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The HP1000s have excellent bass extension. I can hear 20Hz test tones very clearly, and I get that hollow, cavernous feeling in my head and neck that you can get with headphones that have very deep (great extension) bass. The bass impact is also very good. It is not as bloated as the PS-1 or as overpowering as the deep bass of the L3000, but rather I find it to be quite realistic and neutral. It has excellent speed and response, the bass quality is also very good.

I also find the entire midrange to be quite neutral. There is not one frequency that stands out over another. The highs are ever so slightly rolled off compared to other headphones. I have trouble hearing 19kHz and 20kHz on the HP1000s, but that is of no real concern, as frequencies that high are generally not part of normal music at all.

The soundstage is quite surprising for a grado. It is not as big as the GS1000, but it is much, much larger than the current line of Grados below the GS1000. It does not rival the K1000, but I find it to be comparable to current top of the line headphones from companies such as AKG and Audio-Technica.

Detail is good. The details are not thrown in your face as they are on some other headphones, but they are all audible and can be picked out if listening for them. Generally, though, the HP1000s just melt away leaving nothing but the music -- you don't listen to the equipment as so many other headphones promote through their sound signature.

Portability is rated N/A. These are not made to be portable and as such it will not have weight in the rating. Same thing goes for isolation.

I find the comfort surprisingly good. I use the flat pads, and I believe they are the only way to go with the HP-1000, they were built around flats. Durability is excellent. You could use the HP1000 to kill somebody if you were forced to.

Improvement with amplification is good and noticeable. There is a big difference in loudness and overall control when being driven from a PCDP and a dedicated headphone amp (specifically Cayin HA-1A, soon to be replaced with Singlepower MPX3 SLAM).

Value for the money...
I would easily pay $1000-$1300 for the HP1000. That being said however, I would NOT pay the recent market prices of $1800-$2000+. That is simply unreasonable and is driven up by collectors, unfortunately.

Listening to Faith No More - Angel Dust right now... and I am in a trance. Enough said.

I own two pairs of the HP2 variety of this headphone (both with the ultra-wide bandwidth cable). they have a warm, organic sound and despite being more than ten years old they still have a great sound that is comparable to today's current best headphones. despite being a 40-Ohm headphone, they are relatively hard to drive and having proper amplification helps out a lot with the sound.

the original grado headphone, and still might be the best grado headphone made to date.

I have owned the HP-2 with the MPX3 and Headroom Cosmic amplifiers. I have also had an extended audition (several hours) of the HP-2 with a maxed PPA.

The HP-2's general sound is quite flat sounding. That is, the headphone itself is quite neutral. It does not really emphasize any particular frequency. The highs are quite good, however there does appear to be a bit of roll-off. The midrange is satisfying, however there might be a bit of a dip in frequency response in the lower midrange.

The HP-2 with flat pads have below average comfort. This is due to the weight, the distribution of weight, and the abrasiveness of the pads.

The durability, and aesthetics of these headphones are excellent. They are quite possibly the toughest headphone ever made. It is quite obvious they were made for the rigors of the studio.