[jlaseter]

Introduction

Seeing other headphone comparisons across Head-Fi, especially the likes of this one, or this one, I wanted to contribute in a way I had not seen yet. I started with this question in mind:

How are Grado headphones affected by your choice of pads?

Before getting too deep into the tests, or even determining stable test criteria, I figured I'd throw all my headphones into the comparison. Now the questions became:

-How are Grado headphones affected by your choice of pads?
-How are other headphones affected by differences in pads?
-How would each headphone configuration compare against all the others?

This presented a problem: I own 19 pairs of headphones. Even if I were to choose a single-criterion ranking, or an overall subjective ranking, this would amount to 342 tests. If I were to listen to 2 headphones once each per test, that's 684 listens. Kinda daunting.


OH WAIT

That number is solely the headphones I own, and not their myriad pad configurations. I own 5 types of Grado pads, 2 sets for my ATH-M50s, and the Hifiman Edition S has both and open-backed and closed-back configuration. When all was said and done, including a couple of pairs that I borrowed, the list became 53 configurations. Even for a SIGNLE column of ranking, that's 2,756 tests, or 5,512 listens, not including repeats. I chose 6 columns (33,072 tests, for those keeping score).

I've found that audio memory is very short. I have a background in big-box audio sales. From hundreds of customer interactions I have found that people can recall what is great about a sound or phrase in the moment just after they hear it, and seldom very much longer (usually a second or two at BEST). After a second or two, only a vague impression of "oh that was good" or "oh that sucked" remains.

What all this amounts to, is that I'd have to do very quick comparisons of very short passages of music, and that I'd have to repeat the comparisons several times. This would be especially demanding when considering pad swaps on the same headphone.


The Compromise

I started with tests in each of the 6 criteria on 1 headphone against another. I then brought in another and compared each of the 3 to each other. Then 4, then 5, etc. After some time of doing this, I started introducing varying pads on each of the Grado headphones, and on the 2 Koss, ATH-M50s, et al. Each headphone/pad combo in the mix doubled the amount of comparisons, so at some point I had to change tactics.

I would then hypothesize a headphone's rank for a criteria. I'd test the hypothesis against its neighbors, and against their neighbors. This meant 25 or 30 tests for each headphone introduced, which I could live with a lot easier than doing each of many thousands of comparisons. With this tactic, it has taken me 7 months of off-and-on testing, often 7 days a week, to arrive at these conclusions.

Along the way, I've also performed certain "sanity checks." If I had any eyebrow-raising results that didn't quite make sense, I'd re-evaluate a headphone, often against a range of 10 or 15 others. Also, with the results I saw for pad differences, I could re-evaluate any glaring inconsistencies like "Why did the TTVJ flats make X headphone bright, and Y headphone bassy?"

For these comparisons, it goes without saying that YMMV (your mileage/experience may vary). However, I really can't say I have compared every single headphone on this list to every other in a definitive way.


The Gear

All tests were performed on the equipment chain:
foobar2000 -> ASIO4ALL v2 -> TOSLINK -> Schiit Bifrost 2 Multibit -> Schiit PYST Straight Wire "Symphony II" XLR Interconnects -> Schiit Magnius

I'll also include my basic specs -- this will hopefully help if you're looking for an explanation of why I do/do not have exactly the experience the same as you, whether that be sibilance for a particular configuration, soundstage differences, comfort differences, etc.


Demographics
Middle-aged adult male

Glasses
Yes

Head Width
Measured by clamping straws between earcups and ears, extending them above my head, and measuring width
20.5mm +-.5

Ear Height
Measured by digital caliper – top of helix to bottom of lobe
L = 67.5mm
R = 67mm

Ear Protrusion
Measured by ruler – most protruding part of mastoid process to most protruding part of helix
L = 10mm
R = 12mm

Background
I also play the piano semi-casually, typically picking out tunes by ear.

Genres
Classic Rock, Ensemble Jazz, Video Game Music, R&B, Soundtracks, Classical, Electronic, Western Swing


The Headphones

I've included here a bit of information about each headphone as I could gather it, but primarily I gathered the Grado specs.

The Pads

The Tests

Each of these tests is extremely limited, for the sake of very simple comparison. There are likely many tracks that would work better for each criterion, but these are the ones which I settled on early on in the comparison which would most easily reveal the qualities I was comparing.

Tiebreaker tests were useful in some cases where a single clip wasn't showing significant differences.

Bass: Fugees - Vocab (Refugees Hip Hop Remix)

Starting after the "opening monologue", at about 18 seconds, lasting until about 27 seconds.

This test looks primarily at bass attack and quantity in the introductory low notes punctuating the vocal track. The "leading edge" of each note has a certain level of clarity that would help determine the bass ranking. A headphone playing these notes quieter would detract from the ranking.

Bass Tiebreaker: Haywyre - Memory

Starting about 49 seconds in, to about 58 seconds.

In this selection from Memory, I listened for discernable rippling, or bass texture, in the synth "bass guitar". Each individual resonation being clearly discernable from the others, resulting in more of a "buzz" than a "hum" would contribute to the ranking.

Treble: Harry Connick, Jr. - Joe Slam and the Spaceship

Starting with the main instrumental at 43 seconds, lasting until 50 seconds.

This test relies on clarity and realism in the tambourine shakes and crashes. There is a frequency range to these crashes, and I was listening for representation of this whole range. Additionally, I associate treble clarity with a lack of distortion and with quick decay. Less "ringing" of these tambourines would contribute to a higher ranking.

Transparency: Michael Buble - Feeling Good

Starting with the main instrumental at 47 seconds, until about 59 seconds.

This test asks: How realistic do voices and instruments sound? Is there a sock in the singer's mouth? Is there a wall between the instruments and us? Also, one thing that would detract from this ranking would be when a headphone is "tizzy" or "brassy" in a way that was not true to the original voice or instruments.

Soundstage: Robbie Robb - In Time

Starting at 3:53, with a repeated chorus, until 4:07. Primarily the "Dancin' in the streets all night" choir.

Soundstage Tiebreaker: Michael Jackson - Thriller

The creaky door intro from 0 seconds until 6 seconds. The creaks get wider and wider until they reach an easy to recognize maximum width.

These tests look at how wide sound is presented in real space. Do the sounds I'm hearing sound like they extend beyond my head? Beyond my shoulders? I ignored height, as many headphones will not have any perceivable soundstage height. Soundstage was extremely hard to judge, except for dramatic differences.

Imaging: Michael Buble - Feeling Good

Starting with the main instrumental at 47 seconds, until about 59 seconds.

This test is about localization of instruments in space. How well can each voice or instrument's location be discerned from another? If a voice moves around in a space, how well can the movement be defined?

Comfort:

For this test, I couldn't justify doing comparisons of multiple hours, so I kept them at 15 minute maximums, and often just first impressions alone. How much does the headphone clamp, and does it scrape the top of my head? Do my ears feel crushed?




The rankings will be in Post #2!

 

[jlaseter]

The Rankings

For these rankings, a few notes must be made.

-I called the "stock" configuration of the KPH30i the one which is fitted with the Lovinstar G-knockoff (GK) pads. This was due to my extreme preference over the actual stock configuration, and it is a wonderful improvement via cheap, non-destructive mod.

-I tested the HD668B with velour-covered pleather pads (Cosmos brand, model 4330154276). These seemed identical, or nearly identical to their stock pleather pads. Considering the low cost for the velours, and the reduced heat, I would recommend the velour pads in 100% of cases over stock.

-I did not use the exact same G pads for each comparison. The PS1000e came with a set of G pads, which I used exclusively for it, and I had a separately-purchased set of official Grado replacement G pads, which were used for other headphones. Some variance may exist between one set of G pads and another, though I didn't detect any.

-I did not use the exact same L pads for each comparison. The SR225e, HF3, and GH2 each were tested with their original stock L pads. The RS2i and SR325 had official Grado replacement L pads purchased for them later after some pad deterioration. As above, some variance may exist between one set of pads and another, though I didn't detect any.


53 Headphone Configurations Ranked

Here's an overall comparison, which fed the additional charts found afterward. If no meaningful difference could be found between headphones/configurations, they were grouped. I specified "unbalanced" for the Mad Dog and HD600 headphones, since my day-to-day listening with those uses balanced cables.

Bass Presentation		Treble Presentation		Transparency
MDR-V6​	​	GH2 G​	​	GH2 G​
HP2 TF​	​	GH2 GK​	​	GH2 GF​
HP2 L​	​	GH2 GF​	​	GH2 GK​
HF3 L (stock)​	​	GH2 L (stock)​	​	GH2 L (stock) PS1000e G (stock)​
GH2 L (stock)​	​	PS1000e G (stock)​	​	PS1000e GF PS1000e GK​
PS1000e GF​	​	HP2 G​	​	Q701​
PS1000e G (stock)​	​	HP2 GF​	​	KPH40 GF​
PS1000e GK​	​	HP2 GK​	​	HP2 L​
HF3 G​	​	PS1000e GF PS1000e GK​	​	RS2i G​
HF3 GK​	​	HP2 L​	​	RS2i GK​
HP2 GF​	​	HF3 GF​	​	RS2i GF​
HP2 G​	​	HF3 GK​	​	HP2 G​
HP2 GK​	​	HF3 G​	​	HP2 GF​
HD660S​	​	RS2i G​	​	HP2 GK​
HF3 TF​	​	RS2i GK​	​	SR325 G​
KPH40​	​	RS2i GF​	​	SR325 GK​
KPH40 GF​	​	Mad Dog U 3.2 (unbalanced)​	​	HF3 GF​
HD600 (unbalanced)​	​	HD660S​	​	HF3 G​
RS2i L (stock) SR225e TF​	​	HD600 (unbalanced)​	​	HF3 GK​
SR325 TF​	​	HP2 TF​	​	KSC75​
Q701​	​	RS2i L (stock)​	​	HD668B​
ATH-M50S AP (stock)​	​	HF3 L (stock)​	​	RS2i L (stock)​
GH2 TF​	​	SR225e G​	​	SR325 GF​
RS2i TF​	​	SR225e GK​	​	SR225e G​
GH2 GF​	​	SR225e GF​	​	SR225e GF​
SR225e L (stock)​	​	HF3 TF​	​	SR325 L (stock)​
GH2 GK​	​	PS1000e L​	​	SR225e GK​
RS2i GK​	​	GH2 TF​	​	SR225e L (stock)​
GH2 G​	​	Edition S (open)​	​	MDR-V6​
Edition S (open)​	​	ATH-M50S AP (stock)​	​	HF3 L (stock)​
SR225e GK SR325 GK​	​	KPH40​	​	ATH-M50S AV​
SR325 G​	​	KPH40 GF​	​	KPH40​
SR325 GF​	​	Edition S (closed)​	​	PS1000e L​
PS1000e TF​	​	Q701​	​	Edition S (closed)​
SR325 L (stock)​	​	ATH-M50S AV​	​	P/21​
Edition S (closed)​	​	SR225e L (stock)​	​	ATH-M50S AP (stock)​
SR225e G​	​	SR325 L (stock) MDR-V6​	​	HD600 (unbalanced)​
SR225e GF​	​	KPH30i GK​	​	HD660S​
HF3 GF​	​	SR325 TF​	​	HP2 TF​
KPH30i GK​	​	SR225e TF​	​	QH560​
PS1000e L​	​	KSC75​	​	Mad Dog U 3.2 (unbalanced)​
HD668B​	​	QH560​	​	Edition S (open)​
ATH-M50S AV​	​	HD668B​	​	KPH30i GK​
KSC75​	​	SR325 G​	​	RS2i TF​
P/21​	​	SR325 GK​	​	SR325 TF​
RS2i G​	​	SR325 GF​	​	HF3 TF​
QH560​	​	RS2i TF​	​	GH2 TF​
Mad Dog U 3.2 (unbalanced)​	​	PS1000e TF​	​	PS1000e TF​
KPH30i​	​	KPH30i​	​	SR225e TF​
RS2i GF​	​	P/21​	​	KPH30i​
3068AV​	​	3068AV​	​	3068AV​

Soundstage		Imaging		Comfort
KPH40 GF GH2 G PS1000e G (stock) HP2 G HP2 GF​	​	HP2 G HP2 L​	​	KPH30i GK​
HP2 GK​	​	PS1000e G (stock) PS1000e GF​	​	KSC75​
PS1000e GF HP2 L​	​	MDR-V6​	​	SR325 GF​
HP2 TF Q701​	​	HP2 GF​	​	SR325 GK​
HD660S​	​	HP2 GK PS1000e GK Mad Dog U 3.2 (unbalanced) Q701​	​	SR325 G​
HD600 (unbalanced)​	​	HD660S​	​	Mad Dog U 3.2 (unbalanced)​
Mad Dog U 3.2 (unbalanced)​	​	HF3 G​	​	KPH40 GF​
PS1000e GK KPH30i GK MDR-V6​	​	HF3 GK​	​	RS2i GF​
SR325 G​	​	HP2 TF​	​	SR225e G​
RS2i G​	​	RS2i GF​	​	SR225e GK​
RS2i GK RS2i GF​	​	RS2i GK RS2i G SR325 G​	​	SR225e GF HF3 GF​
SR325 GK​	​	SR325 GK​	​	RS2i GK​
SR325 GF​	​	HD668B​	​	RS2i G​
HF3 G​	​	SR225e GF​	​	HF3 G​
HF3 GF​	​	SR225e G​	​	HF3 GK​
HF3 GK​	​	SR325 GF​	​	Q701​
RS2i L (stock)​	​	SR225e GK​	​	RS2i TF​
KSC75​	​	RS2i L (stock)​	​	RS2i L (stock)​
HF3 L (stock) GH2 GF​	​	HF3 GF​	​	HP2 G​
QH560​	​	SR325 L (stock)​	​	HF3 L (stock)​
GH2 GK​	​	GH2 G​	​	HF3 TF​
HD668B​	​	PS1000e L​	​	SR225e TF​
RS2i TF​	​	GH2 GF​	​	KPH40​
HF3 TF​	​	GH2 GK​	​	P/21​
3068AV​	​	GH2 L (stock)​	​	SR325 TF​
Edition S (open)​	​	KPH40 GF​	​	SR325 L (stock)​
KPH30i​	​	HF3 L (stock)​	​	Edition S (closed) Edition S (open)​
SR225e G​	​	KPH40​	​	HP2 L​
SR225e GK GH2 L (stock) SR225e GF SR325 L (stock)​	​	KPH30i GK​	​	HD600 (unbalanced)​
P/21​	​	KSC75​	​	HD660S​
Edition S (closed)​	​	ATH-M50S AV​	​	HP2 GF​
SR225e L (stock) ATH-M50S AV ATH-M50S AP (stock)​	​	ATH-M50S AP (stock)​	​	HP2 GK​
SR325 TF​	​	SR225e L (stock)​	​	GH2 GK​
KPH40​	​	Edition S (closed)​	​	GH2 G​
PS1000e L​	​	QH560​	​	GH2 GF​
GH2 TF​	​	P/21​	​	HD668B​
PS1000e TF​	​	Edition S (open)​	​	SR225e L (stock)​
SR225e TF​	​	HD600 (unbalanced)​	​	MDR-V6​
​	​	RS2i TF​	​	ATH-M50S AP (stock)​
​	​	HF3 TF​	​	ATH-M50S AV​
​	​	KPH30i​	​	QH560​
​	​	SR325 TF​	​	HP2 TF​
​	​	SR225e TF​	​	PS1000e GF​
​	​	GH2 TF​	​	PS1000e GK GH2 L (stock)​
​	​	PS1000e TF​	​	KPH30i​
​	​	3068AV​	​	GH2 TF​
​	​	​	​	PS1000e G (stock)​
​	​	​	​	PS1000e L​
​	​	​	​	PS1000e TF​
​	​	​	​	3068AV​

Stock configuration comparisons

Stock configurations were isolated from the overall comparison above, for a look at how each ranks relative to the group. Note that the ranks aren't proportional to "how bad" or "how good" they are. For instance, the MrSpeakers Mad Dog Universal 3.2 are quite good at bass attack, and aren't much different in bass quantity from the Hifiman Edition S. The difference of 6 cells between the two is not an extreme change, in my opinion.

I guess you could say "fine" or "coarse" differences may exist, and the grid cells are not sized to represent whether a difference is "fine" or "coarse". The only thing represented is a general sense of "better" or "worse".

Rank Tally of Each Stock Headphone

These charts use the rank of each headphone in each criteria to determine an overall "point" value.

Because there are several configurations of some headphones, I took the highest chart position for each headphone. That way, for instance, it can be said that the HF3 CAN be very good at Bass, Treble, Transparency, Soundstage, Imaging, Comfort. As long as you have the pads that unlock those capabilities. Likewise, you could put TTVJ flats on the HF3, and they would be near the bottom in terms of Bass Attack, Transparency, and Imaging -- but I did not negatively ding a headphone for someone putting unflattering pads on it!

Note: Shaded cells represent a 2-way, (light gray) or more-than-2-way (dark gray) tie.

Post #3 will have a comparison of the effects of different pads on each Grado!

 

[jlaseter]

Pad Comparisons on Each Headphone

These charts were derived from where each headphone/pad configuration ranked, against others from that headphone, in the overall comparison. Hopefully, it will give folks a good idea of what each pad does to the sound of a headphone.

As a bonus, I've also included the Koss, Hifiman, and Audio-Technica headphones.

Like the rankings in the previous post, these do not represent the degree of how much better or worse a headphone/pad configuration is -- only that it is in fact better or worse.

Also note that these rankings aren't a good display of bass quantity differences, but rather quality/quantity/preference rankings in a subjective sense. A good example is that "G" pads will decrease bass quantity, but headphones heavy on bass like HF3 and PS1000e will not suffer due to that, while others will.

Conclusion in Post #4

 

[jlaseter]

Conclusion: Rank and Preference

Here's how the rankings for headphones, regardless of pads, worked out (picking the top rank of each headphone, as above). Divided into rough S-F groups, though the grouping was largely based on my own subjectivity.

Interestingly, this didn't necessarily line up exactly with my overall headphone preference. So, just because a headphone is good in several aspects, those aspects may not combine in a way that you prefer them to others.

Here's my "preference" ranking:

(it should be said that I weight the Koss and Mr. Speakers headphones highly since I use them daily for work chat and music.)

Conclusion: Pad Characteristics

I found through this study that pads are not always consistent in their changes to a headphone sound, though some trends do emerge.

Why aren't they consistent?

Take a headphone with terrific, powerful yet articulate bass, and add TTVJ flats. Don't get me wrong, the flats are great, and worth trying on all your Grados! But they'll emphasize bass, possibly taking it over the top, while reducing soundstage, imaging, and comfort. Or on other headphones, their changes to the bass may be seen as improvements.

Trends I found:

The Grado G pads, Lovinstar G knockoff pads, and Geekria G-flats all did a terrific job in most aspects. But they will usually tend to suck out bass compared to shallower pads. Exceptions to this were on the HF3 and SR325. If you have a compatible headphone, like the Koss KPH40 or KPH30i, and it has prominent bass that you don't mind losing a bit of, the G pad family are a terrific option. This prominent bass is also what makes headphones which are designed for a G pad, like the PS1000e, become overpowering by comparison when paired with anything else. For soundstage and imaging, G pads appear to always beat L's and TTVJ flats.

The Grado official G pads seem to always be superior to the Geekria G-flats and Lovinstar G knockoff pads in terms of treble presentation, transparency, and soundstage.

Grado L pads will sometimes offer a cleaner, less distorted bass presentation than TTVJ flats. Try both if you can! For transparency, soundstage, and imaging, L pads appear to always beat TTVJ flats.


Conclusions: Mini-reviews of Headphones
(In order of my preference)

HP2
These made me rethink the concept of neutrality. While not ruler-flat across all frequencies, this headphone never seems to add or detract from any music, except for a slight bump in the vocal range. With some well-recorded music, I’ve never heard anything close to being this refined, yet enjoyable. They may share a design lineage with newer Grado’s, but these are built like a tank by comparison, and are fairly comfortable considering this.

GH2
Refined but rich, sonorous sound, which can put a smile on your face long after you get accustomed to the sound signature. I’d describe these as having the best “fun” tonal balance I’ve heard, and and while not the absolute top in terms of imaging capability, still provide a holographic texture to the sound – you can close your eyes and get lost in the sonic picture being painted.

KPH40
An excellent lightweight performer with bass that belies its size and superb tonal balance. The Koss headphones punch way above their price.

Mad Dog U 3.2
This mod of the Fostex T50RP is fast and accurate, with an unexpected soundstage for a closed headphone, but surprisingly bass-light for a planar. The Alpha pads get slightly hot, but are generally fatigue-free for very long spans, and isolate very well.

KPH30i GK
This headphone/pad combination is an exceptional all-rounder for those that want more soundstage than the KPH40. Like the KPH40, the Koss headphones punch way above their price, and the addition of any G pads brings them up to the level of headphones 3 - 10 times their price!

PS1000e
While extremely heavy on the head, these are extremely versatile, excelling in every area. I've always been fascinated with the frequency response of these, which seems to follow the Fletcher-Munson equal loudness contours. These might explain why at low volumes, the PS1000e are much more neutral, and at medium volumes, they seem to be more "v-shaped."

SR225e
Lively and often extremely bright in a still pleasant way, these still exhibit some of the best tonal balance of the bunch. However, they can potentially also be harsh with some music.

KSC75
Perfectly competent, detailed, with adequate bass, the form factor of KSC75 allows you to wear them for extremely long spans without discomfort.

HD660S
These headphones are exceedingly similar to the HD600, but a modern approach which has superior imaging.

HD600
A great somewhat mellow-toned all-rounder that excels in nearly all areas, at the expense of a bit more clamp than is comfortable for long spans

RS2i
Very strong all-rounder with both a lively and refined sound, prominent mids, and reasonably punchy bass.

HF3
Unexpectedly strong in the bass department, though overall tonal balance is outmatched by the GH2 and refinement is slightly exceeded by the RS2i.

Q701
With several strong qualities, these headphones could be near perfect if not for their flaws – mainly a somewhat artifical sound arising from odd placement in the soundstage and a lack of realism in the mids and treble. There are bumps in the headband which can sometimes bother.

MDR-V6
Shockingly detailed across the frequency range for a relatively inexpensive closed-back headphone, these will change your perception of what is possible in a sub-$100 headphone. However, subbass is tilted up, and the comfort and build leave a bit to be desired. If I can ever get another pair of V6's I will likely do a custom build with their amazing drivers.

ATH-M50S
Slightly overblown midbass doesn’t keep this headphone from being strong in detail retrieval and general fun for a closed-back headphone. They fold flat, and are great for traveling.

P/21
A lightweight headphone that is more than competent in most areas, except with a somewhat muffled treble. Their thicker "marshmallow" pads don't allow popping on Grado pads like the KPH30i or KPH40, which is why these don't get much use from me.

HD668B
Cheap feel, but a more than competent headphone in most areas, especially for the price. I initially bought these due to some interesting frequency response similarities to the PS1000, but they live in their box. If all Grado headphones ceased to exist tomorrow, I'd pull these out and be very happy.

Edition S (closed)
These are a fairly well-balanced set with tipped-up treble, and with an interesting design that doesn’t seem to grant any advantages (closed-back panels which may be removed to create open-back headphones). Their clamping pressure is a bit heavy to my taste.

SR325
The treble emphasis will make this pleasing when you want a bright headphone with little harshness, though some music will be conspicuously lacking in bass. I feel like these should not be near the bottom of anyone's list, but for me that is vindication that I've obtained a lot of great headphones!

QH560
Cheap feel, odd design that makes a large on-ear headphone. Though fairly versatile, they have a somewhat plasticky sound, possibly due to the large chrome badge directly behind the driver module.

3068AV
Worst of the bunch in almost every way. Intensely uncomfortable, they produce a muffled sound that can remarkably make any music seem far less engaging. I'm actually impressed that these exist.

 

[peterinvan]

Conclusion: Rank and Preference

Here's how the rankings for headphones, regardless of pads, worked out (picking the top rank of each headphone, as above). Divided into rough S-F groups, though the grouping was largely based on my own subjectivity.





Interestingly, this didn't necessarily line up exactly with my overall headphone preference. So, just because a headphone is good in several aspects, those aspects may not combine in a way that you prefer them to others. Here's my "preference" ranking:




Conclusion: Pad Characteristics

I found through this study that pads are not always consistent in their changes to a headphone sound, though some trends do emerge.

Why aren't they consistent?

Take a headphone with terrific, powerful yet articulate bass, and add TTVJ flats. Don't get me wrong, the flats are great, and worth trying on all your Grados! But they'll emphasize bass, possibly taking it over the top, while reducing soundstage, imaging, and comfort. Or on other headphones, their changes to the bass may be seen as improvements.

Trends I found:

The Grado G pads, Lovinstar G knockoff pads, and Geekria G-flats all did a terrific job in most aspects. But they will usually tend to suck out bass compared to shallower pads. Exceptions to this were on the HF3 and SR325. If you have a compatible headphone, like the Koss KPH40 or KPH30i, and it has prominent bass that you don't mind losing a bit of, the G pad family are a terrific option. This prominent bass is also what makes headphones which are designed for a G pad, like the PS1000e, become overpowering by comparison when paired with anything else. For soundstage and imaging, G pads appear to always beat L's and TTVJ flats.

The Grado official G pads seem to always be superior to the Geekria G-flats and Lovinstar G knockoff pads in terms of treble presentation, transparency, and soundstage.

Grado L pads will sometimes offer a cleaner, less distorted bass presentation than TTVJ flats. Try both if you can! For transparency, soundstage, and imaging, L pads appear to always beat TTVJ flats.


Conclusions: Mini-reviews of Headphones
(In order of my preference)

HP2
These made me rethink the concept of neutrality. While not ruler-flat across all frequencies, this headphone never seems to add or detract from any music, except for a slight bump in the vocal range. With some well-recorded music, I’ve never heard anything close to being this refined, yet enjoyable. They may share a design lineage with newer Grado’s, but these are built like a tank by comparison, and are fairly comfortable considering this.

GH2
Refined but rich, sonorous sound, which can put a smile on your face long after you get accustomed to the sound signature. I’d describe these as having the best “fun” tonal balance I’ve heard, and and while not the absolute top in terms of imaging capability, still provide a holographic texture to the sound – you can close your eyes and get lost in the sonic picture being painted.

KPH40
An excellent lightweight performer with bass that belies its size and superb tonal balance. The Koss headphones punch way above their price.

Mad Dog U 3.2
This mod of the Fostex T50RP is fast and accurate, with an unexpected soundstage for a closed headphone, but surprisingly bass-light for a planar. The Alpha pads get slightly hot, but are generally fatigue-free for very long spans, and isolate very well.

KPH30i GK
This headphone/pad combination is an exceptional all-rounder for those that want more soundstage than the KPH40. Like the KPH40, the Koss headphones punch way above their price, and the addition of any G pads brings them up to the level of headphones 3 - 10 times their price!

PS1000e
While extremely heavy on the head, these are extremely versatile, excelling in every area. I've always been fascinated with the frequency response of these, which seems to follow the Fletcher-Munson equal loudness contours. These might explain why at low volumes, the PS1000e are much more neutral, and at medium volumes, they seem to be more "v-shaped."

SR225e
Lively and often extremely bright in a still pleasant way, these still exhibit some of the best tonal balance of the bunch. However, they can potentially also be harsh with some music.

KSC75
Perfectly competent, detailed, with adequate bass, the form factor of KSC75 allows you to wear them for extremely long spans without discomfort.

HD660S
These headphones are exceedingly similar to the HD600, but a modern approach which has superior imaging.

HD600
A great somewhat mellow-toned all-rounder that excels in nearly all areas, at the expense of a bit more clamp than is comfortable for long spans

RS2i
Very strong all-rounder with both a lively and refined sound, prominent mids, and reasonably punchy bass.

HF3
Unexpectedly strong in the bass department, though overall tonal balance is outmatched by the GH2 and refinement is slightly exceeded by the RS2i.

Q701
With several strong qualities, these headphones could be near perfect if not for their flaws – mainly a somewhat artifical sound arising from odd placement in the soundstage and a lack of realism in the mids and treble. There are bumps in the headband which can sometimes bother.

MDR-V6
Shockingly detailed across the frequency range for a relatively inexpensive closed-back headphone, these will change your perception of what is possible in a sub-$100 headphone. However, subbass is tilted up, and the comfort and build leave a bit to be desired. If I can ever get another pair of V6's I will likely do a custom build with their amazing drivers.

ATH-M50S
Slightly overblown midbass doesn’t keep this headphone from being strong in detail retrieval and general fun for a closed-back headphone. They fold flat, and are great for traveling.

P/21
A lightweight headphone that is more than competent in most areas, except with a somewhat muffled treble. Their thicker "marshmallow" pads don't allow popping on Grado pads like the KPH30i or KPH40, which is why these don't get much use from me.

HD668B
Cheap feel, but a more than competent headphone in most areas, especially for the price. I initially bought these due to some interesting frequency response similarities to the PS1000, but they live in their box. If all Grado headphones ceased to exist tomorrow, I'd pull these out and be very happy.

Edition S (closed)
These are a fairly well-balanced set with tipped-up treble, and with an interesting design that doesn’t seem to grant any advantages (closed-back panels which may be removed to create open-back headphones). Their clamping pressure is a bit heavy to my taste.

SR325
The treble emphasis will make this pleasing when you want a bright headphone with little harshness, though some music will be conspicuously lacking in bass. I feel like these should not be near the bottom of anyone's list, but for me that is vindication that I've obtained a lot of great headphones!

QH560
Cheap feel, odd design that makes a large on-ear headphone. Though fairly versatile, they have a somewhat plasticky sound, possibly due to the large chrome badge directly behind the driver module.

3068AV
Worst of the bunch in almost every way. Intensely uncomfortable, they produce a muffled sound that can remarkably make any music seem far less engaging. I'm actually impressed that these exist.

I appreciate the hours that went into this very professional report. Many thanks

 

[Reputator]

Holy crap the work here is staggering!

 

[jlaseter]

I appreciate the hours that went into this very professional report. Many thanks

Thanks for the high praise! My only regret is that I can't put more models into the study without adding mountains of effort each time. I would like to have compared a few X-series Grado's.

 

[jlaseter]

Holy crap the work here is staggering!

Thanks! It took a lot of time, but I'm hoping it will help add to the community body of knowledge in a useful way.

 

[jlaseter]

Sometime in the future I'd like to compare a few more pads, like the inverted L pads, S-cush, TTVJ Deluxe Flats, Geekria doughnuts, or the Dekoni velour.

Then ideally get some more headphones worked into the ranking, like HD800(s), HD650, Focal Clear, Denon AH-D9200, GS3000x. Those are a few of my wishlist items, at least at the moment.