Grado Fan Club!
Jul 20, 2023 at 10:15 AM Post #61,682 of 65,609
The Grado SR325x has arrived today :heart_eyes:

(out of the box: massive hard hitting lowend sharp and energetic midrange/midbass this is probably the sharpest most energetic sounding Grado I have heard)

Burning it in with the Jackal soundtrack (1997)
the_jackal.jpg


sr325x.JPG


sr325x_3.JPG

gradosr325x.JPG


Only the RS2x is missing in my collection now...
 
Last edited:
Jul 20, 2023 at 3:49 PM Post #61,684 of 65,609
On/off button is stucked on my gw100. Not possible to turn them off.
Easy fix?
 
Jul 21, 2023 at 12:37 PM Post #61,685 of 65,609
Guys the RS2x with flats is a revelation! With L pads they had a distinct lack of bass impact, there was bass but it was very light. There is a small reduction in soundstage but the bass is now exactly where it should be.
They are like a super SR325x , similar low end but with more detail and clarity and comfy too.
I think for acoustic and classical sessions I might put Ls on but for my indie and electronic Flats rule.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20230721_173824228.jpg
    IMG_20230721_173824228.jpg
    2 MB · Views: 0
Jul 21, 2023 at 1:53 PM Post #61,686 of 65,609
Guys the RS2x with flats is a revelation! With L pads they had a distinct lack of bass impact, there was bass but it was very light. There is a small reduction in soundstage but the bass is now exactly where it should be.
They are like a super SR325x , similar low end but with more detail and clarity and comfy too.
I think for acoustic and classical sessions I might put Ls on but for my indie and electronic Flats rule.
With a few new owners of 325x and discussion about pad swapping in this thread, I mixed and matched the pads again on my 325x, just to see if my preferences have changed.

TL; DR -- Nope. I still prefer the G "bowl" pads on my 325x. Specifics:

Stock "F pad," the famous "flats" -- The bass is pretty constant with the stock pads with which the 325x was tuned. It's not a particularly punchy or impactful bass, but the overall sound is pretty warm, especially for a Grado. OK, but not my preference.

AliExpress Dekoni/Beautiful Audio clones -- These fluffy, thick pads make the 325x infinitely more comfortable as over-ears instead of on-ears but at the cost of the stock sound, big time. The depth and velour of these pads increase the bass significantly and hike the treble to the point of annoying sibilance on some tracks. These pads will turn your 325x into a can with V-shaped, consumer tuning. Fun for some tracks but not as a daily driver.

Geekria "G pad," the "bowls" -- This is my favorite pad with the 325x, by far. It focuses the bass and makes it much more subtle and pinpoint than the stock F pads, and the treble sounds more like a Grado without being ice picks to the ears. Separation is improved, and the most noticeable difference is soundstage -- it's MUCH wider than with the stock F pads or Dekoni/Beautiful pillow clones. The G's also are more comfortable than the F's but nowhere near as plush as the Ali clones.

I'm sure everyone's mileage varies. That's one of the beauties of Grado -- everyone can tune the sound to their liking cheaply and easily with pads!
 
Last edited:
Jul 21, 2023 at 3:30 PM Post #61,687 of 65,609
With a few new owners of 325x and discussion about pad swapping in this thread, I mixed and matched the pads again on my 325x, just to see if my preferences have changed.

TL; DR -- Nope. I still prefer the G "bowl" pads on my 325x. Specifics:

Stock "F pad," the famous "flats" -- The bass is pretty constant with the stock pads with which the 325x was tuned. It's not a particularly punchy or impactful bass, but the overall sound is pretty warm, especially for a Grado. OK, but not my preference.

AliExpress Dekoni/Beautiful Audio clones -- These fluffy, thick pads make the 325x infinitely more comfortable as over-ears instead of on-ears but at the cost of the stock sound, big time. The depth and velour of these pads increase the bass significantly and hike the treble to the point of annoying sibilance on some tracks. These pads will turn your 325x into a can with V-shaped, consumer tuning. Fun for some tracks but not as a daily driver.

Geekria "G pad," the "bowls" -- This is my favorite pad with the 325x, by far. It focuses the bass and makes it much more subtle and pinpoint than the stock F pads, and the treble sounds more like a Grado without being ice picks to the ears. Separation is improved, and the most noticeable difference is soundstage -- it's MUCH wider than with the stock F pads or Dekoni/Beautiful pillow clones. The G's also are more comfortable than the F's but nowhere near as plush as the Ali clones.

I'm sure everyone's mileage varies. That's one of the beauties of Grado -- everyone can tune the sound to their liking cheaply and easily with pads!
I use the Geekria "G pad," the "bowls" on my RS2e an love it as my daily driver. I am kind of a soundstage junkie and these pads give that to you in spades in my opinion. When I tried flat pads I was bothered at times by piercing highs. The L pads are the the Grado choice for an RS2e but I got along much better with the G pads for better bass, increased soundstage, toned down ice pick highs and better comfort. Everyone hears differently though, part of the fun with Grado is the easy pad swapping to obtain sound you want. Some Grado haters would consider that a weakness, I look at it as a feature.
 
Jul 21, 2023 at 3:33 PM Post #61,688 of 65,609
I use the Geekria "G pad," the "bowls" on my RS2e an love it as my daily driver. I am kind of a soundstage junkie and these pads give that to you in spades in my opinion. When I tried flat pads I was bothered at times by piercing highs. The L pads are the the Grado choice for an RS2e but I got along much better with the G pads for better bass, increased soundstage, toned down ice pick highs and better comfort. Everyone hears differently though, part of the fun with Grado is the easy pad swapping to obtain sound you want. Some Grado haters would consider that a weakness, I look at it as a feature.
If you can, try the official grado g cushs. They are silly expensive, but unbeatable.

They sound much better than the geekrias on my rs2e's
 
Jul 21, 2023 at 4:33 PM Post #61,690 of 65,609
If you can, try the official grado g cushs. They are silly expensive, but unbeatable.

They sound much better than the geekrias on my rs2e's
Good to know, I will probably check that out.
 
Jul 21, 2023 at 5:21 PM Post #61,691 of 65,609
Is there a half way house between L and F ? What about geekria LL pads?
reverse quarter mod using Sennheiser hd 414 pads fits this description?

They sound good & are comfy.

IMG_20230524_111046.jpg

IMG_20230524_111026.jpg
 
Jul 21, 2023 at 5:21 PM Post #61,692 of 65,609
Is there a half way house between L and F ? What about geekria LL pads?
I've found the Geekria donut pads (model EJZ-0047-03) to be a compromise between L and F pads. Definitely more comfortable than F, but the foam is lighter, so over a long term session they will tend to compress more. I think last time I compared, the donuts sounded not quite as transparent/bright as L pads, and not quite as much bass as F pads.

I use them on my HP2, which has unbelievable detail, and fairly good bass extension, so that I don't lose either of those aspects.
 
Jul 22, 2023 at 12:35 AM Post #61,695 of 65,609
Before:
AA5B144C-E9E5-4E58-8A62-9E1CFDCEDE11.jpeg
After:
AB93B27E-D0B6-47EB-8496-CD16D5BD0CFF.jpeg
[The compressed hemp looks different due to different lighting.]
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top