado sound, they are also a highly recommended pair.