[G0rt]

If I didn't own a couple dozen decent cans, I might not know just how utterly awesome the GH2 actually are.

 

[FullBright1]

Here are my Grado SR 325X > Impressions.

Right out of the box.
Ive listened to Dub, Rock, Country, Ambient, Jazz, Jazz Vocal, Bluegrass, and Classical.


First things first......
The not so great.
This is minor, and its expected. The upgraded cables are a 15% improvement over the horrible Grado cables, so, any improvement in this area is an improvement.
The included pads are of course exactly like sandpaper on your ears., and the clamping force is more than adequate. but.....within 30 mins the pads do flex a bit and this is noticeable regarding lessoning of the initial modest discomfort.
Ive not tried all my Grado mod pads on these yet, as i wanted to just provide a brief sound analysis for the benefit of those whose finger is on the "buy it now" switch.

So, there is really only one question that needs to be answered.

Q.) How do the Grado SR325X compared to the Grado Hemp. ??

A.) Different strokes for different folks.

What does that mean?
It means that Grado really did not create a Hemp v2 using an aluminum cup set.
The Grado SR325X really have a unique tuning, and for my money i'd say that the Hemp sales sheet was a revelation unto the Grado family which caused them to rethink their "house sound", as well as their cables.

"Grado" does have a certain point of view regarding how they design their headphones to present music.
The SR325X do provide you with this as a sonic foundation, but it's been tweek'd.
The Grado Family has designed this gear to be analytical , yet with a certain amount of fun dialed in.
Immediately noticeable is the (mostly) absent Grado midrange glare and high end painful extension.
What's been dialed in here is very good clarity, very good detail retrieval, and a unique bass response that is quite full and textured and expertly designed not to impact the midrange in a negative way. So, you are not getting any upper low-end bloat but you are definitely getting some authentic bottom end.
Did you like the Hemp low end? Then you won't be disappointed with the low end that is generously served up by the SR325X/

Grado has attempted to add some smoothness into the sound of this headphone while retaining substantial "Grado like" clarity and visceral impact. This is located within the tuning of the midrange that is dialed in as very present, but not hard.
Treble response is quite detailed and extended, but its not punishing or etched or sizzly as you find so often with Grado's.
Are the SR325X completely relieved of any sign of "too aggressive" regarding the mids and treble? = No. So, if you are wondering if these are lush sweet round tone'd headphones, then i can assure you that they are not.
If you want that, then get the Avantone's or the HarmonicDyne Zeus..
So, just know that when you buy a Grado you are going to get a set of very transparent sounding headphones, and that includes a bit of pushed treble and midrange that is involved regarding how you achieve it.

Some who are use to the Grado tone will think this gear has a bit of a dark tuning, but ...not really. Instead the Treble and Mids have been mostly set free from Grado glare.
They have been tweek'd to be more revealing than to sound hyper punched. These Grado's offer plenty of detail, they are not laid back or "V" shaped.....yet for the most part they do not punish your ears to provide you with their fine sonics.

I hope Grado continues this sonic trend, as Grado headphones are very unique and the SR325X are certainly to be included within that distinction.

Final analysis....: I personally dont find any set of Grado's to be "i can wear them all day without fatigue". So, if that Grado exists, ive not owned it yet.
So, with the SR325X, they are heading in that direction, and depending on your preference regarding headphone sound, these might be your all day listening experience.
I did not have that experience with the Hemp unless i swapped to the S pads, and with the SR325X i find that they are generally less fatiguing with the stock pads then the Hemp by a small margin due to the way the mids and treble are sonically carved to be less forceful while remaining true to the Grado Family's sonic obsession regarding providing extreme overall clarity for your money.

Lots of sonic bang for the buck offered from this affordable G-'X" gear. Plenty of soundstage, good instrument separation, nice sense of musical scale with a mostly natural tuning.

Grado will sell a lot of these.
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[Gippy]

Here are my Grado SR 325X > Impressions...

Uhh, did you get a fake?

 

[movinIron]

I feel like this was a missed opportunity to review the 60x against the 225x. Entry-level plastic model vs. top-end plastic model for just over 2x the cost. Or hey, review the entire SR line to finally quash the "all entry-level Grados sound the same" claim that some people believe.

They don‘t. I spend the Saturday morning pesting a dealer the next and bigger city.
‘Tested‘: SR80x, SR225x, SR325x
My stuff: iPhone+ Fiio Q1 mkII/ Chord Mojo, Astell KANN.
Their stuff (only with the 325): Mal Valve Head Amp three mkIII, Chord Dave/ Blu, Cayin HA-1A MK2, Vertere …turntable!? (Some Sci Fi looking >5000,- thing)
Media: 24/96, 24/192 flacs, some AACs, Audible audiobooks, Vinyl (Nina Simone (70,-€ !), Dire Straights).
Impressions:
SR80x - A steal for the money. Impressive stage and detail.
SR225x - Bigger soundstage, even more detail in the upper mids. Definitely more detail in the treble.
In this one you can identify the new sounding best.
SR325x - Biggest difference! Nearly holographic soundstage in width with a good sense of depth. Fantastic separation. Had some of Cheskys binaural recordings on the KANN, was a pleasure.
By a little, less pronounced in the upper mid section than the 225.
Conclusion:
New sounding, moved to the lower end. Still Grado, but slightly less volume, not detail(!) in the treble.
Still no thundering, dominant bass, but audibly darker. Transients, always an asset of Grado phones, also appear to be further improved, especially in the lower mid and upper bass frequencies.

2nd conclusion: The Dave declassifies the Mojo, which is one of my favorites. Singlehanded.
3nd conclusion: I am an idiot thinking every 20 minutes about how to afford the Dave…

He said he was getting the 325x soon but I have no interest in that due to it being heavier than even the GS models.

Heavy? A 260 grams headphone? Even the plastic ones of the competitors are mostly heavier.
Ok, the GS1000e are weighting only 230 grams, but that‘s extraordinary lightweighted.

 

[FullBright1]

Uhh, did you get a fake?

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Here is the photo from the Grado site.
So, maybe you should check yours.......
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[Gippy]

I intentionally took a picture from DMS' video review to show what the release model looks like. Grado has previously shown mockups on their site that don't reflect the actual release model. For example, the GS3000e pic on their site and the lettering that's on the actual GS3000e is different. But the Prestige Series button font has been unchanged for over 25 years. The button on your model looks fake which makes me wonder if you got a returned and modified SR325is/SR325e.

 

[FullBright1]

I intentionally took a picture from DMS' video review to show what the release model looks like. Grado has previously shown mockups on their site that don't reflect the actual release model. For example, the GS3000e pic on their site and the lettering that's on the actual GS3000e is different. But the Prestige Series button font has been unchanged for over 25 years. The button on your model looks fake which makes me wonder if you got a returned and modified SR325is/SR325e.

It came new and sealed in a Grado box shipped from Grado.
So, if this is a fake, its a good one , and they faked it...

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

Those two pictures in Gippys post look basically the same to me. The lighting, background, and perspective are the only noticeable differences, to me at least.

 

[FullBright1]

Those two pictures in Gippys post look basically the same to me. The lighting, background, and perspective are the only noticeable differences, to me at least.

More then likely, the same Chinese Factory that is producing the New Apple I-Phone 13, Audeze LCD-5, Empyrean Elite, and Susvara, is handcrafting the new Grado Prestige "X" Line in fake (Gold) aluminum.

What i can also tell you, is that these headphones are not comfortable with stock pads, but they do sound very good.
Ive been swapping between HEkse, to Aeon Noire, to G-325X, and it's all good.
All good.
Not once have i thought...."ok that is the weak link"., as all 3 are just very good sounding headphones, each with its own unique sonic voice.

 

[imackler]

Do the Bushmills have any fans? It's been a couple years since much has been said about them. I imagine some collectors and Grado completionists value them, but have they found a place in anyone's Grado rotation for their sound profile? Has anyone compared them to the Hemp? I know the questions comes from out of nowhere, but maybe someone is interested or has the time. Thanks!

 

[DTgill]

More then likely, the same Chinese Factory that is producing the New Apple I-Phone 13, Audeze LCD-5, Empyrean Elite, and Susvara, is handcrafting the new Grado Prestige "X" Line in fake (Gold) aluminum.

What i can also tell you, is that these headphones are not comfortable with stock pads, but they do sound very good.
Ive been swapping between HEkse, to Aeon Noire, to G-325X, and it's all good.
All good.
Not once have i thought...."ok that is the weak link"., as all 3 are just very good sounding headphones, each with its own unique sonic voice.

Have you thought about something like these for your 325?
I use them on mine and they aren't too bad.

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

Do the Bushmills have any fans? It's been a couple years since much has been said about them. I imagine some collectors and Grado completionists value them, but have they found a place in anyone's Grado rotation for their sound profile? Has anyone compared them to the Hemp? I know the questions comes from out of nowhere, but maybe someone is interested or has the time. Thanks!

Every time I run across some on EBay they sell for more than I paid for my first car. Someone out there is a fan

 

[HiWire]

Does anybody know if the Alessandro headphones have the new X drivers?

 

[qua2k]

Do the Bushmills have any fans? It's been a couple years since much has been said about them. I imagine some collectors and Grado completionists value them, but have they found a place in anyone's Grado rotation for their sound profile? Has anyone compared them to the Hemp? I know the questions comes from out of nowhere, but maybe someone is interested or has the time. Thanks!

I had a pair but sold them this year due to getting the Hemps. Bushmills are great for what they are and super super light which is what I liked most about them. Sound wise, I would say they are a Hemp-... very close to the Hemp but not as great in all respects, esp the bass and mids. I would agree they are definitely in the collector's realm as the price for them are pretty high if you can even find one available for sale and imho, not worth the cost if you want to use them. There are better alternatives and less likely to break... the Bushmills are very delicate I would say because of how they are constructed.

 

[kmhaynes]

More then likely, the same Chinese Factory that is producing the New Apple I-Phone 13, Audeze LCD-5, Empyrean Elite, and Susvara, is handcrafting the new Grado Prestige "X" Line in fake (Gold) aluminum.

I think what you are seeing as "Gold" is a yellow tint on the whole picture with the yellow X in the background. Yes, Grado DID make a slight gold finish 325i about 10 years ago, but I don't think that's what was in that comparison picture, IMO.