[Edward777]

Of the current line up, I have the SR60e, SR325e, and the Hemp. I heartily recommend any of them, depending on your budget. They're more similar than different. I suspect the same is true for the 80e, 125e, and 225e but I can't vouch for that personally. I have older model SR80 and SR125 which are fine but TBH the current SR60e is better then both of them.

Thanks for the response! Both you and someone else recommended the Hemp. That's definitely a new headphone of theirs that I'm unfamiliar with, and will have to look into. That's good that the newer e models have more bass, as you say.

 

[buffalobill]

How does the Grado 225 sound compared to other Grado´s? are they superfluous in the lineup, or do they offer anything special?

 

[G0rt]

Olde HF-2 arrived a week ago, and ... were a revelation to this Grado virgin. I came across Grado ~15 years ago, when I was enamored of K701, and didn't think much about them.

Olde guy ears, so not just taking the pillows off, more like getting a whole new head. Head-F1 is pronounced Head FUN, right?

"Heads are so funny, and there are a thousand laughs in store for you in the new, improved HEAD." - TM Disch, 1968, Fun With Your New Head

Like that. Everything sounds new again, which is way fun.

They came with new G cush, but I tried some others, Misodiko L and Geekria S, liking how they dialed in.

So, besotted, I updated them with a Shipibo frame & Beautiful Audio small pads. And a Turbulent XL headpad. Comfy!

Setup and torqued down, they now fit & sound the same every time I put them on, no flopsies, and now look and feel like the precision instrument they are, heavy metal, mahogany, leather and merino. Late run, #1106, matte finish, and well broken in.

Something you might find in one of those bourgeois butt monkey Christmas catalogs, maybe.

I hear they have PS1/PS1000 DNA, and are basically bespoke engineering prototypes for later PS500.

Haven't heard those, so can't judge, but with G cush on, I can clearly make out the family resemblance with my other new Grado, a 2016 GS2Ke.

With the smaller pads, they're a different animal, percussive and dense, which I like. Variety is the spice.

Just now, Jaco's Punk Jazz, from Gungnir Multibit & Mjolnir 2 ('62 Brimar CV4033) but they sound much the same through all my other Schiit.

These Grados reveal everything, but also dominate everything, I would say the strongest link in the chain. Game changers, for me.

 

[THGM]

Been listening to the new Diana Krall album

Spoken like a true audiophile...
Seriously, though, welcome to Head-Fi and I hope you enjoy listening to your new Grados.

 

[G0rt]

These.

 

[534743]

How does the Grado 225 sound compared to other Grado´s? are they superfluous in the lineup, or do they offer anything special?

'They all more or less sound the same with subtle differences' would be the easy answer. The SRs tend to have highs that could be a little annoying to some, the higher models are more refined. The 225e is a good place to start in any case.

 

[ParaLoganGrado]

These.

That's a huge pile of Schitt on your desk! I also have the black Asgard 2 -- makes a nice tortilla warmer lol! Has more than enough juice for the GH2s, but def could use a bit more power for my LCD2 Closed.

 

[TooFrank]

Hi guys, I have finally given in and tried the G pads with my GH2s. I must say that they really shine. For a long time I used BA pads, now I use them on the HF3s where they do an amazing job. Since I got the GH2s long ago, I have been very happy using the tvvj flat pads as they add a little more presence - in lack of a better word. However, my new ifi micro idsd bl has this magical Xbass switch that really makes the Grados shine. So now the new Diana Krall (mentioned a little earlier in this thread) and the GH2s with the G pads are really a treat. I have tried of curiosity to order the Hemps to compare with the GH2, but (un)fortunately they were not in stock and I cancel my order. Maybe I will not need them....?

 

[elvergun]

Maybe I will not need them....?

That is up to you to decide. We all need another Grado.

It would be nice to own both, but they are more similar than they are different. To my ears, the GH2 is better (by a small margin) than the Hemp. I also think that the RS2e is better than both the Hemp and the GH2, so if you need to get another Grado (also by a small margin), perhaps a used RS2e would make a better option (sonically, unless you want another limited edition).

 

[TooFrank]

That is up to you to decide. We all need another Grado.

It would be nice to own both, but they are more similar than they are different. To my ears, the GH2 is better (by a small margin) than the Hemp. I also think that the RS2e is better than both the Hemp and the GH2, so if you need to get another Grado (also by a small margin), perhaps a used RS2e would make a better option (sonically, unless you want another limited edition).

Yeah - I know - but in terms of need: I also have the GW100, SR80i, HF3, GS2ke - sold the RS2i when I got the GH2....So maybe I am more of a collector's stage as regards the Hemp

 

[elvergun]

Yeah - I know - but in terms of need: I also have the GW100, SR80i, HF3, GS2ke - sold the RS2i when I got the GH2....So maybe I am more of a collector's stage as regards the Hemp

In that case, you do NEED it. It is a beautiful headphone (both visually and sonically).

 

[G0rt]

That's a huge pile of Schitt on your desk! I also have the black Asgard 2 -- makes a nice tortilla warmer lol! Has more than enough juice for the GH2s, but def could use a bit more power for my LCD2 Closed.

Yeah, I'm a total Schiithead. My several different cans often respond differently to different Schiit.

I really like HD660S & HD700 from Asgard2, and Lyr3 with NOS Brimars, for example.

HD650 & HD800/SDR like Valhalla2, a lot, with most bottles I've tried.

LCD-3f likes the Jot & Mjolnir2, balanced. Ananda & Sundara, too. DT-1990 likes those SE.

And such. The Grados just sound great from any/all of it, including Mimby/Vali2.

Including a cheapish ESR dongle straight from my S20+.

 

[audiobomber]

What did you think of the bass between the two, relatively. In every case where I've heard an 'e' version and an earlier version (same model #) I've thought the bass was significantly better in the 'e' version.

I didn't notice a difference in bass quality. I noticed slightly more prominent bass in the SR60, but that could be a consequence of the decreased treble. The big difference was that I found the SR80e treble disturbing. Some of this is definitely due to the difference in earpads. I don't have the SR80e here, but I just switched between current Grado and original (SR60) S-cushions and noted again extra harshness introduced by the new pads (also decreased comfort).

 

[thebigcanman]

I owned the HD800S for a very short time and had it concurrent with the GS2000e. So my thoughts aren't a direct comparison, but I still own my GS2000e and can compare against the GS3000e. At first listen, the GS2000e seems more transparent than the GS3000e. This is because the GS2000e has nonexistent sub-bass. The GS3000e has a slight upper bass boost at 150hz, and while that adds a sense of richness, that removes some of the transparency. But the GS2000e is a treble monster and tricks you into thinking it's more detailed when it really isn't. The GS3000e's drivers are more capable and actually extend below 60hz, unlike the GS2000e, though again, the default tuning kind of trades some speed for richness. Against the HD800S, the HD800S has slightly more soundstage depth due to its angled drivers. But it's very minute. I feel both the GS2000e and GS3000e have superior soundstage width.

What I can tell you is that at stock, when comparing the RS2e and GS3000e side by side, which I did in NYC, I actually preferred the RS2e because the stock GS3000e has a treble spike. For me, the GS3000e needed work to make it sound great, as I had to upgrade my amp, convert the plug to XLR4 (which made a difference, as the Pro iCAN's XLR4 out is significantly better than the 1/4" out), and use both my amp's analog processing as well as software EQ to get the most out of it.

Great post - thanks for taking the time.

As I mentioned a few posts earlier, I recently picked up a Cavalli Tube Hybrid from the classifieds for $115 that I originally picked up as a cheap solution for my HD700s. I'm not really into the mass drop stuff.

I have to be really honest here - this thing is INCREDIBLE with the Grado RS2E that I have. Before this i was using the headphone out direct from the chord mojo. Now the mojo runs lineup into the CTH and to the Grado. It is a really dramatic difference - and really outstanding.

If anybody else is using a CTH i'd be interested in hearing how it fares with your Grado cans - and for anybody who is intrigued, if you find a CTH at a competitive price then I would highly recommend it. Really impressed with this combination.

 

[henriks]

Just got Gs1000e, and i am just wondering how to get the most of it, first listen feels like i am missing a lot of bass, so maybe i have to learn to listen to Grado...