[Chris_Himself]

He's still selling V4 drivers, I just landed a pair for somebody.

 

[parbaked]

 
 all that I can't figure out is what's in the middle under that black metal plate.

That's where they hide the secret sauce...

 

[rezolver]

Twinster; that is Krzysztof Cugowski from the band Budka Suflera. Is that the name you were thinking of?
 
Quote:

@rezolver, very cool Avatar you got. Is it Geme Simmons from Kiss?
No it's not. But I know this face??

 

[Twinster]

Quote:

That's where they hide the secret sauce...

 
 
Here's what's under that plate:
 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 

 

[desertblues]

LMAO

 

[Twinster]

Twinster; that is Krzysztof Cugowski from the band Budka Suflera. Is that the name you were thinking of?

Wow! No it was not the name at all. But thank you for the reply. The avatar still cool

 

[Twinster]

Couple weeks ago I was fortunate to strike a deal on some old Grado SR325 all black Aluminium cup made in mid 90's. They were in a bad shape with a defective cable, broken gimbal and no decent pads (for the model comfy pads not my favorite choice).

I came interested on the SR325 after reading the excellent review from Kite7 On his vintage Black SR325 & SR125.[=http://www.head-fi.org/t/549243/vintage-black-grado-sr325-gold-lettering-review-vs-vintage-sr125-rs1][/]. I know my SR325 don't have the gold lettering and that they don't have the trasition driver but for the price I paided I took the chance. Am I happy I did

When I received the SR325 they needed to be clean. The had old HD414 pads that were starting to desintagrate in pieces and were ery dusty. Also only one side was working but they had no sign of modification. The previous owner was the original buyer and had confirmed to me that they were stock.

After a good cleanup I decide to remove the original faulty cable and install a newer Grado Fat 8 wires cable and put on the comfy pads that came with them as spare pads and gave them a listen. At that first moment listening from my iPhone no amp I knew I would like these old Grado.

The fat cable was just for testing cause it's only about 3 feets long and I needed longer so I was debating on installing a Grado cable removed from a previous SR225 or just make a new cable fom parts laying around the bench. I ended up using a Starquad Mogami extension I had made in the past with a Neutrik Gold connector. I had to remove the rubber sleeve on the cable to fit it in the nylon sleeve size I had around.

I also made a new headband using some black leather and red felt. The original headband was made of leather but was very dry.

Ok enough of the physical aspect and get to the sound would you :rolleyes:

I've been listening to the SR325 for the pass 3 days. Tried them with my analog setup with my turntable and my MAD EAR+ amplifier and it was just Great experience. I do not have any other Grado to do direct comparaison but just from memory I do not remember the SR225, SR325i, MS2 & Magnum V4 gaving me this appreciation on my music session. I'm not very good with the audiophile term to describe the sound but I can appreciate good music reproduction and music involment when I do. they only other Grado I didn't mention is the MS-Pro and I'm still not sure based on memory but the difference is that I was using the MS-Pro with G-Cush pads ala MS-Ultimate setup and they were also very special.

All I can say is the they have great treble not too hot with amazing level of details, the MIDs are great with reproducing vocals of Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews like Grado are good for and were I'm very impress is with their Bass. It's fast, tight and have great impact just the way I personally like it. For me it's the best balanced

I have not use my Beyer T1 since I tried the Grado. I'm not saying that they will replaced them because the T1 are very good headphone with an amazing balanced signature and wide soundstage but I was craving for a more intimate sound that only Grado can do and these old Grado SR325 just hit the right cord for me.

Sorry for the long blah blah but I thought I needed to share this new gem with the Grado Fans.

Thanks!

 

[Focker]

Nice  
 
I say make room for both the T1s and the 325s...that's how I roll 

 

[wje]

Quote:

Couple weeks ago I was fortunate to strike a deal on some old Grado SR325 all black Aluminium cup made in mid 90's. They were in a bad shape with a defective cable, broken gimbal and no decent pads (for the model comfy pads not my favorite choice).
 

 
Simon,
 
That was a very good treasure find.  Being that the gimbal was broken, the pads were rotting and the leather headband was all dry, might be the reason for some other individuals easily passing over the fine Grados that now belong to you.  I've always been very, very interested in that particular SR-325 - the original one, just as you described with the black cups.  I spent some time on the Grado Wiki page and read through the table of the SR-325, which is where I learned about the origination of the SR-325, and how it evolved.  I did own the SR-325i, which happened to be in the form of the gold cups, and was the 50th anniversary edition for Grado.  To me, the sound was OK, but not great.  However, I'll still have to mark that with a * note * that I didn't own them at the same time I owned better source gear and amps, as I have today.
 
But, I would love to own a pair of original SR-325, just as you have found.   I'm sure they're out there - probably buried in drawers and not being used.
 
Also, I'm watching an area where there is a pair of SR-325i Grados listed with the Symphones v.2 upgrade applied to them.  The deal is, the idividual lives in my metro region.  The starting price for the auction is "good" - and that's about what I'd love to pay for them.  The auction ends later tonight and there are no other bids on the headphones as of yet.  The item that worries me, though is that the auction probably has a reserve tied to it.  And, until a bid is submitted, we'll never know if a reserve is there.  Or, I guess I could just message the seller and find out if he has a reserve tied to the auction, and I don't feel that asking such a question would be out of line.  There is no "Buy It Now" option, either.
 
I think I should read up on some reviews of the Symphones / Magnum v.2 upgrade and see how there were viewed and interpreted by others.  Also, I'm not sure at which version Rhydon started to use his own drivers, as opposed to re-working the existing SR-325 drivers via a "cone treatment" process.  Additionally, I'm wondering if anyone has every sent a message to Rhydon asking if he has any SR-325 drivers that would be available for sale?  Or, when he performs his $399 worth of magic, does the original drivers get returned to the buyer?  I'm quite sure if he has held onto drivers through the modding stages, he might have some of the "orginal" SR-325 drivers, which might be the magical drivers that are in your version with the black cups.
 
Time to investigate ...

 

[wje]

Quote:

Nice  
 
I say make room for both the T1s and the 325s...that's how I roll 

 
Very true.  I'm all for various headphones that can "comliment" each other.  Having a single pair would just seem dull and boring.  I think that this might have been what led to me taking of bit of a sabbatical from Grado.  I just had a desire to try some other paths via Fostex, HifiMAN, Sennheiser, etc.  But, I did keep the license plate frame on the rear of my car: I'd Rather Be Listening to My Grados.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
Very true.  I'm all for various headphones that can "comliment" each other.  Having a single pair would just seem dull and boring.  I think that this might have been what led to me taking of bit of a sabbatical from Grado.  I just had a desire to try some other paths via Fostex, HifiMAN, Sennheiser, etc.  But, I did keep the license plate frame on the rear of my car: I'd Rather Be Listening to My Grados.

 
haha, I need to get a plate like that...
 
And I totally agree....the best advice I have received since going down the headphone path was to have a variety of gear to play with...it helped me a ton, cause when I was trying to decide which headphones to buy as my first "real" pair back late last year, it was really stressing me out trying to make a decision. Then I had someone tell me to take a look at how many people tend to have a few pair instead of just one and it totally changed my perspective. So now I have a pretty good rotation going among the Grado 500s and 80s, the Beyer T1s and 1350s, and my Atrio IEMs. If my taste was such that only the flagship models could satisfy me sonically, I might be in some trouble....but thankfully I can find plenty of enjoyment from something like the $99 SR80s just as well as I can the $1295 T1s. I never feel as if I'm tied down to just one option, and I don't ever feel pressure when it comes to making a purchase. 

 

[wje]

Quote:

haha, I need to get a plate like that...

 
Actually, there's a company out of New York that makes them custom.  You work with their on-line graphic interface to select your font / letter size and arrange the characters how you want them to appear on the final product.  What you end up receiving is just what  you created via the on-line tool.  The plate frame itself is stamped black metal and the lettering is all professionally arranged and set into place onto the plate frame.  The cost was about $19.00 + a few dollars shipping.  I've had mine a few years and none of the letters are peeling.  It is holding up well.
 
 
Simon, Being that you located the SR-325 (originals), I wonder when Graodo and Allesandro formed their relationship?  If one were to check the following listing out, it is for a pair of Allesandro MS-2 headphones, which are the original MS-2, with the slightly smaller cups.  I suspect this is the direct comparison to the original Grado SR-325, but with some variation in the driver as typically occurs with the Allesandros.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/619658/grado-alessandro-ms2

 

[devouringone3]

Vintage Grado headphones, let's say pre-RS1, so 1996 and under (and the first couple of RS1 too) might not be as, detailed, extended and bassy as a PS-500 or -1000, but they certainly have a smoother and more "balanced" sound. A lot less 100 Hz bass hump and no harshness in the highs (in two words: less U-shaped)... My 2005 SR-325i is definitely U-shaped compared to a HP-1000 or a vintage RS-1.
 
I wasn't sure if I liked my vintage RS-1, but now I'm sure. I love it. I don't want it to break to not have to send it and have its drivers replaced by those of a RS-1i.
 
It's not as fast and detailed as the HP-1000, but it's definitely bassier, highsier, and maybe a bit more extended too once you get past the "accentuation"; both very smooth, and the HP-1000 is the mid-champion, and is less grainier than any other Grado (so much it's fast)... so it's a return of the "fun, musical and accentuated" (RS-1) versus "boring, analytical and neutral" dilemma (HP-1000).

 

[obobskivich]

Alright I know where to focus my attention now!

Can you extrapolate it with those pictures of some of the internals of the amplifier?

Not really.

If I get a chance I can ask someone who might be better able to than I, but where I'm at is "I see nothing but metalwork and the back of a PC board - what do you expect?" and I'm guessing that's the response I'll get.

It's just one pair of capacitors for both the battery and the PSU fed operation. In front I can easily recognize the ALPS pot., the custom 6.35 mm TRS jack, the off/stand-by/on switch and the two battery indicator red LEDs, from front to back, and on the back it's a pair of RCA, a mini-xlr jack, and a switch for selection of current source; all that I can't figure out is what's in the middle under that black metal plate.

My guess is the plate is a shield for the opamp that drives the thing. Just a guess.

On the power feed, can you trace out how the batteries versus the DC jack feed into the [whatever]?

Actually, there's a company out of New York that makes them custom.  You work with their on-line graphic interface to select your font / letter size and arrange the characters how you want them to appear on the final product.  What you end up receiving is just what  you created via the on-line tool.  The plate frame itself is stamped black metal and the lettering is all professionally arranged and set into place onto the plate frame.  The cost was about $19.00 + a few dollars shipping.  I've had mine a few years and none of the letters are peeling.  It is holding up well.

Link. Link now.

Also would it be weird if I had different ones on the front and back of my car?

Simon, Being that you located the SR-325 (originals), I wonder when Graodo and Allesandro formed their relationship?  If one were to check the following listing out, it is for a pair of Allesandro MS-2 headphones, which are the original MS-2, with the slightly smaller cups.  I suspect this is the direct comparison to the original Grado SR-325, but with some variation in the driver as typically occurs with the Allesandros.

I think they got together post-2000, but beyond that I have no idea. They post-date the SR-325i though.

It's not as fast and detailed as the HP-1000, but it's definitely bassier, highsier, and maybe a bit more extended too once you get past the "accentuation"; both very smooth, and the HP-1000 is the mid-champion, and is less grainier than any other Grado (so much it's fast)... so it's a return of the "fun, musical and accentuated" (RS-1) versus "boring, analytical and neutral" dilemma (HP-1000).

Sounds like the RS-1i versus the ESP/950...kinda want to try the HP-1000 just to know, but I'm not multiple-thousands-of-dollars curious.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
Actually, there's a company out of New York that makes them custom.  You work with their on-line graphic interface to select your font / letter size and arrange the characters how you want them to appear on the final product.  What you end up receiving is just what  you created via the on-line tool.  The plate frame itself is stamped black metal and the lettering is all professionally arranged and set into place onto the plate frame.  The cost was about $19.00 + a few dollars shipping.  I've had mine a few years and none of the letters are peeling.  It is holding up well.
 
 

 
linky?