[TheDreamthinker]

ah ok
 
so an amp is recommended for the higher end models....
 
Thanks guys
 

 

[LugBug1]

 
Quote:

The only thing my E7 helped was the anemic bass from the 225i, which forced me to use bass boost on the 225i. Yes, less bass than the Ad900s.

No anemic bass with my 225i's in fact it's very warm and full sounding and fits in perfect with the overall sound signature... there may be some truth in all Grado phones being different!  

 

 

[TheDreamthinker]

.....proof for hand-made quality

 

[keanex]

I'm not sure if you had the bowl pads, but I can't imagine anyone who has heard them unamped/flat eq ever consider the bass to be anything but anemic with the bowl pads.
 
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=373&graphID[]=353&graphID[]=2661
 
Not that graphs mean everything, but as you can see the bass response isn't much better than the anemic bass on the Ad700s, except the midbass hump, which is largely drowned out by the over emphasized mids and highs. Also, like I said, I think you're the only person on the forums to ever call Grado's "warm" sounding.

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

I'm not sure if you had the bowl pads, but I can't imagine anyone who has heard them unamped/flat eq ever consider the bass to be anything but anemic with the bowl pads.
 
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=373&graphID[]=353&graphID[]=2661
 
Not that graphs mean everything, but as you can see the bass response isn't much better than the anemic bass on the Ad700s, except the midbass hump, which is largely drowned out by the over emphasized mids and highs. Also, like I said, I think you're the only person on the forums to ever call Grado's "warm" sounding.

I've got mine amped, but no EQ. I must say that they were bass light to begin with but now after about 150 hrs burn in it is there and it is warm! (the lower end that is)
 
I think the most quoted sound signiture of Grado is "a mixture of warm and bright" so I have to disagree with you there my friend.  

 

[keanex]

I would love too see one other person claim the Sr60i, Sr80i, Sr125i, or 325i are even close to being "warm." The 225i is the most balanced of them all and even then the high's are fatiguing. The others are even worse. I've never heard anything higher than that though.

 

[supersleuth]

Quote:

I'm not sure if you had the bowl pads, but I can't imagine anyone who has heard them unamped/flat eq ever consider the bass to be anything but anemic with the bowl pads.
 
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=373&graphID[]=353&graphID[]=2661
 
Not that graphs mean everything, but as you can see the bass response isn't much better than the anemic bass on the Ad700s, except the midbass hump, which is largely drowned out by the over emphasized mids and highs. Also, like I said, I think you're the only person on the forums to ever call Grado's "warm" sounding.

Start imagining. There's plenty of bass, for acoustic music anyway. The bass response goes down as far as anything produced by non-electronic instruments except the lowest (rarely used) organ notes. Also, the mids and highs are only slightly over-emphasized if you wear the bowls the way they should be worn, on-ear and forward.
 

 

[wind016]

Quote:

 
I think the most quoted sound signiture of Grado is "a mixture of warm and bright" so I have to disagree with you there my friend.  

In more accurate terms, V-shaped frequency response. Unless you mean neutral which is the true "warm and bright" then I'm sure no one would agree.
 
 Anyways, the HP1000 and the SR200 are really peaking my interest. I always liked the vintage look of Grado but hated their sound. It seems I should really see what these Grados have to offer. If they truely are neutral, then it may seriously blow my mind.

 

[TheDreamthinker]

can't they be described as mid-centred and lively 

 

[LugBug1]

Well, as you can see in any Grado graph, they aren't really V shaped at all. My personal opinion is because of the design, it allows the bass to be free in the chamber and so it sounds loose and in my ears "warm". Add this to the spikes of the higher end and you will get a "warm and bright" character.  

 

[TheDreamthinker]

and what about mids?

 

[keanex]

Mids were very pushy as were the highs with the flat pads that come standard on the Sr60i/Sr80i. The mids/highs seemed very flat with the bowl pads for me, especially in comparison to my Ad900 which felt alive. I'm not using flat as another meaning for balanced either, I mean it as it felt boring. Before anyone asks, yes I've positioned them a million times on my ears, the bowls (imo) just ruined the sound. I'd like to try the 225i with flat quarter modded pads though. Even my girlfriend who knows nothing about headphones much preferred the Ad900 over the 225i, though she may be a bit biased since she bought me my Ad900.

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

can't they be described as mid-centred and lively 

I'd go with that!
 
But I would also say that the bass is equal to the mids and only the highs are emphasized
 

 

[TheDreamthinker]

i tried some Grados a long while ago, so i can't tell whether i recall the sound sg accurately.
 
From what i still remember, i can say that the vocals/mids and the intimacy blew me away.
 

 

[wind016]

Quote:

can't they be described as mid-centred and lively 

No they can't. If high mids were the only part to be considered "the mids", then probably but not really. However, almost all Grados recessed the mids (~500-1K) and the lower mids (~250K-500K) by 10 db from the treble. The top tier Grados recess all of the mids in one gigantic scoop.
 
So no, they aren't mid-centered. They are definitely treble centered.
 
Compare with the Audio Technica ESW9 (blue) which I would actually consider mid centered.
 

 


Quote:

Well, as you can see in any Grado graph, they aren't really V shaped at all. My personal opinion is because of the design, it allows the bass to be free in the chamber and so it sounds loose and in my ears "warm". Add this to the spikes of the higher end and you will get a "warm and bright" character.  

The lower models are not so V shaped though still recessing the mids but the top tier ones inarguably are