Heishiro, unless someone, say the manufacturer, wants to lend me a pair of the MS2 headphones, I don't have access to them. A retailer in the area has a wide array of headphones, but not unlimited. I had the chance to listen to Audio Technica, Grado, Sennheiser and AKG. Being able to listen and compare them was a great, and I would always recommend supporting a bricks and morter retailer, if possible. Not all have access to one, and certainly not one that carries such an array of headphones. The retailer said that buyers this holiday blew through almost his entire stock of headphones -- big sellers!

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Nice review. I think the SR325i (haven't tried is yet) is a very nice can.

I just got my Grado HF-2 (15 hours of play time so far) and i love them!

Thank you very much.

With all due respect, I'm not sure I would, as you did, offer an opinion about a pair of headphones that you haven't heard (the 325is). After all, they could be an underachiever in a line of very good headphones. I have a pair of Castle Eden speakers. It is a monitor sized model that is considered one of the very finest speakers ever put out in their price range, sounding as good as speakers twice their initial price. Castle put out a pair of floorstanders at the same time which retailed for the same price (I think, but not sure, that the model was called the Kendall). They were considered a failure and not nearly the speaker that the Eden is.

However, I understand that many seem to love the HF-2. Where are these sold?

Great comparison--especially for people who aren't all too familiar with all that audiophile jargon like myself. Makes me even more excited for the SR325is I just ordered last week.

Can't wait!

Very cool, Rob. Probably the most rewarding post from anyone I have read. I hope that this is just the beginning. Remember, it's all about making the listening experience more meaningful, not about the gear itself. Do as much listening as you can, and to a variety of components. Every part of your system is system dependent -- that is, it can sound different depending on with what you are partnering it. In the process, you'll discover what is most important to you. For me, I am mostly about how the music affects me. I would opt for a system that has limited bandwidth that allows me to have an emotional connection to the performer. I have heard systems that are very detailed and analytical that leave me bored. What I noticed, in my initial headphone listening session several weeks back, that there were headphones that were perhaps better, in audiophile terms, than the Grados, but bored me. I noticed that even with the Grado SR125i headphones, I was really captivated by the words that the vocalist was singing. The same CD through a pair of Audio Technica phones had a more spacious soundstage and had more weight in the bottom end, but left me uninterested in her performance. A set of headphones that would be good for long, relaxing listening sessions, but on the other hand, left me uninterested musically.

It's easy to get caught up in first impressions like "Oh wow, listen to how clear the highs are, or how much I feel that bass drum!", but those qualities are not necessarily what the music is about.

Good luck on your mission.

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It's all too easy, from what I've seen(and done), to become engrossed with the notion of what equipment is "best" rather than what sounds best--the audiophile's dilemma! I've just started my so-called "audiophile-journey-into-the-money-draining-abyss" and the only equipment I've aquired that's worth mentioning is my Asus Xonar STX Essence card and my HD595s. I love my current set-up--at this very moment I'm playing Mazzy Star's So Tonight That I Might See and although I have little to compare to (I was using the HD435s coupled with onboard audio prior to this) it seems that my current set-up not necessarily emphasizes that uncanny and subtle "roughness" (sorry, I'm unversed when it comes to audio description) to Hope Sandoval's voice, but brings it to the surface..."presents" it, I suppose--and God, it's fantastic.

But then again--maybe she sounds like that on any decent equipment and I'm simply disillusioned in my unexperience. I don't know anything about audio! But I don't mind because then I can look forward to being surprised when I hear how much better she sounds on some other set-up. As you said: it's an adventure and it seems to me that beauty is scattered all about; ready to be uncovered and enjoyed.

But I do have to admit that it's hard to convince yourself that those $600 headphones may not be any better than your $150 pair. And I try my best not to dig too deep into reviews (this is especially a problem for me with music reviews...going on MetaCritic and looking at the number score for albums is often the deciding factor if I choose to buy an album or not. To me, that's absolutely insane. I shouldn't care that some supercilious Rolling Stone reviewer thinks an album is an "under-developed, misguided attempt at music". Screw him--we should listen to what we enjoy and not make music anymore elevated and obscure than it needs to be).

So I try--although I do fail--to simply judge by what I alone think. And not only with music--from books, to people, to the moral merits of some political decision.

I know that I'm just "some guy" with no experience whatsoever in audio...but your post inspired me to go on a disorderly and disorganized rant about how I see music. I hope you don't mind. Lovely post, by the way.

One last comment. The other day I dug my HD435s out of my closet and I noticed that they were not nearly as transparent as the HD595s...and they almost felt as if they were tinging what I was listening to. But I didn't mind that much--I savored the bass, put on some AC/DC and rocked-out and it was fun.

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"One last comment. The other day I dug my HD435s out of my closet and I noticed that they were not nearly as transparent as the HD595s...and they almost felt as if they were tinging what I was listening to. But I didn't mind that much--I savored the bass, put on some AC/DC and rocked-out and it was fun. "

Well, the latter is what the listening experience is all about, in my book.

Now whether a $600 pair is better than a $150 depends on many things, including what other equipment you have. A hard to drive set of headphones won't sound very interesting regardless of how much they cost. Keep in mind, there is a sort of synergy with equipment. Once you upgrade one thing, you'll eventually need to upgrade everything else in order to bring out the ability of that upgrade. A set of $10,000 speakers are not likely to shine with a $500 amp, but with the more limited demands of a good pair of $500 speakers, that $500 might be a relatively good match.

Nice review. When I first got RS1's it wasn't immediately clear that they were better than the MS2's, and not just tuned differently. After several hours of A-B:ing, the improvements across the board became more apparent. I have only listened to the 325i's briefly, but understanding they are similar to MS2's, agree that 325's / MS2's are the sweet sport in the Grado line-up when you throw value into the equation.

Electronic music go with MS-2. Acoustic music go RS-1. While the RS-1 do sound good, the metal enclosures of the MS-2 have a better impact/sharpness that electric instruments use. I thought the MS-2 sounded better on electric guitar than the RS-1 and the GS-1000.

This is an opinion from meet conditions and not an exhaustive comparison.

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

I think there is more of a difference between the 325is and the RS1. It certainly depends on the type of music to which you're listening. For me, while there was certainly a strong resemblance between the two, I could hear a serious difference in the soundstage and the relaxation of the top end of the RS1 to make it a much more enjoyable experience for many types of music. Large scale orchestral music will better be served through the RS1. There is better spatial information, not just of the hall in which the music was recorded, but in and around the instruments. With the top end not being quite so forward, instruments seemed to image with more truth within their own space. I believed the image more, if you know what I mean.

Furthermore, the RS1 is capable of delivering a far greater blow in the bottom end. As I wrote in my review, the difference between the RS1 and the 325is, even with a CD of The Who's "Tommy", was like an explosion hitting me in the stomach and merely given a medium-sized punch there.

That kind of more meaningful communication of the music is worth the difference between the two headphones, IF I could afford it. The difference between the 325is and 225is is not as much in absolute dollars and the two headphones, to my ears, are two substantially different cans. But also to my ears, the 325is still has compromises, whereas the RS1 is pretty much a complete listening experience. I don't hear anything lacking with the RS1. Going up from here is a much more subtle jump. If I didn't feel a budget crunch right now, I would have gone for the RS1. I could see myself eventually going for one. On the other hand, given how relatively little headphone listening I do, I doubt I'd ever upgrade from the RS1.

Put it this way, my loudspeakers are superior to the 325is in a few important areas. Even though the 325is headphones are a fine sounding headphone, I would overall rather listen through my loudspeakers. Not the case with the RS1 headphones. The RS1 headphones are at least the equal, if not just a bit better in a couple areas than my loudspeakers. I would not really be giving anything up listening through them. That is a significant difference to me.

I will say that the 325is is easily more than the 50% retail difference better than the 225i. Is the RS1 133% better than the 325is? Maybe not THAT much, and if your source players, amp and music sources aren't of the highest quality, probably not worth the difference. But if you have a lot invested in high resolution sources such as fine analog playback and SACD, you probably are looking for more refinement and playback that is capable of giving you all of the music, including macro and micro-dynamics. In THAT case, you're going to hear the limitations of the 325is. It is with the RS1 headphones that you'll notice that whatever the musicians are doing, you're getting it all from them, and with ease.

So it is with the absolutely more demanding music where you'll REALLY appreciate what the RS1 can deliver. Don't feed it such music, and the differences between the 325is and RS1 will be minimized.

But for me, I had to make a financial choice, and even the 325is was above where I wanted to currently spend.

Great review! Loved the spread of Grados that you covered. Makes me miss my SR-325is's quite a bit. It seems more and more that it is a popular misconception that the "is" model, at least, is too shrill. Perhaps still a problem with the "i" model and below, but it sounds like John has refined the SR-325is into a refutable best-for-the-money Grado contender with no glaring--no pun intended--flaws.

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I'd be careful with testimony that's the exception rather than the rule. Unless your equipment and choice of music being matched with the 325is is similar, then you're likely to have a different experience. I find my 325is to be spectacular with some of my music and quite strident with others with very early fatigue setting in. There are many here whose major listening genre happens to be the music that I don't like listening to with the 325is, i.e., rock and metal. For my ears, the Ed8's are much better suited for that.

Frankly, though, I'm wondering whether even the 325i model was shrill. I haven't heard it, so I'm guessing. BUT, the 225i is clearly rolled off. You can hear it with classical music. The RS1's highs are extended but laid back, making bright recordings easier to listen to. The 325is has highs that are extended, but forward. Already bright recordings are really going to be in your face. I tried listening to the 325is on my Blackberry, playing .wav files. Well-recorded material lacks impact in the low end that an amp helps bring out on the 325is headphones. The top end is a bit bright, relatively speaking. I generally listen to well-recorded and mastered music. But I do listen occasionally to great music that hasn't been well-recorded or well-produced and the 325is is not going to be user-friendly with it. The RS1 would definitely be better in that regard. So would the 225i, but the 225i does it because it is quite rolled off on top. The RS1 does it because the top end is more laid back.

As I have said, the 325is is NOT a perfect headphone. There IS a difference between it and the RS1. The RS1 is a great headphone, period. The 325is is a really good headphone and excellent value, and for MY listening habits, MUCH better than the 225i. That being said, I do have to put up with a high end that is more forward than I'd like. That its midrange is killer and bottom end is tuneful and taut, and the transients are quick make it a great compromise for me. The RS1 represents a 'no-compromise' for me.

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My Millett amp really does do a good job largely ameliorating the top end forwardness. The 325is are excellent for rock, aside from the forward top end, because they are extremely quick and have a detailed, killer midrange. They are far from boring. Some of the headphones I listened to that had a larger soundstage weren't nearly as exciting to listen to. The Who's "Tommy" sounds great through these.

I could certainly see, though, that if you don't have the best amp match for these 325is, a long-term listen could be fatiguing with certain types of music. In a way, you do get a very exciting presentation of music versus a more relaxed, but less exciting listening experience with some others. These aren't going to be on my head for hours. More likely an hour or less, late at night.

I'll certainly continue to listen. A real test will be when I get my analog rig back up and running. The motor on my turntable is at VPI getting repaired.