So, I thought I´d write a short review of the new Grado SR125X as I just bought them, and could not find any reviews on them on the interhighway. - Hope this is the right place...
Anyways, just to get the boring stuff away from the start: Build
Build is very Grado like, mostly I’d compare them to some cheap toys made in China. I as the gods as my witness I am not kidding. I paid some 228 euro for them. That’s 270 USD! For headphones, that are made of cheap cheap plastic and you pray they don’t brake. Even worse, the emblems one the headphones are not even glued on straight, the housing that holds the drives are also not straight, the metal pins are not straight… And no, I am not even going to start on the cable. I think you all get the idea, right?
On a good note – the new head padding and comfort in general very good.
Amping:
First thing first, amping and machining. I have tested the Grado’s with my dragonfly red, Fiio BTR5 and Ifi Hip-dac. I can tale you straight up, if you want the best, with most extended bass and body in your music, the SR125X and Ifi Hip-dac is a match made in heaven. The Hip-dac has a warm sound signature that matches well with the highs from the SR125X. When using the Dragonfly red or the BRK5 you are mostly left with a “even more” mid centric sound.
To give an example: When playing Adele – Fire in the Rain there is a bass line playing in the background. This bassline is very easy to pickup with the Hip-dac companied to the Dragonfly red and BTR5.
But - the BTR5 does have more detailed and extended highs…
Sound: - Well, if only the Grado´s were only built as they sound.
To start Bass:
The bass is not very far extended, and the headphones really can’t produce any sub bass. But – bass is very clear, textured and very detailed. The best way to describe it is that it is very natural, it’s like listening to someone playing live unplugged. Very pleasant all in all. The HD650 can produce somewhat more ( but also bloated in relative comparison ) bass. Something like a DT990 600 ohm would be a bass canon compared to the Grado SR125X.
The mids: The mids are the star of the show. They are very clean, again detailed and very forward. Think HD650 mids, just more forward. They don’t have any strange scoops that make vocals sound hollow or anything. The SR125X makes a HD650 sound very vailed. Female voices tend to sound angelic.
The highs: The highs are bright, but in no way piercing and the sound is not sibilant. But yes, this is in general a bight sounding headphone. The highs very well extended and also detailed. Again the best way to describe the sound would be a very “live like” sound. The HD650 tend to sound like a pair of good speakers where the Grado is more like in a small live setting.
Imaging and soundstage:
Imaging is not the sharpest, - it tends to be very “left, right, center”. A HD650 has more sharp imaging – but the soundstage is a lot wide then on HD650’s. Even to the point where, depending on what’s playing, I thought that a “knock” or something was coming from my door to my house, when it in fact was just the music. – so again, a good surprise.
So. – is it a keeper are you are asking? Short answer - Yes.
Why? Because they simply sound good. Period.
And I can’t see the build when it’s on my head.
I can run them from my Hip-dac and even BTR5 and they still sound good and give a very natural crisp sound. Think “mobile” hifi. And yes, I know I can just use IEM’s, but it’s not every day I want to be “closed of”, when I’m at work and so forth….
And why not buy SR325 – simple, - I did not find the sound that different. Yes – they have a bass boost or “hump” in the mid bass, but I like the leaner sound. The aluminum is heavier and painted. ( and yes, he paint chips ). Lastly, and most important: They don’t have the same comfort because of the pads used on the SR325X compared to the SR125X. And yes – I know I could just change them… but I find in somewhat irritating paying twice the price and still having to change something to make headphones comfortable.
That’s all folks… PS. – sorry for the bad English
Anyways, just to get the boring stuff away from the start: Build
Build is very Grado like, mostly I’d compare them to some cheap toys made in China. I as the gods as my witness I am not kidding. I paid some 228 euro for them. That’s 270 USD! For headphones, that are made of cheap cheap plastic and you pray they don’t brake. Even worse, the emblems one the headphones are not even glued on straight, the housing that holds the drives are also not straight, the metal pins are not straight… And no, I am not even going to start on the cable. I think you all get the idea, right?
On a good note – the new head padding and comfort in general very good.
Amping:
First thing first, amping and machining. I have tested the Grado’s with my dragonfly red, Fiio BTR5 and Ifi Hip-dac. I can tale you straight up, if you want the best, with most extended bass and body in your music, the SR125X and Ifi Hip-dac is a match made in heaven. The Hip-dac has a warm sound signature that matches well with the highs from the SR125X. When using the Dragonfly red or the BRK5 you are mostly left with a “even more” mid centric sound.
To give an example: When playing Adele – Fire in the Rain there is a bass line playing in the background. This bassline is very easy to pickup with the Hip-dac companied to the Dragonfly red and BTR5.
But - the BTR5 does have more detailed and extended highs…
Sound: - Well, if only the Grado´s were only built as they sound.
To start Bass:
The bass is not very far extended, and the headphones really can’t produce any sub bass. But – bass is very clear, textured and very detailed. The best way to describe it is that it is very natural, it’s like listening to someone playing live unplugged. Very pleasant all in all. The HD650 can produce somewhat more ( but also bloated in relative comparison ) bass. Something like a DT990 600 ohm would be a bass canon compared to the Grado SR125X.
The mids: The mids are the star of the show. They are very clean, again detailed and very forward. Think HD650 mids, just more forward. They don’t have any strange scoops that make vocals sound hollow or anything. The SR125X makes a HD650 sound very vailed. Female voices tend to sound angelic.
The highs: The highs are bright, but in no way piercing and the sound is not sibilant. But yes, this is in general a bight sounding headphone. The highs very well extended and also detailed. Again the best way to describe the sound would be a very “live like” sound. The HD650 tend to sound like a pair of good speakers where the Grado is more like in a small live setting.
Imaging and soundstage:
Imaging is not the sharpest, - it tends to be very “left, right, center”. A HD650 has more sharp imaging – but the soundstage is a lot wide then on HD650’s. Even to the point where, depending on what’s playing, I thought that a “knock” or something was coming from my door to my house, when it in fact was just the music. – so again, a good surprise.
So. – is it a keeper are you are asking? Short answer - Yes.
Why? Because they simply sound good. Period.
And I can’t see the build when it’s on my head.
I can run them from my Hip-dac and even BTR5 and they still sound good and give a very natural crisp sound. Think “mobile” hifi. And yes, I know I can just use IEM’s, but it’s not every day I want to be “closed of”, when I’m at work and so forth….
And why not buy SR325 – simple, - I did not find the sound that different. Yes – they have a bass boost or “hump” in the mid bass, but I like the leaner sound. The aluminum is heavier and painted. ( and yes, he paint chips ). Lastly, and most important: They don’t have the same comfort because of the pads used on the SR325X compared to the SR125X. And yes – I know I could just change them… but I find in somewhat irritating paying twice the price and still having to change something to make headphones comfortable.
That’s all folks… PS. – sorry for the bad English
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