Customer Reviews

Grado Prestige Series SR325is Headphones

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Grado SR325 has now been replaced by the 325i -- recognizable by its goldilsh-silver aluminim styling.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.

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!

I recently picked up a pair of these. The sound quality is excellent. However, these headphones will not show their full potential unless you give them time to burn in. Let them play continuously for about three days before you make any impressions.

Also, many people find them to be uncomfortable when they get them. I had this problem too, but you can make the pads softer (and more comfortable) by squeezing them around in water with fabric softener. Let them air dry for a while, then wash them out with water again to remove any fabric softener. After they have dried, they should be much comfier.

Every little thing you do to upgrade the signal you feed them will be rewarded. (Just like Krell, Martin Logan, other truly great American companies). The sound is beyond accurate, it's intelligent. Recently got some Ultrasones because I needed a closed back set. Damn good, but no cigar. Incredible closed back phones in fact, no regrets. I would bet money they idolize John Grado. They've come very close to producing an open-phone sound with closed-back phones, but it's just not physically possible. Grado understands EARS AND BRAINS as opposed to frequency response curves & marketing hooks. They may be ugly, have AWFUL packaging, but they will make love to your ears. BTW don't take the logo circles off as many sites encourage as an "upgrade". I did, and shortly put them back on. Grado is an eminently talented engineer. The seemingly decorative plastic logos on the ear grills actually reinforce exactly the bass frequencies that need to be reinforced. There is nothing left to chance on Grado phones. If the earpads are stiff, if there's no carrying pouch with embossed logo included, if the cord is sometimes cumbersome because he refused to compromise on signal transfer, it's because he never makes a tradeoff in favor of marketability. It's all about facilitating an emotional connection between you and the artist you're listening to.

Grado products are a true American treasure. Worth twice the price.

Previously used headphones: Sennheiser HD570, Sennheiser HD580, Sennheiser HD600. Used friend's Sennheiser HD650 for 2 weeks.

After three pairs of Sennheiser products, I wanted to try Grado's headphones because I'd only heard good things about them. I originally thinking about getting SR225 but deceided to invest another $100 and got the SR325i.
I thought HD580 was amazing while HD600 being slightly better than HD580 despite of the huge difference in price. Comparing those two pairs to this Grado SR325i is a CRIME. They do not even come close! SR325i privdes amazing details and clarity. Loud but not noisy. I didn't expect excellent bass sound from Grado but it is far better than HD580/600's bass.
Now, Sennheiser HD650 is at a different class if you go by price. Call me crazy but SR325i provides better sound than HD650 does.
Grado SR325i.

For your reference, I listen to pretty much all genres of music. Rock, alternative, classical, jazz, metal, pop, punk, trance, hardcore, and even some hiphop. (I mostly enjoy music in FLAC format)
SR325i has not failed me in any genres so far.

I really can't explain it. It is just something that you have to experience yourself. Put them on, start playing your favorite tunes. close your eyes, and you'll find yourself with the artist in the same room. I've only had 20 hours of burn-in so far, and I expect the sound to get better as they get some more burn-in. Heck, they're forcing me to get an amp now. I'm gonna go broke soon. =)

Headphones and Audio in general are very subjective. It all depends on what you like to hear and how your mind responds to sounds.

These headphones (in my opinion) are very flat - meaning, can respond very well from low end frequencies to the high end.

Someone else in a review somewhere said it best, "These headphones are all about detail!". This is very true. Expect to hear the faintest of things in the recordings... fingers sliding on the strings of an Acoustic Guitar, Musicians breathing in the background of the concert hall, the valves tapping on your favorite horn players trumpet.

The SR325i's aren't for the faint of heart. I would recommend them to experienced audiophiles... or at least someone who is experienced with quality headphones. The Grado SR60's and SR80's are a great starting point if you don't want to spend the money on these.

Comfort wise, they are a little stiff. BUT - who cares. You're buying quality sound. I would easily match these up against headphones 2-3 times the cost.

I spend hours at a time listening to jazz, and new age guitar/piano music finding the most subtle nuances to be spine tingling...

Definitely worth the money.

Grado; well known for its high end audiophile headphones hits a grand slam with these cans. I own the sr60 and the sr80 which are excellent. However this right out of the box with no burn in time simply immersed me in great sound with great bass reproduction. They have excellent presence and compete with high end sennheisers and are every bit as good as my AKG 710's (the flagship of AKG).
They are well built and comfortable. They have low impedance and really don't require a headphone amp, but really shine with one. (both nuforce and Grado headphone amps are great.) The price is a little on the high side but this is real quality and is built to last. It's made in America and has received critical acclaim. If you're intrigued by Grado go right for the SR325i model. If you buy the lower priced models you will still come back and buy these anyway. John Grado's company stands behind their work and have replacement cushions and other accessories for most of their products. Great company. Great product. Nuff said.

Introduction:

I listen to a lot of music. Whether I'm working or relaxing I usually have some sort of music in the background. It relaxes me before bed or keeps me pumped up while working. It is essentially my mind altering drug of choice. Different headphones with different presentations an affect my mood in different ways and I though a `phone with pumped up treble like the SR325is would be good to keep my energy up when I was stuck with boring tasks at work. I was correct, but other drawbacks kept me from holding on to my pair.

Style and Build:

I love the look of the SR325is. They're slightly retro looking but the important parts are built very well. The outer half of the cups or "air chambers" as Grado calls them are milled from solid aluminum and look very sharp but the inner half, hidden under the foam ear pad, where the driver is attached is made of the same plastic the lower end models are constructed from. The simple sliders and gimbals which are shared among all Grado models connect the cups to the headband. Its headband is a simple steel spring covered with small but nicely finished leather cover. Cheaper Grado models use plastic or pleather. The headband can also easily be bent looser or tighter to adjust the fit. The Y cable is very thick and a bit unwieldy. Since the ear cups can rotate freely it is prone to twisting if you aren't careful in donning and removing them.

Overall, many aspects of the build quality may not inspire confidence but they make the headphone very easy to repair. Parts are held together by friction fit and hot melt glue. Some people may be taken aback by this at such a price point, though this construction makes it likely that any failure can easily be repaired. I speak from experience as I have previously fixed up a pair of used SR80s for my brother.

Comfort:

This is another weakness for the Grados. As supraural `phones they press on to your ear instead of around it and are inevitably less comfortable than circumaural `phones that rest around your ear. Careful adjustment can drastically improve the comfort however. I found them most comfortable with the cups worn slightly forward of the ear so the rear edge of the pads are even with the rear edge of your outer ear. This also has the effect of improving the soundstage by slightly widening it at pushing it a bit forward.

In addition to the `bowl' or "L-Cush" pads the SR325is come with there are others available from Grado which you can try as well as the pads for the Sennheiser 414 which happen to fit Grados too. I didn't get the chance to try out all the available options myself though.

Sound:

Since sound is the primary purpose of a pair of headphones I think its generally fair to forgive a `phones other sins if it sounds good. In general the SR325is deliver in this area. Grados have a distinct sound which is quite different from anything else on the market. If you want it, you'll have to get past their other shortcomings. I think they make it worth the trade if you like the Grado `house sound'.

The SR325is, and Grados in general, are a strange balancing act of brightness and warmth with a small-ish soundstage which put you `on stage' with the band. The certainly aren't closed in sounding as typical of `phones with smaller soundstages but they put everything relatively close together and put you in the middle of the action in a small and intimate setting. Instruments are well separated but not as sharply imaged as some other `phones like my Sennheiser HD650s or Beyerdynamic DT770/600 ohm.

The treble is very emphasized and relatively clear, making these bright headphones. It's well extended and fairly detailed, but not the most accurate in its price bracket. It has a `fun' coloration which is hard to describe. Cymbals and high-hats stand out from the mix and have an extra shimmer. This can pleasing in rock or metal but becomes overactive in pop mixes which are already very bright. This brightness synergizes especially well with heavy and dark doom, sludge, or thrash metal.

The mids are what make these both warm and bright at the same time. They are slightly forward, with an almost magical coloration that enhances vocals and guitars. Its not the most accurate, but once again its very fun. The mids are also the most detailed part of these `phones spectrum. They lend a slight advantage in intelligibility of death metal growls that my HD650s and DT770/600s lack.

There is a slight hump in the mid to upper bass which emphasizes higher tuned bass drums and bass guitars. The bass response trails off after this hump and only goes moderately deep. For most rock and metal it goes deep enough and the particular emphasis is often quite pleasing. If you listen to electronic music with very deep synthesized bass you may want to look elsewhere. I found it lacking with my trance/electronic/techno collection. The bass is also a bit loose as well. Not to a large degree, but the deeper it goes the less controlled it is.

Conclusion:

As you may have guessed, I think the `phones work best with various types of rock and metal. I especially enjoyed them on my death/black metal Pandora station. I think that's their preferred genre. Of course I could be biased since that's my preferred genre, but I listen to just about everything but country and rap. The bass doesn't go low enough for electronic (and probably rap and hip-hop), they're too bright for most modern pop, and I find the soundstage too small for classical. They do pretty well for jazz though.

The Grados specialize in rock and metal though. This prowess also extends to most anything with guitars as well. Acoustic singer/songwriter, bluegrass, and probably a good deal of country too. If you like a forward presentation and primarily listen to any of those genres, then the SR325is are worth a look.

I need to say a word of caution about the treble though. Though Grados as a whole are bright headphones, the SR325is are regarded as among the brightest and if you can't try before you buy or aren't the kind of listener who's always cranking the treble dial you may find them to be too much. I loved the sound of my SR325is but my ears just couldn't take them for more than an hour or so. If you're unsure about the SR325is you may want to try the less expensive and less bright SR225i or Grado/Alessandro MS2i.

I just received the SR325i in the mail today and have been burning them in for the last several hours. These headphones are fantastic. If you can afford them and are serious about enjoying your music fully, buy these headphones right now! I promise you will not regret the purchase.

I bought the SR60 model a few months ago and my Grado addiction would not go away. After trying out other brands such as Sennheiser, I always went back to Grado. It really shows that Grado knows what they are doing when it comes to open or dynamic headphones. Their accuracy and clarity is amazing; listening to Beethoven's 6th Symphony (Karl Bohm) at lossless quality is absolutely a treat to listen to. I closed my eyes and imagined sitting there with the musicians while they played; it brought a smile to my face. To try and run it through the paces, (I had no doubts) I played many different artists and styles such as:

Radiohead, David Bowie, Dead Kennedys, 80's Metallica, The Pogues, The Clash, Merle Haggard, Wayne Hancock, Roy Harper, etc.

For any music, these headphones will perform for you! However, there are a few things to note about them that prospective buyers should know:

They come standard with a quarter inch stereo plug so you would need a 1/4 to 1/8 inch adapter if you wanted to plug it into a CD walkman or iPod/mp3 player.

I would not recommend buying these unless you plan to have a headphone amp or a receiver. They are simply too much for a portable music player. I would heartily recommend the Grado SR60 or SR80 for that purpose. I think the 325's are meant for sitting and enjoying music at home. They truly are a personal experience.

These headphones really draw you into the recording. If you care about REALLY hearing your favorite music, give these a try at a local audiophile shop. You will fall in love like I did and find that you are three hundred dollars poorer too!

The Grado 325i is not Grado's best value. For that, I suggest you look at the sub-$100 offerings (iGrado, SR60, and SR80). At $300, the Grado 325i is not an entry-level product. It's closer to what Grados are supposed to sound like, with fewer compromises and more high-end. The 325i sits at the top of the Prestige Series (Grado's econo-line of cans) but it has almost all of the trappings of its expensive big brothers. The voice coil and connecting cord use ultra-high purity long-crystal copper (UHPLC) wiring. The air chambers are bigger, with a metal (rather than plastic) grill. They're also made out of non-resonant aluminum (instead of plastic). They also sport a leather headband. With more closely-matched drivers, the 325i sounds about as close to top of the Grado lineup without doing the full monty of the RS2 ($500), RS1 ($700) or GS-1000 ($1,000). One difference you're not paying for is the lack of a mahogany air chamber, but with non-resonant aluminum (which is used in the rear chambers of top-of-the-line tweeters), you get Grado clarity at a more reasonable price.

I fell in love with Grado when I bought my first $95 SR80s. These, on the other hand, are the ones that made me laugh at BOSE when I tried out its version of on-ear cans. The 325i has so much clarity, it made the BOSE cans sound muddy. They're also the cans I was listening to when I wiped out on my skateboard. My pair are now nicked for life, but they're also a reminder that the good life is not beyond reach.