[morose-]

I am considering Grado headphones. I'm a Sennheiser fellow as it is now--not that I have much experience but own a HD650.

What should I know about them? Are they a good brand to consider next? Will my current amp, a Headroom Desktop Portable, work well with a Grado. Also, what's a good entry level Grado? I would prefer at least a 1/4" jack to start.

And finally, are Grado headphones vastly superior to Sennheiser at the highest level? I mean, the price differences are exceedingly great.

 

[Ikarios]

The Grado sound is very different from the Sennheiser sound. Personally, I think it's more aggressive and forward, while Sennheiser is more laid-back and veiled. Personally my Grados are great for rock, because they're a very involving headphone.

A very entry level Grado would be the SR-60 or the MS-1. That'll get you started in the Grado sound, but if you like it, you'll probably want to upgrade soon. The SR225 is probably the best Grado to try out, as it's middle-of-the-line and doesn't cost too much ($180 or so).

 

[morose-]

What about amplification?

 

[darkninja67]

Grados are fairly easy to drive but will improve when properly amped.

EDIT: Grados would be a nice complement to the Senn sound you are used to. Which model depends mainly on how much you want to spend.

 

[Ikarios]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morose- What about amplification?

I can't give you too much information on how higher-end Grados do with amps, but I've compared my SR60 amped and unamped with a CMoy on a OPA2227.

Personally, I thought the sound didn't change very much - maybe a little more aggressive, a little cleaner, more lower end. In the end, though, I don't think amping the SR60 is really worth it. Granted, this is the low end of the Grado line, and I'm sure they don't scale very well. Also, my CMoy is hardly a high-end amp. I've heard the RS-1 scales very very well.

As a side note, Grados are 32 ohms. Not really sure how this would affect your system, but I know it drains my batteries faster

 

[morose-]

I'm thinking that I'll buy either the SR 125 or the SR 225.

And what is 32 ohms?

 

[iancraig10]

Switching from the hd650 to a Grado will make you wince with all that treble energy and slam. Going the other way makes you think that the Senns have a blanket over them.

The 225 is brilliant.

Ian

 

[morose-]

Hey thanks. Though again, what is the ohms?

 

[J-Pak]

I would get the SR-225. With bowls the SR-125 is very bright.

 

[Ikarios]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morose- Hey thanks. Though again, what is the ohms?

ohms is a measure of the resistance of the headphone drivers. Ohm's Law is Voltage = Current x Resistance. This only really has to do with portable, battery-driven amps, but basically the lower your resistance, the higher your current needs to be, from the same voltage source. This means Grados drain batteries faster than other higher-impedance headphones. But I dont think it matters for your amp.

 

[augustwest]

"And finally, are Grado headphones vastly superior to Sennheiser at the highest level? I mean, the price differences are exceedingly great."

You will find a large range of opinion on that question. The answer can sometime depend on the type of music you will be listening to.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but if you can swing going up to the MS2i, or 325i you will realize considerable more value for your money. Both in sound quality and build quality. You can often find them second hand here at a substantial savings if the budget is tight. While Grados are perhaps one of the easiest quality headphones to drive, all quality headphones will benefit from some sort of amplification.

Happy listening!

- augustwest

 

[morose-]

Well, it's nice to know that I can have both Sennheiser and Grado without having to buy amps for each--goodness, that would be a nightmare.

I think that I'll buy a pair of Grado SR 225 cans. If I like them, maybe later I'll buy a higher end pair. But the 225s seem like good entry cans to see if I like their sound. They look cool too.

One last question though: are Grado cans comfortable? Sennheiser cans, at least the HD 650, seem designed to fit perfectly around the ear and give it much room. Grado cans just look like bigger versions of those cheap $20.00 Sony headphones one can get at a department store. Does Grado make their cans comfortable?

 

[lmilhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morose- Well, it's nice to know that I can have both Sennheiser and Grado without having to buy amps for each--goodness, that would be a nightmare. I think that I'll buy a pair of Grado SR 225 cans. If I like them, maybe later I'll buy a higher end pair. But the 225s seem like good entry cans to see if I like their sound. They look cool too. One last question though: are Grado cans comfortable? Sennheiser cans, at least the HD 650, seem designed to fit perfectly around the ear and give it much room. Grado cans just look like bigger versions of those cheap $20.00 Sony headphones one can get at a department store. Does Grado make their cans comfortable?

SR-225 is a good place to start. I have said this so many times, but it is worth repeating: If you are seriously into this hobby (which you are if you have a pair of HD-650s) you owe it to yourself to try (at the very least) both the Sennheiser and the Grado house sound. So again, good move by starting with the SR-225s. PLEASE come back to this thread and let us know how you like them once you get to spend some quality time with them.

As for comfort - anything that rests on your ears will start to make your ears tender after a given amount of time. This amount of time will vary from one person to the next. For me, I find Grado headphones (with the headband properly stretched - see instructions that come with your Grados) very comfortable for about 4 hours before my ears start to get tender. At that point I take them off for 5 or 10 minutes, then I am ready to rock again.

Good luck.

 

[arto]

It's true that any supra-aural headphones will put pressure on your ears, but Grados are worse that most. I have a pair of old Beyer DT311s that I can wear forever - very light with soft fabric earpads. My Grados, on the other hand, hurt within about 20 minutes. Grados not only push on the wrong parts of your ears (tweak the headband and the problem moves elsewhere) but their pads are notoriously scratchy, especially the bowls. You can search the forum and find dozens of threads about alternative pads, but all this tells you is that someone at Grado isn't listening.

Incidentally, coming from the Senns you are in for a shock when you see the Grado Prestige Series build quality.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morose- What about amplification?

Grado cans have low imp, and are easily driven.

The search tool is your friend