The best quality of the 325s is a clean, open, airy aural presentation. Instrument separation was very good, as good as I have heard. Guitar and harp, for example, were masterfully rendered as far as sheer analytical detail is concerned.

Weaknesses were too many at this price level. Sibilance seems a problem on female voice and bass is far too limited for my liking. It's clean bass, but a bit puny. My over-riding impression was that here was a sound with the treble turned up a couple of notches and the bass turned down a peg or two. Very clean, but uninvolving. I've already slammed the comfort level, but I should also mention the very short cord, which Grado want $40 to provide an extension for! They charge an extra $15 for a miniplug adapter also. The Grados have been returned and I won't be trying their other current models after this sad experience. The price for this item is ridiculous in my humble opinion. Please note my comments relate to classical and instrumental music, not rock. Perhaps the Grados would do better with latter?

Pleasant-sounding, junky-looking. Is there a headphone on the market that looks/feels like so much scrap material as this? The gauze material covering the drivers looks like it has been cut out with toy scissors, and stuck down none too accurately. The plastic trim is amazingly cheap-looking (Woolworths quality springs to mind). The metallic parts are of better standard, but the earpads are the roughest, most irritating I've ever experienced. The leads rub against the metal earcups at their exit point and show wear from almost the outset. This is all a particular pity because the sound quality is rather nice apart from a lack of adequate bass. That said, what bass there is seems tight and well-controlled. I tried hard to judge these phones on sound only, but it is hard to do that in such discomfort.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheisers, including 497, 580 and 590.

detail and depth, funky retro styling

can be forward.

Not a whole lot to say here. Good head phones. Until you treat 'em nice, then you really get the product you just spent 300 bucks on. Grado's headphone amp and Ted's excellent cable "ear candy" headphone extension cable made a big difference. Music has incredible definition and depth. I like then best with jazz. Cassandra Wilson, Joe Sample and Lynne Arriale Trio COME ALIVE. Between Cassandra's "strange fruit" deep rich voice, joe's "hippies in the park" ivory funky fest or pat in "proof" loosing his mind with that wild synth riffs. its enough to give a music junky a hit so good that it would make a crack head consider a new fix. Instruments or portrayed with razor sharp precision. I promise more and more often when listening and its about bed time I get that old "one more song syndrome". They are that good. My only gripe is they can be forward. Pat Metheny group will insist you turn 'em down in certain passages. Also don’t listen to my senn 600s any more (that is in part I feel my 300 sound better in my set up). Last foot note, this is my third set of Grado's they never sound good out the box. Give them ample time to break in before considering listening to them. after that give them a month to truly start showing their colors.

Similar Products Used:

senn 580, 600 and grado sr 80, 125

Deep and controlled bass (not overdone), highs are smooth and instruments sound real. Sounds good with all kinds of music from Techno/Dance/Rock to Classic/Jazz music. Build quality is better then the previous grado models on this one. Sound almost as good as the most expensive Grado headphone model for a fraction of the cost.

None that I could find.

This review is a summary of my experience comparing the various Grado headphones. I first became a big Grado fan when I bought the SR-60, they had a great bass and they are not too reveiling if you have a source that is not of great quality, like mp3s or some portable player. There is no headphone for this price that will give you such a great quality. I auditionned the SR-80, but for the small amount of money, I felt that the SR-125 provided some good enhancement in the sound quality that was worth the difference. I then bought the SR-125 for using with my Creek OBH-11 amplifier connected to my MSB Link DAC directly. The sound was good, but the highs were just a bit grainy/bright, and the bass was deep but I wish it would just be a bit deeper and had more impact. The overall sound was very good and detailed, but sounded a bit "thin" for my taste. Still on my quest to find the perfect sound balance, I upgraded to the SR-325, and this is just what I was looking for. Now the music sounds much fuller, the bass is deeper and has more impact, and the highs are smoother, just like they should be. I also hear all kinds of details that I wasn't able to notice with the SR-125. I think the aluminum chamber makes a big difference, it doesn't color the sound, so it's very neutral and string instruments and vocals sound alive and real. Of course it's double the price of the SR-125, but I think it's well worth the investment if you are going to use it with a nice headphone amplifier and a good source. To me the SR-325 really sound just like a complete high-end sound system with a nice subwoofer straight into my ears. The SR-60/125 took a bit of time to become confortable, but the SR-325 are even more confortable, I think because they are a bit larger and the headband has a bit of padding. Overall, I would recommend any of the Grado headphones that you can afford, I would say just go for the highest model you can afford, there is a big difference as you move up the ladder. For the true audiophile, I would recommend the SR-325.

Similar Products Used:

SR-60, SR-125, Sennheiser HD570

-Treble, Bass, Mid (Everything) -Relatively lightweight -Flashy

-Sometimes too flashy -Supra ural earcups aren't perfect

These "cans" are simply astounding. The sound quality is very natural. While some may find the 325's to be less comfortable to other phones, I find them to be more than satisfactory, and since they're lightweight, they can be worn for long periods of time. They attract very much attention, so keep that in mind. And while the price may seem steep, once you've get these babies on your head, you never regret the purchase. I used to be a Sony man, but I was quickly swayed once I got a listen. Some say the styling looks old fashioned, and I somewhat agree, but I think they are some of the coolest looking headphones out there. If you don't own these, BUY THEM ASAP!

Similar Products Used:

Sony v700, v900, v300

Accurate,meaty sound not lacking in acoustical atmosphere. Simple,sturdy design with thick cables. Made in USA.

(Subjective ones only). These cans are very up-front and intense in musical presentation. Can you handle it? Thirty-hour break in is absolutely required.

A magnificent window into the world of recorded music,quite unlike any other headphone I have tried. If you want warm,up close and personal,try these. They can appear clunky,heavy,old- fashioned at first and one may wonder if the Grado family may have not left their basement for the last forty years or so. But,the look is actually charming in it's brute simplicity and the design is wonderfully strong and functional,unlike certain other headphones with wimpy cables and swoopy,jello-molded styling. The sound is best described as meaty yet airy,warm yet detailed,accurate yet involving,and I must admit when I first heard these phones that I was shocked,yet tittilated! It is as if the ear has panned in very close to the point of interest,yet there is no lack of a sense of space and echo. My AKG K-501's are very neutral and precise and perhaps are preferable for the more laid back approach to life. My Grado SR-60's are smooth and satisying enough and bring you close to the soul of the music,and were my first love in headphone listening. But neither one brings such a lush and palpable sense of the music,and a feeling of breath and liveliness,as do the SR-325's. The large sound chambers and the inert,non-resonant alloy constuction are probably the best design,overall,for lifelike sound even when compared to the more costly wooden models RS-1 and RS-2,although certain frequency ranges may enjoy the warm boost that only resonating wood can produce. The plastic-bodied Grado models below the SR-325,while all excellent buys,suffer from certain non-musical resonances that make buying one of the three upper models worthwhile, musically. I would say that all types of music are well served by the SR-325,but especially small ensembles of musicians of any genre. The bass blooms outstanding. Ambient details galore. Voices,male or female,that emanate from throaty vapor. Does the truth interest you?

Similar Products Used:

Grado SR-60,AKG K-501,Sennheiser HD-600.

The most detailed sound and definetely the deepest bass in the price range.

Comfort level

I own Senn''s HD580 and after trying them at work I decided they''ll stay there, and I am buying another pair of cans. Since I was already used to the HD580''s quality level, and have always wanted to own a pair Grado''s just for their looks, getting SR325 was a logical choice as any lower Grado model is most certainly inferior to HD580. In the decision process I read a bunch of reviews and comparisons of these two models, with the majority reviewers, both enthusiasts and professionals agreeing that SR325''s sound is somewhat more detailed and definitely more exciting. So after a search for the best deal on the web, about a month ago I got a pair of SR325 from AlmostMusic.com for what I thought was an incredible $235 (I believe they sell them since for $250). Initially the sound was so muffled that I had the irrational thought that it will never get even close to the Senns, even after extensive break-in period. And that''s exactly what I did - burned them for 5 consecutive days while checking on the sound improvement every 24 hrs. After two days there was a notable improvement, and then after each next day they were opening more and more, so for bout 100-120 hrs they were ready to listening to. And must say all my fears went through the window. What a sound! I can''t honestly say that one is better sounding than the other, as both the HD580 and SR325 are marvelous performers and I believe it''s a mater of personal preference. Also one might need to take into an account other factors like intended use. I now use HD580 exclusively at work due to two main factors: 1) Incredible comfort that allows me to keep them on my ears for 4-5 hrs and more. I must admit that I can''t keep the SR325 on for more than a couple of hours, as my ears start feeling very uncomfortable, if not hurting. Of coarse the more I use the Grados, the more they''ll feel right as my ears will be getting to used to them, but I doubt I''ll ever be able to use them as long as the Senns during a single session. So HD580 get the upper hand here 2) I find the sound of HD580 less tiring (if the sound of cans with the quality of these models can be qualified as tiring), which also makes them perfect for long hours of listening. This however I attribute to the higher level of details produced by the Grados, so I think we have a tie here. And now to the point. I find Groado''s sound more exciti

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD580

detail highs, punchy bass, great sound!

For me?? NO!

Man, this headphone rocks! Many people said that it needs a long time to break-in.But, for me, I just played it for around 30 hours and guess what? It just sounds like the singers singing in front of me! Through this headphone, I could hear all the detail from the music. Treble are highly detail, which some people might find it too annoying.I really can't believe that this headphone could sound so nice. The bass is sooo punchy and you can just feel the impact to your ears!

I have Senn's HD-580. I really can't compare much between these 2 headphones since they have their own strength. Overall, both are very good headphone. HD-580 is worth every penny. It's $170 less than the SR-325. SR-325 is quite pricey though. (4 out of 5 stars!).....but after one has put on this headphone, you forget about the high price!

Similar Products Used:

Grado SR-80, Grado SR-60, Koss Porta Pro, Senn's HD580.

Deep thumping bass

Bass is a bit boomy, limited soundstage, uncomfortable for wearing long periods of time

These headphones have a very open airy sound to them. Either you will like this (the Sennheiser sound) or you will prefer the tighter, thumping sound of Grados.

Grados have more bass pure and simple but listening to the bass heavy Grados is like listening to a stereo with the loudness button turned on - very fatiguing. Also the Grado design is very uncomfortable to wear for more than 30 minutes at a time.

The Sennheisers look and feel wonderful.

If you prefer the lighter, more open, airy more musical sound then you will like the Sennheiser 495. If you like pounding boomy bass then you will prefer the Grado 325's.
Do be aware that you cannot listen to the Grado 325's for more than 30 to 40 minutes before your ears will hurt.

Oscar

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser 495

Bass,Soundstage,Good Detail

Vocals can be sibilant.

These headphones are a mixed bag for most people. I think most of the complaints are minor issues. They can be a bit "bright" but maybe the headphones are just revealing the true source? Even in the year 2000, the cd has a lot of growing up to do. Compared to the 125 , the soundstage is a lot wider , bass is stronger and more defined and the top end is more detailed. (If you have a crappy source you might be better off with less revealing phones.)
I noticed that vocals can be sibliant. (Diana Krall's newest cd, for example.)
I've never experienced this problem with the SR125.
Overall, I think it is a great product.

Similar Products Used:

Grado SR125

Clean harmonic structure, good dynamics, flat low base to the extent possible with a headphone

Grado earpieces are poorly padded, solid aluminum enclosure for 325 makes them heavier then other Grados, not for portables

Grado was a hit with audiophiles in the 60's and 70's because they held the patent for a moving magnet cartridge that for very little money brought you close to what the most exotic stereo systems at the time were able to reproduce. With their headphone line they seem to be staking out similiar success. All of their models seem to work very well at reproducing acoustic instruments and the pitch and nuances of the human voice. The models below the RS-325 suffer however from resonance of the earspeaker enclosure which manifests as an edginess on high energy sounds (sharply bowed violins, fortissimo clarinet passages, similiar acoustic instruments with complex harmonics playing loud solo passages). The RS-325 with the solid aluminum enclosure eliminates the problem so that any edginess heard is actually the recording. This may have one side effect however; it will be possible to recognize your badly digitized CD's for what they are. A good product
for an audiophile system, but for a chain store stereo you may be fine with the less expensive Grado's.
Note:
For listening I use a Linn Genki CD player through the headphone output of a Bryston B-60, with Magneplanars for normal listening.

Similar Products Used:

Grado RS-80, Stax SR-5, Sennheiser HD-580