Quick question, is it worth the extra cash for the sr125e over the sr80e? i heard the only difference is the quality of the copper cable or something?
Grado SR80e vs. SR125e vs. SR125
Inspired by both
@pmarrison 's question and my being inundated with new headphones I plan to compare, I decided to compare the SR80e, SR125e, and SR125 using my three-way method,
here. This combination both looks at differences in the "e" series vs the original (non-i) version of the same headphone model (SR125/e) and compares headphones adjacent in the model line (SR80e vs. SR125e).
Here are the three headphones, as well as my iPod source playing one of the chosen test songs at CD quality (lossless) through my Joseph Grado HPA-1 amp used in this comparison.
Headphones compared (clockwise from top) SR125, SR125e, and SR80e.
Here are the results. For each of the 10 acoustics tests (one per line), each headphone was ranked as best (3 points, blue 1st prize "ribbon" color), second best (2 points, red), or worst (yellow, 1 point). Ties were allowed, indeed encouraged when I could not hear a clear difference: I show ties for first place (2.5 points, purple = blue + red) and for second place (1.5 points, orange = red + yellow).
Though really meaningless, it is tempting and fun to total the scores for each of the 10 features for each headphone into a total score at the bottom. Why meaningless? Because to rank a headphone best based on 10 acoustic test rankings like this weights each test equally (e.g., bass heads might really emphasize the importance of bass, which only contributes to 10% of these tests) and leaves out some tests important to some people (e.g., vocals) and adds tests that may not be important to others (e.g., bass drum "twang" rather than thump). Why fun? Because how can one have a table of numbers purporting to compare things without yielding to the temptation to compute a total score?
So here is the table of comparisons:
The table shows that the SR125 excels at tranparency and high-frequency details, such as the reedy quality of well-reproduced brass and organ and the pluck of a finger upon a bass string. The SR125e provides the strongest bass and largest soundstage, which is consistent with its greater separation of the driver from the ear (note how much thinner the SR125 at the top of the picture is than the SR125e or SR80e below it). The SR80 was strong in transparency and treble detail as well, and accurately preserved the "twang" of a bass kick drum.
So while in overall score, the SR80e and the SR125e are essentially identical (differences of 3 or more are significant), the SR80e might appeal more for those seeking transparency and treble detail, while the SR125e might appeal to those seeking more bass and more soundstage. The SR125 original version outshines both others in most of these tests, despite weakness in soundstage. It is also the most comfortable, as it is thinner on the ear and lighter in weight than the two -e series headphones.
