[Tsar]

Hi,
 
I have been looking for some new headphones for a while know and I have jumped from more headphones then I care to mention.
 
My first plan was to get some ATH900X's but they had to be imported which I don't like.
 
Then some 700X's but they seemed like to much of a downgrade from the 900X's which would annoy me, then I moved onto the AKG K550's.
 
My Budget is under £200
 
But now at last I think I am going to get some Grado SR225i's, I think
 
But I have some questions first:
 
Will they be goof for my taste in music?
I listen to Queen, The Beatles, The Who and The Kinks. I also stray into 50's music such as Marty Robbins as well as Frank Sinatra and sometimes Johnny Cash. One important fact is that I listen to Queen and The Kinks on Vinyl
 
Are they as uncomfortable as people say?
 
What is the build quality like?
 
 
Also as non of my sources have a 6.3mm jack should I fork out for the Grado adapter or get a cheaper one as I know about the whole high end cable scam but I don't want to kill any sound quality.
 
I am up for suggestions on any other headphones as I will not be buying them for a month or two.
 
Thanks for reading and please help a new Head-Fi'er 

 

[Trunks159]

My sr80i isn't comfortable.
Id just get the Sony mdr ma900. Awesome headphone with huge soundstage, clear mids, and is the most comfortable can I've ever used.

 

[Tsar]

I am not overly worried about comfort just as long as I can wear them without bleeding and tearing them off after an hour.

 

[Trunks159]

Hah hah, with the sr80i, you will definitely not be able to wear them for over 30min. Very painful if you ask me.
Look into the ma900. Here's some cans I don't have but you still may consider:
Hd598
Dt880
Dt990

 

[Tsar]

Why is this so hard.
 
It seems like I am trying to find a headphone that doesn't exist.
 
Also there are conflicting opinions about everything headphone related.

 

[Cakensaur]

Tsar, are you based in the UK at the moment? (i'm guessing from currency)

 

[Tsar]

You would be correct,
 
Sadly not in London as it would be  a lot easier.

 

[Cakensaur]

Fair enough. if you can, it may be worth going to the london head-fi meet (see sig)
 
As far as Grado's go
I had the SR225i and i loved them, i sold them to fund a T1 upgrade. i liked them for rock/metal/jazz (i dont listen to much jazz though as it is) they are a bit uncomfortable.. but not nearly to the extent that trunks seems to think. Another reason i sold them is because i have a pair of self modded sr80i's which sound similar to sr225i. the only thing i dont like about Grado's in the UK is the massive mark up ($200 US £295 retail for sr225i' which means if you plan to resell them, buying from the UK you will get pants back because of the US users of head-fi) of course you can find them for cheaper in the UK though other means, but its not easy ( i think amazon do £200) Otherwise they arent really genre masters, should you wish to listen to a completely different genre in the future (say techno)
 
though i might add as a last note if you are very treble sensitive, id avoid these all together and go for a darker flavour.
 
Despite all their (minor) flaws they are a great set of cans, i think their most addictive quality is their speed and natural decay.

 

[Tsar]

I may add that I am a sucker for sound stage.
 
Also what do you mean by a 'darker flavour' .
 
 
I do listen to a lot of music and will have my headphones on for around 5 hours on weekdays so they have to be easy to wear.
 
What kind of bass do they hand out? I am no base head but I like my music to have some kick (The bass playing on 'Under Pressure' is an example')

 

[Cakensaur]

Bass was one of the things i loved about them.
A mid bass hump so it was nice and easy to distinguish a bass guitar and so on and so forth, kick drums had a nice amount of impact, but it had the Grado speed which added energy to rock, very easy cans to get immersed into music with
They are music listeners headphones as opposed to critical listening headphones (think HD800/T1/Electrostatics like STAX)
 
5 hours in a row may be an issue.. 5 hours across a day in like 2 hours then 3 hours later wont be a problem.
 
When i say darker i mean something with more rolled off treble. Think HD650/ LCD2, the two named still retain treble detail but the treble isnt as in your face. it generally makes it easier to listen to headphone, where as the SR225i can be likened to a lovable yet hyperactive child.. fun.. but perhaps wearing after an entire day, so brighter, which is opposite of dark, (crazy, huh ) headphones tend to be whats known as fatiguing to listen to, Grado's are an example of this for some.
 
They have a soundstage which isn't large. if it needs to be large i wouldn't go for them, id go for (on your budget) some AKG K70x or Q701, which i happen to have for sale (hint hint) I joke
 
A better way to describe the soundstage is intimate. Like you are near the front of a gig. I will say i am not a massive fan of the Grado soundstage.. but it does add some emotion and perhaps a little euphony to the sound signature.

 

[Tsar]

I was looking at some K701's but I have no amp and no plans for one until the 25th of December.
 
Are there any must have mods for the Grados? I keep on seeing these bright yellow cups that look like something British health and safety would come up with.
 
I would also like to not I couldn't care less about sound leaking.

 

[Cakensaur]

The amp situation is blown out of proportion on the AKG's the K701's are a bit hard to drive but K702/Q701 arent massively power hungry.
The bright yellow pads are senn HD414 pads. they are used to mod the SR60i,SR80i and SR125i to replace their stock pads (these come with "comfy" pads) wheras the SR225i and upwards (up until the PS/GS1000) come with Bowl pads. There are no "must have" mods, besides if you choose to get them id advise listen to them stock before ripping them apart
The reason i modded my SR80i, is because i just wanted a project and see if i could improve general SQ, which i managed.

 

[Tsar]

I will do, as much as I love tearing apart expensive stuff.
 
How is the build quality? I have seem some complaints about them being very plasticy and cheap.
 
(Sorry for all the questions) 

 

[Cakensaur]

Ask as many questions as you like, don't hesitate to PM either.
 
There have been some build issues(every company has some though) i do slightly condemn the construction used (it doesn't feel cheap per say, but perhaps sometimes you just expect a bit more at this price point). i honestly like the simple construction.. it makes them easier to mod, and easier to fix if something does go wrong (mine were flawless for 2 years, i sold them to my friend and he has had 0 issues since) since that's the case, i cant confirm it myself but i've heard the service from Grado should something go wrong is VERY good.

 

[cel4145]

Hah hah, with the sr80i, you will definitely not be able to wear them for over 30min. Very painful if you ask me.

That's just not true. Generalizing your experience as if it would be true for everyone else is not helpful. While some people find them uncomfortable, there are plenty of others who do not.