tenedosian
100+ Head-Fier
Hi everybody.
Owning every “official” pads for Grado headphones, I wanted to write a detailed review on them with my Grado’s. I only excluded G-Cush (“Jumbo” pads) due to their overly edgy performance with the Prestige Series headphones.
(Please do consider the fact that I wrote my impressions on the “i” models, not the newest “e” ones. The “e” ones are said to have some more bass & body than the “i” Grado’s, so they may have less amount of “thinness” that I’ll be mentioning in my review.)
All my listening tests were done through a Japanese Sony A16 Walkman with no equalization. Keep in mind that results may vary according to different setups.
I believe, the below impressions would help many people in grasping an idea of “what sound they would get” with different pads on their favourite Grado cans.
So let’s begin.
Grado SR80i :
S-Cush Pads (Comfies) : Generic sound with some treble emphasis. Treble has some harshness. A bit veiled sound due to being a closed pad.
S-Cush increases the distance between ear and the drivers, which in turn brings a wide soundstage. Yet it lacks the intimacy and transparency of flats and especially bowls.
The most inferior sounding of the bunch.
L-Cush Pads (Bowls) : Classical Grado sound with forward mids and treble. Most enveloping and engaging soundstage. Highest transparency. Due to direct contact with drivers sensitivity is a few decibels higher than compared to S-Cush.
Flat Pads : Despite losing the beautiful soundstage of the L-Cush, sound does not have the relative “thinness” of L-Cush. It has more body and bass.
Flat pads (both standard & deluxe) have the best balance among these pads. Treble is a bit smoother, mids are not as transparent as the ones with L-Cush, but better than S-Cush. Sound is overall less aggressive than L-Cush.
Soundstage is more intimate than the one with S-Cush, and not that wide.
Sensitivity is more than S-Cush.
Sound is more open to changes according to the phones placement on the ear.
Deluxe Flat Pads : The features of standard flats also apply here.
Very close sound to standard flats, but with slightly less veil. This in turn brings a bit more transparency.
Grado SR125i :
S-Cush : The descriptions for SR80i apply in here but with a bit less bass and slightly cleaner and smoother sound. Treble is less colored than Sr80i and is a tad bit more controlled.
When I first listen to Grado’s in the capital of Turkey in the winter of 2010, I quickly chose SR125i over SR80i and SR60i even with these pads.
Keep in mind that better pads (I’m looking at you bowls and flats) help to increase percieved sound quality difference between upper and lower Grado models.
My humble opinion is that S-Cush pads do limit the potential of any Grado headphone (parallel with their price etiquette as one may say so).
L-Cush : The least bassy performance from any Grado I’ve ever heard. You can hear the bass notes, but there is no impact. Such a clinical listening.
(However, the lacking of bass may be considered to be contributing to the airiness of soundstage)
Definitely not a balanced presentation. Lots of mids with some treble. If you are a mid-lover, than you will admire this combination. Clarity and transparency is also top notch.
Treble is a little bit behind the tremendously forward mids, and they’re smooth with some good detail.
Flat pads (both standard & deluxe) :
These pads do change the presentation by a considerable margin. They even manage to squeeze some bass impact from what is usually called the least bassy Grado (with some equalization of course i.e. “Clear Bass” of Sony).
With flats, “the thinness” in sound with L-Cush is gone to a large extent. As I’ve said before, flats are some beautiful cure for people who are complaining of the thinness of some Grado models.
Besides, you do not lose much clarity of the L-Cush pads.
The most dramatic change (apart from the bass increase) is the change in soundstage and its presentation. As stated before, you lose the enveloping soundstage of L-Cush, but gain a more intimate sound character.
This change does not go well with let’s say chamber music where you need more space in imaging with a more laid-back presentation of instruments ; but it suits beautifully with pop or especially guitar and bass driven rock music.
What I liked about flats is that, they somehow manage to tame the sometimes highly offensive Grado treble without losing any considerable high frequency detail.
Grado SR225i :
S-Cush : Similar sound with SR80i but with a bit more refinement. Treble harshness is reduced, and there is more control at that region. Also the sound is clearer with better transparency. More space and air in the soundstage probably due to the rear metal grill.
Less bassy compared to SR80i.
I think this pads do really limit Grado’s potential (one reason why they’re the cheapest).
L-Cush : Very good Grado sound with no apparent flaw. Moderate imaging, good intimate Grado soundstage, transparent warm mids, crisp and controlled treble.
Maybe the bass may come a bit light, but listeners can do use some equalization for some more density in the lower end.
Standard Flat Pads : Again, more balanced sound than the other two pads. Treble level is similar to S-Cush, but presented more clearly and without “the spike” that S-Cush pads produce.
Definitely more bass than L-Cush. The sound is fuller and louder (due to the increased sensitivity flat pads bring). Yet, the increase in the mid-bass region may cause boominess in some songs.
Clarity & transparency is somewhere between S-Cush and L-Cush.
Deluxe Flats : To my ears, these are very close again over Sr225i. Good bass again, but does not have the same level of “boominess” of standard flats. There is also some clarity edge over standart flats.
The above descriptions of standard flats apply mostly.
Grado HF-1 (#149) :
My main headphones that (was produced in limited number (480 pieces) in 2005) I’ve been using since 2011. Unlike the “i” series introduced in 2009, HF-1 has low profile cups which in turn gives this headphone very in your face sound signature.
S-Cush : These pads again are quite good in masking the real transparency and micro detail these headphones can provide. They’re “comfy”, yes ; but not so brilliant in acoustic measures.
L-Cush : Relatively balanced sound with some additional brightness over other Prestige Series models (80, 125, 225). Soundstage is closer due to the lower profile cups, and presentation can be quite aggressive at times. Beautiful, intimate and organic soundstage.
Flat pads (both standard & deluxe) : Bass becomes tighter without any boominess, and sound gets some more body ; again losing any thinness that may show itself in traditional Grado sound. Nice addition.
The soundstage changes affecting the presentation of mids the most. You get more clustered, closed sound but with more overall impact.
Treble smoothens, and the aggressiveness is gone without reducing instrument detail. That’s really cool. With flat pads, HF-1 offers some hell of a bliss through rock music.
Concluding Remarks :
Grado’s are resolving and clear sounding headphones even with the cheapest of the bunch S-Cush “comfy” pads. However, pads with holes provide the best transparency Grado is known for with superior imaging capabilities.
In terms of comparing those three, comfies are overall inferior pads, yes ; but I believe this cannot be said about the bowls and flats. They are like apples and oranges, presenting different sound signatures and complementing each other.
I am still keeping comfies for reviewing purposes (I do not use them), yet I believe Grado users should give a serious try to flat pads (especially if you listen to rock).
With the increased bass and closer, more in-your-face soundstage, flat pads became my #1 pads for listening to rock pieces on my Grado’s.
Besides, due to flats bringing the drivers closer to ears, you would get a touch more sensitivity through your headphones. They sound louder with flats compared to the other pad options.
I must admit, I’ve failed to spot a considerable difference between standard and deluxe flats ; though I believe there is some, yes. With deluxe pads, you get a touch less bass increase in sound compared to the standard ones, and I believe that particular thing prevents any “boominess” in sound.
For people sensitive about that (like me), this can be considered a nice upgrade.
With the more controlled bass, the clarity in the mid section is also a small bit better with the deluxe pads. And I’ve sensed some more air in the sound with deluxe flats compared to the standard ones. But keep in mind that the differences are quite subtle.
As final words, I want to thank Todd for flat pads. I definitely liked them, and I’m enjoying those pads together with the L-Cush.
Owning every “official” pads for Grado headphones, I wanted to write a detailed review on them with my Grado’s. I only excluded G-Cush (“Jumbo” pads) due to their overly edgy performance with the Prestige Series headphones.
(Please do consider the fact that I wrote my impressions on the “i” models, not the newest “e” ones. The “e” ones are said to have some more bass & body than the “i” Grado’s, so they may have less amount of “thinness” that I’ll be mentioning in my review.)
All my listening tests were done through a Japanese Sony A16 Walkman with no equalization. Keep in mind that results may vary according to different setups.
I believe, the below impressions would help many people in grasping an idea of “what sound they would get” with different pads on their favourite Grado cans.
So let’s begin.
Grado SR80i :
S-Cush Pads (Comfies) : Generic sound with some treble emphasis. Treble has some harshness. A bit veiled sound due to being a closed pad.
S-Cush increases the distance between ear and the drivers, which in turn brings a wide soundstage. Yet it lacks the intimacy and transparency of flats and especially bowls.
The most inferior sounding of the bunch.
L-Cush Pads (Bowls) : Classical Grado sound with forward mids and treble. Most enveloping and engaging soundstage. Highest transparency. Due to direct contact with drivers sensitivity is a few decibels higher than compared to S-Cush.
Flat Pads : Despite losing the beautiful soundstage of the L-Cush, sound does not have the relative “thinness” of L-Cush. It has more body and bass.
Flat pads (both standard & deluxe) have the best balance among these pads. Treble is a bit smoother, mids are not as transparent as the ones with L-Cush, but better than S-Cush. Sound is overall less aggressive than L-Cush.
Soundstage is more intimate than the one with S-Cush, and not that wide.
Sensitivity is more than S-Cush.
Sound is more open to changes according to the phones placement on the ear.
Deluxe Flat Pads : The features of standard flats also apply here.
Very close sound to standard flats, but with slightly less veil. This in turn brings a bit more transparency.
Grado SR125i :
S-Cush : The descriptions for SR80i apply in here but with a bit less bass and slightly cleaner and smoother sound. Treble is less colored than Sr80i and is a tad bit more controlled.
When I first listen to Grado’s in the capital of Turkey in the winter of 2010, I quickly chose SR125i over SR80i and SR60i even with these pads.
Keep in mind that better pads (I’m looking at you bowls and flats) help to increase percieved sound quality difference between upper and lower Grado models.
My humble opinion is that S-Cush pads do limit the potential of any Grado headphone (parallel with their price etiquette as one may say so).
L-Cush : The least bassy performance from any Grado I’ve ever heard. You can hear the bass notes, but there is no impact. Such a clinical listening.
(However, the lacking of bass may be considered to be contributing to the airiness of soundstage)
Definitely not a balanced presentation. Lots of mids with some treble. If you are a mid-lover, than you will admire this combination. Clarity and transparency is also top notch.
Treble is a little bit behind the tremendously forward mids, and they’re smooth with some good detail.
Flat pads (both standard & deluxe) :
These pads do change the presentation by a considerable margin. They even manage to squeeze some bass impact from what is usually called the least bassy Grado (with some equalization of course i.e. “Clear Bass” of Sony).
With flats, “the thinness” in sound with L-Cush is gone to a large extent. As I’ve said before, flats are some beautiful cure for people who are complaining of the thinness of some Grado models.
Besides, you do not lose much clarity of the L-Cush pads.
The most dramatic change (apart from the bass increase) is the change in soundstage and its presentation. As stated before, you lose the enveloping soundstage of L-Cush, but gain a more intimate sound character.
This change does not go well with let’s say chamber music where you need more space in imaging with a more laid-back presentation of instruments ; but it suits beautifully with pop or especially guitar and bass driven rock music.
What I liked about flats is that, they somehow manage to tame the sometimes highly offensive Grado treble without losing any considerable high frequency detail.
Grado SR225i :
S-Cush : Similar sound with SR80i but with a bit more refinement. Treble harshness is reduced, and there is more control at that region. Also the sound is clearer with better transparency. More space and air in the soundstage probably due to the rear metal grill.
Less bassy compared to SR80i.
I think this pads do really limit Grado’s potential (one reason why they’re the cheapest).
L-Cush : Very good Grado sound with no apparent flaw. Moderate imaging, good intimate Grado soundstage, transparent warm mids, crisp and controlled treble.
Maybe the bass may come a bit light, but listeners can do use some equalization for some more density in the lower end.
Standard Flat Pads : Again, more balanced sound than the other two pads. Treble level is similar to S-Cush, but presented more clearly and without “the spike” that S-Cush pads produce.
Definitely more bass than L-Cush. The sound is fuller and louder (due to the increased sensitivity flat pads bring). Yet, the increase in the mid-bass region may cause boominess in some songs.
Clarity & transparency is somewhere between S-Cush and L-Cush.
Deluxe Flats : To my ears, these are very close again over Sr225i. Good bass again, but does not have the same level of “boominess” of standard flats. There is also some clarity edge over standart flats.
The above descriptions of standard flats apply mostly.
Grado HF-1 (#149) :
My main headphones that (was produced in limited number (480 pieces) in 2005) I’ve been using since 2011. Unlike the “i” series introduced in 2009, HF-1 has low profile cups which in turn gives this headphone very in your face sound signature.
S-Cush : These pads again are quite good in masking the real transparency and micro detail these headphones can provide. They’re “comfy”, yes ; but not so brilliant in acoustic measures.
L-Cush : Relatively balanced sound with some additional brightness over other Prestige Series models (80, 125, 225). Soundstage is closer due to the lower profile cups, and presentation can be quite aggressive at times. Beautiful, intimate and organic soundstage.
Flat pads (both standard & deluxe) : Bass becomes tighter without any boominess, and sound gets some more body ; again losing any thinness that may show itself in traditional Grado sound. Nice addition.
The soundstage changes affecting the presentation of mids the most. You get more clustered, closed sound but with more overall impact.
Treble smoothens, and the aggressiveness is gone without reducing instrument detail. That’s really cool. With flat pads, HF-1 offers some hell of a bliss through rock music.
Concluding Remarks :
Grado’s are resolving and clear sounding headphones even with the cheapest of the bunch S-Cush “comfy” pads. However, pads with holes provide the best transparency Grado is known for with superior imaging capabilities.
In terms of comparing those three, comfies are overall inferior pads, yes ; but I believe this cannot be said about the bowls and flats. They are like apples and oranges, presenting different sound signatures and complementing each other.
I am still keeping comfies for reviewing purposes (I do not use them), yet I believe Grado users should give a serious try to flat pads (especially if you listen to rock).
With the increased bass and closer, more in-your-face soundstage, flat pads became my #1 pads for listening to rock pieces on my Grado’s.
Besides, due to flats bringing the drivers closer to ears, you would get a touch more sensitivity through your headphones. They sound louder with flats compared to the other pad options.
I must admit, I’ve failed to spot a considerable difference between standard and deluxe flats ; though I believe there is some, yes. With deluxe pads, you get a touch less bass increase in sound compared to the standard ones, and I believe that particular thing prevents any “boominess” in sound.
For people sensitive about that (like me), this can be considered a nice upgrade.
With the more controlled bass, the clarity in the mid section is also a small bit better with the deluxe pads. And I’ve sensed some more air in the sound with deluxe flats compared to the standard ones. But keep in mind that the differences are quite subtle.
As final words, I want to thank Todd for flat pads. I definitely liked them, and I’m enjoying those pads together with the L-Cush.
