[hambone]

I'm an avid music lover who listens to a wide variety of music. I've been looking at the Grado SR225e for a while for my first good headphone purchase. I've looked at tons of reviews and comparisons and they seem to get a ton of good feedback, but with several caveats (comfort, open back, little bass, only good for rock, etc.) I have a feeling that they would blow my mind compared to anything else I've ever heard in my lack of experience, but the more informed seem somewhat divided. I do listen to a good bit of electronic (ambient, glitchy, textured, not heavy dub step stuff). I need to spend around $200, and this may be my only investment for now, as much as I would love a DAC or amp. I listen mostly through my iPhone 5 and MacBook. I'm willing to think about another brand, but all this talk about the "Grado sound" and Grados sounding better than headphones at higher price points has me wanting to just take the plunge. Anything I should be aware of before I click "buy"? Any other cans I should think about at the price point?

 

[KG Jag]

You need to know that the Grado is open, which means that it leaks sound like a seve and isolates next to not at all.

 

[hambone]

I've heard that was the case. I listen mostly at home, so leakage isn't a huge deal. I have looked at other brands, I guess I'm just overwhelmed with the options. Grado seems to get consistent praise outside of the fact that they are open and tame in the bass department, neither of which are huge issues for me. I have tons of experience with crappy overpriced headphones that boost bass and muddy up the sound (Sol, Beats), so a brighter sound is a plus for me. One problem is that I live where there is zero opportunity for testing out headphones, so I am completely in the dark. I have no idea what a premium headphone even sounds like. I have some experience with Bose, and they sound so much better than anything I've ever heard. I hear, though, that even Bose are overrated. I guess I am just looking for some feedback, since that is literally all I have to go by. I have read that the Senn Momentums are a decent option in the price range. Any opinions on those compared to the SR225e?

 

[KG Jag]

At $200 that are many good cans that are easily driven without an amp.  The 225e is one of them.  However, without not knowing more about the sound signature you prefer, it's difficult to make meaning specific recommendations.
 
As you are unable to listen for yourself,I suggest that you spend some time with the Buying Guide:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide
 
When in doubt, the Senn HD 558 or 598 are among the safest of choices--if you're OK with a full sized open can.

 

[hambone]

Sincere thanks for your help. That is the most helpful article I've read thus far. Now I'm torn between the HD598 and the Q107. It seems that the HD598 may be the better all purpose, but it looks like the Q107 may be a good one to grow into as well. I'm sure my next purchase will be a DAC/Amp, so any opinions on the best out of the two?

 

[KG Jag]

Sincere thanks for your help. That is the most helpful article I've read thus far. Now I'm torn between the HD598 and the Q107. It seems that the HD598 may be the better all purpose, but it looks like the Q107 may be a good one to grow into as well. I'm sure my next purchase will be a DAC/Amp, so any opinions on the best out of the two?

 
Glad to help.
 
If you mean the Q701, it needs an amp.  It is much harder to drive than its specs suggest.
 
With an amp I prefer the Q701, but both are very good and reasonable ears with differ.

 

[hambone]

Oh yeah, 701 not 107! Lol. Thanks, I think I may go 701 with an amp. I knew I joined hed-fi for a reason. Should've done this a month ago. While we're on the subject, any suggestions for affordable amps to pair with this? Last question, I swear. Lol

 

[KG Jag]

Oh yeah, 701 not 107! Lol. Thanks, I think I may go 701 with an amp. I knew I joined hed-fi for a reason. Should've done this a month ago. While we're on the subject, any suggestions for affordable amps to pair with this? Last question, I swear. Lol

Some of the mid to upper level Fiio portable amps and dacs are well regarded.  I rarely use a portable amp, so others will probably be more helpful on this one--especially for music/sound coming from a phone or computer.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I've been looking at the Grado SR225e for a while for my first good headphone purchase. I've looked at tons of reviews and comparisons and they seem to get a ton of good feedback, but with several caveats (comfort, open back, little bass, only good for rock, etc.)

 

Comfort: This can be a problem with Grados because of the on-ear pads along with the headband design. At minimum it's hard to strike a balance between not falling off your head and not getting painful earlobes after an hour; for some, like me, my skin itches with the foam if I wear them long enough to sweat on them. Bending the headband to have a slightly flatter top and then have a sharper curve at the side (look at what the new HiFiMan headbands look like to see the general shape it should be in) can relieve the pressure for many but not all. There's also the "sock mod" (just search for it) for the earpads to add some padding to it and, for someone like me, not itch with the foam (just don't forget to wash the sock padding after a while).

 

Bass: Most of the problem with Grado is just the low bass; for rock music they have decent and fast bass guitar notes and enough impact on the bass drum.

 

Genre limitations: I don't go with conventional wisdom on this one - I prefer the HD6x0 for (symphonic, prog, power) metal and Grados for jazz, blues, and rap. The forward sound of the Grados makes complex metal recordings sound feel like fighting ancient Hellenic infantry* pushing dozens of pikes at and around your skull, but they impart a more "raw" flavor that it's like listening to jazz and more so blues live, instead of the canned version from a CD that a studio engineer already fixed. By contrast the comparatively more "laid back" HD6x0 images complex recordings and separates instruments across a slightly wider and deeper area, taking the cymbals away from where Grado puts them which is smack outside your ear canals (they'll be slightly backwards from there, but not totally in front of your temples). 
 
*Imagine what this looks like head-on

 

 

  I've heard that was the case. I listen mostly at home, so leakage isn't a huge deal.

 
Just be aware that sometimes just because you can't pick out specific sounds at night that doesn't mean there isn't a significant noise floor. With all my windows closed and one fan running at night I still get around 30dB - that's nearly as loud as where my desktop gaming rig is (measured from where my head is), assuming I don't run the A/C. So just be careful with setting the volume or you might not be aware you're already listening at dangerous levels.
 

  I have looked at other brands, I guess I'm just overwhelmed with the options. Grado seems to get consistent praise outside of the fact that they are open and tame in the bass department, neither of which are huge issues for me.

 

If so then just go ahead and get them, just mind my point above about safety and actual ambient noise when you're listening. There really aren't many other enjoyable headphones near that price range that can beat the SR225e. There are others that are better in being portable for example but in overall sound and relative ease of driving with whatever kind of amplification you have around (barring speaker amps and CDPs with a high output impedance on their headphone outputs - I mean, seriously, why would they think that 300ohm Sennheisers and 600ohm Beyers/AKGs would be more common than Grados?!) that's as good as you get.

 

At lower price ranges Grados are still contenders. I almost picked up an SR60 for casual listening (YouTube, streaming, background music while working, etc) and gaming, but ultimately I managed to find something cheaper and more comfortable: the HD330. With a good enough amp it doesn't give up much in terms of the SR60's punch, and has deeper bass too (all the way down to 30hz based on a sinesweep generator). At $200 though I'd probably still stick with the Grados if you're not going to spend a little bit more on the headphones much less an amplifier.

 

 

 

[hambone]

Great advice, Protoge, thanks. I am now considering spending a little more. Maybe the q107s with an amp? Comfort could be an issue for me, because I listen for long intervals. Don't really have any good speakers, so headphones are my primary listening mode. Looking at portable amps like the fiio e12. Anyone happen to know if it will power the q107/k107 properly?

 

[liquidzoo]

To add a differing opinion here (well, maybe not differing, but another opinion):

I have the older SR225i and I really love them. They easily handle anything I throw at them.

The stock headband is basically 2 pieces of vinyl around a metal strap. Not the most comfortable thing. Bending it can help, but the best thing I did was buy a Manta headband from Turbulent Labs: http://turbulentlabs.com/grado-black-manta/ (cheaper now than when I bought it).

At first, the ear pads were a bit uncomfortable but now I don't even notice. I can easily wear them all day with no problems at all.

That's not to say they're as comfortable as my over-ear headphones, but I still prefer them unless I'm trying to block outside noise so I can concentrate on work.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Great advice, Protoge, thanks. I am now considering spending a little more. Maybe the q107s with an amp? Comfort could be an issue for me, because I listen for long intervals. Don't really have any good speakers, so headphones are my primary listening mode. Looking at portable amps like the fiio e12. Anyone happen to know if it will power the q107/k107 properly?

 

Those AKGs use a self-adjusting headband, so it guarantees generally the same fit for anybody wearing them. That's a huge thing over Sennheiser's HD600 and HD650 that sometimes have some people contributing impressions with varied clamping levels. That also accelerates earpad wear and worsens their effect. I had to bend the metal frame just to allow a fit that feels more like the HD800, and the sound is a lot closer to that one than the popular opinion on what these sound like.

 

That said, note that there are a number of people who didn't like the headband bumps, although personally I never understood what the issue was. I never even knew they had bumps because I didn't feel them, and only read about the complaints at some point when somebody gutted his headband bad to remove the bumps. Note I get a haircut every six weeks so it's not like my hair is a thick, curly ball that prevents me from feeling the bumps. Don't let that stop you from trying them, but I'd rather you know about that as early as now.

 

As for the amp, you're going to need to invest a bit. Not that you need a huge monster amp, but those AKGs need an amp that has good damping factor and current delivery; or an amp with low damping factor but won't distort (like Bursons - the damping factor is low so you get a bass boost, but the boost doesn't sound distorted with these). Try the Objective2, Asgard2, or NFB-15. The latter has a DAC in the same chassis so that might be better, but I'm not sure about OSX compatibility so better make sure. You can also get an Objective2 with an ODAC module built in.

 

[jdawg307]

Got these recently as my first foray into nice headphones. Really great choice, but I do recommend listening to them first.

 

[hambone]

Got these recently as my first foray into nice headphones. Really great choice, but I do recommend listening to them first.

Unfortunately, I am about 100 miles from any real audio shops where I might be able to test out cans before buying

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Unfortunately, I am about 100 miles from any real audio shops where I might be able to test out cans before buying

 

It's likely the Q701's headband is a lot less likely to be an issue compared to the clamp and fit balance on the SR225e. That said, the Grados are easier to drive, so you're basically choosing between a comfortable circumaural or a potentially not as comfortable supra-aural that works well enough even with just a tablet.