[Valicious]

What exactly do you mean by the 325is are harsher/more aggressive?  I'm still learning all the terms used here.
Would you say the 225is are better than the 325is, factoring out any price difference?

 

[obobskivich]

What exactly do you mean by the 325is are harsher/more aggressive?  I'm still learning all the terms used here.

The 325 are the brightest Grado, and to me it feels like they're just trying to push all of the treble in the entire universe into my skull all at once.:basshead:

Would you say the 225is are better than the 325is, factoring out any price difference?

Yes. They are more comfortable and less aggressive imho.

 

[Valicious]

Quote:

The 325 are the brightest Grado, and to me it feels like they're just trying to push all of the treble in the entire universe into my skull all at once.

Yes. They are more comfortable and less aggressive imho.

Ah, I understand now.  I've already experienced that brightness, there have been a few songs where the guitar has been so shrill that it hurts my ears and I cringe at points.
IS there an upgrade from the 325is besides the 225is?  (keeping in mind I would like to woody them?  Are the stock wooden cups on the RS-1s as good as the other custom woodies one might get?)
Music and sound is simply the greatest, and I want to experience its wonders the best way I can.

 

[obobskivich]

Ah, I understand now.  I've already experienced that brightness, there have been a few songs where the guitar has been so shrill that it hurts my ears and I cringe at points.
IS there an upgrade from the 325is besides the 225is?  (keeping in mind I would like to woody them?  Are the stock wooden cups on the RS-1s as good as the other custom woodies one might get?)
Music and sound is simply the freatest, and I want to experience its wonders the best way I can.

I think the RS-1 is the logical upgrade (I haven't tried the RS-2; which is why I'm glossing over it - my understanding is that it's a good "in-between" in both price and performance though). Regarding the wood cups - I'm not really worried too much about aesthetics, but I think the cups on the RS-1 are very well done and they look quite nice. If you were going to woody a can, you're going to change the sound pretty dramatically because you'll be changing the enclosure. That's why I suggested the SR-225 as a "base" choice, because they ostensibly have the same drivers and driver matching as the SR-325 and above, and I think it makes more sense to throw those plastic shells in recycle than it does to trash the aluminum or wooden shells from the higher end models.

I would suggest trying the RS-1 and seeing what you think, before you commit to rip a pair apart.

 

[Holleyman]

I have spent several hours comparing the modded woody SR80is to my RS2s.  It is amazing how they have morphed the sound closer to the RS2s, warmer, bigger sound stage and calmed the highs.  My RS2s are more detailed and more forward mids but for most music I was more than pleasantly surprised at the similarities. 
  For a mod that I got solely for aesthetics it certainly added a wow factor to my listening.
Only thing I had to change was to add a larger tie-wrap for the strain relief so the cable wouldn't come out of the slot in the cup.
I think I'll be listening to my old 80is more again.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Ah, I understand now.  I've already experienced that brightness, there have been a few songs where the guitar has been so shrill that it hurts my ears and I cringe at points.
IS there an upgrade from the 325is besides the 225is?  (keeping in mind I would like to woody them?  Are the stock wooden cups on the RS-1s as good as the other custom woodies one might get?)
Music and sound is simply the greatest, and I want to experience its wonders the best way I can.

There's the Alessandro MS2i, which are based on the 325is, but not as bright.  They are most like a direct step up from the 225i (there is no 225is).

 

[stacker45]

Quote:

His budget is $700

 
I wasn't suggesting to 'orangecr' to get the PS1000.
 
You stated that the RS1i and the PS500,were ''arguably'' the best headphones that Grado makes,i was just saying that the PS1000 aren't bad either

 

[Brooko]

Quote:

The 325 are the brightest Grado, and to me it feels like they're just trying to push all of the treble in the entire universe into my skull all at once.

 
Ahhh - Obob - you should try them with a Woody jacket though

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
I wasn't suggesting to 'orangecr' to get the PS1000.
 
You stated that the RS1i and the PS500,were ''arguably'' the best headphones that Grado makes,i was just saying that the PS1000 aren't bad either

 
My bad, brother
 
So here's a question for you and our other fellow Grado-ites...what do you guys think the opinion of the PS1000s would be if they were priced like the GS1000s at $999? Do you think they would have a different reputation? 

 

[ArmAndHammer]

I find it funny that people say that the 325's are the harshest or shrillest of the Grados. Maybe I just got really lucky and got a special pair, I don't know. What I do know is that you couldn't pay me to listen to the SR60/80/125's and I wasn't overly impressed with the 225's. Yeah, the woodies are absolutely wonderful, as are my 325's. When I got them, I couldn't afford the wood so I went for the 325's since they weren't that far behind in sound. Different sound yes, quality, no, certainly not harsh or shrill. Speaking of shrill and painfully so, I'd rather deafen myself with an ice pick than ever put a pair of Alexandro MS1's back on my ears.

 

[talisman42]

Quote:

I find it funny that people say that the 325's are the harshest or shrillest of the Grados. Maybe I just got really lucky and got a special pair, I don't know. What I do know is that you couldn't pay me to listen to the SR60/80/125's and I wasn't overly impressed with the 225's. Yeah, the woodies are absolutely wonderful, as are my 325's. When I got them, I couldn't afford the wood so I went for the 325's since they weren't that far behind in sound. Different sound yes, quality, no, certainly not harsh or shrill. Speaking of shrill and painfully so, I'd rather deafen myself with an ice pick than ever put a pair of Alexandro MS1's back on my ears.

 
I've read many different reviews, but maybe you're not that lucky because mine are warm, too   - even more so than the AKG Q701. Also, how many different 'colors' did the IS come in? I saw a youtube review with a chrome finish - not the silver/pewter finish.

 

[obobskivich]

Ahhh - Obob - you should try them with a Woody jacket though

I'm quite content with the RS-1.

My bad, brother

So here's a question for you and our other fellow Grado-ites...what do you guys think the opinion of the PS1000s would be if they were priced like the GS1000s at $999? Do you think they would have a different reputation? 

No, because then people would want to see them even cheaper, and so on. Because I've read (and posted ) statements that the GS-1000 shouldn't be $999 either. Assuming it wouldn't destroy their margins, I think all three of the "top" Grado 'phones should be within a few hundred of one another. Sort of like how the RS-2/PS-500/RS-1 are. I think the MASSIVE jump up to the GS-1000 and then the INSANELY MASSIVE jump to the PS-1000 is what throws people. They aren't just more money than the RS-1, they're more than twice more (and one of the most expensive headphones ever made)!

And even if we made them priced "realistic" there'd still be chart warriors who would disagree with Grado in general.

I've read many different reviews, but maybe you're not that lucky because mine are warm, too   - even more so than the AKG Q701. Also, how many different 'colors' did the IS come in? I saw a youtube review with a chrome finish - not the silver/pewter finish.

The 325 is the most revised Grado headphone afaik. I know of the following:

SR-325 in black plastic housing
SR-325i in golden aluminum
SR-325is in chrome/nickel
SR-325is in satin

And there's also an SR-300 and probably another one that I'm forgetting on top of that. I think Grado very much intends it to be their "sweet spot" headphone, but I also think they change it so frequently it's hard to accurately talk about. I should qualify that when I'm talking about SR-325, I'm talking about the goldies.

 

[talisman42]

Ahh - that clears things up a bit!
 
SR-325 in black plastic housing
SR-325i in golden aluminum
SR-325is in chrome/nickel
SR-325is in satin <--- That's the one I have
 
Another thing that makes it difficult to discuss is the significance of settling over time.   
 

 

[Focker]

Quote:

And even if we made them priced "realistic" there'd still be chart warriors who would disagree with Grado in general.

 

 

 
lol, that's for damn sure

 

[Focker]

Quote:

I find it funny that people say that the 325's are the harshest or shrillest of the Grados. Maybe I just got really lucky and got a special pair, I don't know. What I do know is that you couldn't pay me to listen to the SR60/80/125's and I wasn't overly impressed with the 225's. Yeah, the woodies are absolutely wonderful, as are my 325's. When I got them, I couldn't afford the wood so I went for the 325's since they weren't that far behind in sound. Different sound yes, quality, no, certainly not harsh or shrill. Speaking of shrill and painfully so, I'd rather deafen myself with an ice pick than ever put a pair of Alexandro MS1's back on my ears.

 
I can see why people feel that way about them, but I loved my 325s and liked the fact that they were bright. I really thought I may end up not liking the 500s after comparing the graphs, but I was completely wrong. But yeah, the 325s are bright and some people really don't like that aspect of them....I had mine usually running off my little dot hybrid amp, though, so the tubes may have tamed the highs a bit. I did feel they were a nice step up from the 80s (which I like more than you) and a solid offering overall.