Yes, I have considered that the original SR-80's were maybe a tad too bright. The 225's certainly have a smoother top end.   However, I think I'm onto something that may be the cause....   The pads are subtly different. About a year ago, I replaced the bowl pads on the 80's with some...

Thanks for the reply. My SR80's have bowl pads - and have always had bowl pads - so I don't think that's the cause. These new 225i's are simply less bright than the 80's.  I think the extreme top end is there but I estimate a drop in the 5kHz-8kHz range which, together with the heavier bass...

Sorry about the cryptic title - it's just that I've been a long-time SR-80 user and have recently acquired some brand new SR-225i's. From all accounts, these cans are supposed to be pretty bright but, on first listen, there's a huge difference between them and the 80's. The 80's are a heck of...