Harsh Grado SR325s revisited, i'm floored... long
Nov 8, 2003 at 7:26 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 9

rligeti

100+ Head-Fier
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Hi All,

I wrote a little while back about how disappointed I was in my new 325s and I got alot of suggestions, most of which, to your credit, were spot on; ranging from burn in to new pads, etc. First off, I'll admit that all I've ever used for source is an IPOD and my laptop.

When I first got them and listened to them it was like someone was poking me in the brain with an ice pick. They were borderline unbearable. Harsh. Bright. Cold. No bass. Uncomfortable. Soundstage sucked.

Then, thinking I was totally under driving them (and I was), I recently added a Headroom Total Airhed amp (not a bad addition and it saves the batteries on the IPOD) and that helped a bit with filling in the holes in the sound, cutting some of the harshness and ni general warming up the sound.

Many of you said I should get the flat pads and I did and it was a HUGE improvement both in sound and comfort. But, the BIGGEST improvement was the removal of the P.O.S. radio shack 1/4 to 1/8 adaptor and replacing it with the Grado adaptor. For lack of a better description imagine listening to a glass blender full of nuts and bolts on speed 10 through a stethoscope. I could hardly wait to take them off even though i was trying to convince myself that they were so great. They weren't.

With the new pads and the new adaptor, these are totally different headphones, even running off crappy source. The downside of these improvements is that I can hear every flaw in both my source and listening material. In short, they are now everything I ever expected an more after falling in love with my SR80s.

I was listening to ABBA Gold tonight and it was unlike I ever heard. There is so much frickin detail in it that I never knew was there! It sounded like Anni and Agnetha were singing to me in my living room. Then I listened to UB40 CCCP, live in Moscow which before was intolerably bright so it was my "improvent benchmark" and it's amazing, to the point that I can identify individuals in the crowd cheering and clapping. The soundstage and separation is about 3 times what it was. Right now i'm on Boy George, the Crying game and it's.... perfect. Amazing.. Tomorrow I'll give them a listen on my HK amp.

I never could have imagined what I was missing while NOT listening to headphones. I thank you all for your input and advice. I am now and forever a headphone junkie.



Rob

PS, you can sign me up for "Team Grado"
280smile.gif
 
Nov 8, 2003 at 7:37 AM Post #3 of 9
Quote:

Originally posted by Iron_Dreamer
Welcome to Team SR325
smily_headphones1.gif


That RS adapter really is a POS, I couldn't believe how much it degraded the sound, just being a teeny little adapter and whatnot.

NP: Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death


Never in a million years would I have beleived that one small and seemingly insignificant link in the chain would make such a HUGE difference.

Rob
 
Nov 8, 2003 at 7:45 AM Post #5 of 9
i guess it's not called radio crap for no reason...
 
Nov 8, 2003 at 9:24 AM Post #7 of 9
Wow that adapter was that bad? I never really had an experience with an adaptor like that.
 
Nov 8, 2003 at 9:29 AM Post #8 of 9
Quote:

Originally posted by lan
Wow that adapter was that bad? I never really had an experience with an adaptor like that.


*looks at his ratshack 1/4"-1/8" adapter, decides to shell out the $15 for the grado one*

tongue.gif
 
Nov 8, 2003 at 2:32 PM Post #9 of 9
Quote:

Originally posted by lan
Wow that adapter was that bad? I never really had an experience with an adaptor like that.


I went to radio crap the other day for some adapters for my new sr-225's I bought two , a 25foot cable one and a small 5 foot one. I tried out the 5 foot one and it was so sh@tty that only one headphone earcup worked ! I then tried the 25 both worked but it still sound's kinda shatty , so im ordering a grado adapter right now :-D.
 

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