[cj.9]

Prepost Checklist:
1.Ok, I've got my bunker gear on and ready for the flames.

Take this for what it's worth, It's only my opinion.

Also, if the price of the phones were $50.00 then I would say you get what you pay for.

I paid $175.00 +$30.00 flat pads +$15.00 1/4 to 1/8" adapter=$220+ shipping.
You can find Senn 580's much cheaper and with even a CMOY the sound is as good or better.
Grados to Senn's : Comfort level - compare a unicycle crotch killer to a cadillac.

I've had my 225's for about a month now. About 150 hours of burn in. I do think they sound very good ...... but They are the most uncomfortable phones I've ever used. Sandpaper for the ears. They are also the cheapest looking . The headband has no padding and is covered with vinyl. I also feel that I was ripped off for the $30 flat pads (also made of sandpaper foam). A fair to high price would be $10.00 . There is no reason these pads should cost more than all but one pair of the Senn replacement pads.
The drivers are housed in cheap plastic. Anodized aluminium is very cheap now...

I now own both the 580's and the 225's. If I could only have one pair, It would certainly be the 580's.

I will be keeping the 225's for portable use. I just completed an amp that is like the RA-1. My opinion (again) is that a CMOY sounds very nearly as good with the 225's. I also have a META and the 225's sound better with it than the RA-1 style amp.

I haven't given up though, I'll be ordering a pair of the Senn pads and try with the Grado's. You know, add money to keep the fire burning...

Has anyone found a headband that will work as a replacement for the Grado's?
I do not want to tape foam to the underside of the stock band.

I'll be in the foxhole now..

 

[gpalmer]

Ahhh, your ears needed toughening up, just keep wearing the 225s and your callouses will guard you or just sell them to me cheap!

 

[saint.panda]

I don't feel the flat pads are rip off if you consider that the flat pads actually made my Grado SR 125 sound better than my Grado 225 without flats.

About comfort: I only felt the pain after taking the Grados off. When wearing them I didn't notice them but when I took a break from the music...ouch.

 

[blessingx]

If you were around for the long complaints about getting the flat pads, you'd know there is a reason they cost more. No one, including Grado, commissioned them to be produced. Todd finally stepped up to the plate and ordered them made himself.

I certainly agree the Grados are less comfortable than Senn for the vast majority of people, but there are some with different ear/head shapes that feel the opposite. The Senns vise-grip the head and at least one pair I had rubbed against one ear, but not the other. Very irritating. I did though try to make memory foam pads or use Beyer pads as a Grado alternative. Never found a better solution to just bending the headband and decreasing the pressure with Senn pads (flats weren't around when I had my SR80s and SR225s).

Have you tried the sock mod?

 

[itza2mer]

I had the same problem when I owned the 325's. I loved the look and the sound, however they were just too painful to wear.

 

[Zanth]

Sad to read this story. It's true, we are all built differently. I feel the vice grip of the Senns, as does my wife. In fact only 4 phones my wife has ever tried were truly comfy on her: Grado SR60's, Koss KSC 35's, Sony MDR-F1's and a pair of Beyer's that a fellow head-fier had on hand when he was at my house. she can't tolerate the Senns for more than a few minutes etc.

Then we have someone like SIE who, after owning the HP-2's for a short time, sold them off because of the pain while wearing his glasses. We are all built differently and one will never really know how a pair of cans feels until they try them for themselves. Etys work wonders with me, my wife can't have them in her ears for more than 30 seconds. Strange...

 

[Lippy]

I think you'll change your mind when you receive the Senn pads for your Grados.

I originally had the bowl pads on my SR60 and could not make them comfortable (they also let the SR60 sound a bit harsh in the treble zone), even trying the squishing mod.

With the Senn pads on (with the quarter coin mod) they sound and feel great!

I would love to fetch a pair of the 225 or 325 someday and would not hesitate to throw a pair of the Senn pads on.

I hope you like them and can more completely enjoy your Grados.

 

[cj.9]

When I wipe away the blood, i think i can see the callouses starting

All my complaints are directed at Grado.
It is my understanding that Grado has a fine program for fixing problems in purchased phones. Seems they would check out this forum and see the complaints about comfort and at least offer alternatives.

I do understand that all heads are different but the main problem is the foam used is just very rough. Surely the sonic characteristics could be retained with a different type of foam.

True about the special production run of flats, point was that Grado should offer that option and no special run would have been needed.

Why not offer mini or 1/4" plug as option or just throw in the adapter. Seems most phones are plugged to mini's these days.

Are there any opinions of the cheap build quality/looks. I don't mind the retro look but it seems that better materials could be used for the price.
Again if the price was cut in half , I wouldn't mind making mods.
But for the cost I expected more.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally Posted by itza2mer I had the same problem when I owned the 325's. I loved the look and the sound, however they were just too painful to wear.

I'm in this category also. The 325s I own are just utterly uncomfortable for any length of time. I prefer the clamping force of the Senns cause at least the headband stretches over a little time and they become supremely comfortable. The pair of 600s I got were almost brand new with new pads, and they clamped down on my head something fierce. After about 3-4 days of light use they had already stretched out enough to be considered comfortable, and now almost disappear when on my noggin. OTOH, the Grados still hurt my ears.

 

[gsferrari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj.9 Are there any opinions of the cheap build quality/looks. I don't mind the retro look but it seems that better materials could be used for the price. Again if the price was cut in half , I wouldn't mind making mods. But for the cost I expected more.

I agree that the Grados have TERRIBLE build quality. The RS series are nice enough - the SR series is just god-awful crap!

* The plastic is hobby grade...terrible...pooh pooh
* The headband is the biggest joke I have ever seen...I mean...did they
test these on mannequins for comfort?
* The driver housing is definitely well designed acoustically but on a $60.00
headphone I expect higher grade plastic or metal
* Cables are miserable. Nobody bothers to experiment with Grado cable
rolling simply because it is not possible. So many Sennheiser users
complain about the cable quality (me included) but at least you have an
option. Grado cables are no better...
* Cable joint (Y joint) is such a BAD design!! I am waiting for the day when one of my drivers goes dead silent because the cable is completely twisted and snapped up. It will happen - the joint pinches the cable and the drivers can be twisted like a wheel...Why couldnt they put a stopper so that you can turn them flat but no further. This way you have only 180 degrees motion in one direction - no more twisting and untwisting the cables!!

* Cables make a noise in the driver housing. The clicking noise just annoys the hell out of me. I fixed it with a couple of RS Magnetic Cores but this is not what I expect from a $60.00 headphone

* Pads - I dont mind the pads. They are not comfortable but they dont chafe my ears. The comfies are nice and the vwap pads are also comfortable. The Flats give me the best bass of all and I simply cannot be bothered to own the bowl pads

There...I said it all...

But I am still keeping the SR-60

 

[was ist los?]

gsferrari, you certainly make good points. The cable comment bothers me since most other headphones don't have replaceable cables.

 

[Rizumu]

I will say this: the "sandpaper" flats are only a stage. I've purchased two new pairs of flats so far, and both of them were quite scratchy and rough to wear at first. After a couple weeks of using them though, they have gotten quite soft and I have no problem with their comfort. Yet I read you've had them for a month? Mine are much softer now. But I know the SR225 has a much tighter grip than the SR200. Try loosening it up some. I never found the headband uncomfortable though. I'm going with Zanth. We're all built differently and obviously my head is meant for them, but others' are sadly not.

 

[h3nG]

those who are complaining about the comfort...have you adjusted the headbands so that it doesn't squeeze your head?

i remember when i first got them, and didn't adjust the headband. it was so painful to the ears. but after some adjustment, so that the pads hardly applies pressure to my ears, they were quite comfortable.

i actually think the grados are close to being as comfortable as the senns. and when it's hot, i actually prefer the grados because it doesn't cause my ears to sweat.

 

[Fickle-Friend]

Being an owner of SR60, 80s, 225s and RS1s I can say build and comfort doesnt improve much as you go up the range. Even with the RS1 the build is shoddy. The leather isnt even good quality leather. Infact the RS1 is a heavier can than the significantly cheaper SR60 hence more of a load on the head only reducing comfort. But I do find a slight bending on the head band greatly improves comfort. Its not so tightening on the sides of the head.

 

[rogue]

Grado: The Masochist's Headphone

*ducks and hides from all the Grado fans