Best Grado Mod to Lift Drivers From Ear

Changing pads is the easiest way to adjust sound with Grado's, so anything you do with them will change the sound somewhat.  The Senn 414 pads will put your ears closer to the drivers than the L cush pads you have now.  They will cover the driver opening though, unless you do the reverse quarter mod with them.  The Sennheiser pads felt a bit softer to me than the ones that came with my Grados.

 

The S Cush Comfies are also flatter, but have a different feel to them...can't take the S Cush pads myself, they felt like someone had impregnated them with sandpaper.

 

The G Cush Bowl pads are the largest, and reputably  the most comfortable pad that Grado offers.  They are very large and fit around the ear, but have severe effects on the sound, wiping out the bass and turning up the treble on an already bright set.  Or so I've read.   Never tried them myself.  They aren't really intended for the 225i.

 

The sock mod darkens the sound on my SR60i's, but this isn't an entirely bad thing, as I don't have as much sonic fatigue from the highs anymore.  You may not like the effect though.  One good thing about the sock mod is that it is completely reversible, with no ill effect on your L cush pads. The sock mod leaves the opening to the drivers though, so if your ear is sticking through to the hard cover over the driver, the sock mod may not help too much.

 

My advice is to try a few different things.  The Sennheiser pads are not very expensive, so not a great waste if you don't like them.  You'll have to sacrifice a pair of socks for the sock mod, but again, not going to break the bank.  And you may just need more time to adjust.  It took me weeks to get used to the feel, even with my home-made pads and the sock mod on them. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Kerry56 - 2/6/12 at 3:16pm

try the beyerdynamic pad mod.

Have had the 325is for a few weeks now. They take some getting used to. After awhile they do tend to hurt but I find my self being able to listen to them longer and longer each time. For me it was finding the best place to have them sit on my ears. I'm debating on the G Cush pads, but having a hard time justifying the price for some foam.

When I said the sock mod darkens the sound, I just meant that it takes some of the harshness out of the upper mid range and treble.  Dark and warm are not terribly accurate descriptions of sound quality and will differ in degree from one person to another when they try to relate what they are hearing.   A warm tone usually means that the mid bass levels are a bit more prominent.

 

Grado's are rarely described as having a warm tone, as their strengths are in the upper mids and treble, and thus are described as bright.  This is true at least for the less expensive Grado's.  Haven't heard any of their more expensive sets.

 

One interesting experiment to try with your L cush pads is the tape mod.  Take some tape that doesn't leave sticky residue (like gaffers tape) and wrap the outside of the bowls with the tape.  This enhances the bass.  The restriction of air through the pads apparently causes this effect. The sock mod also has a bit of the same result, though it isn't as restrictive of air flow.