GRADO – Wired stereo headset with dynamic driver, open back design - SR325x

On a whim I decided to try out these Grado SR325x headphones. I knew that I could return them within 30 days. I'd seen some people say very good things about them and other saying rather bad things about them. My suggestion to you, if you are wondering about these headphones, is try them out. They are very easy to drive and will work very well with nearly all DAC/amps. You can just plug them into the headphone output on a mobile phone, but they will sound a lot better with a dedicated DAC/amp. However you won't need a very expensive one. So I tried them out and I'm very glad I did. These are really fabulous headphones. They capture the energy of the music so well, they bring out all the fun and enjoyment in the music better than any headphone or speaker setup I've heard. Hi Fi people talk about "pace, rhythm and timing", PRAT, well, these are really superb in this area. The Grado SR325x headphones also bring out great beauty in the music. Instruments and voices sound really beautiful to listen to. I don't think these headphones are 100% accurate, but they are so very enjoyable to listen to. They do score very well with all that normal Hi Fi stuff, the stereo image is very good indeed, the bass is very full and defined, although it does not go really deep. I think that the only negatives with them really are that the treble is at time too lively. They are a bit golden sounding in the treble, but I don't mind either of these things very much because the strengths are so great. If you haven't tried these, please do! You won't regret it.

I have many headphones, including a few other Grados (SR125i, wireless, GH2 Limited edition Heritage series). My view is that these new x driver prestige series headphones have reached close to audio perfection (at the price point). Gone is the strident treble and thin rear end. Now we have a more rounded (and dare I say it alsmost warm) sound with the most gorgeous transparency and seperation that allows you to see through the music. It works with a range of music genres from Mozart to Daft Punk. My wood GH 2's at about 600 quid are good, but with these new drivers I have to say I prefer the SR325x's! One slight criticism is that they do start to put pressure on the side of my head and after about an hour starts to hurt a little. I wiggle them around a bit and carry on!

I first heard about Grado headphones in the mid nineties when What HIFI would sing their praises. I am a fan a large floor standing speakers and the deep bass they generate. But these Grados 925x pleasently surprised me as their performance, musicality and their ability to handle dense and complex music. They are a robust and well put together construction with a thick, fabric covered cable and the only weakness being foam pads, that are easily changeable. These are not cheap headphones, but they are good value for the Quality of sound reproduction and do represent good value. I really enjoy listening to the 925x, and can recommend them to anyone who adores quality HIFI.

I returned these because the sound kept cutting out in the right ear cup. It had to be sent all the way back to Grado in the US to be repaired and I had no feedback from the Amazon supplier or Grado for about 4 weeks which I found annoying. Amazingly they were returned to me only couple days after I contacted the Amazon supplier for an update. The cable has been replaced by one that does not seem as stiff as the one that was fitted originally. This is welcome as the original was so inconvenient to use that I was considering selling the headphone, however after listening to them for the first time in about 6 weeks I am reminded of why I bought them in the first place, the way they capture the 'spirit' of a recording is unlike other headphones I have heard or own. My Sennheiser HD600 and Hifiman Edition XS have once again been relegated to the substitute shelf. I gave this 4 stars only because of the annoyingly unwieldy cable (although the replacement is not as inflexible as the original). --------------------------------------- I have had a pair of Grado SR80e for a long time which I had rarely used because I found the sound harsh and 'piercing'. I bought the SR325x to find out how a more expensive model compared because a lot of audio folks rave about Grados. I am glad I did. The sound of the SR325x brings the music alive in a totally captivation manner. Not sure if this is hi-fi but I don't care, I just love the totally engaging sound. I don't like the stiff cable though, and almost returned them because I found it so awkward to handle. But I would have missed the musical presentation which is very different from my Sennheiser HD600 and modded Hifiman Edition XS. The SR325x even made me fall in love with my negreted pair of SR80e. I think I was maybe wearing them wrong - Grados seem to be very sensitive to how they are positioned on the ear - so it's important to position them correctly for the best sound signature.

You would expect that a handmade headphone would be tested before being shipped. Only one side of it had sound, the other side did not work. Cables are also very loosely attached and can be moved all the way inside the earcups. Does not feel well made at all.

If you want Beats headphones, then these are not for you. They are not particularly comfortable, and they fall off easily so can't use them for workouts. Also the cord is bulky so it makes using it with an iphone difficult. When it comes to sound, looking at the frequency chart, this is not a "flat" studio headphone. So why would you want these?? First let me say the sound is not particularly colored sounding... In terms of frequency balance they sound in the same ballpark as ATH-M50's, so if you like those or the Sony MDR, then this will give you the same general type of sound range and 'flatness.' They do not sound treble-heavy the way others might sound bass-heavy. But what those peaks in the treble range do give is an incredibly musical clarity to certain recorded instruments: Pianos generally sound amazing and clear; you can hear the note and the release, and really hear the performance (of course this relies on the recording having that level of information - but this sound is lost in an M50 or MDR). Pianos sound like they're in HD. Certain cymbals, hihats, some string instruments...sound equally amazing. None of this matters if you just want some background music while you do other things; but if you actively listen to music and this music tends to be of the acoustic flavor, then these headphones help bring out the clarity of certain instruments the way a high end audiophile speaker system would. Bass and acoustic bass instruments are equally clear and resonant sounding; from a listening perspective these headphones have as much bass response as the M50s, only with extra clarity for acoustic instruments. How to try out these headphones if you are not an audiophile: set up a track of music with acoustic instruments and plug in your old headphones... listen for one particular instrument (like a piano or a particular drum) and make a mental note. Then switch headphones and listen to the same track while mentally focusing on that same instrument. Also, if you are looking for a gift for a music-person and wondering if they will enjoy these... the answer is YES. They will love them, even if they have not heard of them before.

Geminiに、今まで触れてきたオーディオ機器についてや、スピーカーと音楽との相性など、主観的な話をドンドン列挙させていき、、、オススメのヘッドホンは？と質問すると「Grado」のヘッドホンを強くオススメしてくれました。 focalスピーカーの「綺麗に整った音」ではなく、JBLのような「演奏者の熱量をそのまま浴びたい」なら、GradoSR325xですよ！とのこと。 聴く環境が真空管アンプ経由になると言うと、JBLは無線ばっかりで有線が終売している。有線ならGradoです！とGeminiが言ってました(調べてない) エージング(ブレークイン)中も、どの音楽を聴かせてあげたいですか？と聞いてくるものだから、音楽名と、それにまつわる主観的エピソードを話すと、快く褒めてくれ、小音量でもGradoの音の良さを言語化してくれていて、そうだよね！と共感してました。調子乗って音量上げたい！と言うと頑張って我慢しましょうと、制してくれます。 20代の頃 粗悪なスピーカーで聴いていた音楽。将来お金に余裕が出来たらいいオーディオで聴きたいという夢を、Geminiを介して、Gradoのヘッドホンが叶えてくれました。

Ich hätte nie gedacht, dass Kopfhörer so viel vermitteln können.,Klarer, korrekter Klang mit erstaunlicher Bühne,Und wer hat gesagt, dass GRADO keinen Bass hat? Er ist einfach großartig hier!

J’ai essayé de nombreux casque cette année (merci Amazon pour la facilité des retours) dont le Meze 99 Classic et le Focal Elegia. Dans mes recherches le Grado 325x revenait très régulièrement. J’étais intrigué par ce casque à l’âpre ce unique mais (à priori) un peu rebuté par ça conception supra oral ! Je passe finalement le pas et ce fut un coup de foudre AB-SO-LU !!!!!!! Le casque est magnifique, respire la qualité et d’une fabrication (à la main dans les ateliers de la marque à Brooklyn). Ceci dit, en tant que casque le son a aussi son importance 😊 et la c’est la claque… une pureté exceptionnelle, une spécialisation démentielle et des fréquence parfaitement retranscrites ! Les basses sont percutantes et mesurées, les médium somptueux, les voix sont naturelles et précises, les aigus ciselés ! Rien ne manque, rien ne déborde, tout est parfait ! J’avoue qu’il s’habituer au confort très précaires lors des premières écoutes (même quelques douleur du au format supra (historiquement j’ai toujours eu des circum) mais au bout de quelques jours il est devenu absolument incontournable avec tous les styles de musique de ma discothèque (rock, folk et pop principalement). Si ce casque vous fait de l’œil, n’hésitez pas plus longtemps il n’a pas d’égal !!!