[Rickio]

I bought a used 225 and loved the sound. It was so clear and detailed and I did not think it was to bright, but I got crazy and wanted a new one. So I bought a new one and it's different

The old one looks like photos I see everywhere with black grill etc. The one I just got has aluminun unpainted grill. But the real difference is sound. The new one sound just as detailed and clear but for lack of better ways of explaining. Not as bright, it seems deeper bass and actually smoother. In fact I am not complaining I was amazed at how good it sounds.

In fact the older one if I played music to loud the highs were to much, the new one I can play loud and its smooth all the way.

I compared them a few times and I like the newer one more but the older one seems to be extremely detailed and clear. To the point many mp3's I listen to I do not want to hear as it clearly is unforgiving to the quality or lack of on some mp3's. Obviously the new one needs burn in but I honestly do not think it can get to the point the old ones are displaying. It's to big a difference.

So what gives?

Any ideas why this is so?

 

[Jam_Master_J]

Break 'em in a bit. They'll loosen up after a week or two. Any idea how old the used pair is?

 

[Rickio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jam_Master_J Break 'em in a bit. They'll loosen up after a week or two. Any idea how old the used pair is?

No idea how old the old one is but it doesn't have the white cover over the drivers. It's like clear and the grill is black.

 

[pedxing]

I am not surprise you have noticed such a big difference. I have experience similar things before between the new one headphone and the older headphone of the same model.

Did you say your older one has less bass and more emphasized treble in comparison to your new one? I thought in general, headphones usually have more bass and less pronounced treble after burn in.

 

[Jam_Master_J]

Could be the pads. Bowl pads get softer over time and compress more. This brings the drivers closer to your ears and changes the sound signature. Try swapping the pads, put the old bowl pads on the new SR225s.

 

[cheechoz]

I also second the change in pads! Grados are very sensitive to pad changes, just by softening up the bowls, you will change the sound.

Break-in is very important to, over time they will become more clear, and sound better!

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheechoz I also second the change in pads! Grados are very sensitive to pad changes, just buy softening up the bowls, you will change the sound. Break-in is very important to, over time they will become more clear, and sound better!

ditto..

 

[NotJeffBuckley]

Differences in manufactured batches of transducers between shifts is often significant, acoustically speaking. Days, weeks, months, years, don't do anything to change that

.

There's a reason drivers require matching; they're often sonically different enough from the "ideal" design that some have to be thrown out entirely. Tolerances are fairly high in headphones, I'd imagine, due to their smaller nature making it financially impossible to discard all errors that would be somewhat less significant on a larger transducer.

 

[Rickio]

I've got new pads on both headphones and Yes the newer one has deeper bass.

That is why I am perplexed. I realise burn in can smooth out the sound but it's already smoother then the older one

Yes I do think I have also noticed on some ksc50's I have ( 2 pairs) differences and I always considered that they came from different batchs but hmm the difference is good not bad but significant and makes me wonder how people can even talk about headphones if they get different batchs?

These honestly sound just to different. I have sr60 and ms1 and the older sr225, so I can hear differences.

 

[EdipisReks]

there are probably lots of versions of the SR225. this tends to happen more with (relatively) small shops like Grado as OEM part selections change and manufacturing is refined. they are also hand assembled, so there are lots of room for product changes over time.

 

[kontai69]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickio I bought a used 225 and loved the sound. The old one looks like photos I see everywhere with black grill etc. The one I just got has aluminun unpainted grill.

Interesting. I thought that the SR-225's always came with silver grills. I guess that your used one must have been a really old pair. In this case, there could be some manufacturing and/or design changes in the transducers over time which would account for the differences in sound.

 

[Rickio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kontai69 Interesting. I thought that the SR-225's always came with silver grills. I guess that your used one must have been a really old pair. In this case, there could be some manufacturing and/or design changes in the transducers over time which would account for the differences in sound.

Well if you look at the gradolabs website the 225 is with a black grill. I wonder myself when it was changed.

Oh well honestly it sounds very good evn though different. It is more like the MS1 in it's smoothness, but greater detail and clarity.

 

[Rickio]

I have been listening to a couple of Johnny Winter albums since the weekend. Just digging the music and today I listened to these same albums on the new SR225 and it definately has a different sound. The highs are totally tamed. I had read here how these a have less problems then other Grados as far as the highs are concerned.

The older version sounded ok to me, but the new one is definatately better. I am just glad I got them

Johnny just wails on steel guitar and well if you got a can with uncontrolled highs those screeching guitars can really hurt! But with these new 225's dang just smooth tones! I am diggin it!

After hearing Johnny wail on his steel guitar I don't believe this new 225 can have any bad uncontrolled highs. These cans are the best I have heard rock guitar so far

 

[apnk]

Can you post pics?

I really wanna see the "silver" grill.

 

[sxr71]

I just got my pair of SR-225s on Monday and I was a little disappointed by them to be truthful. I've been playing them continuously on loud volume since then and they are sounding better now but still not where I'd like them. I noticed that reversing the bowls made a large difference. Let's see where they go over the rest of the week. They better get good or they'll be going back.