[zeron]

I have the HD25's and they work with my hip-hop  and techno great, but i keep hearing about the grado sound and found a deal on some grado sr80i's. What kind of music genres are these excellent for and would i be pleased with these complimenting(not replacing) my HD25's?
 
Edit: Besides hip-hop and techno i listen to a load of country, older rock(early guns n roses, bon jovi), and rapcore(hollywood undead, icp) and mambo(lou bega).

 

[Eric_C]

Grados are reputed to be great for rock.
But: the HD 25-1 is sometimes described as the most Grado-like Sennheiser, so there's likely no point getting a Grado. Your headphone is the HD 25-1, and not the SP, right?

 

[zeron]

ya HD 25-1-ii

 

[Mad Max]

HD25 is no Grado at all, in my opinion.  I also own SR325.  They're both aggressive... that's it.  (HD25 not as much.)
HD25 is mildly organic with a lack of treble control but boasts more bass, speed, transparency, and impact.  It might beat SR80 in detail retrieval for all I know.  I've never owned any other Grado besides SR325.
 
I recommend ignoring SR80.
Perhaps you can try SR225/325 in the future, then see what you think. 

SR325 is much more fun, I can tell you that much, but it cannot replace HD25 as my portable.
 
If you want to try something different and open-back, look into HFI-2400.  I think it may go well with your listening preferences.  (Not portable, I suppose, but some consider Pro900 portable.)  I have some j-techno, but I otherwise do not listen to any of the types of music you stated.

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

HD25 is no Grado at all, in my opinion.  I also own SR325.  They're both aggressive... that's it.  (HD25 not as much.)
HD25 is mildly organic with a lack of treble control but boasts more bass, speed, transparency, and impact.  It might beat SR80 in detail retrieval for all I know.  I've never owned any other Grado besides SR325.
 
I recommend ignoring SR80.
Perhaps you can try SR225/325 in the future, then see what you think. 

SR325 is much more fun, I can tell you that much, but it cannot replace HD25 as my portable.
 
If you want to try something different and open-back, look into HFI-2400.  I think it may go well with your listening preferences.  (Not portable, I suppose, but some consider Pro900 portable.)  I have some j-techno, but I otherwise do not listen to any of the types of music you stated.

I stand partially corrected, then.
 
Btw Mad Max, were you recommending me to try the SR225/325? I might, although I can't be tempted to buy them--the HD 25 is just there for mixing purposes, and to own a piece of headphone history.

 

[Mad Max]

Yup.

 

[DigitalFreak]

Quote:

I have the HD25's and they work with my hip-hop  and techno great, but i keep hearing about the grado sound and found a deal on some grado sr80i's. What kind of music genres are these excellent for and would i be pleased with these complimenting(not replacing) my HD25's?
 
Edit: Besides hip-hop and techno i listen to a load of country, older rock(early guns n roses, bon jovi), and rapcore(hollywood undead, icp) and mambo(lou bega).

The Grado lineup is different from the Sennheiser HD 25 1-II. I don't own the 80i's but I do own the Grado SR 60i as well as the HD 25 1-II Adidas and these are my impressions. My 60i is far more brighter in the treble and the mids are forward sounding then the HD25. The bass on the 60i is there but compared to many other cans on the market it lacks authority unlike the HD25 which has generally nice bass and has good bass response. The HD25 has excellent passive noise cancelling while all Grado's are known to leak sound quite a lot meaning they make quite terrible mobile headphones. As Mad Max indicated the Grado sound is known for being quite aggressive and the level of detail and clarity from the entry level Grado's is excellent for the money spent. The HD25 has more rolled off highs and the mids are nowhere near as forward sounding as my 60i. The end result is vocals will sound slightly more distant on the HD25 compared to the 60i. Also because of the forward mids the guitars on the Grado 60i are quite prominent and take center stage while on the HD25's the guitars seem more blended in with drums and bass. Don't get me wrong though the separation is still quite good on the HD 25's it's just the sound signature is a more smoother laid back presentation compared to my Grado 60i's. The Grado sound stage is quite small on the SR 60i while on the HD 25 it seems only slightly wider. For some people a small sound stage may be a deal breaker because they like very busy music and a small sound stage with to many instruments tripping over one another just won't work for them. If you fall into this category you might want to consider a different can altogether.
 
My advice is this get yourself out to a head fi meet or a store and put some head time on a Grado. Personally I see the Sennheiser HD25's as great smooth sounding headphone that serve as good mobile/home rig headphones. They make good all arounders and you will be able to use them on various genres to your satisfaction. The Grado's are great cans that bring a lot to the table for the money spent. Although they leak a lot and would make terrible mobile headphones they are wonderful home use headphones. Using them you'll notice excellent detail in your music and they are wonderful cans for metal rock jazz and some soul. For more bassy genre's they do OK but are far from great. Grado's are rocker cans not bass head cans. Both headphones are great cans for the money spent and both have their strengths and weaknesses. I hope my information helps you make a informed decision and you buy the headphones that best works for your needs. Good luck in your search and welcome to Head Fi.
 
Regards \m/
DigitalFreak

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

The HD25 has excellent passive noise cancelling while all Grado's are known to leak sound quite a lot meaning they make quite terrible mobile headphones. 

Sorry to nitpick, but I don't want anyone to be misled here: the HD 25-1 has no noise cancelling feature, it is a noise isolating headphone.
Noise cancellation always involves the use of batteries.

 

[DigitalFreak]

Quote:

Sorry to nitpick, but I don't want anyone to be misled here: the HD 25-1 has no noise cancelling feature, it is a noise isolating headphone.
Noise cancellation always involves the use of batteries.

You misread my post PASSIVE NOISE CANCELLING. That means the cups grip tight enough to stop sound from leaking in or out. Other examples of passive noise cancelling is the B&W P5
 

 

[zeron]

well so theres no grado that would satisfy me(probally) after the hd25;s beside the higher end ones? like what 125i+ or 225i+?

btw im looking for a home pair as the hd25's would be the portables
 

 

[kmhaynes]

To my ear, the HD-25 1 compared to my Allessandro MS-1i, has a more mid-centered sound, and a bit more laid back than the MS-1i -- and the MS-1i is not as aggressive as the SR225 or 325.  My ears and brain are used to the MS-1i, and I love it for gritty rock guitar stuff, but when I had the HD-25 for a month or so, after listening to it for an hour or so, when I popped on the MS-1i, it seemed to have a bit of a hole in the mids where the HD-25 was more present.
 
But I couldn't get used to the closed sound of the HD-25 and the ear pressure of the good seal -- even though I have been using some Etymotic product for over 2 years now!!  I just like the way the MS-1i feels and sounds over the HD-25.

 

[zeron]

well then if pretty much everyone says i got the better one with the HD25 right now then what should i be working to upgrade with my rig?

i got  32gig i touch>Fiiol9 lod(making custom one now)>fio E11>hd25 stock cable (HD600 coming tomorrow)> hd25

with that setup what should i be working on upgrading? i use that for portable and home rig. i wouldnt mind amping some stuff up for just home use or maybe a btter portable use good for home to. so any suggestions?

 

 

[Mad Max]

Desktop amp/DAC or separate amp and DAC.
 
I have to agree with Eric_C, HD25 does not offer noise-cancellation.  Isolation/attenuation =/= passive/active noise cancellation
 
Noise cancellation means there is circuitry inside that duplicates the ambient noise but with inverted phase in order to cancel it out (correct me if I'm wrong on that explanation).  HD25 does not do that passively or actively, it simply blocks noise to a degree.  I would say HD25 attenuates ambient noise, and as much as IEMs at that.  =]

 

[zeron]

any suggestions of what models and brands? keep in mind i got hd25 so i dont  really care to spend a huge amount on dac and amps when my headphones are only 160.

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

To my ear, the HD-25 1 compared to my Allessandro MS-1i, has a more mid-centered sound, and a bit more laid back than the MS-1i -- and the MS-1i is not as aggressive as the SR225 or 325.  My ears and brain are used to the MS-1i, and I love it for gritty rock guitar stuff, but when I had the HD-25 for a month or so, after listening to it for an hour or so, when I popped on the MS-1i, it seemed to have a bit of a hole in the mids where the HD-25 was more present.
 
But I couldn't get used to the closed sound of the HD-25 and the ear pressure of the good seal -- even though I have been using some Etymotic product for over 2 years now!!  I just like the way the MS-1i feels and sounds over the HD-25.

 
FWIW, I've once heard the Grados described this way:
The "pure" Grado line (e.g. SR series) is more aggressive sounding.
The Alessandro Grado collaboration line (the MS series) is a bit mellower, and more likely to please most.
 
OP, good philosophy on DAC/amp expenditure. The HD 25-1 definitely sounds great even without additional bells and whistles, and I think many people will say the same of lower tier Grados.