[iDesign]

I am considering purchasing the Grado SR-225 headphones and paring them with the Gilmore Lite headphone amp. Will the performance of this pairing equal/ surpass that of the Audio-Technica ATH-A900 headphones when working with classical/ symphony, jazz, vocal/ acoustic and electronic genre recordings? I am also open to recommendations from the Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic ranges. (The size of the Grado headphones make them very attractive)

Edit: The "sound stage" debate with the Grado headphones is a concern though I imagine it is greater and more expansive than that of the Sony MDR-V6/ V700. Is this assumption valid?

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iDesign I am considering purchasing the Grado SR-225 headphones and paring them with the Gilmore Lite headphone amp. Will the performance of this pairing equal/ surpass that of the Audio-Technica ATH-A900 headphones when working with classical/ symphony, jazz, vocal/ acoustic and electronic genre recordings? I am also open to recommendations from the Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic ranges. (The size of the Grado headphones make them very attractive)

Maybe not with Classical, but with everything else, yes.

I own this dynamic duo right now (ATH-A900 and Grado SR225), and the Grados are getting all the ear time.

In general, open headphones in the same price range beat closed headphones at everything.

Grados are especially Insano...if you know that you can tolerate the brightness and comfort, go for them. They put everything to shame.

 

[dknightd]

Before you buy grado cans you might want to listen to them. Some people don't like the sound or comfort. I haven't tried the gilmore with grados but expect they would work fine together.

 

[iDesign]

I have tried headphones from the Grado Range (Not incl. SR-225) and dont foresee the opportunity to test them with the Gilmore Lite amp.

 

[dshook]

Have not tried the 900's but my 225's rock as much as my big vintage Pioneer speakers for acoustic jazz and blues, which is saying something...love 'em

 

[iDesign]

What is surprising how so many users switch from ATH-A900 headphones to the SR-225 despite the loss of sound stage, higher cost (if incl. Mini Adaptor Cable and TTVJ Flats) and the seemingly requisite headphone amp.

 

[cj.9]

Just to let you know, Not all of us that have both prefer the 225's over the 900's.
I love the 900's because they really sound good all the time.

From here on is "just my opinion"
Hands down, you get more for your money with the 900's. Great soundstage, Better cable (braided outer jacket cable attached on left side earpiece),decent isolation, nice threaded 1/8th to 1/4 adapter included and someone actually paid attention to the design and comfort of the these phones as well as the sound.

The Grado's sound very good also but build quality, looks and comfort bring them down. Cheap headband with cheap vinyl covering and no padding. The roughest foam pads I have ever felt ,plus you will most likely spend another $30 on the flats and maybe $6 or $8 to try the modified senns pads. Then, they are terminated with a 1/4" plug. Probably will have to have the 1/8th adapter ($15). Wouldn't it be nice to at least have the option to order with 1/8th" plug?
In my opinion they don't sound better than the 900's, but they do sound different. If they cost $80 to $100 then maybe you could overlook the build quality and find the value in the sound but at the current price, I feel that they are taking advantage of the consumer.

Before you buy the 225's , at least listen to the SR 60's($69) side by side with the 225's($195). Heck, include the 900's too.The 225's sound a bit better but do they sound $125 better? Side by side, the 60's might beat the 900's for the cost difference.
About the only obvious difference you can see is the 225 emblem and the 60's have an 1/8th"plug (1/4"adapter is included). The 60's appear to be the value in the Grado line.
Most here know what the acutal cost to build the RA-1 is and I suspect that the same is true of the 225's.
After buying the 225's, I honestly felt that I had been taken advantage of.
If I didn't own them already, I wouldn't buy them.
Maybe the 60's though

Again, if you missed it above...this is "just my opinion"

 

[Budley007]

No problem Cj.9, I've never heard the A900s so I can't concur with your opinion, but your comment about questionable build-quality has merit. I carry mine around in a padded case just to be safe. I have to say considering the fact that I love the Grado "flavor", I find the SR225s to be reasonably priced. The comfort is something that I had to get used to over a longer period of time.

The Grado sound is not for everyone, so no arguments from me about your preferences. Auditioning Grados is good advice if you've never heard them before. And yes, I agree, the the SR60s sound incredible for their price.

 

[jpr703]

Not everyone likes the Grado sound and there are plenty of valid complaints that can be made about them, but I wouldn't trade my 225s for anything. Well, maybe a pair of RS-1s.

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj.9 Just to let you know, Not all of us that have both prefer the 225's over the 900's. I love the 900's because they really sound good all the time. From here on is "just my opinion" Hands down, you get more for your money with the 900's. Great soundstage, Better cable (braided outer jacket cable attached on left side earpiece),decent isolation, nice threaded 1/8th to 1/4 adapter included and someone actually paid attention to the design and comfort of the these phones as well as the sound. The Grado's sound very good also but build quality, looks and comfort bring them down. Cheap headband with cheap vinyl covering and no padding. The roughest foam pads I have ever felt ,plus you will most likely spend another $30 on the flats and maybe $6 or $8 to try the modified senns pads. Then, they are terminated with a 1/4" plug. Probably will have to have the 1/8th adapter ($15). Wouldn't it be nice to at least have the option to order with 1/8th" plug? In my opinion they don't sound better than the 900's, but they do sound different. If they cost $80 to $100 then maybe you could overlook the build quality and find the value in the sound but at the current price, I feel that they are taking advantage of the consumer. Before you buy the 225's , at least listen to the SR 60's($69) side by side with the 225's($195). Heck, include the 900's too.The 225's sound a bit better but do they sound $125 better? Side by side, the 60's might beat the 900's for the cost difference. About the only obvious difference you can see is the 225 emblem and the 60's have an 1/8th"plug (1/4"adapter is included). The 60's appear to be the value in the Grado line. Most here know what the acutal cost to build the RA-1 is and I suspect that the same is true of the 225's. After buying the 225's, I honestly felt that I had been taken advantage of. If I didn't own them already, I wouldn't buy them. Maybe the 60's though Again, if you missed it above...this is "just my opinion"

I love the sound of the 225's, but also have a big beef with build quality. It's not bad....just disappointing for that price range.

Mine have been altered to have a leather headphone pad and a cable terminating with a 1/8" plug. I'm pretty happy overall now other than the drivers constantly spin around and tangle the cable.

 

[walkman666]

I have both the A900s and the SR-225s and have needs for both. The SR-225s go better than the A-900s with my rock music, but the A-900s are closed, and I need that for when other family members are nearby. I believe the A-900s are more comfy and have a better build quality than the Grados (and I do not like the tangled web of a cord the Grados offer), but I do not believe the SR-225s are overpriced (although I have not tried the SR-60s in comparison).

I am in the process of getting a modest amp (Pimeta, Gilmore Lite) to see see how much of an improvement I'll get from either headphone with an amp (above and beyond my integrated amp's headphone jack). I believe, from what I have read, that the Grados benefit quite nicely from an amp. Both of these headphones are low impedance though, and do not need an amp per se, but amp builders have indicated that these headphones also "crave current," and an appropriately customized headphone amp would add value to the sonic qualities of both of these headphones. Certainly, many users here attest to the improved sound quality of their Grado's with the Gilmore Lite amp. Improved quality from an amp for the very easy to drive A-900s? I dunno, but I am going to find out shortly.

Ultimately, I think the choice of these two headphones is a fun one and an easy one -- it depends on your needs and the type of music you listen to. If you listen to hard rock, punk, alternative, etc. I think the Grados are at great fit here. If you need a closed phone for other reasons, and comfort is a key, and you want a headphone that has good soundstage and works well with many types of music, then the A-900s are a good choice. Some reviews here have suggested that the AKG-271s are a better closed choice for rock music. I don't know, but I trust these fellows.

I am surely happy with having both the SR-225 and the A-900s.

- walkman666

 

[lindrone]

SR-225 paired with Gilmore Lite is going to be a nice rig... but I wouldn't use it for any genre other than rock. If you care about music that needs soundstage of any sort, Grado simply doesn't have any soundstage. It's flat, in your face, the frontal soundstage permeats from the middle of your face.

It's still something that's worth trying out, some people fall in love with Grado for exactly the same reason why I despise them.

 

[appar111]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj.9 Before you buy the 225's , at least listen to the SR 60's($69) side by side with the 225's($195). Heck, include the 900's too.The 225's sound a bit better but do they sound $125 better? Side by side, the 60's might beat the 900's for the cost difference. About the only obvious difference you can see is the 225 emblem and the 60's have an 1/8th"plug (1/4"adapter is included). The 60's appear to be the value in the Grado line. Most here know what the acutal cost to build the RA-1 is and I suspect that the same is true of the 225's. After buying the 225's, I honestly felt that I had been taken advantage of. If I didn't own them already, I wouldn't buy them. Maybe the 60's though Again, if you missed it above...this is "just my opinion"

I gotta agree with you. The SR225's sounded great to me as well, but not $125 better than the SR60's (almost 3x the price of the SR60's). Not knocking the 225's at all, except maybe for the build quality for that sort of price

I was quite happy walking out of the store with the SR60's over the SR225, and didn't feel like I compromised at all-- I honestly went with what sounded better to my ears. And my wallet was definitely thanking me that day!

 

[iDesign]

I appreciate the comments on the subject. I have tried all of the head phones in the Grado range except for the SR-225 and SR-325 models. The SR-60 has been the most consistently recommended and highly regarded model of the line. I felt that the SR-60 yielded no performance advantages to the ATH-A900 and feel that it was unfair comparison. The SR-125 was notably better and many users of this site have expressed that the SR-225 is even better hence my interest. After reading these new responses my expectations for the SR-225 have plummeted -- especially given the narrow scope of music genres they excel (which are not consistent with my needs). In comparing the sound stange of the MDR-V6/ V700 and SR-225 which is more expansive?

Are there more Team Grado members of this site who can sway my decision?

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindrone SR-225 paired with Gilmore Lite is going to be a nice rig... but I wouldn't use it for any genre other than rock. If you care about music that needs soundstage of any sort, Grado simply doesn't have any soundstage. It's flat, in your face, the frontal soundstage permeats from the middle of your face. It's still something that's worth trying out, some people fall in love with Grado for exactly the same reason why I despise them.

Grrrr...soundstage is for speakers, I say! This soundstage crazy talk gives Grados a bad name, I say!

Female vocals sound wonderful with SR-225s, too. Jazz, rock, pop, country, anything with a voice or guitar...well, practically everything but maybe classical sounds wonderful with Grados.

You're going to get a level of clarity and detail with the SR-225s that just can't be had with the ATH-A900s, regardless of your source or amplifier.