Natural,detailed,you are close to the musicians

comfort,there are phones which sounds "nicer"

After listening to many headphones i decided to take you know which phone. You are able to discover your recordings completely new.You hear evry detail.These phones don"t want to imitate speakers like Sennheiser 600. Sennheisers have more bas more soundstage more effects.Sennheiser is good hifi.Grado is good music. The only thing thats missing-warm sounding voices.Perhaps thei are a bit too sharp.Good price for what you get

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser hd600.akg501,sony 2000,

solid bass good separation retro looks

stage below expectations, (expected deeper and wider) poor comfort part which slides (metal rod) and plastic with the channel id loose already

When I first brought it back, it sounded like all of the following: Harsh, Glassy,Busy, Confused, too much Detail in everything, in one word pretty Disappointing. I shelled out a total of usd 485 for the ra-1 and sr-225 combo and felt pretty stupid Left it on to play the burn in track from xlo/ Sheffield labs test disc. Next day, I rushed home from work. There were changes, bass is focused, tight, bass lines tuneful. Instruments around sounded more nicely balanced. After 3 says, In one word pretty awesome. Lets you get right into the music. With recordings from different eras, you know it immediately, reflecting the technology. Good recordings sound exactly like that. If it is cold it is. The wooden mahagony amp and the phones look cool beyond words, retro chic. Yes baby! Sony cd discman de-j955--? mini to rca adapter --? qed qunex2--? grado ra-1----? grado sr -225

Similar Products Used:

sr 60 yamaha hp1 earbuds of various genres

Clean, detailed, with a solid deep bass

Very weird break-in period. Sounded horrible upon first listening.

I received these headphones about a month ago and after listening to them straight out of the box, I was really, really disappointed. I purchased a Melos SHA 1 headphone amp specifically for these new headphones and they were bested by a $99 pair of Sonys. I had to turn the Melos up twice as loud with the Grados and the bass was not weak, but non-existant. It sounded very tinny and had no body to the sound. I even called up the place I bought them from and asked if they were defective.

After I gave them a 24/7 break-in period for about 3 weeks using an XLO break-in disc and plain old music, they finally opened up. They didn't open up gradually. One day I came home to listen and everything was right. The volume was back down to a normal level, bass was REAL strong and deep and everything gelled. Very pleased!

I thought the Sony MRD V600's sounded very nice with the Melos, but after listening to the Grados, I noticed the Sonys have an echo to the sound(probably from being closed-ear type) and much less definition. The Grados sound like you are listening to a loudspeaker for a couple of reasons 1) they are very light and let you forget you are wearing headphones 2) The lack of echo and resonance 3) the soundstage was as big as the living room that I was listening to them in. When I closed my eyes, I couldn't remember if I was listening to my headphones or not.

The highs can be a little dark, but is dependant on the recording. Dave Matthews(any of his cds) still sounds very bright thru the Grados, but not as annoying like with the Sonys or Spica loudspeakers. Bass is very firm and balanced with the overall sound of the headphones. Voices sound very lifelike and the room acoustics of the recording are reproduced faithfully(provided it was recorded with this info).

One tip for owners. I would HIGHLY recommend listening to these headphones on a Melos Sha 1 amp. The Melos was designed specifically for Grado headphones and even uses Grado's headphone wiring for the internal circuitry. You can find used ones for under $550 nowadays. I would not recommend the Grados unless you had a decent headphone amp(Headroom, Grado, Melos, etc.) I was not too thrilled with the sound thru my Kenwood cd player in the other room or my Sony portable cd player.

System setup - Pioneer Elite PD 65, Melos SHA 1 headphone anp, Tara Labs Master RSC, Panamax MAX1000. Happy listening!

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR V600(see review), Grado Sr80, Sr 125

Nice tight controlled bass, rounded trebles, full mids, very nicely balanced overall sound, aluminum grills look great.

Cord is a bit too short.

I originally purchased the SR-80s after auditioning them against the 225s. Although I liked the 225s better, economics dictated that I go with the 80s. I regretted the decision. The 80s have a wonderful sound but the highs were very overpowering. After 5 days I went back and exhanged them for the 225s.

I find the bass in the 225s more pronounced than the 80s but not as "boomy" as the 325s. The 325s are an outstanding pair of cans, but to my ears I didn't want the type of bass response that they provdided. The 225s also took some of the edge off the treble that I experienced with the 80s, making for a very balanced overall listening experience.

The grills on the 225s look very cool. I must say that the place that I bought them at was absolutely the best. I was fortunate that I could go into their retail store to audition the phones. I was in their listening room for over an hour, back and forth between the 225s and 325s. They left me alone to make my decision. I also ordered an extension from their website (the store was out), I got it the next day.

Similar Products Used:

Grado SR-80, SR-325, Nakamichi SP-7 (about 15 yrs old), Sennheiser HD-570

Solid and quite deep bass.
Very good mechanical structure.
+Sound quite 'romantic' and easy to listen

Sound too thick with certain records.
Requires a good headphone amp to show it's best.
-Quite often too 'romantic'

It sounds nice and easy to listen. The SR-225 fits well especially with rhytmic records. The midband is clear and sounds good. The treble sounds good too, but it lacks some power.

I find Grado headphones comfortable after few weeks of use when the earpads get smoother. The mechanical structure is exceptionally good, and the cord is good too, although maybe i bit short.

I can recommend these headphones to people who mainly listen music like rock'n'roll or country. For classical music there are better headphones.

Similar Products Used:

Grado SR-125, Stax Lambda Nova Basic system

Improves on Grado SR-125s for imaging, airiness, clarity

long break-in period--and I wonder whether I should've spent the extra $96 and gotten the SR-325s instead

After two years and a swap of the original "flat" earpads for the "donut" pads--which in a review on this site of the SR-125s, I mistakenly thought were "replacement" pads rather than the current standard-issue on Grados from the SR-80 on up--the 125s proved to be the "weakest link" in a higher-resolution system than I'd had when I bought the 'phones in mid-1999. This was due to my discovery of how earpad-dependent the 'phones are. In comparing the (still-useable) "flat" earpads with the donut pads, I found that the flat pads gave me richer instrumental timbres coupled with vaguer imaging and more sluggish attacks, while the donut pads produced a more detailed soundstage coupled with uncomfortably bright highs.

Not having the time at present to visit a brick-and-mortar store--which is how I'd recommend trying out ANY audio component--I did my "auditioning" online, and after considering 'phones from AKG, Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser (a brand I am familiar with and which simply isn't my cuppa tea, notwithstanding the ecstatic reviews of the HD-600s on this site), I decided to stick with Grado. In comparing the reviews on this site of the SR-225s and SR-325s, it seemed to me that the evaluations of the 325s varied more widely, with some praising them and some cursing them. So the 225s seemed like a "safer" choice. And goodcans.com offers free shipping on Grado 'phones! (No, they didn't pay me to mention that.)

While the 225s are still undergoing an extended break-in, I already find them to be a step above the 125s. Maybe not a quantum leap, but a noticeable improvement and a worthwhile upgrade. (I suspect that's how it goes when moving up the Grado ladder.) They seem to "step back" a bit in perspective compared to the 125s, so that whereas the 125s give you a piano keyboard at fairly close range, the 225s depict the whole piano and something of the space it was recorded in. Bass is more articulate, if not quite as rich as that produced by the old-style earpads with the 125s. As for the highs, I'd describe them as extended without being glaring as they can be with the 125s. The mids are proportionate, but not recessed as they are with Sennheisers. Dare I say that the presentation is more Senn-like without being quite so laid-back as actual Senns? I'm not sure, though, that the 225s have reached their full potential yet, despite a few days' running in, so there may be further developments in the months to come.

I believe I'll be sticking with the Grado brand for quite some time. However, based on reviews I've seen on other sites, I'm just wondering if the 325s would've marked an even bigger improvement. But I guess that's the lot of the audio enthusiast whose budget isn't unlimited--to wonder whether gear costing 10 or 20 percent more would offer substantially more than what you bought...

Similar Products Used:

Grado SR-125, Grado SR-60, Creek OBH-11 headphone amp, Sennheiser HD-580s (owned), Sennheiser HD-600s (tested)

Crystal clear highs, nice mid-range, good lows.

Long break-in period. I had to play it continuously for 1.5 month before it sounds at its best.

I used to listen to Sennheiser HD-580. I bought the Grado because lots of people saying that it's a good rock and roll headphone. At first I was a bit disappointed, the sound is kind of muffled and stiff. After long playing, the sound is getting improved. I can't say it is better than Sennheiser nor can I say it is less capable. Both of them had their own characteristic. Only a test by your own ear will reveal which one is the best for you. I love both of them now.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD-580, AKG-240, Beyerdynamic DT-990

Very detailed and dymanic

Poor design for comfort, can be improved with tweaks

This is the best buy in the Grado line for me, sound is very detailed and dynamic with good bass punch, however
overall sound can be described as lean/aggressive compared
to Senn HD 580/600 which to me has ideal balance and sounds fuller/richer and more relaxed but still detailed. Sound is polar opposite to Sony V900 which is rich/full/warm but sounds veiled/rounded compared to SR225.

The SR-225 can be easily driven directly from portable CDP and sounds very good, but I use also with Grado RA1 amp and they sound even better. The Grado RS2 costs 2.5X the price
of SR225, and you do get slightly deeper bass and fuller more 3D sound and is overall preferable, but the SR225 has slightly more detailed treble and offers much better value,
you should be able to buy new for @$150-170 if you search.

Similar Products Used:

Grado RS-2, Senn HD580/Clou Blue Jaspis, Sony MDR V900

sound good

overpriced! outlook?

This is a comparative review of AKG K300, Grado SR225 and Sennheiser HD590 (plus HD433). Note: I'm assuminig K301, current model, has no functional difference from K300, so was I told from the guy I got K300 from. Sorry if I'm mistaken, but I believe I'm giving you a good (or bad) information anyway.

My first "hi-end" headphones were HD433. They cost $40 or so on eBay when I got them. With them, I got very excited to see what a big improvement headphones can make in my portable audio systems and decided to go further to get better headphones. I then got HD590, SR225, and just recently K300. Of course, no comparison of HD433 with other three makes sense. So, I won't mention HD433 below.

Let me begin with their prices: HD590 and SR225 were sold at almost the same price (around $160) on eBay when I got them two months ago. I got K300 for $50 just a few days ago. But, evcen without the price factor taking into consideration, my preference goes to K300. How come??? you may wonder. Let me explain in three other factors: (1) comfortability, (2) outlook, and (3) sound, the most important factor.

How about their comfortability? HD590 and K300 are in good competition; both are very light and well-designed to give you a nice fitness. SR225 is far behind them. Actually, SR225 sucks in this respect.

How about their looks? HD590 and K300 are in good competition, too. My taste says that HD590 is a little bit grotesque; they look like an object you often see in a B-class SF movie. SR225 is far behind, and sucks in this respect, too. (Incidentally, why are European companies so good at industorial design? Or rather, why do American companies refuse to "learn" basics of design from them???)

How about their sound qualities? In a nutshell, K300 is the best exactly because it is really well balanced, giving a good blend of nice features of HD590 and SR225, I believe.

HD590 is a very nice headphones and so is SR225. Both would be rated at least 4/4 if I didn't know K300. But, to me, HD590 sounds too opaque to enjoy music even if it gives very warm, smooth tonality with a very wide soundstage. Actually, I prefer SR225 in binary comparison with HD590. SR225 sounds more clear, accurate, and natural, even if it suffers a little bit from too much harshness, brightness, and aggressiveness. Also, SR225's soundstage is not so wide. Rather, it gives you the impression that you're very close to musicians.

I recognize that the sound of K300 is kind of muffled: it is far from clear, and I can easily imagine that some people would say their sound is "lifeless". Grado fans are tend to say this, I suspect. Also, the quality is different from warm that is one nice features of Senn sounds. K300 sounds somewhat "dried out".

Still, K300's separation is outstanding: no comparison with any other headphones (and even speakers) I've never gave a listen to. K300 is the only output device with which I can easily recognize four instruments, in a string quartet, playing independently. Also, K300 gives a pretty wide soundstage.

I'm not sure, but I suspect that K300 could be so designed as to enhance normal listener's ability of sounds. I say this because I had the impression that they made me hear most "difficult" sounds, maybe at expense of the fidelity in "easier" sounds. I recognized highs are missing in K300's performance. This is either for good or bad, though. To me, it was good, so good that I decided to sell my SR225 immediately when I listened to K300. I got so excited with K300 that I listened many of my favorite CD's to rediscover them. As they breaking in, they are sounding better and better.

A few things I want to complain about K300: first, it's regrettable that their fitting isn't adjustable: they are too loose for me. By the way, I like their L-R symmetrical design because I can flip them around. Second, they sound a little bit too quiet at least until they get broken in. Third, they sound so nice that you may want to get a headphone amp for them ... But wait. You have extra $120 or so if you've already decided to buy either SR225 or HD590 !!!

Similar Products Used:

AKG K300, Sennheiser HD433, HD590, a few models by Sony

sound, easy to drive

a bit uncomfortable

I love this can. It makes music sounds so good. It has a very sweat and real high which make female vocalist sounds so good. The mid is fine. The bass--the bass is amazing. Not overpower, but it has such an impact. I mainly listen to alternative, rock and trance. They all sounds fantastic on 225. I am ordering a pair of comfy pad, which hopefully will solve the comfort problem. I don't really care about the look. Some people don't like the "old" style-like design.

Similar Products Used:

HD495