[Synch]

With the arrival yesterday of my flat pads (thank you Todd!) I now have the three "major" Grado pads for my 225s. I have one pair of the bowls, one flat, and one comfy. My question is this:

Fellow Grado users, do you find yourself switching pads, or do you just stick with one? Does the type of music matter? Does the comfort matter? How often do you switch?

Ok, more than one question. For myself, since the flats showed up I've listened to them nonstop. I logged eight hours of work on them, and I am about to put them back on my head again. I've thought about the comfies, but the flats don't press on the same part of my ear as the bowls do, so they don't hurt. I guess I'm a flat pad convert. =)

What about you guys?

 

[Rizumu]

Nothing but flats will do, of course

 

[wali]

A company which does not know how to make the most basic and crucial part of the headphone, earcups is quite suspect from my stand point.

 

[reeseboisse]

Perhaps John just has strange ears. I would think so actually, if he doesn't find the bowls to be bad in every way.

 

[Synch]

Who knows. Perhaps they changed to bowls because they felt the need to eject everything associated with Joe's designs. Not in a mean or angry way, but so that they could be considered to be "new". I don't know why they chose the bowls. There's a better soundstage with them, but that's not enough of a reason for me to wear them, especially since I can only stand them on my ears for an hour or two that way.

Strangely enough they didn't seem too bright to me with the bowls on. Perhaps my ears are only now recovering from years in the purgatory that is Sony Streetstyles? =)

 

[Permonic]

I read somewhere that the bowls were meaned to be a response to circumaural soundstage of Sennheiser's opened headphones. For me, this design attempt is wrong. For wider soundstage you can't simply create the conical annulus without reflecting the ear shape. Plus the "proximity effect" plays role here, the distance of your ears and the drivers is bigger, resulting in thin sound and weak bass.

Thus the solution is more complicated.

 

[lcachola]

Quote:

Originally posted by Synch With the arrival yesterday of my flat pads (thank you Todd!) I now have the three "major" Grado pads for my 225s. I have one pair of the bowls, one flat, and one comfy. My question is this: Fellow Grado users, do you find yourself switching pads, or do you just stick with one? Does the type of music matter? Does the comfort matter? How often do you switch?

When I first got my flats for the 225 and the vwaps for the 60, I found myself switching back to the bowls because I liked the bowl sound better, but I decided to give the vwaps and flats a few days of listening and have yet to turn back since!

I find the vwap pads (thanks, Andy!) more comfortable than the flats (thanks, Todd!) and after some experimenting around, decided they went much better with the SR60s than the SR225s in terms of sonics and comfort.

At first, I wasn't very happy with the limited soundstage and warmer sound of the flats with the 225s in comparison to the bowls, but they really grew on me after a few days of listening. Now you can call me a convert, too!

 

[Murdoch]

Would someone kindly post links to where I can buy some flats for my 125s?

Thanks!

 

[MTL]

Quote:

Originally posted by wali A company which does not know how to make the most basic and crucial part of the headphone, earcups is quite suspect from my stand point.

So, what about other brands then? The question of different earpads for Grados seems to be rather a question of personal preferences. One might as well argue about brands, where you have to replace the cable first

- certainly a far more costy replacement than a pair of pads...

 

[Permonic]

Quote:

Originally posted by Murdoch Would someone kindly post links to where I can buy some flats for my 125s? Thanks!

The only possibility to buy flat pads at the moment is from Todd the Vinyl Junkie, Head-Fi sponsor.

http://www.toddthevinyljunkie.com/pr...uct.php?id=167

 

[braillediver]

Flats 24/7/365


Mitch

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally posted by Synch Fellow Grado users, do you find yourself switching pads, or do you just stick with one? Does the type of music matter? Does the comfort matter? How often do you switch?

I rotate. They all sound nice, at different times. I think the flats are the most "musical" but the bowls can provide a nice exciting listen.

As far as the comment that Grado "does not know how to make the most basic and crucial part of the headphone", it was a stupid one. The most "crucial" part of the headphone is the driver. If some people like dull, boring, lifeless headphones, then so be it. If some liike open, exciting and spacious, that's good as well. But to say that Grado do not know what they are doing is stupid. It's like saying that people who like sitting near the front of the concert hall (instead of being further back) don't know what they're doing.

Some people seem to think that the comments made by a few people in Head-Fi should dictate how a company should design it's products for the rest of the world. It's like they think they have better ears than everybody else.

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally posted by Synch With the arrival yesterday of my flat pads (thank you Todd!) I now have the three "major" Grado pads for my 225s. I have one pair of the bowls, one flat, and one comfy. My question is this:

All you need now is modded Senns to be a true Grado pad Afficionado. I use my Senns over the Bowls and Comfies that I own.

 

[Canman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Beagle As far as the comment that Grado "does not know how to make the most basic and crucial part of the headphone", it was a stupid one.

Beagle, thanks for saying what needed to be said.

Each pad has its own benefits and drawbacks. IME, each Grado model like a different pad the best. It also depends how they fit on your ears.

On my 225's, I like the bowls. On my SR-60's, I like the Vwap pads. On HP-1000's, only flats will do.

 

[usc goose]

flats for my sr-225, bowls for my rs-1

always.