[ex0du5]

note: This is by no means a review, just my initial impressions after going out to listen to some headphones during my lunch break.

I listened to:

Grado SR225
Grado RS-1
Sennheiser HD650

The source was a Creek Evo CD player, and it was accompanied by a matching amp...

Unfortunately, I didn't bring any of my source music so it was really hard to go against a reference. I mainly listened to Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon.

I first listened to the SR225 and kind of liked what I heard. The details were all there, the bass was so-so, but all-in-all, they sounded really...cold? The channel seperation was really good though. But, I don't know... the music just didn't quite feel right. My Denons deliver just as mutch energy as these, although they don't seperate channels near as well. Not really worth the $350 I'd have to spend.

Next I put on the RS-1....ooh boy. Whatever the SR225 did wrong, this one did just right. The sound was really, really sweet . Everything just sounded much more lifelike. No way could I settle for the SR225 when I know I can get these. The difference is night and day. The soundstage wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be, I'd say the headphones are really focused on the music.

Then came the HD650. I was looking at them and man they looked coumfy. I put them on, and that's when I started getting dissapointed. They weren't coumfy at all! The design of the cushion was similar to the Grado foam, although much bigger. But man they pinch a lot harder than the Grados! Grados were more coumfy than that. I remember listening to the HD580, and I really liked the forward presentation, all the sound was happening in front of you. That's what I expected to hear from the HD650, but that's not what I got. The detail was good, and they were much more involving that I thought they would be. The bass, however, was too bloated and artificial for my tastes (no way does a bass guitar make that boomy of a sound). The soundstage was not infront of me either! It was all around me. The headphones really lacked focus.

This wasn't a fair listen though...I only listened to 2 CDs, both which were rock. I'm going to have to bring some material from home at some point and make a fair comparison, while listening to different genres of music. So far, the RS-1 is the major winner. The HD650 really, really dissapointed me, there's just way too much bass that the headphones sound very artificial.

Maybe the synergy was bad between the Senns and the source/amp, or maybe the recording just wasn't very good, I dont know

.

 

[facelvega]

all you had to do was add in an HD595, and the HD650 would've sounded heavenly! Otherwise, I know what you mean about the Grados-- testing multiple Grado models at once, it's easy to slide up to the RS-1 or 2, hearing clear improvements along the way.

 

[schugh]

Who is selling the 225s for $350? You should easily be able to get them from a local retailer for about $250 Canadian. Off course if you didn't like them, that is different but whoever is selling them for $350 is getting away with robbery. You can get the 325i for about $380 Canadian.

-- Sanjay

 

[robm321]

Although your impressions were breif, you captured most of what I've heard after lots and lots of listening to those 3 headphones.

 

[dizzyorange]

Interesting impressions. I've heard that the SR225 is 95% of the RS-1 and I've heard that they're worlds apart. I wonder which is true. Makes me really want to hear the RS-1. Probably the only major mainstream headphone I haven't heard yet.

 

[ex0du5]

Well I didn't actually see the price on the SR225....I just checked now online. They're $295 + tax. So about $340 (wasn't far off!). The RS-1 are ridiculously overpriced at $999 + tax though. No way would I pay that much. I think I would be much wiser going the Alessandro route (or used Grados).

I'm just really, really dissapointed by the HD650. I thought it was supposed to have a very forward presentation. When I was listening to rock that's not what happened at all. The drums were way infront of me, the guitar was far off to the side, the bass was far off to the other side, everything else was around me and behind me. Sounded more like artificial 3D processing by a Creative Xi-Fi card. It might suit concert recordings, but otherwise, I don't see these headphones doing too well.

Grados did a much better job at replicating a loudspeaker experience.

Oh and trust me, the SR-225 and RS-1 are woooorlds apart. The RS-1 just give a much more sweet, pleasing, and lifelike sound. The soundstage is a little bigger too.

 

[leftnose]

You might try the 325is if you can find them. To me, they are closer to the RS-1s than the 225s.

 

[Redo]

It sounds like the SR225's you listened to fit the bill. DSotM is downright cold and depressing.

 

[SonicDawg]

Not to defend the HD650s, but do you think the amp is at fault? Boomy bass is usually associated with underampage.

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ex0du5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I didn't actually see the price on the SR225....I just checked now online. They're $295 + tax. So about $340 (wasn't far off!). The RS-1 are ridiculously overpriced at $999 + tax though. No way would I pay that much. I think I would be much wiser going the Alessandro route (or used Grados). I'm just really, really dissapointed by the HD650. I thought it was supposed to have a very forward presentation. When I was listening to rock that's not what happened at all. The drums were way infront of me, the guitar was far off to the side, the bass was far off to the other side, everything else was around me and behind me. Sounded more like artificial 3D processing by a Creative Xi-Fi card. It might suit concert recordings, but otherwise, I don't see these headphones doing too well. Grados did a much better job at replicating a loudspeaker experience.

You probaply now see a reason why I shun the Metal + Sennheiser combo. HD595, while its brightest in higher end Senn line, was so huge dissapointment. Totally uninvolving and unrealistic sounding compared to what metal sounds in live. Switched to SR225 and hoo-boy!!!

I want RS1/RS2/MSPro...

 

[ex0du5]

Yeah the SR225 wasn't too bad, but it really lacked the warm and sweet sound that the RS-1 introduced. I guess if I hadn't have heard the RS-1 I could have been happy with the SR225 .

I guess I'll try to get my hands on an MS-Pro then, or maybe an MS2i for budget. I'm just afraid that the MS2i will sound too much like the SR225. Any word on this?

I might end up trying the SR325i though. The only reason I didn't is people seem to go away from them because they are bright. Honestly though, I didn't find the RS-1 too bright at all, and I won't hesitate to try the 325i next time. On the plus side, the 325i look awesome ;D.

I'm really tempted to try electrostatics too right now...
Though I'm afraid that if I do, I might never want to go back to dynamic. I'm guessing that would be definately too much for my wallet. I'll have a good $4500 to spair this summer, but I really want to put half of that into saving. The other half can go towards spending and my audio needs

. Won't be upgrading for a while though, cos next coop term I will be purchasing a PS3 (I was going to this summer), and the one after I will most likely get an HDTV. So that only leaves me to get new gear once I graduate

.

 

[MaZa]

I doubt you would be completely happy with electrostatics. Note that I havent heard a single electrostat in my whole life, but what little I know about headphone technology they mostly lack bass punch of dynamic headphones.

 

[schugh]

I am curious. Where online are you checking the price? I can get the 225 locally in Edmonton for $267 CAD and the retailer will I am sure go to about $250. The RS-1 are $899 CAD.
Hmmm...I just checked the retailers web site. Looks like they reaised the price of the 225s to $280. But I am sure they can be talked down to $250. That's how much I paid for them when I got them about 8 years ago.

http://www.gramophone.ca/?p=productsList&iCategory=23

 

[schugh]

I had the 325i for a few days a couple of weeks ago and didn't find them bright at all. I used to have the older 325 a many years ago and found them bright. But not the new 325i. The bass was much better then my 225s.
I only returned them because they are the only Grado I actually found uncomfortable due to the weight.

 

[ex0du5]

http://www.planetofsoundonline.com/v...45e383fd67e6f2

$999 for an RS-1 is outrageous in my books. And I think it was $659 for the HD650.

I'm going to try the HD650 on some more material though, since I know a retailer in Montreal who will get them to me for near cost, around $450.

I don't know how I would feel about electrostatics. As long as there's some bass I can live with it. The bass in the HD650 was really exagerated, and that's my main problem. I guarantee that you don't hear that kind of bass when listening to a concert or a high-end system. On our Linkwitzlab Oreon speakers the bass is amazingly realistic and well controlled and definately doesn't sound boomy like the HD650. Maybe I'm just spoiled though, and my audio tastes have grown far too much

. But these speakers are supposed to rival $50,000 speakers (though they cost about $8500 to build yourself along with the amp), and so it's probably not fair to compare the HD650 to these.

Either way though, the RS-1 just had such nice and controlled bass compared to the HD650.