Finally dove into the Grado sound with the purchase of 325x today. Early impressions based on my first Grado listen:
-- These things have more bass than I thought. Grado's have the reputation of being thin on the low end, but these things have surprising oomph with the stock pads.
-- I also tried the Geekria G pads recommended by DMS. Definitely increase the comfort and expand the soundstage to a surprising width. Impressive. But they also change the tuning to more a more V-shaped signature, which is taking a tuning that borders on too much treble for me and pushes it over the edge. You lose some of the bass punch from the stock F pads, too.
-- Everyone wasn't kidding about the discomfort of these. The stock F pads are very thin, with openings in the center. I have a decent-sized head, but my ears started to hurt after 30 minutes.
-- If this is the "warmer" Grado, damn, I'd hate to hear what the "normal" or "sharp" Grado sounds like. While there were no icepicks to the cochlea like a Beyer or the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, I could see this sound signature being fatiguing very quickly for me. It's unrelenting in its brightness and detail. Neither the brightness or detail are mind-blowing separately, but it's grating and tiring as a blend.
-- Pad rolling is fun and easy with Grados. Everyone is right: The sound signature and soundstage change more dramatically with pad rolling with these than any other brand I've tried.
-- I expected imaging that punched above the $295 price. I was disappointed. Didn't find the imaging any better than my HD 6XX, which is $50 less new. Of course, the imaging couldn't compare to my LCD-X 2021, but I didn't expect that.
-- The cable is clumsy, but I do must of my listening at the desktop, so no big deal. I would rather have a thick fabric cable like this than the damn Christmas tree tinsel that HiFiMan sends with some of its cans as a stock cable. The Focal Elegia cable was just as stiff and clumsy as the Grado cable, too. I think the Grado cable gets crap upon unfairly. It's not great; it's not awful.
-- The leather headband, with almost no padding, doesn't bother me at all.
I'll give these more time, but it's unlikely I'll keep them. The signature is just too fatiguing. I tend to like a neutral-to-warmish signature, and I thought that this "warmer" Grado 325x might suit me.
But Grado is gonna Grado, even a warmer version. I know it works for a lot of people and I respect Grado's adherence to its "house sound," but it's just too tangy for my ears and brain. I thought maybe I could find a low-priced gem here, but I need something with a warmer, softer signature yet with detail.
Next target probably is a ZMF Aeolus after some months to save.