[TheMarchingMule]

I'm in a rush right now, but has anybody inquired the OP as to what his source/the rest of his audio chain is?

 

[cyberidd]

You should know that most people just starting out on Head-fi come looking for headphones with lots of bass, or are disappointed with the bass of the cans they get, but ultimately most of those people (myself included) eventually move away from bassy headphones into ones with more detail and more mids and treble. I fully believe that if you listen to the 225 exclusively for a week or so and then try the Bose you will start to notice the lack of detail, the bloated bass, etc. that sound natural now. I find that when changing headphones (especially one that you are used to the sound of) it is much easier to note (and appreciate) the parts of the sound that is missing than those that have been added. In this case, you are used to the boomy bass of the QC2 and that is what your ears expect, but if you listen to the Grado for a few days without listening to the Bose then you will probably begin to miss the clarity, etc. of the SR225.

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattay /img/forum/go_quote.gif Recently, after reading countless reviews on how grado's where amazing headphones, I decided to purchase the sr225's for my newest pair of headphones. After listening to them for about 3 weeks now I'm pretty disappointed, as they are not nearly as good as I expected them to be. Thoughts?

I've had a pair for a year or so now but rarely use them. The midrange is fine, but I find the bass very recessed and the treble slighly spitty. Measurements I've seen seem to justify my impression. Also they are uncomfortable on my ears after about ten minutes.

Frankly I found the Sennheiser PX100 better sounding in just about every way, and this is still my opinion after I've moved on to higher priced Senns I like even better.

That does not mean the 225s are not good phones. People have different tastes and if they like the 225 sound better that's fine with me. But not being impressed with the SR225s does not make you "crazy".

 

[gilency]

Every time I read a thread like this I wonder if the purpose of it is to generate controversy. More likely to pique the interest of the casual reader.
The OP should know by now that everybody has different opinions and different tastes. That pretty much sums it up.

 

[boomana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnmnkh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, no one mentions flat pads so far. Pure fail. Try flat pads from TTJV. There will be massive bass improvement and high will be toned down a lot.

X2. I'm listening to 225s with flats right now. There is no lack of bass whatsoever. It's not overpowering, but all that's on the tracks is there.

OP, I had the same reaction when I bought MS1s a couple years ago. I had SR60s, but got curious after reading post after post of stunning praise. I got myself a used pair and really couldn't reconcile what I'd been reading with what I was hearing. It was a good lesson in following some threads on this forum, and also learning a bit about what I liked and didn't. I now pay much more attention to who is posting and their experience with headphones and I also try harder to be a responsible poster, and say things as accurately as possible. I guess some good came out of that bad experience. Oh....and I traded the MS1s for a nice little switchbox I never use.

Try them with flats. If you still don't like them, just know that the 225s aren't for you, and they'll sell quickly around here. I like the 225s, but think the HF1s and HF2s kill them for sq if we're talking the Grado line. You may also find, as others have mentioned, that other headphones are more to your liking. Good luck.

 

[atothex]

Holy crap, the flats were so obvious, I didn't even think about it. I automatically assumed flats and forgot how crappy the bowls sound. Ha! Yes yes yes to the flats.

 

[john53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by justhavingfun /img/forum/go_quote.gif Usually when I try any type of audio related equipments, the first "WOW" impression doesn't stay with me very long. It becomes somewhat tiresome to listen in long session but those equipments who gave me "so-so" first impression gives me more satisfaction in long term, more I listen to them, they get better for my ears.

This is exactly what i think,too.
I actually think that the op is not used to good,balanced,refined and neutral sound and he finds these cans boring because they don't have excessive bass and impact like his previous ones.
To the op : Just try to understand that the really good sound is not the sound with the boom boom bass as you are used to.I think that if you really like music you will find your way to a good sounding setup(there is no need to be very expensive,just the right compinations of the audio components)

 

[dallan]

If you are considering changing over to something like the Sennheiser 600 as suggested above, you should use an amp, otherwise you will be disappointed with them too. Senns really shine with a decent amp and without one don't sound to good. I have two Senns and i have the Grado SR225 as you. Got mine recabled, don't like it as much as the Senns but it has its place, usually use it when i walk the dog and want to hear what is going on around me, like at night. It is open so i can hear and the recable was done with portable cables. They are not bad but i get what you are saying, esp when coming from where you came from.

 

[analogbox]

I, too, was a little disappointed when I first got my 225's and amping with my corda move didn't help much at all. However, listening to them through my M^3 sounds purely magic. The bass is tight, not over powering, and it tamed the treble to a great degree so that I can listen to thundering cymbals at high volume. The midrange had just the right amount of attack and wasn't in-your-face.

I guess the key here is the synergy between your gears and phones. If you find no bass, and treble too painful, you may have a setup that is not too desirable for either gears. If you find the right synergy between amps and 225's, they'll give you so much more than what you're experiencing right now.

 

[alphaphoenix]

I don't listen directly from the laptop, but from what I been reading here on it, plugging any cans into a DAC may yield the results you seek. I'm assuming you're using a 1/4 to 1/8 converter plug. Quite possibly, that plug may be contributing. However, I agree with another post that the Denon AH-D2000 may be more up your ally with your music variety and emphasis on bass. Good luck and have fun with your choices.

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnmnkh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, no one mentions flat pads so far. Pure fail. Try flat pads from TTJV. There will be massive bass improvement and high will be toned down a lot.

I never understood why some people here think flats as improvemeent. It clearly boosts the midbass out of proportions to fat and boomy, to the point they sound like some cheap Sonys at the times. Or perhaps they do not fit my ear shape (though I doubt) or something? But considering the OPs taste that might very well be a good choice. It really does tip the balance of Grados other way around, from treble happy to bass happy. Change is so extreme that it isnt even funny. Hell, my Ultrasone has less midbass than SR225 after flatpad change. o_O

 

[mikenyc]

I really think that the posters above have covered most of the ground. As another recent purchaser of the SR225i, I will try to quickly summarize my experience. I have the SR225i and the ESW9. Bought the SR225i first, but prefer the ESW9s as an everyday phone. Still really like the SR225i, but go in cycles between loving them and thinking that they are just OK. Recently listened to some Lenny Kravitz and am back in the loving them camp.

Burn-in: I burned in the SR225i for 200+ hours. I noticed some very definite improvements, but must say that I liked them even right out of the box. I still find them a little fatiguing, but maybe they are just not a phone for your ear.

Source: The other comment made about source is also very true. With some lower quality recordings (both resolution and engineering quality), I have found that the SR225i shows all the flaws. I was also deeply disappointed by how they sounded on some specific tracks. I bought a few high resolution tracks on HDTracks and was blown away. All of a sudden these phones had some bass (but not overpowering bass).

Amp: Finally, people constantly post about how Grados and even the ESW9 sound great straight out of an iPod or computer. They sound better than earbuds, but no where near their capability. I have been experimenting with these straight out of my iPod and then switching over to my iBasso D10 amp (amp section only fed from the iPod). Even with the suboptimal connection via the headphone out, I found the sound to be thicker across the spectrum. I realized that it just sounded a little thin, really across the board (not just bass but even mids and high). This might just be my ear, but I definitely believe that even these low impedance phones improve significantly with decent amplification. The D10 is $275, but there are other options around $100 which would probably do the trick

Hope it helps.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dallan /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you are considering changing over to something like the Sennheiser 600 as suggested above, you should use an amp, otherwise you will be disappointed with them too.

Not necessarily. If the issue is in the undersized buffer capacitors as described in my earlier post, a 300-ohm load will at least make for a decent bass response. My HD 600 sounds quite listenable from my E-MU 1212M('s line out).
.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikenyc /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...I have been experimenting with these straight out of my iPod and then switching over to my iBasso D10 amp (amp section only fed from the iPod). Even with the suboptimal connection via the headphone out, I found the sound to be thicker across the spectrum. I realized that it just sounded a little thin, really across the board (not just bass but even mids and high).

That's because the iPod shows an early bass drop-off with low-impedance loads (see above).

.

 

[atothex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaZa /img/forum/go_quote.gif I never understood why some people here think flats as improvemeent. It clearly boosts the midbass out of proportions to fat and boomy, to the point they sound like some cheap Sonys at the times. Or perhaps they do not fit my ear shape (though I doubt) or something? But considering the OPs taste that might very well be a good choice. It really does tip the balance of Grados other way around, from treble happy to bass happy. Change is so extreme that it isnt even funny. Hell, my Ultrasone has less midbass than SR225 after flatpad change. o_O

That's OK, you don't have to understand. I think John G himself uses bowls, so whatever. I can only say that the muddiness imo disappears with really good upstream stuff: a superb DAC and well-matched amp. The amp especially is key, because despite being easy to drive, Grados are also easy to drive incorrectly. I think low output impedances and tons of current are key.