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Just ploughed through the most recent 100+ posts on this thread (I got put off after Bill and Vinylcat started exchanging 1,500 word posts).
I must admit even I didn't read those posts.
I just posted a multiple FR chart reply. To boil it down to the basics, this is what I argued:
1) I believe Headroom's FR graphs are old, when it comes to Grados that preceded the 2009 "i" upgrade. In these old graphs, it's clear that the SR60 is shown as having better bass than any other Prestige Grado - but the worst HF presence. Traditionally, the SR80 was the same in every respect, except it came with a set of bowls. As a result, it had the lowest bass but was second only to the 325 in HF presence. How could this Luke and Leia end up with opposite characteristics when using the "same" driver? To my thinking, the difference boiled down to the pads.
2) If you change out the pads from comfies to bowls, you immediately turn an SR60 into an SR80 (traditionally). That difference, alone, changes the dynamics radically. While bass drops precipitously, HF presence spikes up - almost to that of the SR325.
3) With wood housing and driver venting, you can boost the bass of the SR60 to levels that would absolutely blow away an unmodded 325. So much for that. With a change in cushions, the HF gap collapses radically. This is before we do anything else to "fix" the SR60's presentation.
4) With a number of additional tweaks, the gaps close even further. Damping the back plate damps things nicely. Removing the plastic rear grill and plastic button also removes a significant source of unwanted resonance. By the time we get to shell replacement and grill cloth removal, the soundstage has been cleaned up significantly. Wiring can also be taken to a level far beyond the 325 by creating a new cable utilizing a four-wire braid of 99.99% pure silver, available online for just under $60, plus $5 for a connector.
5) Where the 325 remains unique is in its use of aluminum for the rear chamber. Not surprisingly, the 325 retains the sharpest edge of the Grados - sharper even than the RS1, the GS1000 or the PS1000. Whether that's a good thing or not is anybody's guess, but as a criticism of the SR60, it's patently unfair. If the SR60 is to be criticized for not imitating this aspect of the SR325, we should also criticize the RS1, GS1000 and PS1000.
I'm not trying to start a new fight with these people. I just thought certain things needed to be pointed out.