[balou]

Hi,
little story first: Once upon a time, I went visiting a friend of mine. And his father happens to have a rather nice hifi system, including a benchmark dac1 and a pair of nice looking wooden cans from a manufacturer I never heard of before... Grado Labs RS2

So, interested in them, I put them on to check out how they sound like.

....I was COMPLETELY blown away. I could not believe what I heard, such an enormous sound out of headphones. I also could not really believe the price tag

Fast forward a couple of months, I just HAD to have a headphone close to this one, so I bought myself a pair of Grado SR80s for christmas. yeah, I'm a student, so the RS2 weren't an option for my first really hifi cans (before I had sennheiser hd497, they're not bad, but the grados just sound a whole lot better).

I had the option to directly compare the SR80 against the RS2. overall tonal balance is exactly the same, but the RS2 is much more detailed. the sr80 sound veiled in comparison...
what struck me most was the depiction of wooden instruments. I could HEAR the wood of the different guitars resonate. not just guitars, but the wood on it. Wow. And as said, generally a whole new level of details.

The SR80 sound as like someone poured a thin film of oil over the waveforms. The sound flushes right in yours ears and quite pleasantly so, but it covers the details

The RS2 sound... woody! as if the wood would beautifully contribute to the overall sound.
edit: they also sound a bit drier than the sr80. not quite so 'flushy' as the sr80. but I would call that a flaw in the SR80, not in the RS2. much more exactness in the presentation of the instruments, and a somewhat warmer sound.

Oh, and because I like this waveform thingy, the ipod buds sound like somebody poured some very aggressive acid over the waveforms


So... my question: How do the SR325i sound compared to these two headphones? the rs2 are still a bit too expensive for me. And frankly, I wouldn't really use them in a portable setup, the wood seems just to be a bit to fragile for daily on the road use. the all-metal sr325i look like they'd would be fit for daily outdoor use.

edit: I mistakenly wrote RS1 instead of RS2 several times. fixed.

 

[adanac061]

Quote:

Originally Posted by balou /img/forum/go_quote.gif The RS2 sound... woody! as if the wood would beautifully contribute to the overall sound.

In a similar vane the 325i sound..well.. metallic and a little echoey.
(even though the inside of the chamber is all plastic)

 

[ex0du5]

SR325i are very detailed, and some people can find them harsh. They will not sound as silky smooth as the RS-2 do. And if it helps, RS-1 are even smoother and more detailed than the RS-2

.

 

[F107plus5]

Ok; my conscience is bothering me a bit for even bringing this up, but have you done any searches comparing the RS-2 with.....MS2i?

.....I did.

 

[Bootleg]

I'll be doing a comparo of the SR80, SR325i, and RS-1 in a few weeks...if you can wait that long.

 

[ex0du5]

Oh ya I forgot about the MS2i.

I'd say go with the MS2i hands down. They are supposed to have much of the RS-2 sound signature. Also, you're in Switzerland, where the Grados are extremely overpriced (they are anywhere outside of the U.S.) and since Alessandro has international pricing, you can get them for a good price.

$300 for the MS2i will be the best bang for buck for sure. Only thing some people complain about MS2i and SR325i is the slight increase in weight due to the metal on the cans. Otherwise, I don't see any reason not to get the MS2i.

 

[BrookR1]

To answer your question directly...

Your perceptions about the the SR-80 vs. the RS-2 are accurate. I haven't listened to the RS-2s, but I own the SR-80s and the 325is. The 325i, from what I've read is even more detailed than the RS-2. The highs sparkle and the bass is substantial. Compared to the 325is, the SR-80s are slightly veiled. I never thought I'd say that about my SR-80s, but it's true. The 325i is just amazingly clear and detailed. Haven't heard the MS2is, but I understand they're more mellow in their presentation. Less crisp.

 

[balou]

bootleg, yup, I think I can wait that long.

MS2i... well, would be an interesting idea. But I just don't know if I'm gonna like the alessandro sound... some have described it as less enjoying, more analytical, good from a measuring point of view but not really musical. But on the other side, a bit less treble harshness would be nice (depending on the amplification and the recording, it can be quite uncomfortable sometimes)

Quote:

In a similar vane the 325i sound..well.. metallic and a little echoey.

Doesn't sound like I'm going to like that type of sound. MS2i really might be the way to go.
Quote:

but I understand they're more mellow in their presentation

this quote seems to support me

They cost the same as the Grado SR225

Or... the MS pro. Same price as the RS2

Do you sometimes have the feeling that something in your pocket will be going away very soon, but you can't really remember what it is?

 

[makasin]

Id say if you want something like the RS2s but dont wanna shell out so much cash, go for SR225. The 225s are very smooth and not as harsh as the 325i can be. Plus, they sound closer to RS2 than 325 would.

 

[Thelonious Monk]

the sr325i are more detailed and overall more clear than the sr80. a little bit more treble. i prefer the sr225; it's a bit less detailed and sounds more "grungy". works wonders for distorted guitars. you will probably prefer the sr325i for acoustic music.

if i were you i would just keep saving for the rs2 or rs1! you'll get there eventually anyways. imo the wooden grados have that sense of refinement of the sr325i but are more natural sounding, and are even better than the sr225 for distorted music at the same time. they handle classical music just fine, although i would prefer something like the akg k501 or sennheiser hd600 for larger scale classical pieces... like mahler or beethoven.

 

[balou]

Quote:

if i were you i would just keep saving for the rs2 or rs1! you'll get there eventually anyways.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm fearing

So.. I have the choice between SR225, MS2i, MS pro, RS2 and RS1. Why do all of them have to be so pricey?

 

[Clutz]

I'd definitely recommend that you go and have a listen to the SR225s before you buy them. I may be alone at Head-Fi with this opinion, but I think that the SR60s, SR80s, and iGrado's all sound better than the SR225s. I really think the 225s are the low point in the line up. I really enjoy the sound of the RS-2s (at least the time I've spent with them in stores) and I also like the SR325is quite a bit (I definitely think they are the best Grado in the SR line up) - but I find the SR225s dark and muddy sounding. I'll take it a step further - I prefer listening to Tool on my HD650s and or the SR325i I've auditioned numerous times in stores than I do on SR225s (also auditioned in stores). I will admit, that in all the cases that I've auditioned the Grado line up, they probably were not properly amplified.. but.. just.. bleh... I don't think the SR225s have much in common with the RS2s at all. From my memory, I wouldn't say that the RS2s have any glaring faults - when I've listened to them, I definitely felt like they were very resolving - as resolving as the SR325i's - just less bright. The RS-2s to me sound lush, and full, and warm - but with plenty of detail, whereas the SR225s sound too dark and heavy - and definitely a loss of detail.

Maybe that says more about my tonal preference than anything else - but my point is this - you also might not like the SR225s.

 

[donunus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clutz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd definitely recommend that you go and have a listen to the SR225s before you buy them. I may be alone at Head-Fi with this opinion, but I think that the SR60s, SR80s, and iGrado's all sound better than the SR225s. I really think the 225s are the low point in the line up. I really enjoy the sound of the RS-2s (at least the time I've spent with them in stores) and I also like the SR325is quite a bit (I definitely think they are the best Grado in the SR line up) - but I find the SR225s dark and muddy sounding. I'll take it a step further - I prefer listening to Tool on my HD650s and or the SR325i I've auditioned numerous times in stores than I do on SR225s (also auditioned in stores). I will admit, that in all the cases that I've auditioned the Grado line up, they probably were not properly amplified.. but.. just.. bleh... I don't think the SR225s have much in common with the RS2s at all. From my memory, I wouldn't say that the RS2s have any glaring faults - when I've listened to them, I definitely felt like they were very resolving - as resolving as the SR325i's - just less bright. The RS-2s to me sound lush, and full, and warm - but with plenty of detail, whereas the SR225s sound too dark and heavy - and definitely a loss of detail. Maybe that says more about my tonal preference than anything else - but my point is this - you also might not like the SR225s.

Did you audition them using the same pads? all bowls?

 

[Forest Design]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clutz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd definitely recommend that you go and have a listen to the SR225s before you buy them. I may be alone at Head-Fi with this opinion, but I think that the SR60s, SR80s, and iGrado's all sound better than the SR225s. I really think the 225s are the low point in the line up. I really enjoy the sound of the RS-2s (at least the time I've spent with them in stores) and I also like the SR325is quite a bit (I definitely think they are the best Grado in the SR line up) - but I find the SR225s dark and muddy sounding. I'll take it a step further - I prefer listening to Tool on my HD650s and or the SR325i I've auditioned numerous times in stores than I do on SR225s (also auditioned in stores). I will admit, that in all the cases that I've auditioned the Grado line up, they probably were not properly amplified.. but.. just.. bleh... I don't think the SR225s have much in common with the RS2s at all. From my memory, I wouldn't say that the RS2s have any glaring faults - when I've listened to them, I definitely felt like they were very resolving - as resolving as the SR325i's - just less bright. The RS-2s to me sound lush, and full, and warm - but with plenty of detail, whereas the SR225s sound too dark and heavy - and definitely a loss of detail. Maybe that says more about my tonal preference than anything else - but my point is this - you also might not like the SR225s.

i completely agree with this post. the 225s sounded really muddy to me. i demoed the 225s, 325i, RS2, and RS1 at the meet in San Jose in april and to my ears there wasn't much of a difference between the 325i, RS2, and RS1, except a bit more refinement. granted i didn't spend more than 15 minutes with any of them, but for hundreds of dollars more i'd like to not have to spend hours pouring over the damn things to discern any differences. the 225s sounded exactly like you described them, however, dark and muddy.

 

[M0T0XGUY]

I'm going to attempt to tie your predicament into TV shopping, something I'm doing right this moment.

Alright, here goes:

Every time I visit a Best Buy or a Harvey Electronics, the salesman there usually hit me with tons of marketing blabber that's probably irrelevant or at least unimportant in the long run, as far as I'm concerned. However, one thing that I agree with them on, generally at least, is their assessment of TV sizes: "no one ever complains that they bought a TV that's too big; only one that's too small." You see, you could easily buy an SR-225 or 325i and be happy with the sound, but in the tradition of Head-Fi, you'll probably begin to get some upgraditis after listening for a short while. Should you buy the RS-1 or 2, however, you'll never have that nagging thought in the back of your head that reminds you there are better products in the world than the one your using.

So while this may not be what you wanted to hear, I suggest you jump for the RS-1 or 2.