My experience with Grados started some 10+ years ago with the SR225. I had only used speakers before this time--specifically Energy 22's with an NAD2200 power amplifier, NAD pre-amp (can't remember which model) and a higher end Rotel CD player. But, my wife doesn't really appreciate a lot of the music I listen to, and so I decided to get a "decent" pair of headphones for occasional use. I researched online and found a sub-$50 pair of cans that were supposedly good for the money. I can't remember which ones they were. Anyway, I went to a local stereo store here which had them in stock, but instead of only listening to them and other similarly priced models, I decided to listen to more expensive sets. What could be the harm? I asked. After all, if these bargain cans were as good as claimed, then the law of diminishing returns would kick in and I would safely listen to the more expensive headphones and say "yeah, definitely, not worth four times the money!".
Sadly (well, only for my wallet) I listened to the Grado SR225's and an equivalently priced Sennheiser model. HD-something-or-other. I was blown away! The sound was SO much better. And I knew that after hearing the Grado's I couldn't settle for the $50 headphones. I ended up getting a discount on the 225's since they were the store demo model. Think I paid $170. And, well, I've just loved them ever since! They DO "color" the sound somewhat, of course, but they are MUSICAL and enjoyable and wonderful. They were good out of my preamp headphone out jack, but they REALLY showed their stuff when I got an Apogee Duet (FW version). I just fell in love with them all over again after I got my Duet.
I recently discovered that they have "Grattle" and will be sending them back for disassembly / cleaning. And I've replaced the bowls once. But other than that, I really couldn't be happier with them. OK. Well, they do get a little uncomfortable after 2 or 3 hours of listening, but not so much that I've ever wanted to do any of the mods to them to make them more comfortable.
The grattle really showed itself in force after my recent acquisition of a Korg Triton Extreme keyboard. Certain notes would REALLY set them to buzzing! I was initially worried it was in the amp circuit, but switching to my PX100's showed that it was in the Grado's. I figured that I would need a set of closed "monitor" headphones anyway, and on the strength of all the great reviews of the Audio Technica ATH-M50's, and of HeadRoom's top 10 recommendation of them, I ordered the M50's. Well, I can say that the M50's REALLY made me appreciate my Grado's!
I have no idea why there are so many 5 star reviews of the M50's, but they are NOT my idea of a neutral / linear / flat sounding can! The bass is clearly too prominent. I agree that the very low bass is excellent--I had fun with the organ sounds from the Korg, pushed down to low A--but either the mid(ish) bass is prominent, or the mid-range is recessed, because they sound boom-y to me, with an exaggerated bass. I shudder to think what the Beats headphones sound like! I kept thinking that if I burned them in and spent enough time acclimating to them, that I'd be happy with them. Nope. It's not me. And it's not just that I'm used to the Grado's. Playing scales on the Korg, I can definitely tell that the M50's are not even and flat. About a half to a third octave worth of bass notes are boomy, accentuated, and muddy. And, for what it's worth, I am a trained piano technician (although that's not what I do for a living any longer) so I have spent a LOT of time voicing pianos and adjusting actions, carefully aiming for as even a sound for the same key dynamics as possible. I have a (relatively) trained ear. This doesn't make my opinion, in general, any better than any one elses, of course! But, it does, I think, come into play in the case of evaluating the evenness of response from a keyboard. And it is my considered opinion that the M50's are not neutral.
I expected the closed cans to have less of a soundstage or space or "air" (whatever the correct term is)--and I was OK with that--but I also required them to be linear and even--that's the whole point of monitors--and to my ears, these are NOT. Perhaps my ears are at fault, but I doubt it. I would have gotten a lot of complaints in my work as a piano tuner if that were the case.
Anyway, long story short, I LOVE MY GRADO'S! (And I'll be sending back my M50's for some Sony MDR7506's).
And as a post script, I have to wonder why there are so many critical and negative posts to this thread? Isn't the concept of an appreciation thread to post your APPRECIATION of the model in question? But, whatever, it's all good.
