Grado Prestige Series SR325is Headphones
From Grado
The SR325 incorporates all of the design features of the lesser models, combined with UHPLC wire in both the voice coil and connecting cord. Non-resonant Aluminum alloy is used in the make up of the metal driver housings. Grado also embarked on a complex treatment in order to increase the materials porosity. This ensures that the earphone chamber has no "ringing" which may obscure detail or add coloration. The resulting headphone combines clean open highs, well defined mid range and vocal bass.
- Brand: Grado
- Model: 325i
- Dimensions: .16" h x .98" w x 1.28" l, 3.00 pounds
A great headphone -- if it's your sound
The Grado SR325 has now been replaced by the 325i -- recognizable by its goldilsh-silver aluminim styling. More modern-looking than the other phones in the Presige line, it's a solidly built piece of gear that's made to last for a long time.
After breaking them in, the distinctive Grado sound asserts intself. Prominent, flexible bass predominates somewhat over the powerful mid-highs, making this an outstanding rock'n'roll headphone. But classical music fares well, too; you'll notice detail while enjoying the power of the recording. The 325i easily powers a portable CD player, and sounds wonderful wtih an iPod (especially if you play around with the iTunes presets).
It's only after about five or so days of break-in that the sound truly starts to coalesce. (All top-quality headphones benefit from break-in, which means leaving the headphones connected to a medium-volume audio source; some leave them connected all day and night for weeks. This allows the headphone's speaker diaphragms to loosen and play more easily.) These phones have a prominent low, detailed middles (with a slight hump), and highs that sometimes push a little too hard.
The earpads can make a big difference. The phones come with "bowl" pads, thick foam rubber cushions that fit just on the ear. These allow the clearest audio presentation, though some wear them slightly above the ear and to the back for the most accurate sound. The "flat" pads bring the speaker drivers much closer to the ear, accenting the bass and smoothing out the 325i's highs. Both styles have their fans, but Grado ships the phones with the pads (bowls) they think work best. Your ears should be the judge.
The 325i's color the sound to achieve a result that works best with harder pop music and reggae, while fans of classical and jazz might find the lighter Senn style more to their liking. But the 325s have a lot of versatility, and are also likely to please people who have eclectic tastes.
fantastic headphones!
I own the SR80s and wanted to see what you got for the extra money with the 325i. I liked my SR80s and still think they're very good headphones for the money, but the more I listen to the SR-325i's, I realize I'll have to sell my SR80s because I'll never listen to them again. The 325i's are that good!
The SR325i is a NOTICEABLE improvement on the SR80s. I have read reviews on the internet saying they are night-and-day better than the SR80. I didn't originally agree with that statement, but the more I listen to the SR325i's, I realized that they ARE night-and-day better than the SR80 on a good recording.
There is a a definite family resemblance in sound between the two, but the 325i has a lot more bass than the SR80, the midrange area is about as bright as the SR80, but I'd say that voices in the SR325i sound a bit further back in the mix - a little bit more distant than the SR80. I'd also say the SR80 is a little brighter overall than the SR325i. I'm thinking that this is related to the greater sense of space you get with the SR325i.
When I first listened to the SR325i, I was rather overwhelmed by the increased bass. By increased bass, I don't mean just around 20hz. The entire bass and mid-bass area is stronger and fuller than on the SR80. It seemed like the bass overwhelmed the rest of the sound.
After listening to them for a number of months now, the SR325i has a LOT more of a "3d sound" - what audiophiles call "soundstage", and I think that the bass is much more realistic than the SR80s. I never thought the SR80s lacked bass, and still don't, but I like the bigger, more solid bass of the 325i. The SR325i just sounds "bigger" to me. Maybe like a physically larger speaker compared to a smaller speaker? I just can't describe these headphones. They are incredible! They have tons of detail - you can hear everything that's going on in the music - instruments are well separated, you can hear the different tones of, say, the bass guitar, you can hear fingers sliding over the guitar strings, every single detail is revealed!
The midrange is smoother and more detailed than the SR80 midrange. The highs, like cymbals, are more defined too - not brighter, just better defined - you can more easily tell what the instrument is, rather than just a bright "crash" of cymbals. Bass is a lot better defined and more solid and prominent than on the SR80s. What surprised me is that the bass from these headphones has detail! You can hear exactly what the bass guitarist is doing! Bass guitar actually has tones, not just providing bass.
The biggest difference between the SR80 and the SR325i is the soundstage - the sense of space that makes it seem more real, more like you're really there "live" with the performers! The SR325i's really come alive with a good recording and that's when the difference between the 325i's and the 80's really becomes seriously noticeable. By comparison, the SR80's sound flat and uninvolving.
I wasn't sure whether I liked the bigger sound of the SR325i until I listened to Eric Johnson's "Tones" CD. On the SR80s, it sounded thin and not very listenable - kind of harsh - and pretty flat and dull. With the SR325i, this CD comes to life. There is some really solid bass, and more feeling of three-dimensionality in the music. Music sounds just a lot more real - much more like really being there!
I also listened to the song "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn. The piano sounded more like a real piano. I was out at a store the other day where they had a nice Steinway(?) grand piano and a guy playing. I stopped to listen for awhile and thought (before I bought the SR325i), "this doesn't sound like piano on my SR80s". The real piano sounded fuller and stronger lower frequencies compared to my SR80s. So after listening to "Walking in Memphis" on the SR325is, I realized it sounded a lot more like the real piano I heard a few weeks back. I just listened to "Walking in Memphis" with my SR325i again today and then put on my trusty SR80s, and the difference was pretty significant! The SR80s sounded more harsh, thinner, and noticeably less three-dimensional. I couldn't hardly stand to listen to it with my SR80s after listening to it with the SR325i.
I put on some old 80's rock - Foghat "Energized" - expecting to hear greatly improved sound. Well, it sounded about the same overall. Voices sound a little smoother, the background vocals are little more clear and sound better, and there is more bass, but night-and-day different it isn't. The differences are pretty subtle here.
I listened to Tish Hinojosa's "Homeland" CD and felt like the 325i's sounded better than the SR80s. Her voice was smoother, the increased bass was nice, and the overall feel of space in the music seemed better to me.
I listened back and forth with the SR325i's and the SR80's to Ry Cooder's "Bop Till You Drop". After doing comparing back and forth on a couple of tracks I just put the SR80's back on the shelf. They just weren't "alive". They had good highs, nice mids, good bass, plenty of detail, but they just didn't sound "alive". They just couldn't compete with the SR325i's at all.
I just listened to Chris Rea's "The Road to Hell" earlier this evening. I've listened to it a number of times with SR80s and thought it sounded pretty good. I played it for the first time with my SR325i's and it was like I'd never heard this CD before! The entire CD sounded MUCH fuller and MUCH more spacious than with the SR80s. There was more bass but the bass was never boomy - always well controlled. Great highs, especially on the second track. I can tell what the radio announcer's voice is saying on the first track. I was just totally amazed!
These headphones never cease to amaze me after all this time I've had them! It makes listening to music fun and involving again!
It all depends on the recording. The better the recording, the better the SR325i will sound, but they're not going to make a crummy recording sound great. I've listened to some older recordings hoping that the 325i's would bring them to life, but not so. A crummy recording is a crummy recording and, from my listening tests with headphones and other amps and other CD players, no fancy mega-bucks audio gear is going to fix that (I've tried!).
Are the 325i's, as some people claim, "the best in the world"? In a word - NO. But neither are any of the competition - Sennheiser, AKG, etc. If that's what you're looking for, you're going to be looking for a long time. Are they "colored" as some people who don't like Grado headphones claim? Yes, but no more than any other brand of headphones or any other piece of audio equipment. EVERY headphone, EVERY speaker, and to a lesser extent, EVERY piece of electronic equipment makes its own contribution to the overall sound and therefore is "colored". Do you prefer the sound of Thiel speakers over Magneplanar speakers? Do you prefer the sound of Magneplanar speakers vs. the sound of Martin Logans? Tube vs. transistor amps? Guess what? There is NO "absolute sound" by which everything else is judged. The SR325is are no more colored than any other headphone. The ONLY question that's important is: do you like the way they sound or not?
I think they're GREAT headphones and I recommend them! BUT - don't buy based on my recommendation or anyone else's recommendation. Listen to different brands of headphones for yourself and decide what you like best. For me, the SR325i's are definitely worth the money and I love them!
Great Cans... just not for your iPod
In the interest of open disclosure, I am an unabashed Grado fan after my husband bought me a pair of RS-1s for Christmas several years ago. I was using them to play an electronic violin and also an electric piano and the RS1s gave true-to-life sound reproduction. However, they also cost 700 bucks.
Since I have started traveling again, I'm listening to a lot more music on the computer or a portable (Zune) device. I love LOVE the Shure Earbuds for their ability to put you in your own "bubble" yet sounding like you are in Orchestra Hall. Alas, a problem with ear buds is that they can give you middle ear infections because of all the gunk and bacteria in your ear getting jammed even further in (and if you don't disinfect them then the old goo makes it even worse).
So I've gotten some Grados to alleviate this problem. In doing my research, I learned that these cans are really not designed to be used with iPods and other MP3 players. They just don't have enough power to give you the kind of volume you need.
This is a case where "less is more" and you have to find the best headphones for your particular device. If you are looking for a headphone to listen to MP3s etc, save your money and buy the SR225s for a hundred bucks less or even the SR125s for a 150.00 less. You'll get better response from your headphones, MP3 player and just imagine all the music downloads you can purchase with that extra money!
Cheers...
Nancy
