[stacker45]

Looking at the picture..it looks like G-Cush to me.

 
This may come as a big surprise, but Grado's earpads can actually be swapped very easily.
 
Need I say more?

 

[HeavenNotes]

  Hello Grado fan forum
 
I wish to ask if it's necessary to use an external amp with the 125e headphones ? 
 
I am using Sony Z3 as my main source music player

Hi there.  Necessary not but desirable yes.  I have it.  
 
If you want to really listen a shining 125e you need an amp.  Everything improve with an amp.  But what I found is the best is that you really can listen a very low volume with the exact good sound quality.  My 0.02.
 

 

[headfry]

what I've been saying too - I listen at low volumes and both my Grado's give full enjoyment that way - SR325e out of iPhone 6s+ and GS1000i from MBP /Jitterbug/ALO the Island dac/amp.... Grados excel at low volume! Perhaps John listens and designs them at low volume!

 

[cygnusx]

   
This may come as a big surprise, but Grado's earpads can actually be swapped very easily.
 
Need I say more?

Nice

 

[Harry Manback]

For your listening pleasure:

https://youtu.be/nf4L_OQOZsk

 

[GreenBow]

Why has there been quite a few comments recently on ths and the 'e-series' thread saying Grados need an amp?
 
The whole principle is that they are low impedance headphones, that need little more driving that 16 ohm IEMs. They will sound good out of any device. It is the sound quality of the device that that matters.
 
Amping Grados might add some qualities like wider soundsatage, more bass etc. However that means you are correcting weaknesses in your source. You are not correcting the Grado headphone, unless you are correcting a treble hot Grado.
 
I personally never understood the need for headphone amps. If an iPod is not full on gorgeous, then either compromise by accepting it, or buy a better player. The problem of adding a headphone amp is that you also lose quality. Basically because you have to add extra cables and extra components, getting further from source.
 
I thought a headphone amp was to put it on a source like a CD player or file player. Instead of a full integrated amp on your desktop. In other words a headphone amp, is an amp, but maybe slightly more geared towards headphone presentation.

 

[Spirulina780]

  Why has there been quite a few comments recently on ths and the 'e-series' thread saying Grados need an amp?
 
The whole principle is that they are low impedance headphones, that need little more driving that 16 ohm IEMs. They will sound good out of any device. It is the sound quality of the device that that matters.
 
Amping Grados might add some qualities like wider soundsatage, more bass etc. However that means you are correcting weaknesses in your source. You are not correcting the Grado headphone, unless you are correcting a treble hot Grado.
 
I personally never understood the need for headphone amps. If an iPod is not full on gorgeous, then either compromise by accepting it, or buy a better player. The problem of adding a headphone amp is that you also lose quality. Basically because you have to add extra cables and extra components, getting further from source.
 
I thought a headphone amp was to put it on a source like a CD player or file player. Instead of a full integrated amp on your desktop. In other words a headphone amp, is an amp, but maybe slightly more geared towards headphone presentation.

isn't there something called damping factor, that is important to give the headphones the right amount of power?

 

[AndreaRicci]

warning! Grado headphone is not easy to fly well.
Drive Grado ask a lot of current amplification

 

[CH23]

warning! Grado headphone is not easy to fly well.
Drive Grado ask a lot of current amplification

even a sandisk clip can drive them.

 

[Spirulina780]

From Wikipedia:
 
"a 32 Ω headphone driven by a headphone amp with a <1 Ω output impedance would have a damping factor of >32, whereas the same headphone driven with an iPod Touch 3G (7 Ω output impedance) ^[5] would have a damping factor of just 4.6."

 

[AndreaRicci]

Audio-gd nfb 28 balanced mode: low rock. light amplification: Low long and chewy

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  Why has there been quite a few comments recently on ths and the 'e-series' thread saying Grados need an amp?
 
The whole principle is that they are low impedance headphones, that need little more driving that 16 ohm IEMs. They will sound good out of any device. It is the sound quality of the device that that matters.
 
Amping Grados might add some qualities like wider soundsatage, more bass etc. However that means you are correcting weaknesses in your source. You are not correcting the Grado headphone, unless you are correcting a treble hot Grado.
 
I personally never understood the need for headphone amps. If an iPod is not full on gorgeous, then either compromise by accepting it, or buy a better player. The problem of adding a headphone amp is that you also lose quality. Basically because you have to add extra cables and extra components, getting further from source.
 
I thought a headphone amp was to put it on a source like a CD player or file player. Instead of a full integrated amp on your desktop. In other words a headphone amp, is an amp, but maybe slightly more geared towards headphone presentation.

You have hit upon a topic of fascination for me... the need and effectiveness of headphone amps, for Grados or for other headphones.
 
My few observations are like the blind man feeling the elephant... a few sampling points but in no way capable of understanding the whole picture (which I don't):
 

• Impedance mismatch between output of the thing driving the headphone (either amp or direct source) and the input of the headphone is one area that an amp can improve... the "damping factor" is said to be inadequate if the output impedance of the headphone driver is greater than about 1/8 of the input impedance of the headphone.  For the 32 ohm Grados, that would be less than 4 ohms output impedance of source.  Some common portable amps violate this, specifically the V-MODA VERZA and the Sony PHA-1, both of which have 10 ohm output impedance.  Others, such as the CEntrance HiFi M8, are much lower (choice of 1, 2, or 11 ohm output impedance, I recall).  Here is an article by innerfidelity's @Tyll Hertsens  that provides a good discussion about why to care about damping factor... in short, damping factor that is too low (where damping factor is the ratio of headphone input impedance to source output impedance) may be evidenced by bass that is stronger but less precise (more ringy?  more tubby?) than intended.
• Some headphone manufacturers ignore this.  For example, the V-MODA VERZA, with its 10 ohm output impedance, is designed for and recommended by V-MODA for its 32 ohm impedance M100 headphone.  It improves the M100's already good sound significantly (see # 9 below).
• Some people can't hear any effect (I am one) - when I use my CEntrance HiFi M8 on its "OK" lower output impedance of 1 or 2 ohms with my 32 ohm Grados, it sounds the same (to me) as when I use it on its "too high" 10 ohm output impedance.
• Sensitivity may become another factor... it is the sensitivity of the headphone, i.e. what sound level can it put out at some frequency at a specific output power (or rms voltage) - if it is too soft when driven without an amp, it needs an amp;
• Headphone impedance is a function of frequency.. for example the Sennheiser HD 800 ranges over at least a factor of two, from 300 ohms to 600 ohms, over its frequency range;
• Some sources are better than others without an amp - the iPhone (and i-whatevers) all have low output impedance (for example less than one ohm for the iPod Touch 5 gen) and have excellent DACs.  Other cell phones (non Apple) can have much poorer output characteristics and can benefit from an amp
• There is some nebulous concept of "headroom" that for sound transients or resonances in the headphone or extrema of frequency-dependent input impedance, one needs several additional dB of output power to quickly respond;
• Headphone amps are cool... in this environment, one's audiophile capabilities can be questioned if you do not use an amp.
• Headphone amps CAN improve sound - here is a comparison of the V-MODA M100 with and without either the the V-MODA VAMP VERZA DAC/amp or the Sony PHA-1 DAC/amp, with more detail given here  (note that this adds both an external DAC AND and external amp to the iPod Touch 6th gen output, which muddies the issue a bit) - Higher numbers are better:

    10.  I have compared three common amps for the Grado headphone  (Joseph Grado HPA-1, Grado Labs RA-1, JDS C-MOY BB 2.03), listening with my then-best Grado RS2i headphone.  There IS a difference among the amps - however, I did not think to compare with and without an amp.  The full comparison is here.

 
So as always, there are (at least) two points of view:
 

 
OR....
 

 

[GreenBow]

Yeah I mean I should be clear that I am asking. I realise my earlier post suggests I am stating.
 
However there is some science in it.
 
If you have low impedance headphone and a very low impeadance source output, you have an ideal situation. Basically because you think of it as two resistances in series. Like e.g, a 1 ohm output stage and a 32 ohm headphone. Two resistances in series mean all the voltage will go across the largest reistance. V=IR. Resistance x current = voltage.
 
It means minimal voltage is lost across the output stage of the amp, and little power lost. All the voltage goes across the headphone, and you get volume and power. Since current is uniform in a series circuit, meaning equal across the devices.
 
I did however have a quick google about headphone amps. One said you hear details with them that you don't normally hear. Lost me there, but I am not disputing it.

 

[hawkeyeA]

Anyone have any thoughts on SR325e vs RS2e vs GH1?
 
Or is it pretty much 325e<RS2e<GH1?
 
Cheers

 

[whirlwind]

  Anyone have any thoughts on SR325e vs RS2e vs GH1?
 
Or is it pretty much 325e<RS2e<GH1?
 
Cheers

Even without hearing any of these cans...I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head.