Customer Reviews

Grado Prestige Series SR125i Headphones

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

*** Update *** After having these for a couple of weeks, I definitely notice that there has been a "breaking-in" period. The same music I first played through these is noticeably "warmer", with primarily low frequencies now being even more distinct. I.e. the sound is getting better - I am still happier with them now.



I wanted very good headphones - great sound for various music types, comfortable, light if possible, decent length cord. I've had Sennheisers many years ago. I did a lot of reading and inevitably ran into reviews everywhere, with everyone touting "their" favorite brand based on various aspects (clarity, range, etc. etc.) which could easily lead to analysis paralysis.

Anyway, I went for it and got these. Initial impressions: very retro-looking, without the hi-tech molded plastic and fancy box other brands have. That was my first "what did I just spend a bunch of my money on?" moment. The earcups spin freely, which is nice. They are not very tight on my biggish ears, and sit very lightly on my large head; as someone else noted, the headband can be bent. The cord is very thick and long; you'll need an adapter for a standard MP3 player headset, but Radio Shack has good gold-plated ones and Grado also sells one.

I sometimes listen to music in a noisy environment and upgraded to these from a pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones. The Sonys had awful sound but did a good job of canceling out noise (though not as well as the much more expensive Boses, of course). The Grados, despite no gimmicks like noise cancellation, actually did very well in this environment.

Overall, the sound is very good with a variety of sources. It's very balanced and light, and lots of nuances come through that I've never heard before. For example, in a Beethoven piano CD I have, I heard for the first time that a particular phrase's harmony (deep notes) actually alternated between two adjacent notes; previously, that phrase always sounded like the same low note played repeatedly under the melody. Rock, metal, electronica, orchestral classical, vocal, pop, and other types of music all sound great on these, and after running various types of music past them I decided I had a real upgrade on my hands.

If, like I was, you are trying to decide on a good pair of headphones on a mid-level budget and are a little lost between Sennheiser, these, and maybe other good brands, you won't go wrong with these. That said, Sennheiser also makes some great headphones, though you'll probably spend more than for these for similar sound quality. Either way, you'll enjoy your music a lot, which is what counts. Good luck!

First and foremost as others have mentioned, hook these guys up to a stereo and run it for 12 - 24hrs to break them in before passing judgement on them. Vary the volume while you do this, start out low, then after a few hours go to a mid volume setting, then to a medium loud setting for the last few hours (Not loud enough to blow them mind you).
These headphones after the break in period are the clearest headphones you'll ever put on your head and I'll stand behind that statement-I'm an audiophile and have tried most every high end headphone in existence from Sony's V series to AKG to Beyerdynamic to Sennheiser.
However, I'm only giving them 4 stars for 2 reasons. They're not the most comfortable, at least not at first. The ear pads are stiff and to me smelled of petro chemical residue. I softened mine down the first day I had them by placing them in a sink with very warm water with a soy based fabric softener, I soaked em for 10 minutes all the while squeezing the water between them. The also are a bit light on the bass, if you want some of these that are perfect with just the right bass response, look one more notch up in the line for $50 more, the SR225's.

It seems like I'm always a bit disappointed when shelling out relatively big bucks for headphones. The Bose QC2 offer great overall sound, but they cost $300 and don't operate without a battery. The Koss Pro4a's are also nice and far less costly, but they are extremely heavy and sound too flat (especially on the bass side of the spectrum) for my tastes. Upon reading about the Grados and given all the accolades these headphones have received, I decided to add them to my ever-growing collection.

The Grado 125s really surprised me in more ways than one. They look a bit goofy and the foam headphones didn't seem to fit well, at least right out of the box. The headband can be bent to provide a tighter or looser fit. The other surprise was the full 1/4" stereo plug - not a 1/8" with a 1/4" adapter. Thus, you'll need a reducer to play these on your MP3 player.

Now the good news. Voice and instrument clarity surpass even the Bose in my opinion. I have finally been able to decipher the words to some classics, which is to say you'll hear very minor nuances that provide superb realism and impact. Check out, for instance, Dire Straits 'Brothers In Arms' CD.

Plus, the extreme lightness is truly astonishing. I listened for hours with no need to give my ears or head a rest. I can't speak for headphones beyond the $300 range, but I'd recommend these $150 phones to anyone, hands down.

I love headphones. In fact, I collect midrange headphones(between $50 and $300). I also feel like a lot of reviews on Amazon lack depth and objectivity, so I've recently began reviewing the headphones I own.

To start off, I developed a simple way to "test" my headphones. I played six songs from vastly different genres of music over each headphone through my iAudio 7, each encoded in Ogg Vorbis between 192 and 500 kbps, with all the sounds effects turned off on my iAudio and the equalizer set to "flat".

The scale I used to rate various aspects of the headphones works like this:
0 to 2 - abysmal
2.1 to 4 - poor
4.1 to 6 - mediocre
6.1 to 8 - above average
8.1 to 10 - excellent

The songs were "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac, "Every Planet We Reach is Dead" by Gorillaz, "Concerto Grosso No. 26 in D Major" by Handel, "I Know You Are, But What Am I?" by Mogwai, "Afro Blue" by Triplexity, and "The Patient" by Tool.

So, on to the review...

Grado SR 125

Sound Quality(9.7/10)

The Chain(10/10) - excellent sound stage. Rich, vibrant mid tones. Aggressive, but pleasing, highs. Instrument separation is great. Bass is deep and smooth. Well-balanced sound.

Every Planet(8.5/10) - spacious sound stage with excellent instrument separation. Bass is clean, but somewhat lacking. Mids and highs are crisp and vibrant.

Concerto(9.5/10) - bass and mid tones are vibrant and aggressive. Highs are very crisp. Sound stage and instrument separation are both exceptional. Slightly aggressive for classical music, but otherwise very pleasing.

I Know You Are(10/10) - phenomenal sound stage. Probably the most impressive I've ever heard from a pair of headphones. Deep, rich bass. Vibrant, aggressive mids, and crisp, clean highs. Instrument separation is absolutely incredible.

Afro Blue(10/10) - music is crisp and clear with very good instrument separation. Sound stage is amazing; almost overwhelming even. Sound is intense and aggressive, but lows, mids, and highs are all exceptionally vibrant and pleasing to listen to.

The Patient(10/10) - impressively vivid, rich bass. Mid tones are vibrant and intense. Instrument separation is excellent. Highs are crisp and clean. Sound stage is also great. Again, the sound in this song is very aggressive over the Grados, but for this type of music it is desirable.

Overall Sound(9.7/10) - these headphones have a remarkable sound stage. Music appears as though it is coming from many directions, not just the speakers attached to your head. This was especially noticeable in "Afro Blue" and "I Know You Are, But What Am I?", where at times the sound seemed to be coming from locations far outside the headphones themselves. Instrument separation is exceptionally precise. With these, it is incredibly easy to distinguish between various instruments.

Highs are crisp and clean, but also very intense. This is good for certain genres of music(e.g. progressive metal), or for certain moods, but not so desirable when you just want to relax to soothing classical. The same goes for the mid tones; they were rich and vibrant, but also quite aggressive. The bass on these is deep and clean, but somewhat underrepresented. Not terribly so, but it didn't have quite the balanced presence it should have. Distortion, however, is practically nonexistent.

This combination makes these headphones sound phenomenal for most forms of rock, and great for livelier jazz. They were also good for classical, but due to their aggressiveness, perhaps not as ideal as other headphones. When one wants to relax to nice, soothing classical, he doesn't always want to feel like the cellist may attack him with the blunt end of his instrument at any moment. Genres similar to hip hop and electronica are where these phones are the weakest. They still sound good, mind you, but other cans would be a better choice if this is what you primarily listen to.


Design(8/10)

Many don't like the design of Grados for various reasons. I've heard complaints about comfort, appearance, and build quality, and these really aren't the most comfortable headphones in the world, or the best looking in my opinion. Neither are they the worst, however. Comfort seems to be hit or miss for most people. While they do make my ears slightly sore after listening for several hours, it really isn't bad at all. They're fairly comfortable even, for short periods of time. That said, it is probably best to try these on for yourself before buying, since opinions about this are so diverse. The appearance is just as debatable. Fans of the retro look will probably like it, while others will not.

As for the build quality, they do seem a little cheaply built in certain places. The chambers that hold the diaphragms are made mostly of plastic, and can swivel around in complete, 360 degree circles unhindered, which is kind of annoying because it twists the cord around. The headband also has virtually no padding. Nevertheless, I've had these for some time, and they've held up quite well without issue. I seriously doubt the cord is going to short out anytime soon, either(which has been a problem for me in the past with other headphones), since it is literally about ten times as thick as most other headphone cords.

The biggest issue for me concerning the design was lack of mobility. These phones are very bulky, don't fold up to conserve space, and don't come with any kind of carrying case. They also have an open air design, which is good for keeping distortion down, but doesn't provide for hardly any noise isolation(and leaks tons of sound, too). This is only a minor gripe, however, since mobility doesn't seem to be what they were designed for, and I enjoy them greatly for home use.


Bottom Line(9.4/10)

These headphones are an excellent value for the price - possibly the best deal in the headphone industry at this time. Especially for genres of rock, they sound incredible. They are best kept at home, however, as they are quite bulky, and have an open design. Strongly recommended to anyone who values quality sound. However, opinions on headphones vary wildly according to personal taste, and I always recommend listening to many different pairs before buying.

I lost some hearing in the late 1960's while serving aboard an aircraft carrier. Some of it was from jet aircraft but most of it concerned being WAY too close to exploding ordinance. I am totally missing some high freqs but it has not been a real problem. As I've aged to a ripe old 63 years I've noticed a decline in my hearing. I love the music of MOTOWN, The Funk Brothers, Garnet Mimms and a wide variety of other music. I was alone in my office when the box arrived, I opened it, adjusted the headphones, plugged them into my MacBook Pro and played Garnet Mimms...music I knew very, very well...every note...every word....
I don't really understand what happened, I started crying...I know that sounds really stupid...BUT, I was hearing all these notes, textures, sounds I hadn't heard in many, many years, decades. Sounds I knew were there but had almost forgotten. My wife walked in and thought something was really wrong. I tried but had a hard time explaining the experience I was having. As the kids would text OMG!!! I know there are certain high frequencies I can't hear at all but these headphones are like stepping back in time perhaps 40 years. I wrote a note to Grado Labs basically outlining the above and pointing out the fact that I, like John Grado, am the third generation owner of my business and how much I appreciate his sticking with it and producing such an amazing product at a very reasonable price right here in the U.S.A. I received a prompt and most excellent reply. This is a real, honest-to-God, American Company that produces a real, honest-to-God, top shelf product. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
There is one major problem...I am now spending too much time listening to my entire CD collection...over and over and over....somehow...I've got to get back to work!

These cans sound fantastic once you break them in (which can take a bit longer than with other phones, about 50-60 hours for me). Compared to a closed cup set such as the Sony MDR-V600, the sound of the Grados is much more aggressive. Excellent phones for Rock and Jazz, but a more laid back set (Sennheiser HD-500 series) would be better suited to classical. These cans have exceptional response, music with extremely fast attack and defeat sounds perfectly clear.

However, there is a caveat, unless you have an unusually shaped head, these will not feel comfortable. Personally, I think putting these phones on feels like strapping a medieval torture device to my head, that said, after a minute or so of the incredible sound, concerns about comfort melt away.

Overall, I highly recommend them, but some people simply can't get over the lack of comfort. If possible, find a pair of Grados and try them on (almost all models SR-60 through SR-325 are identical in fit and feel), if you can't stand them, look elsewhere. If they don't feel that bad, you'll probably get used to them.

note 1: these headphones have a 1/4" plug, not the more common 1/8" plug, you may need to find an adapter.

note 2: these are open phones, people around will hear what you are listening to, may not be the best choice for the office, a dorm room (unless you don't like your roomate), or some sort of covert stealth mission.

Have had these for awhile and used them with my stereo which was great but just started using them with my iPod and the sound is incredible. No matter what kind of music I'm listening to the sound remains crisp and extremely clear. Had been thinking about checking out Bose but then realized what a mistake that would be. The comfort is not a problem as I have had them on for a couple of hours at a time and never had to adjust them. Without a doubt the best headphones I have ever owned.

These headphones have magnificent sound. They are semi-open so not great (although functionable) on noisy airplanes or on streets with lots of traffic, but for walking the suburbs or other low noise level areas, they are better than most speakers.

You just can't compare them to anything else in this price range, I have listened to headphones upwards of $600 that don't compare in sound depth and overall sound quality. If you put these headphones on after you're current pair same song same volume, it will sound like someone just took there hands off your ears. Especially if you are a fan of jazz, classical, rock, reggae, opera, but even Hip Hop sounds amazing on these cans. But don't take my word for it listen for your self.

The only complaint I have is comfort it's not that bad though. It is defiantly tolerable for 2+ hrs of non stop listing.

I tried the Grado Sr 60, the Sr 80, and the SR 125 on a hi fi stereo, and as you can surmise, the higher the number, the more detailed and crisp the sound. Mind you, all three models sounded wonderful, but for these audiophile ears, I wanted to get the best I could honestly afford (and the best headphones I could afford without being soundly rebuked by my better half).

The sound quality on these are phenomenal. Clear and crisp, powerful without sounding distorted, these are the Grado SR 125s. Listening to Neil Diamond's Hot August Night was a truly wonderful experience. These phones sound like $500 speakers. I felt like I was at the Greek Theatre listening to Neil live. Listening to a hi fi stereo is of course even more incredible than listening to an MP3 player, but that probably goes without saying.

A couple of minor quibbles: The cord is awfully long, the plastic looks kind of cheap for something that costs $150, and on an ipod, you gotta crank the volume (or maybe I'm just getting deaf).

These are not sound isolating or noise cancelling, so you won't want to wear them in bed with your spouse trying to sleep.

You should also keep in mind that your Grados will only sound as good as your source. MP3 files on your ipod are not going to sound as crisp and powerful as listening to a cd, unless you rip with the Apple Lossless version (it takes up more memory on your ipod, but it's worth it).

July 2009 Update: These headphones still sound wonderful. They sound better on my iPod 120 classic than anything else I own, much clearer and crisper than my more expensive Shure SE 530 in-ear phones. They are also very comfortable to wear. The only weakness is that they leak sound like crazy, meaning that you don't want to wear these to bed or on the subway. But for going on walks or for listening at home, these are great.