[Prog Rock Man]

Dug out my SR80s for the first time in years. Remembered how much I like the sound. Forgotten about how irritating the chunky cable is and how quickly before they get uncomfortable on the ears, even with the flat pads. Such a shame, as they are great headphones.

 

[TooFrank]

Some very nice looking Beautiful Audio Pads (Hybrid) arrived at my home this morning . I've only given them a few minutes of listening time on my RS1e so far but these things sound very nice , also the comfort is way beyond anything I've experienced with any Grado pads , just for the record I've never tried genuine G-Cush.
Due to my Hifiman Ananda arriving yesterday I'm now torn between two new toys , help

Fwiw: I don’t have either the RS1 or the Ananda, but I do have the GH2 and the Hifiman Arya and they are both keepers.....

 

[Mightygrey]

Dug out my SR80s for the first time in years. Remembered how much I like the sound. Forgotten about how irritating the chunky cable is and how quickly before they get uncomfortable on the ears, even with the flat pads. Such a shame, as they are great headphones.

It's pretty simple to add a detachable cable using a hairdryer to separate the two halves of the cups, a wire cutter to snip the cables, a reamer to widen the gap for the cables, and then solder/glue in place your female connector of choice - I use 3.5mm mono sockets, but I'm planning on using MMCX connectors for my next Grado mod. There's a wide range of aftermarket pads that will improve comfort - Beautiful Audio if you're feeling fancy, Geekria G-Cush if you're on a budget.

 

[Tom239]

I bought Grado HP2 headphones in 1994. I've lost count of how many times I've had to resolder connections to the drivers but that's OK. They still serve me well.

 

[Gippy]

The headband on the 325x does not looks as padded as the other new in the same series, any comments on this?

The headbands on the 325x and up are leather. This has the advantage of the headband never wearing out under normal use. Some people recommend conditioning it once a year but I feel my scalp is oily enough to do this naturally.

The headband on the plastic models are likely foam padded and covered by faux leather. This may peel over time.

 

[Stevko]

Mine are still fine after 18yr

 

[trellus]

DMS review of the SR325X

 

[Gippy]

DMS review of the SR325X

Just a heads-up: when he is discussing the headphone, he's misleading people by passing off the Geekria pad tunings as the official pad tunings. Geekria G != Grado G.

 

[genesyndrome]

DMS review of the SR325X

Just bought a pair to test and mod, should be getting them next week

 

[whirlwind]

Is the general consensus that new new X series is a warmer sound than most any series Grado ?

 

[genesyndrome]

Is the general consensus that new new X series is a warmer sound than most any series Grado ?

I think that a pretty fair consensus. I definitely think SR80x is warmer/darker/less peaky than the SR80e, but truth be told, their still very similar. However, compared to my 325is, the 80x is much more relaxed up top in my opinion. I think the is series was pretty hot in the treble regions to begin with, some don't mind it like me but I also think the changes to the 80x is welcome . I hope to make a more fair comparison when I get the 325x

 

[AWS Soul]

Fwiw: I don’t have either the RS1 or the Ananda, but I do have the GH2 and the Hifiman Arya and they are both keepers.....

The Ananda has literally blown me away , simply incredible . I was going to get the Arya but as I use my laptop for pretty much all my audio listening (no amp) , the Ananda made more sense. I never need another headphone ever again , it's that good .

 

[G0rt]

So after spending more hours with the Beautiful Audio L-Cush on my RS1e I have a few things I'd like to share.
I'll start with the comfort , they are simply a game changer for any Grado L-Cush user , my ears no longer touch the drivers & that annoying feeling of uncomfortableness that gradually creeps up after a few hours of use is now totally null & void , instead I have a pillow like comfort throughout the entire listening journey.

Now for the sound , it is rather phenomenal , I always loved the L-Cush sound the most with Grado's (well 50/50 split with TTVJ Flat Deluxe) , yet the stock pads I always found sounding to thin so I would always electrical tape mod them to thicken the sound.
I would also substitute them with clone L-Cush , purchased from different vendors from around the world using eBay , I found the clones to sound more thick , a more meat on the bones sound than the electric tape mod , yet problematically I had to buy a hundred pairs just to find one pair I liked the sound of.
The Beautiful Audio pads have presented me with an authentic Grado L-Cush sound yet they have thickened up the sound satiating that hunger I always had with the stock pads.

This brings me to my next point ,which makes me eat my own words with an extra large slice of humble pie to follow , as a few posts back I was advocating the purchasing of cloned cushions over buying from Beautiful Audio , based on cost .
Heck these Beautiful Audio pads don't come cheap , so it's a gamble if you don't like the sound .
Well humble pie time , I wish I just bit the bullet & bought these pads years ago and saved £££££ on buying all these cloned pads that have ended up in an old shoe box , knowing damn well they will never see any of my Grado headphones ever again .

Now from the aesthetic viewpoint , just look how beautiful my RS1e look , just look at them , I'm that excited by their good looks I want to show pictures of them to random strangers on the street .

Also Silvian is one awesome guy , he has replied to my emails & answered every question I had about his product .
I will be ordering a pair of merino wool pads from him very soon , I'm going to put them on my 325e / RS2e.

Now not hating on Grado , but this week I've learned they are missing a trick or two , between Beautiful Audio & my new Hifiman Ananda , I've concluded that quality comfortable pads & detachable cables are serious game changers.

I've tried L-filled BA hybrids on all my Grados, finally settling on GS2Ke as the best match for me. Way comfy, and not a serious deviation in timbre or reach. All thumbs up.

 

[AWS Soul]

I've tried L-filled BA hybrids on all my Grados, finally settling on GS2Ke as the best match for me. Way comfy, and not a serious deviation in timbre or reach. All thumbs up.

They look wonderful my friend , have you tried the bigger G-Cush B.A pads ??
Grado should do a limited edition contracting Beautiful Audio for the pads .
I ordered some merino wool pads from B.A yesterday , can't wait to hear them , I know it's money well spent already.

 

[audiobomber]

So after spending more hours with the Beautiful Audio L-Cush on my RS1e I have a few things I'd like to share.
I'll start with the comfort , they are simply a game changer for any Grado L-Cush user , my ears no longer touch the drivers

How is that the drivers touch your ears with on-ear pads? The drivers are at least 1 cm from my ears. If you are wearing L-cush with your ears inside the cushions, that would explain most of your discomfort.