Quote:

williamleonhart said:

  With 4 pairs still left in my inventory (just had to let the 325is go for financial reasons and looking to buy the iGi again), you could say that I'm very happy with Grado  ...
 
... I've tried bending the headbands too and I've always tried to wear them on ear, but there's only so much I can take. Anyway, 1 - 2 hours is enough for a (healthy) listening session, I believe. So that's not as much a problem as it sounds. I use my PS500 with Gs when I need better comfort (for example when I'm writing stuffs or watching movies), but just like those fullsize cans, they can make me sweat.

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I find the L-cushion very comfortable, and can not imagine a more comfy headphone. I made a thread about it. http://www.head-fi.org/t/754373/grado-l-cushion-comfort-for-sr225-ps500#post_11345196
 
My headband has widened over time which has improved comfort even more. Initially I could wear them for hours a day. However after three days like that, there was a reddening on one side on past of the pinna. (Can't really complain about that, since three days for hours a day it lots.) Now they have slackened just enough and that slight pressure has gone.
 
I did wonder about i/e-Grado comfort though. It appears to grip the pinna at the top. There are also lots of customer grumbles about comfort on Amazon lower star reviews. I still think I want some though. For me, at the moment the cheapest retailer is the Grado UK website, but they are still listing the iGrado.

greenbow said:

  Quote:
I find the L-cushion very comfortable, and can not imagine a more comfy headphone. I made a thread about it. http://www.head-fi.org/t/754373/grado-l-cushion-comfort-for-sr225-ps500#post_11345196
 
My headband has widened over time which has improved comfort even more. Initially I could wear them for hours a day. However after three days like that, there was a reddening on one side on past of the pinna. (Can't really complain about that, since three days for hours a day it lots.) Now they have slackened just enough and that slight pressure has gone.
 
I did wonder about i/e-Grado comfort though. It appears to grip the pinna at the top. There are also lots of customer grumbles about comfort on Amazon lower star reviews. I still think I want some though. For me, at the moment the cheapest retailer is the Grado UK website, but they are still listing the iGrado.

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The thing is if you bend the headband out a lot you'll lose a tad of the bass. Sure the cans will feel like there's nothing on your head (which happened to my old MS1 and RS1i, the 325is is too heavy for that to happen), but there's an audible change in sound. It's very hard to find the suitable clamp force for Grados.
Also, when you do some padding for the headband, you can reduce the clamp force and make it softer for the top of your head (sorry I don't know the English word for that part) too. 
 
Below is the padding that I think should be made on Grado headphones. 
http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Leatherette-Universal-Sennheiser-Beyerdynamic/dp/B00862522A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435833563&sr=8-1&keywords=grado+headband

I only mean my headband has stretched naturally to fit probably. I have not stretched it myself. I was too afraid to stretch it in case I made the headband misshapen. Just when they were new they did press one pinna after extensive use over three days. That's a big ask of any headphone though so I am super happy. I am sure if I wore any other headphone for three days almost constantly, I would be complaining. Any closed back surround ear headphones, and my ears would have melted.
 
Once I found the comfy spot (as mentioned in link I added in my above post) that was it. I never thought about them again. I think the pads themselves may have softened over time, but I am not sure. Just that they seem to have become more comfortable. I have had them for about eight months, so time for headband and pads to wear in.
 
I have save the link for the headband pad. I do however find the simpler 225e headband adequate. I have felt it sometimes pressing on the top of my head. It's easy enough to elevate though and ear-cups clamping hold the headphone. I bet the padding helps somewhat though, as would the padded leather headband.  

It's great you found your "sweet" stretch spot, GreenBow. I once let my Grado stretch naturally too. Behold the SR60i, my very first Grado and my 2nd "audiophile" headphones.
 

 
However looking back I'd never do that again. It really really hurt my ears after just after 10 or 20 minutes. 

danmlr said:

  yeah, I definitely agree with your observations. 
 
My impression is that they are as successful as they want to be. They're a family owned business and don't care about maximizing profits or market share.
 
What riles me however is that they don't listen to their customers who have legitimate complaints. Their headbands are not comfortable. They COULD experiment with different designs, perhaps by adding a very small amount of foam padding under the headband. How much could that cost? How much "r&d" would be involved?
 
There are lots of modders here on head fi, and they can do it, but grado can't?
 
I'm frustrated because the igrado is one of my favorite pair of headphones of all time, but the headband was the most poorly designed I have ever used, by a very wide margin. it is literally, epic fail. 

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Mod them then.
 

williamleonhart said:

  With 4 pairs still left in my inventory (just had to let the 325is go for financial reasons and looking to buy the iGi again), you could say that I'm very happy with Grado It's just that I've come to live with the fact that they're not perfect. The sound signature is addictive, though, and that explains why I have so many Grados at the moment. As a matter of fact right now I don't own any headphones of other brands. However I'm keeping my cousin's K612. 
And of course there's a lot to defend on Grado comfort, as I myself have always said, the MS1 and the RS1e are among the lightest cans I've ever used. I've tried bending the headbands too and I've always tried to wear them on ear, but there's only so much I can take. Anyway, 1 - 2 hours is enough for a (healthy) listening session, I believe. So that's not as much a problem as it sounds. I use my PS500 with Gs when I need better comfort (for example when I'm writing stuffs or watching movies), but just like those fullsize cans, they can make me sweat.

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I didn't realize you owned 4 pairs of Grados (like myself) so you obviously do like them even though you have some issues with them.
 

chailee80 said:

 
If they could put the egrado cups in a simple headband like the koss portapro i'd be sold.

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That would be so badass. I'm sure one of the modders here on head fi could pull that off. hint, hint.
 
Parts Express or PortaPro headband + Grado "e" series drivers. I think the portapro headband would be preferable, with a tighter clamp which would tame the highs a bit. 

joseph69 said:

  Mod them then.
 
I didn't realize you owned 4 pairs of Grados (like myself) so you obviously do like them even though you have some issues with them.

 

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I would but I like my headband modded Koss KSC75's so much, I don't have much incentive.

williamleonhart said:

  It's great you found your "sweet" stretch spot, GreenBow. I once let my Grado stretch naturally too. Behold the SR60i.

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Actually yeah I found my 225i/e more comfortable for longer listening than my 125i. The S-cushion applied pressure across most of my pinna. However it was not as your case, where you could only manage up to twenty minutes. I could wear my 125s for quite some time, which is when you notice they get hot. I was happier when I got accustomed how to wear L-cushion, for coolness and comfort.
 
I keep re-reading your comment about the 325, as I was surprised what you implied about their weight. I have read other people say the 325 is heavy. Yet the 325s are only 50g more than the 225, and it doesn't seem much. In my quest for whether to buy 325e or RS2e I was considering weight. However the last fullfilled pair on Amazon UK have sold. Thus I think I will have to be happy with 325e. Only because I was never sure which way to go, I am staying put with my 225e for now. As they say, "if in doubt, don't". No big deal since I have a descent pair to listen with.
 
P.S. It looks like your wildlife has enough listening to be getting on with.

Meh, I can't justify owning my SR60e anymore, It was fun for a bit but it's a little harsh on the ears.

greenbow said:

  Actually yeah I found my 225i/e more comfortable for longer listening than my 125i. The S-cushion applied pressure across most of my pinna. However it was not as your case, where you could only manage up to twenty minutes. I could wear my 125s for quite some time, which is when you notice they get hot. I was happier when I got accustomed how to wear L-cushion, for coolness and comfort.
 
I keep re-reading your comment about the 325, as I was surprised what you implied about their weight. I have read other people say the 325 is heavy. Yet the 325s are only 50g more than the 225, and it doesn't seem much. In my quest for whether to buy 325e or RS2e I was considering weight. However the last fullfilled pair on Amazon UK have sold. Thus I think I will have to be happy with 325e. Only because I was never sure which way to go, I am staying put with my 225e for now. As they say, "if in doubt, don't". No big deal since I have a descent pair to listen with.
 
P.S. It looks like your wildlife has enough listening to be getting on with.

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As have been mentioned in this thread (and other threads) countless times, both the 225 and the 325 are perfect value for the money. The case with the i-series is that a lot of people prefered the 225 than the 325 (which I supposed was the i rather than the is). However on the e-series you can't find a more acclaimed pair than the 325e. Surprisingly I remmeber barely a head-fi review on 225e so far, except that someone said it was "warmer" than the 325e. But I'm pretty sure the 325e is a solid pair.

williamleonhart said:

  As have been mentioned in this thread (and other threads) countless times, both the 225 and the 325 are perfect value for the money. The case with the i-series is that a lot of people prefered the 225 than the 325 (which I supposed was the i rather than the is). However on the e-series you can't find a more acclaimed pair than the 325e. Surprisingly I remmeber barely a head-fi review on 225e so far, except that someone said it was "warmer" than the 325e. But I'm pretty sure the 325e is a solid pair.

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 PS500e?  Haven't heard it, have the PS500, love it. Pretty sure that 500e would kick 325e's butt.
 
Also 225i. I hated 325is -- too bright for me, amp'ed thru a Soloist. Not yet tried 225e.

tsukinick said:

  Meh, I can't justify owning my SR60e anymore, It was fun for a bit but it's a little harsh on the ears.

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wow. my 60i is still at home, its bass was better than my 80i. never found either one harshly bright for my music genres.  Fun for sure.
Not sure about 60e. If it has been substantially changed vs 60i, then I would hope it would not be harsher.

What are the differences between the RS2e and the RS1e in terms of sound signature? Will the RS2 equal the RS1 in detail resolution?

pigmode said:

  What are the differences between the RS2e and the RS1e in terms of sound signature? Will the RS2 equal the RS1 in detail resolution?

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fuller-sounding harmonics RS1e.

pigmode said:

  What are the differences between the RS2e and the RS1e in terms of sound signature? Will the RS2 equal the RS1 in detail resolution?

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From GradoService, re. diff between 1e and 2e
 
Hi
 
 would say about 65% (% of 1e from 2e)
 
the RS-1e will have the 12 conductor cable
as well as the bigger drivers
 
therefore
 
more dynamic range
greater extension in the frequency extremes
better stereo stability'
quieter backgrounds
 
that said good source equipment is important, which goes without saying
 
Cheers