[wes008]

Quote:

To be honest, i am not looking for a bargain. I want something that i will absolutely fall in love with.
 
So if the 225 are worth double the price, i am willing to pay it. But are they?

The 225 is a noticeable upgrade, but the 225 is where the line starts to head into harsh-sounding territory, so I would start with the 80, and if you like the Grado house sound, return them and upgrade to the 225. (80 are also a tad less amp/dac picky)

 

[HPiper]

Quote:

 
To be honest, i am not looking for a bargain. I want something that i will absolutely fall in love with.
 
So if the 225 are worth double the price, i am willing to pay it. But are they?

I wouldn't say they are twice as good, but on the other hand if I didn't have to starve for a significant amount of time, I would get the 225's

 

[HPiper]

Washed the pads on my 325is today...what is that black stuff that comes out the first time you wash em ?? <g> Probably should have done this the day I got em seeing as how I bought them used, but was so anxious to listen it didn't even cross my mind.

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

 
To be honest, i am not looking for a bargain. I want something that i will absolutely fall in love with.
 
So if the 225 are worth double the price, i am willing to pay it. But are they?

There's also the comfort issue between the standard pads on the 80 and the bowl pads on the 225.
Then there's the conundrum of simply upgrading the 80 with bowl pads, bringing the sound and comfort even closer to the 225.
 
If you've never heard a Grado, or felt their ear pad comfort levels, then the "sense of worth" is indeed ambiguous.

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

Washed the pads on my 325is today...what is that black stuff that comes out the first time you wash em ?? <g> Probably should have done this the day I got em seeing as how I bought them used, but was so anxious to listen it didn't even cross my mind.

That's just the black dye they use on the foam - nothing to worry about. 
Well, that or layers of sweat and gunk. 

 

[egokun]

Got the 225i. First exposure to Grados here.

First impressions are a mixed bag. Forward sound, for sure: not a big soundstage. But I was expecting vocals to be more prominent.

The fit is perplexing. I'm used to full-size cans that cover my ears completely. Grado flats and bowls don't do this, and I wonder if this impacts the bass performance. Bass is definitely there, quick and bouncy... but there's not much of it. I'm no basshead, but the SR225i seems to have less bass quantity than my ATH-AD2000, and that's saying something!

This headphone can get fatiguing, mainly because it requires a lot of volume to sound its fullest (again, expecially in the bass). But I don't find it harsh, or intrinsically sibilant. There's the right amount of treble. A touch of sibilance, but only in tracks that already contain it. The Sennheiser HD25, now THAT is a headphone that will add sibilance even where there's none, LOL.

 

[parbaked]

Quote:

Got the 225i. First exposure to Grados here.

First impressions are a mixed bag. Forward sound, for sure: not a big soundstage. But I was expecting vocals to be more prominent.

The fit is perplexing. I'm used to full-size cans that cover my ears completely. Grado flats and bowls don't do this, and I wonder if this impacts the bass performance. Bass is definitely there, quick and bouncy... but there's not much of it. I'm no basshead, but the SR225i seems to have less bass quantity than my ATH-AD2000, and that's saying something!

This headphone can get fatiguing, mainly because it requires a lot of volume to sound its fullest (again, expecially in the bass). But I don't find it harsh, or intrinsically sibilant. There's the right amount of treble. A touch of sibilance, but only in tracks that already contain it. The Sennheiser HD25, now THAT is a headphone that will add sibilance even where there's none, LOL.

You can try to adjust the fit to make sure the pressure is even around each ear. Basically the tighter the fit, the more bass you will hear, IME. The next step is to try the TTVJ Flat pads which will increase the bass slam and may bring your vocals more forward as well, YMMV.

 

[parbaked]

Quote:

I am about to buy my first pair of grados.
 
The question is, 225 or 80?

80s come with S-Cush pads which I don't like.
80s come with a mini 3.5mm plug so you can use with portable amp/player with no adapter.
225 has metal grills, better cable and full size 1/4" plug.
 
For home use I would buy the 225 and if I like them I'd upgrade to a leather headband and be very happy.
 
For portable or casual use I'd get the 80s and upgrade the pads to L-Cush or TTVJ Flat pads.

 

[CheeseWithWorms]

The fact that grado use a 1/4 inch jack on a 200 usd pair of headphones boggles my mind. What seems even stranger, to me, is the reason behind making an open back earpad.
 
I mean earpad = portability, open back = home use. Why combine the two?
 
Anyway, i ordered the sr80i. Thanks to everyone for the info.

 

[parbaked]

Quote:

The fact that grado use a 1/4 inch jack on a 200 usd pair of headphones boggles my mind. What seems even stranger, to me, is the reason behind making an open back earpad.
 

Why does it boggle your mind? Is $200 cheap for headphones with a 1/4" plug? (not disagreeing, just asking)
The 125/225/325 are positioned for home use, hence the 1/4" plug as most home systems have a 1/4 jack.
The 60/80 are positioned for portable players, hence the mini plug.
Also I am not sure the 8 conductor cable on the 125/225/325 would fit the Grado OEM mini plug (it's really thick).

 

[streetdragon]

The fact that grado use a 1/4 inch jack on a 200 usd pair of headphones boggles my mind. What seems even stranger, to me, is the reason behind making an open back earpad.

I mean earpad = portability, open back = home use. Why combine the two?

Anyway, i ordered the sr80i. Thanks to everyone for the info.

Meanwhile at sennheiser.... ($120 HD518 w/ 1/4 " plug)

well also the thing is the grados are clearly not designed for portable use, because they really have a very high profile and do stick out from your ears quite a lot and is also very open. They probably just chose that cup diameter to tune the sound of their headphones.

(but i kinda prefer what shure is doing, they use a 3.5 mm jack with a 6.3 adapter even with their SRH1840 model)

 

[streetdragon]

double post.

 

[hsubox]

I am about to buy my first pair of grados.

The question is, 225 or 80?

225! Such a great sounding headphone. Well worth the money.

 

[j0val]

The 225 is a noticeable upgrade, but the 225 is where the line starts to head into harsh-sounding territory, so I would start with the 80, and if you like the Grado house sound, return them and upgrade to the 225. (80 are also a tad less amp/dac picky)

Going to agree with this. I loved the 80 when I had it. Then I upgraded to the 225 and thought it was good, but a bit too harsh. I sold those a few weeks later. I am now in the possession of the ps500s and think they are amazing.

 

[joseph69]

Good choice, there is nothing wrong with the 80i at all.
Be sure to order the (L) cushions for them from Grado, and they will absolutely sound great!
Enjoy them!