[atx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwitel wait a sec here-u guys are confusing me So the HF-1's as far as soundstage go, are only second in line to the rs1/2??? Thats great news! Why are people saying less SS than the 225's!?

I have the 225 and HF-1 and to my ears, the HF-1 definitely has more soundstage. No question about it.

 

[mrplow]

Gotta respectfully disagree with Cheesebert- if he's referring to the OVERALL sound quality of each phones, then the order is understandable... but with the soundstage, the HF-1's is definitely narrower than the MS-2i's and slightly narrower than the SR225s (due to the extra weight of the mahogany). Just did an A-B with the MS-2i to confirm....

 

[incognitoedleon]

Fun and interesting read! I will have to say I am somewhat "buy-curious" and more confused with what I want now.

EDIT: Your comparison between the SR125 and 225 peaked my interest, so I browsed around a bit for a direct comparison. I found a review that confirms what you said about the treble and the comparatively laid backness of the 225.

http://www.goodcans.com/HeadphoneReviews/grado225.htm

 

[Roblin]

I have the 125 and the hf-1, and just wanted to put my vote down that hf-1 has a larger soundstage on my limited equipment.

 

[fureshi]

interesting comments about the sr225 treble being less harsh than the ms2. although i no longer own the sr225, the ms2 always seemed smoother overall and had less of the piercing feeling that the sr225 gave. we all hear differently so it's great to see a differing opinion on the whole grado line, especially the sr125. i'm not a bit more curious about them...

 

[jimmyjames8]

I 've listened to a lot of cans over the years and a lot of music on my big rig and the MS-2 comes the closest to sounding like my reference system of any can I ever heard. It is easy to see why they are in demand and used by recording engineers in the know. Just MHO. YMMV.

 

[VR6ofpain]

My woodie'd street styles own all. Wait, that was just a dream.

Sorry. Though the HF-1's are very good indeed.

 

[Jahn]

To the original poster, good stuff! And based on your Grado preferences, you've also answered the question below:


Q: Will I prefer Joe Grado cans, even the HP-1000 series?

A: Nope. I need to Rock Out with my John Grados!

 

[technetium]

Well I only own the 225, but I have compared it to the 80 and 125. And I really liked the 225 better, but off course I own them, so I have to say this since I bought them

 

[J-Pak]

Having owned the SR-225, I'm baffled how you can call them dark. And I don't think theres any treble roll off either. Also having listened to the SR-125 for exensive periods I found the upper end a lot harsher than the SR-225, thus making them less enjoyable.

Also I feel the soundstage on the HF-1 is much better than the SR-225.

All of these impressions were made in good listening circumstances, all phones fully burned in on a M3 amp with STEPS power supply.

 

[mrplow]

Again, these are just my own impressions. They were also made under "good listening conditions," using a portable source, studio monitoring headphone amp, and a highly-rated $1100 tube CDP/amp.

I think it just comes down to the fact that you have a lower tolerance for treble than I do. So to you, the SR225s don't seem rolled off to you, but to me, they do.

With "perceived" soundstage, the age of the Grado pads can make a BIG difference. With my first pair of Grados, the SR80s, after a while the pads became very soft and brought the drivers a lot closer to my ears than they were out of the box. Thus, while the actual spatial imaging and instrument separation had not changed, the soundstage seemed more compressed due to the narrower distance between the ear and the driver. I think people who think the HF-1 possesses a wider soundstage than the SR225s should swap the pads and give both another listen.


Now time to watch the Pats spank the Colts...


-RL

 

[SgtPepper]

The weight of the MS2i's gave me headaches the first week or so that I owned them. I almost considered selling them, even though I love the sound. Fortunately, I've gotten used to having 10 pounds of metal on the side of my head.

 

[cck5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SgtPepper /img/forum/go_quote.gif The weight of the MS2i's gave me headaches the first week or so that I owned them. I almost considered selling them, even though I love the sound. Fortunately, I've gotten used to having 10 pounds of metal on the side of my head.

this thread was long dead, and also considering these are the non I version he reviewed. there have been changes made to these cans..

 

[Silenced]

I think the OP likes very bright headphones.

 

[stang]

Yah.. I just read through this whole thread to find out that yet another head-fier had bumped a 5 year old thread :| I thought maybe this discussion had progressed over the years, not just come to a stop, 5 years later bumped again.