[Duncan]

I already admit to loving these little 125s that i received last week... combined with my D777 Discman, this is a combination, that to my ears kills the Senn HD580 / X-Can V2 combo (Oops... loads of flames coming

)

Anyway... point being, I'm interested in UpGrado'ing (already!!)... but the Hi-Fi mag I read (Hi-Fi Choice) seems to dislike the SR-225s, and is not THAT favourable on the SR-325s...

Quote:

SR-125 What these 'phones lack in style they make up for ten-fold in musical ability

Quote:

SR-225 Warm, darkly-coloured tonally and ultimately lacking in clarity, but true to the spirit of the music

Quote:

SR-325 Elegant sound across the frequency spectrum; let down by old fashioned ear-piece design

Within the realms of realism, what extra would i get by taking a step or two further up the Grado ladder?

If these SR-125s are pretty kick-arse good, and people tell me that, then i'll more than happily stay at this level... Its just that I want to acheive the holy grail of headphone listening... a perfect sounding set of cans!!

Musical tastes of mine... pretty much anything, except classical... but, as my profile says... Female vocals are a priority of mine

Thanks in advance for the replies

 

[KR...]

I have only heard the SR-60, SR-225, and the HP-2.

But, here's what Grado themsleves have to say about the models :

Variations Between Grado Headphone Models



From the entry level SR40 to the Top-of-the-Line RS1 the entire Grado headphone line is worthy of being called true audiophile sound quality. There is a consistency of sound throughout the line from top down.



The following list will provide a simple comparison to step you through the top features that separate the different models.



Prestige Series


SR40: Grado’s version of a portable knock-around headphone. The headphone housing is designed by Grado but manufactured in China. Grado sends their SR60 drivers to China and has the headphones assembled there thus enabling a economically produced headphone unrivaled at its price.



Sound: good bass, good resolution and smooth sound.



SR60: This headphone has gained “LEGENDARY” status. The SR60 has received rave reviews from around the world and is the most commonly recommended headphone on the market today. The SR60 was the Stereophile’s “PRODUCT OF THE YEAR” in two categories, “The Accessory of Year” and the more prestigious “Budget Component of Year”.



Sound: good bass, excellent resolution, very smooth sound.



SR80: This headphone has all the attributes of the SR60 with improved response. The SR80 is the winner of the “GOLDEN NOTE AWARD” presented by the Academy For The Advancement Of High End Audio, and has received Audio Video’s “HI-FI GRAND PRIX AWARD”.



Sound: more open sound stage, improved bass response.



SR125: This headphone is receiving the praise that has been reserved for products that cost two to three times the price. Winner of the “CRITICS CHOICE” award presented by Sound & Vision.



Sound: bass, midrange and treble are all more open. De-stressing of the diaphragm increases inner detail. Theses headphones have balance and character similar to the RS1 headphones.



SR225: This headphone has closer matched drivers and an improved rear screen that increases airflow by 50%.



Sound: Closer driver tolerances helps enlarged the sound stage while the more open rear screen helps free the headphones of colorations. The SR225 offers excellent value for the dollar like all Grado headphones.



SR325: The top of the line in the Grado Prestige Series. Winner of Audio Video’s “HI-FI GRAND PRIX AWARD”.



Sound: The SR325 embodies all the sound benefits of the Signature series, clean open highs, smooth well defined midrange and bass that will rock. The SR325 is an excellent value yielding performance that one would have to spend 3-4 times their price in competing headphones.



Reference Series


A new level in headphone listening!



RS2: This is Grado’s newest headphone. The RS2 features handcrafted mahogany earpieces that require an intricate curing process to optimize the tonal quality. The RS2 keeps a very close family resemblance in looks and sound to its big brother the RS1.



Sound: warm, smooth, full-bodied, rich and non-fatiguing...just like its older sibling.



RS1: Grado’s flagship headphone. Considered by serious headphone users as the best headphone available in the world. Top listed headphone on Stereophile’s Class A “Recommended Components” category.



Sound: The RS1s bring headphone listening to a new level. This 9oz. headphone has an openness and clarity that is unmatched by any other headphone. The RS1s have smooth highs, tight well-defined bass, depth and detail unmatched by any but the best high-end loudspeakers costing many thousands of dollars.

The RS1 must be auditioned!



The complete line of Grado headphones offer excellent sound and value regardless of the price range you are shopping in. All the headphones can be driven easily by any source from a portable CD to the best Top of the line components.



Grado also makes available a 15-foot extension cable and a mini adaptor cable.



Replacement ear-cushions are available for all models.

 

[Duncan]

125s have similar sonic attributes to RS-1s

Hehehe... Thanks for that KR... If that is the concensus, I think i'll save myself $700 and stay where I am!!

 

[Voyager]

Duncan, if you already have the 125s, I don't think going up one model to the 225s will improve the sound all that much. I auditioned most of the Grado line up the other day (all except SR-40 and SR-325) and I feel that if the 325 is anything like the 225, the next big step up is to the RS series.

 

[Beagle]

Duncan: Bear also in mind that Grado phones are very expensive in the UK compared to the USA. They take this into account in their overall rating. I would say the SR325 has a more refined and sophisticated sound than the SR225.

 

[mbriant]

I auditioned the 60s, 125s, 225s, 325s and RS-2s when I went Grado shopping and I found the 325s to be most suited to my tastes. They seemed to have better bass response (both lower and fuller) than the others and that's what tipped the scales in favour of 325s for me.



I've never heard the RS-1s however.

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

Female vocals are a priority of mine

Me, too! If that's the case, to my ears, the RS-1s beat out the 325s......they are warmer in the lower vocal register, giving a fullness and warmth to female vocals that is somewhat lacking in the 325s. Again, that's what I'm hearing.

 

[dhwilkin]

So would you guys say the RS1 makes voices seem more palpable, more like actual people are singing as opposed to disembodied voices? Better than the 325 or MS Pro?

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

So would you guys say the RS1 makes voices seem more palpable, more like actual people are singing as opposed to disembodied voices? Better than the 325 or MS Pro?

I would say so.

 

[Galveston]

Quote:

SR-225
Warm, darkly-coloured tonally and ultimately lacking in clarity, but
true to the spirit of the music.


This is completely wrong (I realize it is an opinion, but it is wrong nonetheless). They sound a lot like your 125's, just a bit more refined (some have suggested that they are less bright). However, they wouldn't be worth upgrading if you already own the 125's. Go for the 325's or the reference series.

 

[chriscu1]

I up-grado-ed from the 125's to the 325's. While the difference is not huge, it is there. I think the 325's do provide a little better sound. If you own 125's, though, you should in no way feel inferior.

 

[DanG]

When Vka and I went over to audition the Cary 300SEI integrated/headphone amp, I brought my MSP to compare to his AKG K1000 on the 300SEI. I've posted my impressions of that comparison elsewhere on this site.

However, Vka wanted to show off his new SR-100 (which our friend "Joe" here likes so much himself

). After Vka first got these cans, he was telling me about how they contained so much of the character of the HP-1.

When I listened, however, I found the sound to be compressed compared to my MSP; and while the sound was warm, it seemed a bit more murky than smooth and clear.

I don't know if there is a real similarity between the SR-100 and the SR-125, but from what I'm told, the SR-100 is supposed to be better. I like a more-open and brighter sound, so maybe that's what made me like the MSP so much more than the SR-100. But my guess is that if you go up to the Reference Series line-up of Grado products, you should appreciate the differences (even if your primary musical taste isn't classical the way mine is).

Another note: while auditioning some products may be very helpful to getting an idea of their sound, auditioning headphones in stores is not recommended by me. I can tell you all that after auditioning the Grado RS-2 for the first time in a hi-fi shop in Boston I was not in the least impressed. But after owning the RS-2 for some time now, I found the sound to be completely different than what I had heard in the store. Auditioning with friends is one thing; auditioning new headphones out-of-box is another one completely.

 

[Duncan]

So... If i'm reading this rightly.... it would almost be a sideways step to get the 325s... the next really significant upgrade would be the RS range?!?

 

[Vertigo-1]

The 325s are the most detailed sounding out of the Grado lineup...the RS-2s combine the detailed sound of the 325s with the woodiness sound of the RS-1s. The RS-1s are entirely different from the rest of the Grado lineup, and sound totally warm and smooth rather than bright like all the other Grados sound.

Now, the Allesandro lineup is even more detailed, and can be bright to the point of fatigue (then again, this could be applied to just about all the Grados except for the old SR and HP series, and the RS-1). The MSP particularly sounds different from the RS-1, being bright and dry sounding rather than warm and smooth like the RS-1.

Point being, there IS a sonic difference among Grados. Whether or not you want to pay more for the way the RS-1 sounds is the question...since many people would prefer the way the 325s sound. Really, among the upper end Grados, it boils down to either the 325s or the RS-1s or the MSPs...those are the ones to consider, and all three sound different.

 

[DanG]

Vertigo-1 writes: Quote:

The MSP particularly sounds different from the RS-1, being bright and dry sounding rather than warm and smooth like the RS-1.

Vert, I resent that statement

No, seriously, I really do take issue with that. I find the MSP to be eminently musical -- very sweet high-end, taut bass, and a realistic midrange. No syrupy goop that you get with the RS-1, which can be fine if you only listen to female vocals. But if you listen to classical music which actually requires balanced musicality, the MSP and HP-1 are far better.

There is absolutely nothing dry about the MSP.