Headphones advice, Grado sr225e vs sr325e or alternatives

[cel4145]

Oh, and here you go. Fiio E11K. 270mw into 32 ohms. Plenty for Grados to get VERY loud.

 

[tomb]

Oh, and here you go. Fiio E11K. 270mw into 32 ohms. Plenty for Grados to get VERY loud.

They don't quote a frequency for that.  More ... all they do is reference it to the power available at something less than 1% distortion.  We have no idea what it can produce at 20-50Hz with reasonably low distortion (I wouldn't call that 1%) or at any other frequency.
 
That's sort of my point.  All these references around here for sound cards, little FiiO's, etc. - people are missing quite a lot when it comes to really nice headphone performance.  Just saying ...

 

[cel4145]

They don't quote a frequency for that.  More ... all they do is reference it to the power available at something less than 1% distortion.  We have no idea what it can produce at 20-50Hz with reasonably low distortion (I wouldn't call that 1%) or at any other frequency.

What? Grados only need about 50mw to reach 115db. So doubtful there's some kind of problem from 20-50hz if you read the rest of their specs and then look, too, at the measurement graphs they have posted with them.

 

[GreenBow]

   
That's useful, I failed to mention that the Sr80 that i had came with the l-cush/bowls (i don't know if was a choice of the hi-fi store where i got them or was standart at the time, we're talking 10years ago), so i have some years of experience with those, i actually never tryed the s-cush or the "flats".
Basically what you're saying is that going up from the 80, to 125 and 225 i should expect a nicer sound due to a better tuning of the hardware but no real difference while with the 325 and the different material i would notice the difference that many users pointed out on other topic in this forum, good to know.

 
The SR80 came with the L-cushions. Only the SR60 of that range came with s-cushions. Then when the SRi range came out, the 60, 80, and 125, had the s-cushion. The 225i and up came with the L-cushion.
 
My advice would be audition the SR325e. If you are even considering it but unsure you should get to an audition if you can. Most stores who stock Grado should have a 325e model for demo. However being sure it's fully run in is an issue.
 
Most folk would recommend both the 225e and the 325e. Some prefer the 225e. I own the 225e however I would only recommend it with a slight apprehension. It's difficult to explain what I feel fractionally lacking in the 225e. It's easier to say what I hope for in the 325e. I am hoping the 325e has a slightly richer sound quality. I'm eager to hear the 325e and considering buying it.

 

[GreenBow]

Did you ever make your decision?

 

[esm87]

The SR80 came with the L-cushions. Only the SR60 of that range came with s-cushions. Then when the SRi range came out, the 60, 80, and 125, had the s-cushion. The 225i and up came with the L-cushion.

My advice would be audition the SR325e. If you are even considering it but unsure you should get to an audition if you can. Most stores who stock Grado should have a 325e model for demo. However being sure it's fully run in is an issue.

Most folk would recommend both the 225e and the 325e. Some prefer the 225e. I own the 225e however I would only recommend it with a slight apprehension. It's difficult to explain what I feel fractionally lacking in the 225e. It's easier to say what I hope for in the 325e. I am hoping the 325e has a slightly richer sound quality. I'm eager to hear the 325e and consideringing buying it.

Did you buy the 325e after? Ive been reccomended them for rock songs as apparently they will give me the experience Im after. Ive never heard a grado so I dont know. Im looking for good soundstage with detail and good vocals with an airiness/atmosphere so the music is vivid. Are these what im looking for?

 

[GreenBow]

Did you buy the 325e after? Ive been reccomended them for rock songs as apparently they will give me the experience Im after. Ive never heard a grado so I dont know. Im looking for good soundstage with detail and good vocals with an airiness/atmosphere so the music is vivid. Are these what im looking for?No actually.

No actually. I was looking on the websites in the last few days. Amazon UK have stopped stocking them. Since then Richer sounds have put their price back up to £300 from £270. It was even £250 with them for a while.

 

[esm87]

No actually. I was looking on the websites in the last few days. Amazon UK have stopped stocking them. Since then Richer sounds have put their price back up to £300 from £270. It was even £250 with them for a while.

Ah right ok. I think I really need to go to an audio shop and test out a high grade headphone and the chord mojo. Desperately seeking spacious soundstage with good detail and vocals

 

[Monsterzero]

What are Alessandros going for in Europe?

Alessandros are slightly tamed Grados...same body...everything

 

[davestef132]

Before asking for your advice I would like to thank the members of this forum, on many occasion I have used your knowledge

And now to my question, i'm looking to buy a new set of headphones, untill now i have mainly used my Grado sr80 and i have some experience with studio product, a couple of weeks ago the Sr80 give up on me so i started looking for a replacement.

Some things you could find helpful:
-I loved the Grado sound and i would prefer to remain with grado.
-I listed to all music but mainly Progressive(e.g. Dream Theater), Symphonic Metal (e.g. Nightwish).
-I don't plan on using an amp, i am willing to buy one if i need it but i don't have one at the moment.

That sayd, i have read many reviews and other topics on this forum but i still have some confusion, for what i've gatered the sr125e sound quite similar to the sr80e and the real turning point for grado are the sr225e, also many post explain the difference between the sr225 and the sr325 but there are quite a few that prefer the sr225 sound over the sr325's.

Also i would like you to consider that i live in Italy and buy grado products can be tricky and the prices are ridiculously high compared to the US, the lowest price for the sr225e is 250€ and for the sr325e we go up to 350€, this is relevant because for about 150€ i could get the Audio Technica Pro ATH-M50X or the Beyerdynamic DT 770/880/990 PRO.

So, sorry for the long post, my final questions are:

1-Considering my music taste are the sr325e actually better then the sr225e?
2-Would i need an amp for the sr225 or sr325? (for what i have read they work quite well without)
3-In light of the price it is still a good choice to buy a sr225/sr325 instead of a great alternative with a good amp? (even if i really love the grado sound)

Thanks in advance to those who will decide to read and help clarify my doubts!

This is a few years late, but have you tried the 225 with the little dot 1+ amp? Theres a whole online community that raves about pairing the LD1+ with grados. Its a hybrid amp (tube section and solid state section). OTL tube headphone amps have a high output impedance (not ideal for the low impedance grado). However, this is a tube hybrid and it has a low output impedance (ideal for the grado). Theres a thread on head fi all about this amp. They discuss using different tubes to get different sound signatures and also using different opamps for the same effect. Its a cheap amp and it sounds great with a few tweaks. its cheap too, as are the mods. Look into the burson v5i opamp and for tubes check out the mullard ef91 or western electric 408a. Youll need to open the base of the amp to adjust some "jumpers" depending on the type of tubes youre using (I just sit the top part of the amp on the base so i can open it easily, but theres only 4 screws securing the base incase you dont plan on changing things often). Jumpers are cheap, just a few dollars on ebay for more than you really need. The opamp i mentioned drops on massdrop every so often, and the tubes you can get matching used ones on ebay for like $15-20/pair. and the amp itself its like $100 on amazon, i bought a used one on ebay for $60.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/little-dot-i-tube-rolling.364043/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/100pcs-2-5...5b8925c8e:m:m3NZOdg_LOdQJf7N7ISi0AQ:rk:5:pf:0