[rawhit]

Hi All,
I have been lurking around for quite some time and after reading so many posts here decided to go for Grado 325s.
I already own the Grado SR-80s and like them very much.

i found the build quality of 325s is quite a bit better than the lower end grados and they are heavier too giving them a very solid feel.
I have one concern though
just out of the box they sound only slightly better than the SR-80s.
It may be because im running them out of soundblaster live (ok I know it suks but that is all I have now)

I hope sound will get better with breakin.
i read somewhere that the SR-325s need much more time to breakin than other Grados...can any body give me an idea about their breakin time?
thanx
Rawhit

 

[solomon]

rawhit,
I did what you are doing one or two years back. Having owned SR80 for about 6 months, I started looking around for a better model from Grado. And I chose SR325. Right out of the box, my initial impression was the same. They were slightly better than the fully broken-in SR80.
I didn't intentionally try to break in them by non-stop playing. I just listend to them everyday. I could gradually feel the continuous improvement, the bass became more clean, the highs less aggressive. Then someday, several months after using, I picked up SR80s and did a comparison. No contest. Though they have very similiar qualities, SR325s have much more accurate and clean bass, much better high-end extension, and much more realistic sound stage. The sound stage of SR80s is too narrow and unnatural, SR325s are much better in this area and come close to that of HD600 and K501.

 

[88Sound]

I have 2 pair of 325's, a very old well broken in pair, and a newer mostly broken in pair and they both sound great. I recently listened to a brand new pair of 325's while auditioning other phones and they were shrill and unballanced, very different from my broken in pairs. Your 325's will change a lot for the better over time and after break in they will lose the shrillness and increase in bass extension. I think you'll be happy.

 

[r3cc0s]

well, you should notice that the sound is much more detailed than the sr-80's, as I did.

What I am worried about is your amp
I think if you got at least a t/a to run out of your sblive

you will have much more current for your new Grado 325's and find that you will have a much fuller sound, more spaceous midrange and detail.

Yes the 325's need alot of breakin, but I don't think much more than any other pair of grado's i've encountered.
just run some pink noise at a "loud" listening level for a few days straight, and it should loosen the driver's surrounds well enough to give a bit more bass extention.

best of luck

 

[erix]

I did the same thing! SR-80 to SR-325. I've been listening to the 325's now for about six weeks and they doo actually improve.

I run mine thru a DIY amp - makes a TON of difference. If you aren't using them with an amp you are missing some of their best qualities!

ok,
erix

 

[rawhit]

thanx for info guys,
i guess cans of their caliber will need better source and amp to show their true potential.
some of the differences that i could note immediately compared to my SR-80s are tighther bass and wider soundstage. Also the sound was somewhat fuller.
since i havent listened to any amps so far i dont have much idea how much better they can sound.

hoping to upgrade my setup (when i have saved some money) to something
like
audiophile 2496 -> cha47 -> grado 325
any other suggestions for the source?

this should cure my upgraditis (atleast for some time

)

 

[DesBen]

I heard the SR325 out of a high-quality Bryston pre-amp and they were clearly worth their price. Much better than the SR80. Instrument separation was awesome: there was a lot of room in between instruments and you could easily follow each of them. Detail was amazing. They gave me a gradorgasm.

If break-in doesn't do it for you, I suggest you get a real CD player with an amp. The SR325 deserve it.

 

[franktalk]

I also went from well broken in 80's - which I modified with the bowl pads - to the 325's. I love the build quality - hopefully yours are the brushed aluminum - but the sound difference did not blow me away initially. They really do need break in time. There is no special procedure to follow - just listen to lots of different kinds of music which is hardly tough duty with the 325's.

BTW I have had an unintended "buttontomy" - meaning one of the 325 buttons on the screen on the backside of the ear piece has fallen off. They are only glued on and someone suggested that they are better off without it. I will probably pry the other one off sometime soon.

Enjoy!

 

[ChenaynayC]

I took the same route, purchasing the 80s in December, followed by the 325s in January. I am very happy with them both. I keep the 80s at work and use the 325s at home. To my ears the 325s sound more full and laid back. I bought them used so I'm not sure where they were as far as burn-in when I bought them. I'll just keep listening and see where they take me . . . Enjoy!