[rovopio]

I decided to pick up an SR80e while I wait out the 3 weeks for my Fidelio X2 to come in. I was really iffy about Grado because of all the reviews about brightness and sibilance, so I put it off for a while. But considering how I listen to Rock 90% of the time, I figured I owed it to myself to try out the most-recommended brand for the genre.


 


Holy crap.


 


I am loving them. Guitars never sounded so good. Drums never sounded so good. Vocals are incredible! I have been missing out!


 


They're not perfect. The foam is itchy as all hell, the soundstage is nonexistent, and the bass is pretty anemic (I can barely even hear the bass guitar on a few songs). But it's fast, in-your-face, and shameless in its presentation. I was gonna give them away after I tried them, but not anymore. I'm officially a Grado fan. They're staying in the collection. I didn't know what people meant about Sennheisers sounding laid-back until I put my Momentums and HD598s on after the Grados.

 


YEP!

i have this one local song that has electric guitar riff intros at the beginning, it really sounds blissful with grado. congratulation on your first grado purchase.
The foam will disintegrate over time... mine after 5-6 years or so has become so flat and so soft lol...

 

[adtrance]

   
Buying both with a view to keeping both, isn't really an option though. Ordering both might be a groovy way to audition them, but I feel cheeky. Even though I know it's a customers right, of distance purchasing. (Edit: Congrats on your 325e.)
 

 
If it's a one-and-done shot, go for the RS2e.  It's their reference series with wood cups and nice headstrap.  You'll likely wonder less about the RS2e in the long run, going up from your 225i/e.

 

[rovopio]

 
If it's a one-and-done shot, go for the RS2e.  It's their reference series with wood cups and nice headstrap.  You'll likely wonder less about the RS2e in the long run, going up from your 225i/e.

 


if you dont mind me asking what made you get the 325e instead of rs2e?

for me it was budgetary concern, and then i was thinking of selling my other headphone to get the rs2e, so i can compare between the rs2e and 325e myself and choose which one to keep. and then even after that... i've come to my own conclusion that i wouldn't have the heart to sell either of the two so, i'm just staying put with the 325e for now until such time where i can afford to keep both, and then just keep both instead of selling one of them. So in the end, i'm not getting the rs2e for the near future. Wood and Aluminium looks good together. heheh!

 

[adtrance]

I went in looking at the 325e and 500e.  RS wasn't a consideration and there was much less info on the RS2e when I started my search to get me looking at it instead.

 

[rovopio]

I went in looking at the 325e and 500e.  RS wasn't a consideration and there was much less info on the RS2e when I started my search to get me looking at it instead.

 


man... the meier products are good. i think it will be very beneficial for my inner ear condition.
and boy, i'm really glad i'm getting the 325e, it's less pain (far less pain) in my ear to my sr60 and sr80e, but it sounds better. heheh!
i lucked out on getting the 325e. Well... that balanced out on my bad-lucked 400i though so, all is well

 

[GreenBow]

   
  If it's a one-and-done shot, go for the RS2e.  It's their reference series with wood cups and nice headstrap.  You'll likely wonder less about the RS2e in the long run, going up from your 225i/e.

Yes it's a one pair decision. 
 
Moving from 225i/e to 325, some say there is little upgrade in audio. However the 225 range never once gained a 5/5 review. It only ever saw 4/5.
 
The original SR225 got 4-satrs with What Hi-Fi. My 225i/e carry case bundle box has the Hi-Fi Choice 4-star recommended stamp on it. The 225e has not been reviewed yet, that I have seen. The 325 series won five stars in most pro-reviews. At 5/5 and 10/10 in some places you have to wonder if there is considerably more fidelity per price on the 325e. 
 
I really like the 225i/e. Since I bought it discounted by about 20% it makes up for any potential shortfall in audio. The 225i/e can be delicate when needed, and punchy and very fast when the source pushes. I am sometimes agog at how they get round the instruments.
 
_js_'s, impressions of the RS2e being much clearer over the 225e is indubitably a recommend.

 

[chailee80]

If you have the cash get the rs2e, the timbre of the grado woodies is simply amazing and something to behold. Not to mention they look amazing and are super comfortable being so light.

 

[DaemonSire]

Which Grado would be better for metal music?  325e or RS2e?
 
I currently have a pair of SR80 that I am going to woody (already have the cups, just need the time).  I'm thinking of the 325e so I can have a metal Grado and a wood Grado.  But overall, between the two new favourites, which is the metal king?

 

[GreenBow]

  If you have the cash get the rs2e, the timbre of the grado woodies is simply amazing and something to behold. Not to mention they look amazing and are super comfortable being so light.

Cool. The praise of the RS2e timbre is in the back of my mind. The weight is on my pros and cons list as a pro. If I pinpoint why I was unsure, it's because as yet the big hitter pro-reviewers have not covered them.
 
EDIT: I was just looking again at the RS2 What Hi-Fi review. http://www.whathifi.com/grado/rs2/review
Then I checked the full specs tab. It says the 'product model' is the RS2i. Given what we know of the e-upgrades in other models, this is quite a recommendation for RS2e. Just saying, you know, for other interested customers.
 
-----
 
I found the e-series upgrades while I was digging around on the net, if anyone's interested. http://gradolabs.com/the-e-series

 

[stacker45]

  I decided to pick up an SR80e while I wait out the 3 weeks for my Fidelio X2 to come in. I was really iffy about Grado because of all the reviews about brightness and sibilance, so I put it off for a while. But considering how I listen to Rock 90% of the time, I figured I owed it to myself to try out the most-recommended brand for the genre.
 
Holy crap.
 
I am loving them. Guitars never sounded so good. Drums never sounded so good. Vocals are incredible! I have been missing out!
 
They're not perfect. The foam is itchy as all hell, the soundstage is nonexistent, and the bass is pretty anemic (I can barely even hear the bass guitar on a few songs). But it's fast, in-your-face, and shameless in its presentation. I was gonna give them away after I tried them, but not anymore. I'm officially a Grado fan. They're staying in the collection. I didn't know what people meant about Sennheisers sounding laid-back until I put my Momentums and HD598s on after the Grados.

 
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Dark Side. Because you're new, I will forgive you for using the S word, in a Grado thread...I'm just kidding. I own mant pairs of Grados, so my opinion may be biased, but I think that Grado fans are very respectful of other brand fans.
 
I'm also an SR80e owner, and I think that replacing the stock S-pads, with the L-pads, really takes them to the next level.
 
About the itchy earpads, what you can do is submerge them in olive oil over night, (for best results, make sure to use extra virgin olive oïl). The next day, you simply absorb the extra oïl, using some paper towell, (I like to use the Bounty brand). And don't worry, after a few weeks of regular use, your ears will stop being oily. Kidding again sorry, this was the last time, I promise.

 
I hope I didn't discourage you from coming back, because, we truly are a nice bunch of people. And I'm glad to see that you consider yourself a Grado fan after hearing the second least expensive Grados. Now just imagine what you can look forward to, as you clime up the Grado models.

 

[rovopio]

i found after a couple months of regular use, the S cushion soften by a lot. Now after a couple of years it's so soft and became more flatter by to a point.

 

[plonter]

  I decided to pick up an SR80e while I wait out the 3 weeks for my Fidelio X2 to come in. I was really iffy about Grado because of all the reviews about brightness and sibilance, so I put it off for a while. But considering how I listen to Rock 90% of the time, I figured I owed it to myself to try out the most-recommended brand for the genre.
 
Holy crap.
 
I am loving them. Guitars never sounded so good. Drums never sounded so good. Vocals are incredible! I have been missing out!
 
They're not perfect. The foam is itchy as all hell, the soundstage is nonexistent, and the bass is pretty anemic (I can barely even hear the bass guitar on a few songs). But it's fast, in-your-face, and shameless in its presentation. I was gonna give them away after I tried them, but not anymore. I'm officially a Grado fan. They're staying in the collection. I didn't know what people meant about Sennheisers sounding laid-back until I put my Momentums and HD598s on after the Grados.

Yep, you can forget about soundstage with Grado's, but imo this only compliments their sound signature.   x2 for the L pads recommendation, this is really the ideal Grado pad,you will get used to the ear itching after a while.
I own both SR80e and SR325e,and I must say that maybe its my hearing..But after a few months they became much more bassy and less piercing, even too bassy for my liking..I kinda miss the Grado piercing highs magic.   but they still sound good.

 

[joseph69]

   I must say that maybe its my hearing..But after a few months they became much more bassy and less piercing, even too bassy for my liking..I kinda miss the Grado piercing highs magic.   but they still sound good.

Funny you should say this, this happened to my 325is's…over time (about 3-yrs) they started to lose their detail/clarity and sounded bass heavy/veiled. So I sent them to Grado and they fixed them for me, and now they sound amazing again. Strange!

 

[CapitaFK]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I've ordered the L pads and they should be in next week. Having a great time re-introducing myself to a bunch of songs with these.

 

[_js_]

So, I had to jump up to Claritin-D to mostly get rid of my symptoms, but it was worth it because my hearing is mostly back to normal.
 
And, it was definitely just me.  The RS2e's weren't fatiguing or harsh or anything like that.  It was just me.  And I figured it was, since all my headphones were fatiguing me, just the RS2e's more than others.
 
Anyway, yesterday I got my LittleDot I+ amp and my GE JAN5654W tubes and last night I fired everything up, let it warm up for 10-15 minutes or so, then started carefully listening to music again at low volume.  I started with my Senn HD-595's since I'm very familiar with them and wanted to get a feel for the LittleDot alone.  Then switched to the Sony MDR-7506's.  Then finally to the Grado RS2e's.
 
And, while this is only my first impression, and with tubes that aren't even close to being burned in, I think it's pretty clear that there is killer synergy between the LD I+ and the RS2e's!  Very positive first impression.  But it was only that, and at low-ish volume levels.  I'll need more time.  But, yeah, I think people steered me right on the LittleDot I+ / Grado pairing!
 
More to come . . .