[Marco2]

Hi,

Just took delivery of a new pair of Grado SR225's at the beginning of the week. Must have put about 5 hours on them so far. At first I thought I had made a big mistake, the sound seemed so thin and fatiguing. I don't know if it is just me getting used to them but I would say there has been a large change to their sound already. The sound already seems warmer and there is actually some bass now !! I am really growing to like them now, such a different presentation from the Senn HD650 that I have been used to for the last year.

Those with experience of Grado's, how many hours of use would you say I can expect before they are fully on song ?

Thanks

 

[iDesign]

You will observe significant changes at forty hours of usage and again at two hundred hours of usage.

Best,
iDesign

 

[elephantman]

its ironic that there is a burn-in faq thread just above your thread.

 

[Marco2]

Thanks for your input elephantman !! And a warm welcome to you too !!

Have you read the FAQ yourself ??

"Different headphones may take longer than others for a so-called ‘complete’ burn in, and there is no exact or set length of time for burn in. It is best to use your ears to listen for changes to decide when you should stop the burn in process."

All I was after is someone with experience of this headphone or similar who might be able to give me a more accurate answer from their own personal experience. Is that so bad ???

Thanks iDesign for your constructive input.

 

[Gregor]

I read the burn in FAQ when I first got my 225s. Is it is not model specific I had no idea what expect. So I don't blame Marco for the user experiences specific to the 225. After ~40 I was ready return them. Highs were harsh and lows were weak. After 200 hours, the sound changed dramanically. Highs smoothed out the lows became much more rich and bold. Now they are my favorites.

 

[zeppelin2]

Heya Marco,

My recipe for success includes a 200 hour burnin during the first couple of weeks. That doesn't mean that they won't sound good before that mark.. nor did I sit down every couple of hours and check up on them

, but that's usually a safe amount of hours to assume that they are functioning as intended.

Just keep them playing overnight and during the day when you aren't listening to them, and you'll find that you can reach the 200 hour mark pretty quickly.

Enjoy!

PS. If you have any local Sennheiser dealers nearby, check to see if they carry HD 414 pads. To my preference, they bring the sound much closer to you, while adding bass and taking away some of the highs. That's the only way I can listen to my SR225's!

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iDesign ...significant changes at forty hours of usage and again at two hundred hours of usage.

That's what I noticed, too. And then, as an added Grado bonus, about a year later, they blossom yet again over a period of about a week. I noticed this second opening up (after about a year of use) as well with my previous pair of Grado cans, the SR60. When I noted this observation previously, folks felt duty-bound to take their best shots at explaining it away, but I've observed this with two out of two pairs of Grado phones. Not a statistically significant sample, I'll grant, but it comprises my entire, consistent, and happy body of experience with Grado headphones (drivers really well matched, no Grattle ever, all hot-glued joints have held solid, no wiring problems, no discomfort problems during 5-8 hour listening sessions, ...).

BTW, congratulations on your new SR225's. You've very likely got years of memorable listening experiences with them ahead. And as far as burning them in goes, my suggestion, FWIW, is to just listen to music through them. I found the sound of the SR225 straight out of the box to really enjoyable to listen to, and the more hours of use they receive, the better they sound. They're the sonic gift that just keeps on giving.

With the SR225, I'm definitely a vwap-modded Senn 414 pads advocate, myself.

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iDesign ...significant changes at forty hours of usage and again at two hundred hours of usage.

That's what I noticed, too. And then, as an added Grado bonus, about a year later, they blossom yet again over a period of about a week. I noticed this second opening up (after about a year of use) as well with my previous pair of Grado cans, the SR60. When I noted this observation previously, folks felt duty-bound to take their best shots at explaining it away, but I've observed this with two out of two pairs of Grado phones. Not a statistically significant sample, I'll grant, but it comprises my entire, consistent, and happy body of experience with Grado headphones (drivers really well matched, no Grattle ever, all hot-glued joints have held solid, no wiring problems, no discomfort problems during 5-8 hour listening sessions, ...).

BTW, congratulations on your new SR225's. You've very likely got years of memorable listening experiences with them ahead. And as far as burning them in goes, my suggestion, FWIW, is to just listen to music through them. I found the sound of the SR225 straight out of the box to really enjoyable to listen to, and the more hours of use they receive, the better they sound. They're the sonic gift that just keeps on giving.

With the SR225, I'm definitely a vwap-modded Senn 414 pads advocate, myself.

 

[Kram Sacul]

I had the same experience. The 225s sounds like GARBAGE out of the box. They really start to change after a few hours.

 

[Drakemoor]

i'm seriously considering buying a pair of 225's but the main thing thats holding me back is people saying they are bright and sometimes harsh/sibilant. I really don't want to buy a new headphone and have to modify it straight away to get it sounding right.

Can anyone reassure me that it's not as bright as people make out?

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drakemoor Can anyone reassure me that it's not as bright as people make out?

I won't reassure you because I still find mine bright after 150 hours of use. And this is from a person who doesn't find the Ety ER4S and DT880 bright.

 

[Roblin]

I heavily suggest the hf-1 if you are looking for a "less bright" grado. See what you can do to keep an eye on the FS forum, as I'm not sure if you can still order them from Todd. You will get a can superior in almost all areas for a similiar price. Mine are at ~30 hrs and are improving a lot so far. Can't wait to keep enjoying the improvement!

From what I have read, they are very similiar to the 225s for burn in, even taking longer in some cases.

If you do decide on a 225, don't be too scared about mods - changing the pads or even just flipping them around (reverse) has pretty large effect for little to no extra cash.

 

[zeppelin2]

I believe the HF-1's haven't reached number 450 yet, meaning you can still get one if you order from Todd