Most Immersive Speaker Like Headphone - Drop Grell OAE1

[@KaneDWilliams]

Please try the Sennheiser HD490 Pro. I think you will like them a lot.

[@Atomicboy91]

They are so awesome. Very universal:)

[@ryanhostudio]

i really do want to! I was at canjam and they didnt have them....its too "pro" for it. But the hd620s was there....strange how they classify there headphones

[@arthurhaywood2184]

@@ryanhostudio That’s because they’ve been split into two separate companies. The “Pro” company doesn’t attend consumer shows. The HD 490 Pro is their product.

[@ryanhostudio]

@@arthurhaywood2184 yeah i think sonoma holds onto the sennheiser hd 500 and hd 600 series names and shapes so the sennheiser pro came up with a new form factor

[@el_arte]

You’re the first reviewer who likes these.

[@AronAddams7]

The reviews on these are polarizing, but I wish I could get one.

[@Nuevo_El_Nagual]

I need a dark headphone. Great review, thanks.

[@ryanhostudio]

you welcome!

[@liamporter1137]

Great review. Thanks for sharing. Didn't know there's front firing headphone.

[@ryanhostudio]

@@liamporter1137 you welcome! it’s pretty unique

[@Rob80b]

Thanks fo r the review...With regards to the treble let your ears adjust with the drivers set back. I was weaned on speakers so "headphone" treble "for me" is more often than not overdone, the OAE1 IMHO sounds the most natural as the treble is not directed into the ear but yes it will sound reduced and lacking immediacy and detail if compared to other headphones with direct into the ear drivers. I've also found the OAE1 ideal for mixing if ones music is not destined to headphones only! Also one becomes accustomed to the bass so that even that eventual sounds correct and gives that sub-woofer immersiveness. : )

[@ryanhostudio]

Treble is darker sounding because of the felt pad in front of driver, most likely was worth the trade off in all the scenarios they tested. Even with speakers there is optimal positioning of speakers tweeter relative to your ears. I think with the OAE1 the drivers are really close and its angled toward your ears. However people have different head and ears shapes making it harder to achieve optimal positioning especially for the treble. Another factor to it is that the further your ear is from the driver in the earcup, louder you also have to turn up your volume to compensate for the increased distance

[@TC-bz8sm]

Great review ! Though dekoni cobalt are closed back, which one like the best if you can only afford one and would interesting to know your reasons thanks

[@ryanhostudio]

@@TC-bz8sm i like the the drop grell oae1 more simply because i like the deep and impactful bass it has and smooth highs

[@pickyaudiophile]

Curious about the Aune SR7000 with that newly developed concept of "South Manhattan skyline" shaped molded foam element inside.

[@Petrus-d2f]

Aune SR7000 are epic!

[@BunnyslippersEUC]

Does the Grell have more bass than the Eris? Does the Grell have a more speaker presentation than the Raal I tried, with the swivel ribbon drivers? Or more than the Ergo helmetphones. I am going to buy the Ergo2. A lot of headphones are angled. My Stax are angled: the Denon, One More triple Trident.

[@ryanhostudio]

i tried eris it’s definitely more bassy like a true bass head headphone but i think Grell sounds tuned more normally with better mids and treble. I tried the Raal that like hangs out in front of your head, that one actually has better “speaker like” presentation in sense of it sounds like it’s further out and in front of you, because it’s physically positioned too. But the Grell has wayyyy more bass than the Raal where low end is more absent. I found raal a little bright well Grell is more dark. Like i showed in my video lots of drivers are angled but not many to the same degree as Grell which gives a lot of center and forward imaging as a result

[@elasmojones]

I have both, Eris is a real basshead treat, Grell isn't quite there. Prefer the Eris just because of how different it is. Only thing I've heard that even competes is Meze 99

[@fatdoi003]

it has bass alright but nothing from upper mids to treble....... nothing

[@wahidtafsir33]

are these good for immersive gaming , does this make you feel immersed in the world ?

[@ryanhostudio]

it definitely does with its big bass and its speaker like presentation

[@jamesstevens968]

Hi ryan what headphones would you pick for gaming and movies sennheiser 660s2 or the filo ft1 pro or the beyerdynamic 1770 mk2 or the sennheiser h6 pro or the zeos harmonic dyne x which one would you choose i was leaning towards the harmonic dyne x. im currently using the beyerdynamic mmx 330 pro. Thanks ryan stay safe and happy gaming to all.

[@ryanhostudio]

@@jamesstevens968 i haven’t tried the mmx 330 or new 1770 mk2 but i can easily recommend the fiio ft1. Good easy to listen but fun bass profile. The imaging is amazing i can hear everything when im playing valorant and know pin point positioning as

[@Enzo_560]

Well. If only they fit. These at max adjustment for me had the pads crushing the bottom of my ear and partially covering over it. Never had a headphone with a smaller maximum adjustment than this, that includes cheap $20 range chinese headsets. From that limited experience hearing it sub optimally, I thought it likely was what I was looking for but sadly couldn’t keep for that reason. If only they’d provide an alternate larger headband…

[@arthurhaywood2184]

Axel Grell ‘worked’ at Sennheiser???!!! That’s a bit of an understatement!!! Axel designed and created all of their greatest headphones. All of them….. I heard both the prototype and the LE. My opinion on the LE, on a limited audition in less than optimal circumstances, was that it was okay but not worth the asking price at the time (~$500?). I thought that the Aune AR5000, which had a similar design and was cheaper, sounded better. Again, this was under non-optimal conditions. Now that they’ve reduced the price, these may be a valid able option due to the better build.

[@ryanhostudio]

Haha I surely was not understating it. I also listened to it quickly at canjam but I find listening at home and having the time to spend finding optimal positioning on my head the biggest difference and improvement in listening to them

[@KaledTV]

Seems like these will be competing with the HD 490 Pro, maybe that's the Sennheiser model they should be compared to.

[@ryanhostudio]

the perspective was other headphones Axel Grell worked on before and how it differed. But yeah that is sennheiser newest product to compare too

[@TreSwayy]

The 490s are decent. Not mindblowing though

[@fatdoi003]

one of THE worst audio purchases i've ever made..... the string instruments sounded so thin and distant it's unlistenable

[@Petrus-d2f]

Are you talking about these or the previous release earlier this year?

[@fatdoi003]

@@Petrus-d2f the first batch

[@Petrus-d2f]

@fatdoi003 yes, I wasn't impressed either, however I am curious about this revision.