I have been happily using low end Grado Prestige series cans (60s then 80s) for about a decade but when Consumer Reports rated these as the best headphones they had ever tested I decided to give them a try.
Many complain of the "lack of bass" and the "rolled off top end:
The Reference series is notable for its warmer sound and smooth top end
The 'e' iteration has smoothed the mids from the 'i' version and because the upper end is a little less hot, the mids are much more natural to these ears
The 'e' version has a deeper-reaching bass, more refined midrange, as well as more refined and smoother upper end
While some will prefer a tighter grip, the Grados never feel loose-fitting
If mobile use in a public space is important to you then don't purchase Grados (unless you want an in-ear, which would lead me to recommend the excellent GR8 or GR10 from Grado).
I just look at it like this: where other headphones are so comfortable you forget you're wearing them, Grados are as comfortable as they can be and still deliver their awesome sound
Because although Grados will do fine on straight line outputs, they like the extra power and really sing with more headroom
Where other headphones are laid back and accurate and will relax and lull you, Grados will wake you up, energize you, and make you take notice
The SR225e's have a slightly gritty sound on the high end when listening through a high quality solid state amp, which lends itself well to live music - especially rock
An amp is not necessary with these cans, but it can't hurt
To make a long story short, do not make a full judgement about these headphones until they are full broken in, and do not overlook the difference an good headphone amp will make
In order to get the most out of the SR325e headphones, or any of the Grado headphones, a good headphone amp is required
With these cans, a decent DAC, and amp you can truly hear the nuance you've never noticed buried in tracks you've heard a thousand times
The soundstage felt more spacious as instrument reverberations occupied more space, significantly improving the reproduction of ambience
The soundstage and details of the stereo imagining is excellent and should impress even sound engineers.
The soundstage became more spacious, mildly improving the reproduction of ambience
SR-125 - base soundSR-225 - slightly wider soundstage, slightly improved accuracy (warmer)SR-325 - improved look and feel, slightly punchier bass, slightly improved accuracy (warmer)Owners of the SR-125 may be tempted to buy L-cushions to get better sound
The soundstage is intimate and realistic, giving you a front row seat feeling with stellar imaging and separation that doesn't feel artificial
They won't punish you for a less than perfect audio source, are low impedance so you can play from a portable device
Flat across the spectrum (if that is what you want it to be), clean, beautifully transparent, and -- as any good sound reproducer should be -- faithfully representative of the source material and hardware, good or bad.
Even listening to a song on YouTube (arguably not the best source for sound quality) is a thoroughly enjoyable
If you have good equipment and sources YOU WILL BE REWARDED with almost blissful sound and hear your recordings as if for the first time.
Feed the SR325's good source material, and you are rewarded with a broad soundstage, precise imaging, strong and well-controlled bass, and beautiful and crystalline highs
The Case for a Headphone Amplifier.*Also see sections: Infamous L-cushions, Long-Term Listening to the SR-325.Long-Term Listening to the SR-325=========================I've been listening to these exclusively for about 3 months
My first impression was, these things have great detail and a lot more bass than I have read about
Their detail and transparency, notably in the vocal and guitar mid-range, is incredible
The 325e had more bass, great detailed highs that are seldom shrill, unless listening to poor cd,file,or equipment.
The Case for a Headphone Amplifier.*Also see section: Infamous L-cushions
The sound quality is excellent, but the construction seems to be a bit flimsy
The Case for a Headphone Amplifier.*Also see sections: Infamous L-cushions, Long-Term Listening to the SR-325.Long-Term Listening to the SR-325=========================I've been listening to these exclusively for about 3 months
Love the build quality of these headphones and the sound they put out
The build quality is not going to blow you away but they are nicely finished with metal mesh on the backs and embossed model name emblem in the center
But the biggest issue is the weird clamp, it hurts on top of the ear, meanwhile the earcup is almost not touching the bottom, which together creates a feeling of cheapness and clunky build (which is sad, because the build is good quality!)All in all, great sound, unbearable discomfort, couldn't wear comfortably for more than 10 minutes.
If you like brands that extend the bass or treble frequency registers, the Grado is not for you
That Grado sound that I've fallen for comes through in spades with these headphones
Either Grado has a serious quality control problem lately as this is my second consecutive e-series model with a major driver imbalance, or their published driver matching specs are pure fiction
I would just leave music playing 24/7 but Grado says to break these in naturally.
I spend a lot of time researching and getting great help from Rich Grado from 4ourears
One aspect of their sound signature is a steep bass roll-off below 100hz
They seemed detailed and some good bass with lively punch.
Most headphones I tried were very inaccurate with a wash of sound, muddy bass, no definition, and no clear sound stage
The slow, boomy bass drums and deep bass guitar come through with strength and clarity, and despite their thick reverb, they sound neither bloated nor thin and they decay into silence
With the SR-325, the bass and soundstage was improved to satisfactory levels
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