So... how much better is the SR325 over the SR60?
Oct 17, 2007 at 4:45 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 20
The_X

The_X

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I bought an SR60 on impulse the other day and have found myself loving the Grado sound signature again. I was listening to some Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong recordings last night and it sent chills down my spine the entire time. I pretty much know that I will be upgrading to a higher-end Grado at some point, but I just dropped $300 on E500PTH's and don't want to spend another $250 on the SR325's just yet.

Some complaints about the SR60's... voices, especially female, sometimes sound hollow and thin. Bass could be stronger. I don't want to go any more expensive than the SR325 and I've heard from a couple people that there isn't much reason to go beyond the 325 except perhaps to the GS1000. I listening to some RS2's at my local store and thought they were way too bright.

How close, in your opinion, are the SR325's to the SR60? Obviously they will be better, but how much better? Should I return the 60's and upgrade now to save money in the long run, or will the 60's hold me over? Or is there another Grado or other headphone that I should look into?
 
Oct 17, 2007 at 4:50 PM Post #2 of 20
I should also mention that I don't have an amp... That's one reason I got the SR60, because I know from past experience that they sound great without an amplifier.
 
Oct 17, 2007 at 5:02 PM Post #3 of 20
Well, I have the 325i's, and they are far better than the 60's, although I consider the 60's to be great (best in price class kind of thing).

I am a little concerned, though, by your comment about the RS-2's sounding "bright". If that's the case, you may really dislike the 325i's. To me, the 325i's are the most forward/aggressive/detailed of all the Grado's. Some people call this "bright". I call it awesome. But if you don't like aggressive detail, the 325i's may not be the right step for you. Best advice: try to find a place where you can audition them all. I had the 125's, and they were great (and better than the 60's, without so MUCH of the forwardness of the 325i's). And alot of people around here like the 225's, too. Either would be a great step up.

I have heard the RS-1's and the RS-2's, and didn't consider either of them bright, btw. In fact, the RS-1 was too laid back and warm to me, and I decided to go with the 325i instead.
 
Oct 17, 2007 at 5:04 PM Post #4 of 20
SR-325i is brighter than RS-2 and the higher grados really only shine using an amp IMHO (they require little voltage, but lots of current)

according to what you describe, I wouldn't go above SR-225 and perhaps even substituting the SR-60 for an SR-80 might be all you need (SR-225 and SR-80 are known to be the most dark grados... along with the RS-2
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)
 
Oct 17, 2007 at 5:46 PM Post #6 of 20
Well i did demo the RS-2 straight out of my Zune at the store. Perhaps they darken and get more "substantial" with an amp. Maybe a good amp would be a better investment at this point, since it would improve both my E500's and SR60? I remember the SR60 sounded spectacular with a PA2V2, I bet they would be even better with a higher end amp.

I'll go back and demo the 125 and 225 and try to decide which route to take.
 
Oct 17, 2007 at 7:29 PM Post #8 of 20
Grados are tricky phones because it's very easy to be seduced by the SR60 sound and think if these are so good for $70 what must the rest sound like? You'll soon find the higher prices reflect subtle differences (mostly slight increases in treble energy with modest increases in clarity and no appreciable change in the sound stage) and personal preferences that have a tenuous connection with their actual cost. Your SR60s are easily 90% as good as the SR325is and you can prove this by ordering the 325is from our sponsor HeadRoom. They will let you audition and return them within 30 days if you don't like them. I did this and while I liked the 325is a little more than my SR60s I wasn’t willing to pay a $200+ premium for such a subtly different sound. Recently I got the Grado itch again and scratched it with Alessandro MS1s for $99 including WW shipping. Like the SR60, the MS1 is another Grado super bargain said to have 90% of the MS2 sound at 1/3 the price. I listen to mostly audiophile classical CDs and prefer a reticent bass that doesn’t muddy the midrange with an airy and transparent treble. The MS1 fits this to a tee and gives my HD600s and K501s stiff competition. So do a search here and read the many posts on Grado's price/ performance ratio before you blow $300 on what could be just a marginal improvement in SQ.
 
Oct 17, 2007 at 9:41 PM Post #9 of 20
Quote:

Originally Posted by wae5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Grados are tricky phones because it's very easy to be seduced by the SR60 sound and think if these are so good for $70 what must the rest sound like? You'll soon find the higher prices reflect subtle differences (mostly slight increases in treble energy with modest increases in clarity and no appreciable change in the sound stage) and personal preferences and have little connection with absolute value.


Well said. I agree with this. Don't be tempted to "upgrade" in the Grado range if you are happy where you are. If the 60's are giving you chills, that's a good sign. Like I warned earlier: the 325i's are different, and MAY NOT be to your liking at all.

I myself went to audition the Grado range with no price barriers, and walked away with the 325i's because that's where my preferences lead me.

I had made the mistake earlier of jumping right to the GS1000's without an audition (they are expensive, so MUST be better than all the others, right?). I gave them a couple weeks and returned them. Just not to my liking. The 325i's and the GS1000 cannot sound any more different. And if someone were to ask ME which was better...

So go audition, and see which one you like. Just like you plan to do. It's always the best idea.
 
Oct 17, 2007 at 10:49 PM Post #10 of 20
Quote:

Originally Posted by wae5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Grados are tricky phones because it's very easy to be seduced by the SR60 sound and think if these are so good for $70 what must the rest sound like? You'll soon find the higher prices reflect subtle differences (mostly slight increases in treble energy with modest increases in clarity and no appreciable change in the sound stage) and personal preferences and have little connection with absolute value. Your SR60s are easily 90% as good as the SR325is and you can prove this by ordering the 325is from our sponsor HeadRoom. They will let you audition and return them within 30 days if you don't like them. I did this and while I liked the 325is a little more than my SR60s I wasn’t willing to pay a $200+ premium for such a subtly different sound. Recently I got the Grado itch again and scratched it with Alessandro MS1s for $99 including WW shipping. Like the SR60, the MS1 is another Grado super bargain said to have 90% of the MS2 sound at 1/3 the price. I listen to mostly audiophile classical CDs and prefer a reticent bass that doesn’t muddy the midrange with an airy and transparent treble. The MS1 fits this to a tee and gives my HD600s and K501s stiff competition. So do a search here and read the many posts on Grado's price/ performance ratio before you blow $300 on what could be just a marginal improvement.


I couldn't hear any differences from the 60 up to the 325, when I auditioned them(burned- in) for about 2 hours. I definitely agree.

Have you tried the beyer880? Mine is the old version. I hear the same bass punch, as in Grados. Grados also don't have soundstage, so it doesn't really sound like I'm there, at the studio or live show.
 
Dec 13, 2007 at 2:14 PM Post #12 of 20
I subscribe to the general consensus and advise strongly that you test a pair of 325i before buying it.
I find the 325i sound sig different and maybe, a little more refined than sr-60. On the other hand i found the 325i sound tuby sounding and thus "smaller" than that of sr-60. I sold my sr-325i. Not to mention the excruciating pain after 1 hour of pressuring my ear lobes with 325i.
 
Dec 13, 2007 at 2:53 PM Post #13 of 20
Quote:

Originally Posted by OvidiuDanut /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I subscribe to the general consensus and advise strongly that you test a pair of 325i before buying it.


I agree
Quote:

I find the 325i sound sig different and maybe, a little more refined than sr-60.


Haha, LOL!
biggrin.gif
When I hook up either of this two to my modified CD player, DIY amp using IXOS 104 (all DIY killer and <100$ IC's I've ever tried) interconnect, it's night and day difference. Grado SR325i are the lowest Grado model that can give impression of live music. Sorry but SR225 is vastly inferior and people calling them "sweet spot" in Grado line-up cheat themselves, or need upgrading their rigs. So I'm not surprised that there is a little difference between SR60 and SR225. However, before upgrading, try bowls on the SR60's because I prefer them with bowls than with comfies.
 
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