[GrouchoMarx1933]

 
And how are you making out with the comfort so far?
I believe it was you that I replied to about how to adjust the headband, correct?

 
Now that I've adjusted the headband to my liking, they are supremely comfortable. I do also wear them a bit lower on my ears now, at first I was wearing them higher up and it hurt the tops of my ears.
 
P.S. I never thought I'd consider on-ear headphones to be comfortable, and here the Grados are topping every over-ear I've tried! Though I haven't yet put on the HD800, which I hear is the comfort king!

 

[joseph69]

   
Now that I've adjusted the headband to my liking, they are supremely comfortable. I do also wear them a bit lower on my ears now, at first I was wearing them higher up and it hurt the tops of my ears.
 
P.S. I never thought I'd consider on-ear headphones to be comfortable, and here the Grados are topping every over-ear I've tried! Though I haven't yet put on the HD800, which I hear is the comfort king!

Excellent!
Glad to hear you adjusted the headband and are wearing them correctly…big difference!
I tried the HD-800 3 times (in home) and yes their comfortable, but I personally felt like I was wearing a full face helmet. 

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

Great, then I can cosplay as Darth Sennheiser!

 

[LaCuffia]

One thing that's undeniable to me is that the 325e sounds pretty damn amazing with jazz recordings. Just listened to some of Kind of Blue that I have on 45 rpm. Wow

 

[joseph69]

  Great, then I can cosplay as Darth Sennheiser!

You definitely can.
 

One thing that's undeniable to me is that the 325e sounds pretty damn amazing with jazz recordings. Just listened to some of Kind of Blue that I have on 45 rpm. Wow

Grados sound excellent with all types of Jazz…I mainly listen to Jazz and they are amazing!

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

The Grados bring out the energy that makes jazz so exciting to hear. I actually grabbed several more jazz albums the other day with the express intent of listening to them with the 225e.

 

[joseph69]

  The Grados bring out the energy that makes jazz so exciting to hear. I actually grabbed several more jazz albums the other day with the express intent of listening to them with the 225e.

I try to buy at least 2 (used) Cd's a month from Amazon at a steal then import them to my MBP.
Every used Cd I buy from them is actually in excellent condition.

 

[kurosaki123]

  I have to say, that everyone complaining about the clamping force/irritating cushions are just not adjusting/wearing Grados the correct way…at all. I've posted so many times how to find complete comfort, that I can't bring myself to post it again. Though, I will say again that I wear my Grados for 3-5 hrs almost every night with no issues at all after correctly adjusting the clamping force (which should be minimum force being their foam and aren't made to seal anyway) and the hight as well. Stop being afraid to adjust the headband, just do it a little at a time. I've also never had to wash my cushions to soften them up either. 

I'm one of those that complain

. Can't be help when it's the first time wearing on-ear / Grado and reading about reviews about comfort issues.
 
IME, stretching the headband should be no 1. priority, it relieves much of the clamping force and "red ears/pain" issues.

 

[joseph69]

  I'm one of those that complain

. Can't be help when it's the first time wearing on-ear / Grado and reading about reviews about comfort issues.
 
IME, stretching the headband should be no 1. priority, it relieves much of the clamping force and "red ears/pain" issues.

Right, this is the first thing which needs to be done (also repeated) until their comfortable.
And don't forget to keep the (S/L) cushions just below the tops of your ears so they don't get irritated…these cushions are not over ear. 

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I dunno... I tried that technique of washing my ears in warm water and dishsoap, scrunching them over and over to soften them, then rinsing them and again scrunching them with a towel.

All I got was sore, wet ears!

 

[LaCuffia]

stretching the headband and moving the cups up and down only take you so far.....at the end of the day the pads are still touching your ears, right?   My ears felt like they were scrubbed with cheese graters yesterday.   I know this is sacrilege for Grado purists, but I am going to try the Earzonk G cushion pads and see what happens.  They are half the price as the Grado ones, so no risk and I can always return them as I ordered through Amazon.  I am expecting some impact on the sound, but in the end it might be the compromise I need to live with in order to keep them. 
 
no complaints about the sound quality though - they are actually phenomenal and the best I've heard in this price range. 

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

Has anyone tried adding a few drops of essential oils and massaging them into the pads? That might simulate the oils from your body and be less of a hassle than washing them.

 

[LaCuffia]

using oils might be a good idea....we'll see.  I am in the testing phase here. 
 
One thing I am pleasantly surprised about is that the concerns I initially had regarding the Grado sound - too bright/sibilance, no bass - are totally unfounded.  The bass on the 325e sounds great to me - tight and punchy, and I detect no harshness in the highs. 
 
If the 325e doesn't work out, I would still be excited to hear higher models.  The GS1000e and the GH-1 (with G cushion mod) in particular look very interesting, but too expensive for me at this point. 

 

[joseph69]

  Has anyone tried adding a few drops of essential oils and massaging them into the pads? That might simulate the oils from your body and be less of a hassle than washing them.

Never had to even wash mine after adjusting/wearing them correctly.
I would personally be weary about oiling the pads and just let the natural oils from your body do the work.

 

[Loving[MAX]Sound]

  Never had to even wash mine after adjusting/wearing them correctly.
I would personally be weary about oiling the pads and just let the natural oils from your body do the work.

 
Oh boy, I washed a pair of L-cush... worst idea ever. They started falling apart, and I was washing them so gently! I would rather keep my pads intact when they are old, than wash them. That being said, I keep my face/ears clean, so no real need to wash the pads.