Quick punchy sound. Realistic instruments. Build quality.

Headband comfort. Twisting cable. Can be too forward on heavy music.

The Grado SR225 are an open backed high quality full size headphone with 5 1/4" termination. They are black with silver grilles and the drivers and round. The headband is steel with a plastic covering. Steel rods hold the drivers onto the headband, and the useful thing is they rotate and can be layed flat. The cable is exceptional quality, thick OFC double sided with a Y splitter. The jack is gold plated which is excellent and expected at this pricepoint. Unfortunately becuase of the drivers rotating freely, the cable often gets twisted above where it splits. This is just about tolerable but irritating. The headband can be slightly tight, but as with all grados, you bend it gently and this is fine. The sound on these is amazing, really fast paced allmost too quick at times. Transients are agile. It drives forward at warp speed. The bass is tight and punchy, but not excessive. The best thing I like about these is the midrange, which is warm and detailed, with good vocals. Instruments sound like their real counterparts. The treble I found to be a little too sharp at times though, some edginess on amplified instruments. Overall these are musical headphones for rock pop and dance.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser.

Build Quality, looks, and performance!!!

none.

Like everyone here, I think these are really great headphones. They are VERY comfortable (soft & fuzzy) and their sound is really something - very smooth, full and listenable. You will get lost in the sound with these truly remarkable headphones!

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser

These headphones are very very comfortable, and the sound is the best I've ever experienced in a set of headphones.

???

Well...I could write a book about these headphones, but I'll just write two things :

1. I agree with the other reviews here. These are just the best headphones you can get. I would only change them for a set of MDR-R10, and nothing less than that.

2. If you can still find them somewhere...buy them!!!

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I've tried several headphones from Sony, which I all liked...but the CD1700 is just even better.

I've also tried some Sennheizer, but the quality is not even close to the CD1700

Good build quality

Limited soundstage

I purchased both these headphones and the Sennheiser 495's with the intention of demoing both and sending back the one that did not make the cut.

Sadly, the Sennhieser 495's cost $100 less and blew these away.

A good pair of headphones but better sound quality is available for less money.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser 495

I saw these Headphones at the Sony Outlet marked (mis-marked?) for $129 dollars.
These headphones sound better than any I've ever heard. The bass is so good, you don't need to use the mega-bass option from the cd player.

I thought my Carver speakers sounded good, but I do prefer these headphones. I can hear things in Beastie Boy's Paul's Boutique that I've never heard before.
And the new Roots album sounds great.

These headphones adjust themselves to your head by what Sony calls an "ingenous self-adjusting strap" and it does work.

The headphones are BIG, and after a while you might feel your ears getting warm, like when wearing any other headphones.

I compared these to the Sony 770 and 880, and these win, hands down.

Comfortable, excellent sound, solid

big? but the sound is bigger

I had been on the market for some decent headphones, rather than keep annoying everyone within a 20 mile radius with my speakers all the time. I went to my local hi fi specialist, and tried out all of the Sennheisers, from £90 upwards. They were all pretty clear sounding, and very comfortable. I then went to a SONY shop, and heard some MDR CD1700's, and I thought WOW. WOW, wow, wow, and a few other words that I wouldn't repeat. They sounded better than any headphones, any speakers or any angel's voice that I've ever heard. But, they were £200. So, I bought the 700DJ's instead for £100, and I got them home, listened to them for about 2 hours, and took them right back and got the CD1700's instead. I couldn't really afford them, but they are worth every penny. The 700DJ's are just SO uncomfortable, and only offer relatively good sound, compared to these CD1700's. Whether you give them bass boost brain thumping music, or clean classical music, these babies will sing it out with absolute ease. They have a much lower impedance than the Sennheisers too, these are 32ohms, which is more in line with typical headphone outputs.

Finally, they're as comfortable as being tucked in with a nice warm blanket. I've worn them almost constantly since I've bought them, because they've brought me a new depth to all my music, so I just have to listen to it all again! even the old stuff that I haven't heard for ages.

Incidentally, they're right here on my head (connected to my computer CD) and they are wicked sounding! Didn't know a computer could sound like this! MP3's are a little weak though, but you don't notice that until you hear them through these super duper headphones... cuz normally everything sounds pretty meagre compared to these phones.

Similar Products Used:

MDR 700DJ (head crushers, they squeeze your head like an over ripe strawberry, and the sound is only moderate on them)

warm and rich sound

mmmh, none

If someone tells you that a japanese manufacturer cannot build hi-fidelity equipment show him these piece of great audio-hardware. The sound is full of details and there is no frequency gap.
I use the 1700 in the evening to hear my music very loud without teasing my neighbours.
If you can afford them...buy them.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser eH2270

I just thought I'd let you know that I am still 10000000% enthusiastic about these headphones. They still amaze the hell out of me with their detail, and they keep my ears warm too!

GET THEM! they're THE best!

Oh, and about Japanese manufacturers....one might think of the tiny components that go into little circuit boards and come to the conclusion that a full range of frequencies can't possibly travel over such tiny conductors. The proof is in the pudding, listen to CD... that was co-invented by Sony with Philips.

Sennheiser on the other hand...they have no excuse for being so useless. They are totally overpriced for what they are, and the hype about them is totally over inflated. Yes, my Mum bought some Sennheisers about 3 centuries ago, and they were good at the time compared to others...but that was down to them being able to reproduce with clarity. Nowadays, someone kindly invented the phenomenon called BASS, but forgot to tell Sennheiser. The CD1700's reproduce an expansive range of frequencies...more than most amplifiers can provide for them. Typically an amp is around 20hz - 20,000hz. The headphones are 5hz- 30,000hz.

The CD1700's do it all, with ease. The only thing missing is the "THUD THUD" you get on your chest when you listen with speakers. It's unnerving!

Sound quality, comfort

Big and bulky

I bought these Sony MDR-CD1700 headphones because I was looking for a pair of high-end sealed-back headphones to replace the Sony MDR-V900's that I returned to Guitar Center. And I knew I found that near-ideal pair of sealed-back headphones from my first listen.

Initially, I had ordered a pair of Sony MDR-CD2000 headphones - the successor of these - from the same vendor. Boy, was I disappointed in the MDR-CD2000! The mids and highs were there, but once you get to the bass - "HEY! WHERE'S ALL MY BASS?" No, I am not one of those so-called "Duh-m-Basses"; they should buy one of the Sony MDR-Vxxx Studio Monitor headphones instead. Also, the MDR-CD2000 is open-back, so they leak some sound to the outside - and they also leak outside noises inward. No thanks; my Sennheiser HD 590's are WAY better than those Sony MDR-CD2000's, so I returned the MDR-CD2000 and exchanged them for these MDR-CD1700 (the ancestor of the MDR-CD2000).

When I received these MDR-CD1700's, I had expected boomy bass and muddy, veiled mids and highs. Boy, was I wrong! I was astounded by the surprising lack of coloration for such a pair of sealed-cup headphones! My pair initially lacked detail in the highs, but 14 hours of burn-in fixed that problem. The bass is surprisingly tight for such a set of big, closed cans; the mids are clear and musical. Sure, nearly all sealed-cup headphones will have some resonance problems; the MDR-CD1700's (and most Beyerdynamic sealed-cup headphones) do a good job at keeping these resonances to a minimum. (By comparison, the same-generation MDR-CD570, 770 and 870 headphones I had demoed at the Sony Gallery last year sounded somewhat boomy, and the MDR-V900's I used to own sounded boomy and tinny both at once.)

Despite the really large size and bulk of these headphones (in fact, the new Koss UR-20 and UR-30 closed headphones are as big as these MDR-CD1700's), the MDR-CD1700's are very comfortable to wear. This is due in part to the self-adjusting headband and soft velour-covered ear pads, and the self-adjusting headband doesn't put as much pressure on the top of my head.

Other little things include the single-sided cord that is straight rather than coiled (I prefer straight cords over coiled ones because straight cords are less likely to get in the way) and measures 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long, and a large vinyl-and-fabric pouch to store and carry the headphones around. The 3.5mm plug tip is gold-plated, and the plug housing is metal (not plastic). A gold-plated screw-on 6.3mm plug adapter is also supplied.

Since these Sony MDR-CD1700's were discontinued last year, they are now hard to find new. But if you can get your hands on these gems at a good price, I recommend buying them. Why did Sony replace these great closed headphones with an inferior (and more expensive) pair that's open-backed?

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD 590, Sony MDR-CD570/770/870/2000, MDR-V900

Great sound quality, Cheap price due to being discontinued

Can be hard to find the "sweet spot" on your head to make them sound there best

What else needs to be said that hasn't been said already? well, these 'phones sound amazing with (female) vocals, and instrumental pieces, this in part i think is because there is a slight boost in the midrange (one of the properties of the Biocellulose Diaphragm).

Bass is strong, tight, and fluid, not boomy in any way (although that might put so called "Duh-m-basses" off of these 'phones, they don't have the largest slam in the market.

Treble, Some might find it a little recessed (it is compared to my Senn 565s) but, NOT in a bad way, everything still sounds musical, but without any searing cymbal clashes, or sibilance... a Cymbal sounds like a Cymbal, and a vocal piece sounds how it should sound.

These 'phones are made for quality rather than quantity, they probably wouldn't suit hardcore techno heads (although i have had them bouncing around quite happily on my head!!) but, definetly (imo) a far better buy (value wise) than the equivilant Senn models (except the HD600)

If anyone in the UK does still want to get there hands on these gems, they'd better hurry up, the only place that i could find them was in London, and, even there, there was only about 5 pairs for sale!!

Happy Hunting!!

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD565