[kjoh]

Hello everyone! I currently own a pair of SR125i's and a pair of HD650's.  The SR125i's are powered by a PA2V2 amp and the HD650's are powered by a LaFigaro 336 Classic amp.  I have alot of appreciation for the sound signature in the HD650 setup but I find them too laid back for my taste.  I've grown to be a huge fan of the Grado sound signature mainly because of the sparkly highs and punchy responsive base(though a little on the light side).  Of course the mids are great as well.  Anyways, I keep going back to the Grado's b/c of that unique sparkle and I like the thought of enhancing that experience with some of Grado's higher end cans.  Based on my taste I'm thinking maybe the SR325i's.  But based on what I've read it seems like the RS2i's would fit those same qualities....just a little better perhaps. Is it worth the price jump though? I think the RS1i's would be a little too laid back for me.  Any thoughts on the comparisons? Thanks in advance!

 

[ArmAndHammer]

IMO...the SR325's are much better than the SR125's though I only briefly demoed the 125...that's all it took for my to know they were not for me. I also demoed the RS1 but not the RS2. The RS1 was fantastic. I would like to try the RS2 though just to compare. At this point I would have no issue recommending the 325 over the 125 in a heartbeat. I just can't help with the RS2.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

This might help you though...lots of info to read up on....
 
=4&replycompare=gt&numupdates=0&sdate=0&newer=1&sort=relevance&order=descending&Search=SEARCH]http://www.head-fi.org/search.php?advanced=1&search=RS1+vs+RS2&titleonly=1&byuser=&output=all&containingforum[]=4&replycompare=gt&numupdates=0&sdate=0&newer=1&sort=relevance&order=descending&Search=SEARCH

 

[Kevin Brown]

I had the SR125's for a year before starting to move up the Grado food chain.  Now, see my sig. 

 
My "go to" 'phones right now are the HF2's, and I have RS2i's on the way.
 
I know that A&H loves his 325's, but I tried a pair and found them way too bright.  I preferred the Alessandro MS2i's to the 325i's.  More mellow and laid back, but still with the "Grado sound".
 
I'll report back in when my RS2i's get here.  Should be in the next 2 days or so.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

I'd still love to get my hands on some HF2's. I know there are a pair in the FS section but I don't want to shell out $450 to demo a pair of headphones even though from reviews...I would have no issue keeping them. The costs of getting all the stuff I need for the upcoming semester of college has really killed me. 

 

[kjoh]

Thanks guys for the feedback!  That's interesting to hear that the 325i's seem to have an even brighter sound than the 125i's.  I'm guessing then you couldn't really listen to these cans for long periods of time without being amp'd.  Also I have seen the HF2's pop up quite a bit in the 325i forums so I'm curious about those too. Being in a similar price point I think I might be a little more tempted towards the RS2i's though. Maybe it's just the idea of owning a pair of woody grados(seems more satisfying somehow).

 

[kjoh]

Quote:

I had the SR125's for a year before starting to move up the Grado food chain.  Now, see my sig. 

 
My "go to" 'phones right now are the HF2's, and I have RS2i's on the way.
 
I know that A&H loves his 325's, but I tried a pair and found them way too bright.  I preferred the Alessandro MS2i's to the 325i's.  More mellow and laid back, but still with the "Grado sound".
 
I'll report back in when my RS2i's get here.  Should be in the next 2 days or so.

For sure! would be interested to hear your feedback

 

[Bilavideo]

My advice, for what it's worth, is simple and predictable: Buy the 325s used, open them up and make the following low-cost mods:
 
1. Vent the driver backs (pop four holes into the felt behind the driver back, using a ballpoint pen to make the hole and the end of a mini plug to ream that hole).  This will increase the airflow dramatically and you'll never find yourself complaining that these cans are too bright.
 
2. Get some gummy damping material, like Blutack or Dynamat and put a hunk of it on the magnet backplate.  This will open things open dramatically.
 
3. Get rid of the plastic ring, down by the grill, as well a the plastic button that's stuck smack dab in the middle of your rear screen.  These pieces of plastic add resonance of the worst kind.  Getting rid of them will tame unnecessarily high-mid spikes, the kind that annoy the dickens out of you when you crank up the volume.
 
4. If you feel adventurous, take a steak knife, slip it under the driver cloth and rip it out (along with the spaghetti remnants).  These are Grados.  They don't need filters or anything else between you and the driver.
 
There are other upgrades you can make - from recabling to woodifying the front plastic chamber - but these mods are practically free and easy.  In less than 20 minutes, you'll end up with the most amazing 325 you've ever heard - unamped.  If you still feel like wood is in your future, there are a variety of after-market shells you can get as slip-ons.  The RS2 is a bargain, compared to the $700 RS1 but at $500, it's significantly more expensive than a brand-new 325, which is significantly more expensive than a used one. 
 
One thing: If you have a choice between the SR325i and the SR325is, get the "is."  It has twice the cabling (eight-conductor cabling with a four-braid in pairs).  More copper means more conductivity.  I love silver but double copper is worth a lot more than the best silver.  You'll end up with a thicker cable, and you may not notice much at the top end, but your bass will be significantly better.  It'll have a thump to it that comes from the lowered impedance.

 

[kjoh]

Thanks for the post Billavideo! Very informative.  I've actually read up on some your Grado mods in the past and have been very interested in them.  As a student I appreciate cost-effective mods/upgrades

  I guess you meant to recommend the 325i's over the older 325's in your post? 
 
Also I've heard of some people reporting a significant improvement in SQ when pairing the 325i's with the G-cushions. Thoughts?

 

[eggontoast]

 
Quote:

My advice, for what it's worth, is simple and predictable: Buy the 325s used, open them up and make the following low-cost mods:
 
1. Vent the driver backs (pop four holes into the felt behind the driver back, using a ballpoint pen to make the hole and the end of a mini plug to ream that hole).  This will increase the airflow dramatically and you'll never find yourself complaining that these cans are too bright.
 
2. Get some gummy damping material, like Blutack or Dynamat and put a hunk of it on the magnet backplate.  This will open things open dramatically.
 
3. Get rid of the plastic ring, down by the grill, as well a the plastic button that's stuck smack dab in the middle of your rear screen.  These pieces of plastic add resonance of the worst kind.  Getting rid of them will tame unnecessarily high-mid spikes, the kind that annoy the dickens out of you when you crank up the volume.
 
4. If you feel adventurous, take a steak knife, slip it under the driver cloth and rip it out (along with the spaghetti remnants).  These are Grados.  They don't need filters or anything else between you and the driver.
 
There are other upgrades you can make - from recabling to woodifying the front plastic chamber - but these mods are practically free and easy.  In less than 20 minutes, you'll end up with the most amazing 325 you've ever heard - unamped.  If you still feel like wood is in your future, there are a variety of after-market shells you can get as slip-ons.  The RS2 is a bargain, compared to the $700 RS1 but at $500, it's significantly more expensive than a brand-new 325, which is significantly more expensive than a used one. 
 
One thing: If you have a choice between the SR325i and the SR325is, get the "is."  It has twice the cabling (eight-conductor cabling with a four-braid in pairs).  More copper means more conductivity.  I love silver but double copper is worth a lot more than the best silver.  You'll end up with a thicker cable, and you may not notice much at the top end, but your bass will be significantly better.  It'll have a thump to it that comes from the lowered impedance.

Or rather than spending your money on some mid range Grados then proceeding to make a dogs dinner out of them with blue tac and a butchers knife you could just buy a pair of RS2i's where all the hard work has been done for you.........properly

 
The RS2i's sound fantasic!! its a purchase I don't think you would regret.....well apart from not buying the RS1i's that is.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

There is nothing wrong with the mods and they are reversible and basically undetectable other than the improved sound. Your "dog's dinner" comment is totally unfounded and unless you have actually tried the mods...a bit ignorant. Besides...the SR325 has a different sound signature than the RS1 or RS2 so perhaps for those that prefer it, simply suggesting they buy the more expensive but not necessarily better RS series is not the best advise. 

 

[eggontoast]

There is nothing wrong with the mods and they are reversible and basically undetectable other than the improved sound. Your "dog's dinner" comment is totally unfounded and unless you have actually tried the mods...a bit ignorant. Besides...the SR325 has a different sound signature than the RS1 or RS2 so perhaps for those that prefer it, simply suggesting they buy the more expensive but not necessarily better RS series is not the best advise. 

 


Did you manage to stop your 325is from rattling after poking holes into them ?

Generally when you spend more you get a better model otherwise they would all be the same price and just sound different. It's like saying a 3 series Beemer is as good as a 5 series everybody knows it's not apart from the 3 series owners.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

Yes I did matter of fact.
 
I'm not saying that the RS1/2 isn't a better model of Grado. I know for a fact that the RS1 is a better sounding headphone (to my ears). I have not heard the RS2 so I cannot comment. However to say that buying a mid-range Grado like the SR325 and modding it to improve the sound is akin to turning it into a "dog's dinner", that's a rubbish comment based on what? Ignorance? Snobbery? Experience?
Not everyone has a bunch of money to waste on a higher model headphone. If I had an extra $400 just burning a whole in my pocket I probably would have RS1's rather than SR325's. But that wasn't the case. So I got what I could at the time and I am very happy with that decision. And to do a few simple, free mods that dramatically improve the sound of my headphones...well...why the heck not. I did them, they worked. The mods did nothing to reduce the value of, injury the appearance of, or in any way negatively affect my headphones.

 

[eggontoast]

Yes I did matter of fact.


 


I'm not saying that the RS1/2 isn't a better model of Grado. I know for a fact that the RS1 is a better sounding headphone (to my ears). I have not heard the RS2 so I cannot comment. However to say that buying a mid-range Grado like the SR325 and modding it to improve the sound is akin to turning it into a "dog's dinner", that's just an comment based on what? Ignorance? Snobbery? Experience?


Not everyone has a bunch of money to waste on a higher model headphone. If I had an extra $400 just burning a whole in my pocket I probably would have RS1's rather than SR325's. But that wasn't the case. So I got what I could at the time and I am very happy with that decision. And to do a few simple, free mods that dramatically improve the sound of my headphones...well...why the heck not. I did them, they worked. The mods did nothing to reduce the value of, injury the appearance of, or in any way negatively affect my headphones.

 

The comments are based on experience. Slightly off topic but relevant, I have worked for a very large consumer electronics company for many years and there is continual dribble on forums about mods etc. I find it quite amusing that novices think that they know better than the people and companies that have spent vast amounts of time and money developing products. If your modified cans sound better to you then all well and good I however will put it down to a placibo effect as you have done the mod wanting it to sound better and thus it does. I'm not saying they don't sound different I'm sure they do I just dispute the better bit.

My suggestion to the op was simply buy the RS2i's or if you can afford it the RS1's because some clever designers at Grado have done a good job already.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

Well...it's been a couple weeks...I guess the placebo has really kicked my ass because I still think my headphones sound better. As far as people and companies that know better than us novices...ever try on a pair of Beats or Bose? That is two examples that prove that companies don't alway know dick about headphones, audio, good sound, or what actually passes as quality.
 
But I guess I should put my opinions aside and just believe you since you obviously know what is best for my ears having worked for a large consumer electronics company and all.