smodtactical
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2012
- Posts
- 2,194
- Likes
- 1,429
I admit I havent heard ada so can't comment. But love o2. Never liked a grado I heard but not sure what pads were on them.If the Grado didnt have F-pads installed then your opinion is easily agreeable for the Grados Ive tried. Grado sans F-pads are overall not good ime. Only a few Grado come with F-pads in stock configuration such as 325x which is partly why I chose for this review so wouldnt get massacred like when I compared stock RS2x (L-pad) vs O2. Im guessing that 325x is Grado’s best headphone currently when stock and it’s great…
imo Ada is most different from O2 in terms of bass quantity and quality and overall tone. O2 is slightly bassy, and Ada is slightly mid-centric. O2’s bass quality is supreme while Ada is worse than 325x due to higher roll off.
Ada and typical Grado both have some 2kHz peakiness which seems to be partly key to why they each can sound punchy and fun (colored) adding definition to snare drum and guitar presence. The other key being their open-cell foam pads which allows (naturally) quick bass decay. Grado’s tend to have 2kHz and ~5kHz peaks but can be narrow or low enough in amplitude as to be tolerable while adding a bit of character. Ada’s 2kHz peak seems to be a tad too wide or loud causing sense of overall mid-centric tone.
Some Grado (F-pads) Ive tried that bother me: RS2e (too much ~5kHz), SR60/80 (slightly too much ~5kHz), RS2x (very slightly too much 2kHz like Ada but RS2x not as bad plus more resolving, I plan to sell my RS2x or would trade for O2).
325x and Ada have a lot in common and are both produced in Staten Island, NY (correct me if im wrong).