[jrflanne]

Thank you for your response. I probably won't buy the SR80e then.

I find the stock pads to be fine. Hand washed them with dish soap. No head clamp and are cool on the head. I have no idea why people say they are uncomfortable. You want uncomfortable? Sen
HD600’s.

 

[trellus]

I don’t find the HD 600 uncomfortable at all, to the contrary, they are extremely comfortable to me, although I believe the main issue for people who find it uncomfortable is the clamp and that can certainly vary from person to person due to differences in head size and shape.

 

[Zeo-Gold92]

Been trying to work out whether or not to choose the 80e or 125e. What are the actual differences? I'm wanting them for the rock and metal I listen to. Is 125e more smoothed out? I'm a bit of a noob with all this. Help appreciated.

 

[dr cornelius]

Been trying to work out whether or not to choose the 80e or 125e. What are the actual differences? I'm wanting them for the rock and metal I listen to. Is 125e more smoothed out? I'm a bit of a noob with all this. Help appreciated.

I went from the 80e to the 125e. The 125 is more cohesive sounding, wider soundstage, better detail... Even though Grado’s are open back, the 80e always sounded too “in-your-head” - the upper bass was fatiguing and didn’t transition well into the higher frequencies.

As you go up the Grado line, soundstage and detail retrieval improve, and this is definitely noticeable going from the 80 to 125...

 

[Zeo-Gold92]

I went from the 80e to the 125e. The 125 is more cohesive sounding, wider soundstage, better detail... Even though Grado’s are open back, the 80e always sounded too “in-your-head” - the upper bass was fatiguing and didn’t transition well into the higher frequencies.

As you go up the Grado line, soundstage and detail retrieval improve, and this is definitely noticeable going from the 80 to 125...

I think the 125e would be the way to go for my music then, I don't want something to be too overcrowded and just want to enjoy, desperately wanna kick back and listen to some pink floyd with a set of great cans. I couldn't go up any further along the grado line.

 

[KG Jag]

From the SR 60 through the 225 the basic "sitting on the stage with the band" sound signature is the same. If you can afford them the 225, often called the sweet spot of the SR line, offers the best sound in all respect and gets you away from the flat pads that are standard on all lower models.

 

[Gordhifi]

From the SR 60 through the 225 the basic "sitting on the stage with the band" sound signature is the same. If you can afford them the 225, often called the sweet spot of the SR line, offers the best sound in all respect and gets you away from the flat pads that are standard on all lower models.

So would you say the 225 is a better value than the 325?

 

[dr cornelius]

The reason why I often recommend the 125e as an entry level can is IME they’re the gateway into the Grado sound. I like the flat pads with the thin headband, I’ve tried L pads with the 125’s but don’t find it as comfortable. I also have the RS2e’s and I think with the wider headband the L pads are really comfortable.

I think the 225e is a better value than the 325e - sound quality is great with the 225, and I feel the 325’s are too heavy.

 

[Gordhifi]

Thanks Dr. I was looking for justification to getting the 225's. And save 100.00

 

[Zeo-Gold92]

Will the 125e benefit from any kind of amp or amp+dac? Would the 225e?

 

[KG Jag]

Will the 125e benefit from any kind of amp or amp+dac? Would the 225e?

The Grado SR line, like all their cans, are easy to drive and don't need much power. Still an amp (DAC depends on your music source and the rest of audio chain--not needed for analog and from a quality deck with its own built in high quality DAC) might provide a cleaner, fuller sound than just our of the headphone jack of a random device.

 

[KG Jag]

So would you say the 225 is a better value than the 325?

That depends on what you're looking for. The SR 325 is a transition can between the SR and RS lines. While it is more SR than RS, it expands the sound stage, provides more bass extension. The 325 is generally a step better than the 225 in sound and build quality. However, even with the e models, many find the treble of the 325 to be harsh or even sibilant. I happen to like them and prefer them over the 225, but can certainly understand why others don't. I find them to be excellent cans for (now classic) rock and electric blues.

 

[MacedonianHero]

That depends on what you're looking for. The SR 325 is a transition can between the SR and RS lines. While it is more SR than RS, it expands the sound stage, provides more bass extension. The 325 is generally a step better than the 225 in sound and build quality. However, even with the e models, many find the treble of the 325 to be harsh or even sibilant. I happen to like them and prefer them over the 225, but can certainly understand why others don't. I find them to be excellent (now classic) rock and electric blues cans.

I always preferred the SR225 to the 325. The treble on the latter was just too much for me to bare for longer listening sessions. Next step up from the 225 IMO is the RS2 and RS1.

 

[Snowpuppy77]

Will the 125e benefit from any kind of amp or amp+dac? Would the 225e?

I have a pair of 60, 225, and RS1. Thy all sound great directly out of an ipod. But they do sound better out of a dedicated amp. Especially the 225 and the RS1. I have used several amps with my grados and I believe the Schiit Asgard 2 is a particularly good match. It has a low output impedance which is a good match for their low impedance. And it is pure class A making the sound smooth yet still detailed. When comparing to a tube amp the highs on the Asgard 2 are a little dry but usually prefer the Asgard. If you get a tube amp I would not get an OTL but one with an output transformer. Of course a portable dac/amp combination should work very good as well. LIke an Oppo or a FiiO among others.

 

[listen2themusic]

I have a FiiO M7 DAP arriving tomorrow. Though I have headphone amps laying around, I'd really like to find some cans I can run straight from the FiiO. I have AKG 701 and Sennheiser HD600 headphones as well, but I know these won't work well with this DAP.

Knowing that Grados are easy to drive, I am considering a pair. I don't think I want to invest $200 for the 225e. So, between the 60e, 80e and 125e...does anyone have an opinion on which to consider?

These will mainly be used with my DAP to listen mostly to well recorded (dynamic) recordings of classic rock and jazz albums from the 50's and 60's ripped from my vinyl. However, I am using my AKG 701 headphones in conjunction with a Schiit Valhalla II and Bifrost when cleaning up my 24/96 vinyl rips. I use the 701 as I find they are more revealing and allow me to identify (and clean) more clicks and anomalies that exist in my rips. I might consider using the Grados for this purpose. Would that sway your opinion on which model to get?

Thanks for commenting!