[TheMiddleSky]

Grado is amazing for low volume listening

 

[mootookang]

Ears being too sensitive to treble is not a good thing. My ears are extremely sensitive to treble, and whenever it gets too high, it feels like someone is throwing nails at my eardrums. 

 

[Gradofan2]

Your SR225's will be great... once you find the right source and amp to match them.  All Grados, and low impedance phones in general, need amps with low impedance and high current output to sound their best. 
 
And... try the tape mod, which improves their sound also. 
 
The "new version" HD580/600/650's also sound great - but, must have the right source and amp to optimize their sound also - high voltage, rather than high current output.
 
But, you'll find few phones sound any better than the SR225's - when properly matched to a set up.

 

[mralexosborn]

Quote:

Your SR225's will be great... once you find the right source and amp to match them.  All Grados, and low impedance phones in general, need amps with low impedance and high current output to sound their best. 
 
And... try the tape mod, which improves their sound also. 
 
The "new version" HD580/600/650's also sound great - but, must have the right source and amp to optimize their sound also - high voltage, rather than high current output.
 
But, you'll find few phones sound any better than the SR225's - when properly matched to a set up.

I was thinking this too, but I hear that the Beyer's and Senn's scale more with a better source/amp. So why should I spend a lot of money on these cheaply built headphones?

 

[Rotaryphone]

HD650 is pretty laid back I think. Should give it a shot.

 

[Satellite_6]

The highs increased after burn in I guess? When I first got my 650s, all I could hear was bass, but then the treble got really loud as well (new version).
 
FWIR Sennheisers have much better soundstages and flatter sound than grados in general, but some people don't like their laid back sound. I actually find the 650s to be somewhat engaging/musical rather than analytical/laid back now that I got much different sounding tubes tho. Source matters!

 

[K-MONEY]

When people say that the HD650 has bass, it just doesn't click with me. HD650 does not have enough bass for people to chiefly and confidently say that it has bass. Don't buy the HD650 assuming it has the bass you want. It's like an AKG701 with a bit more noticeable bass, it's not a Denon.
 

 

[Bilavideo]

Did you listen to it with a decent amp?

 

[Satellite_6]

WTH? Any more bass than what the 650s have would be overbearing IMO. On my EF2A they seem to have like a ~3 db mid-bass hump.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Grados are one of those headphones that sounded worse to me the more I listen to it, compared to headphones that sound better with time. Increased treble is exciting at first, but that gets tiring, fatiguing, shrill etc really fast. I felt the same with AKG K701 after I went from Grados. After getting sick of the Grado treble, I found the AKGS were more relaxed. Then after awhile, the AKG treble was killing me too. NO MATTER WHAT VOLUME.
 

Don't shoot the messenger. Maybe you are listening to music that's horribly recorded?  I've never heard wonderful recordings sound harsh on Grados.
 
On the other hand, I've heard horrible recordings sound 'wonderful' on headphones that boost the bass and roll off the upper midrange/lower treble.
 

 

[mralexosborn]

Quote:

Don't shoot the messenger. Maybe you are listening to music that's horribly recorded?  I've never heard wonderful recordings sound harsh on Grados.
 
On the other hand, I've heard horrible recordings sound 'wonderful' on headphones that boost the bass and roll off the upper midrange/lower treble.
 

The harshness occurs with metal. Most of which is in FLAC. It isn't that poorly recorded although I must admit is not great. Meh. 

 

[ecclesand]

Quote:

The harshness occurs with metal. Most of which is in FLAC. It isn't that poorly recorded although I must admit is not great. Meh. 

Check into the Beyer DT990 for metal.  I use it exclusively for metal and rock which is all I listen to and I'm quite happy with it.  Get a decent OTL headphone amp to drive it and you're all set.

 

[mralexosborn]

Quote:

Check into the Beyer DT990 for metal.  I use it exclusively for metal and rock which is all I listen to and I'm quite happy with it.  Get a decent OTL headphone amp to drive it and you're all set.

What does OTL stand for? Also will a uDac bring the DT990 to an audible volume?

 

[ecclesand]

OTL is output transformerless...it's a tube amp designed for higher impedance headphones.  I have not heard the uDac, but per their website, it can handle headphones with impedance up to 300 ohms so you could theoretically drive the 250 ohm or lower versions of the DT990.

 

[wind016]

Metal is pretty infamous for sibilance so I don't doubt it. Recording metal is incredibly difficult...
 
Quote:

Don't shoot the messenger. Maybe you are listening to music that's horribly recorded?  I've never heard wonderful recordings sound harsh on Grados.
 
On the other hand, I've heard horrible recordings sound 'wonderful' on headphones that boost the bass and roll off the upper midrange/lower treble.