Bilavideo
Caution: Incomplete trades.
- Joined
- Feb 29, 2008
- Posts
- 3,101
- Likes
- 128
After purchasing a pair of HD800s, which are all that and a bag of chips, I decided to buy some Grados I could take with me for mobile situations where I have to go unamped. I lucked out and am now the latest owner of Eagleboy's wooded SR-225s (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f10/so...-225-a-417006/), which were sold to Charlieex, who sold them to Mlantinen. Along the way, the phones have been upgraded (Mlantinen, for example, re-sleeved the mogami cable and re-terminated with a Viablue 1/4"). The result is a pretty sweet set of cans.
SR-225 lovers are a diehard lot, ardent defenders of "the best Grado south of the woodies." Their Jan-and-Marcia feud with the 325 is legendary stuff. To hear them crow, it's the 225 that deserves a place on RS-1's right hand, or at least right of the RS-2. As a onetime owner of the 325i and the RS-1, I always found this ardor chuckleworthy. Outside of religion and talk radio, it's hard to find people with such firmly entrenched opinions. I hoped, in purchasing these, to at least have an opinion of my own to share.
I do, but alas, my opinion doesn't really count. Comparing these to the 325i's I owned, these come across as the better cans - but the scales aren't exactly fair. I'm not certain what difference the shells make, in terms of tonality, but the Lacewood in these shells certainly makes a difference. I don't know whether to say it "colors" the sound by "warming" it up, but it certainly provides a softer, mellower, less-brash presentation. For the right music, I rather liked the sheen of the 325i, but it's hard not to like the somewhat subdued high-mids and low-treble of these cans. For a Grado, they seem to hit that magic spot, not necessarily HD800 neutral but definitely more like the HF-2 in terms of restraining the shriller aspects of the Grado highs.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I like these better than the HF-2. There's more mid presence here than with the GS-1000, something definitely more consonant with the RS-1. I don't know if these modded cans have the identical HF sparkle as the RS-1, but they seem to find a delicious sweet spot between the RS-1 and the HF-2. The mids don't sound recessed at all. If the high-mids and low-treble is recessed, it's just enough to avoid harshness without sacrificing detail or presence.
Even with their original bowls, these headphones have thump - not quite as much as the HF-2 but ample enough to feel dynamic without overdoing it. I like the timbre it brings to those cellos on ELO's On the Third Day. The texture of the instrumentation is ear candy. For "fun" cans, with the kind of ear candy that can be a little fatiguing over long sessions, these cans have two things going for them: (1) They're not boring and, in fact, have enough clarity that the good stuff doesn't get buried; and (2) That spiced-up glitter is restrained, more so than usual. Grados usually take criticism for being too spicy. The GS-1000 has "too much thump" for anything but the jumbo pads. The 325 is too "bright" or even "shrill" for others. It took a good long burn-in for me to warm up to the seemingly over-warm sound of the RS-1 (which later revealed sparkle I'd missed in my early sessions with the can). Even now, with the HF-2 enjoying an envious place among Grados in the marketplace, some wonder whether its emphasis on bass doesn't come at the expense of the mids.
To my ears, these modded 225s occupy a sweet spot among the Grados. It's hard to know whether this is because of the woodied shells, the better wiring and connector, or simply the quality of the 225 and its true place within the Grado family. The leather headband is certainly nicer, as are the wooden cups and the upgraded cable. Whatever the case, I think Eagleboy was onto something and the upgrades added by Mlantinen have made this one great Grado.
Some may wonder if I've lost enthusiasm for the HD800 and am now flip-flopping my way down the road. Not quite. Amped up, the HD800 is one badass headphone. Mess with it at your peril. But recognizing the burdens of amping, there's something to be said for low-impedence headphones that don't need an amp, especially when they deliver great sound. For an unamped headphone, this 225 mod is a thing of beauty, even with the minor flaws in its finish. Both Eagleboy and Mlantinen have proven what you can add to a terrific a headphone if you have a mind to do so.
Thanks guys. My ears couldn't be happier. If, at some point, I succumb to the temptation to buy a PS-1000 (much to the chagrin of my wife), it will only be after I'd "slummed it" with these. If I can't drag my headphone amp with me wherever I go, I'll be happy to drag these along. I've done worse.
SR-225 lovers are a diehard lot, ardent defenders of "the best Grado south of the woodies." Their Jan-and-Marcia feud with the 325 is legendary stuff. To hear them crow, it's the 225 that deserves a place on RS-1's right hand, or at least right of the RS-2. As a onetime owner of the 325i and the RS-1, I always found this ardor chuckleworthy. Outside of religion and talk radio, it's hard to find people with such firmly entrenched opinions. I hoped, in purchasing these, to at least have an opinion of my own to share.
I do, but alas, my opinion doesn't really count. Comparing these to the 325i's I owned, these come across as the better cans - but the scales aren't exactly fair. I'm not certain what difference the shells make, in terms of tonality, but the Lacewood in these shells certainly makes a difference. I don't know whether to say it "colors" the sound by "warming" it up, but it certainly provides a softer, mellower, less-brash presentation. For the right music, I rather liked the sheen of the 325i, but it's hard not to like the somewhat subdued high-mids and low-treble of these cans. For a Grado, they seem to hit that magic spot, not necessarily HD800 neutral but definitely more like the HF-2 in terms of restraining the shriller aspects of the Grado highs.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I like these better than the HF-2. There's more mid presence here than with the GS-1000, something definitely more consonant with the RS-1. I don't know if these modded cans have the identical HF sparkle as the RS-1, but they seem to find a delicious sweet spot between the RS-1 and the HF-2. The mids don't sound recessed at all. If the high-mids and low-treble is recessed, it's just enough to avoid harshness without sacrificing detail or presence.
Even with their original bowls, these headphones have thump - not quite as much as the HF-2 but ample enough to feel dynamic without overdoing it. I like the timbre it brings to those cellos on ELO's On the Third Day. The texture of the instrumentation is ear candy. For "fun" cans, with the kind of ear candy that can be a little fatiguing over long sessions, these cans have two things going for them: (1) They're not boring and, in fact, have enough clarity that the good stuff doesn't get buried; and (2) That spiced-up glitter is restrained, more so than usual. Grados usually take criticism for being too spicy. The GS-1000 has "too much thump" for anything but the jumbo pads. The 325 is too "bright" or even "shrill" for others. It took a good long burn-in for me to warm up to the seemingly over-warm sound of the RS-1 (which later revealed sparkle I'd missed in my early sessions with the can). Even now, with the HF-2 enjoying an envious place among Grados in the marketplace, some wonder whether its emphasis on bass doesn't come at the expense of the mids.
To my ears, these modded 225s occupy a sweet spot among the Grados. It's hard to know whether this is because of the woodied shells, the better wiring and connector, or simply the quality of the 225 and its true place within the Grado family. The leather headband is certainly nicer, as are the wooden cups and the upgraded cable. Whatever the case, I think Eagleboy was onto something and the upgrades added by Mlantinen have made this one great Grado.
Some may wonder if I've lost enthusiasm for the HD800 and am now flip-flopping my way down the road. Not quite. Amped up, the HD800 is one badass headphone. Mess with it at your peril. But recognizing the burdens of amping, there's something to be said for low-impedence headphones that don't need an amp, especially when they deliver great sound. For an unamped headphone, this 225 mod is a thing of beauty, even with the minor flaws in its finish. Both Eagleboy and Mlantinen have proven what you can add to a terrific a headphone if you have a mind to do so.
Thanks guys. My ears couldn't be happier. If, at some point, I succumb to the temptation to buy a PS-1000 (much to the chagrin of my wife), it will only be after I'd "slummed it" with these. If I can't drag my headphone amp with me wherever I go, I'll be happy to drag these along. I've done worse.
