Grado SR325x Review and Measurements

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Marvey, Jun 20, 2021.

  1. Biodegraded

    Biodegraded Friend

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    Wow, bass decay is fast. Maybe that's what's different from the HD650 bass, rather than the distortion character?

    Edit: nope - see below.
    Sure!
     
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2021
  2. Marvey

    Marvey Super Friend

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    I realized I may not have provided an official HD650 burst measurement. This may not be quite the same as a regular HD650 because the housing of the HD650 here is dampened (no other mods and behind the driver was untouched).

    B1696 HD650 (dampened housing).wav_burst.jpg
     
  3. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Thanks for the write up! It’s so nice to see Grado listening to their customers and making real changes to their new lineup. I’m sure I’ll love the F Cush on the RS2e, but you’re tempting me to pick up a 225x or 325x for my secondary systems which are far lower powered.
     
  4. donunus

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    @Marvey you mentioned that the 225x is more relaxed, so you have them there too? I got confused on the Attack and Decay measurement post since you say its a 225x but the diagram says it's a 325x.
     
  5. Marvey

    Marvey Super Friend

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    I fixed that burst measurement. It was labelled 225X by mistake. It's now been corrected to denote SR325X
     
  6. JayC

    JayC Resident Crash Test Dummy

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    Its cool to see Grado come back to light for a bit. I remember wanting to buy Grados as my first headphone back in the day, when I found head-fi but never did eventually. I'll try to get a listen to these in the coming weeks, seems like theres quite a few places stocking them

    Out of curiosity: does Grado (or related dealers) send SBAF any headphones to review?
     
  7. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Well shit, I ordered the F pads from the link earlier in the thread and it went through. This morning I got an email from the vendor stating they listed it as available by accident and it will be backordered for the foreseeable future and that I would get a refund. Hmph.
     
  8. Biodegraded

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    Now showing backordered until September. :( Edited my post to reflect that.
     
  9. Marvey

    Marvey Super Friend

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    The SR325x did come from Grado but through an intermediary. I believe Grado was made fully aware that I would be reviewing this headphone. Since there seems to be some (or a lot of?) interest in a Grado compendium, perhaps I should get a hold of them directly. I think would be kind of cool to put together a compendium, similar to what I did with HFM headphones a few years back.
     
  10. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    A compendium would be very welcome, especially because as you go up the line it’s not always clear what are improvements and what are merely different flavors.
     
  11. Dash

    Dash Friend

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    Agreed on compendium. I ordered the SR225x based on my previous Grado experience (I owned every Grado SR60 through RS1). I wondered all day, that if the SR325x is now the warmer one then perhaps we are entering Grado bizaro world.
     
  12. dsavitsk

    dsavitsk Friend

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    My first real headphones were SR80's bought, in 1994, along with a Little Headroom amp, at Tyll's recommendation. I had called Headroom from their Stereophile ad. I'm secretly still a Grado fan (the HF2 being my favorite Grado).

    Fwiw, driving Grados with a transformer loaded pentode amp (or a transformer loaded transistor if you prefer) is a really different experience. It basically uses the phones themselves as the load on the tube and results in a warm, full, punchy sound without a hint of brightness or harshness. It's really the only way I'll listen to them

    Interestingly, the 650s respond well to the above mentioned pentode amps, too. To my ear, it makes them sound like Grados if Grados sounded really good. Fast, punchy, warm, unveiled. Indeed, I think a pentode amp + Senns is very similar in signature to Focals with the 3F.
     
  13. Marvey

    Marvey Super Friend

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    Yeah, it's no surprise that @ChaChaRealSmooth has chosen to running his Senns off his pentode amp (but in ultralinear operation).

    These latest Grados with the F cushions definitely are not bright - they are a different animal from prior Grados with the bowl pads. With the SR325X, there's a bit of 70Hz-80Hz bump thing going on where I actually prefer them with neutral or only slightly warm amps or amps which have articulate bass. The DSHA 3F would be fantastic for them. The warmer fuzzy sounding 115+ SINAD super high feedback amps such as Schiit Magnius / Topping L30 I don't like with these.

    HF2 (with standard bowl pads) were a favorite of mine. I wish I didn't sell them.
     
  14. Marvey

    Marvey Super Friend

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    Story time: The compendium came to mind because at the Bay Area meeting that @CEE TEE put together in 2011, Paul (handle pcf at Head-Fi - he's no longer active), came by my table and dropped off every Grado known to the universe from the SR80 to the RS1, and including the ancient HP1000s, the HP1 with the polarity switches, the HP2, etc.) Paul was in the entertainment biz, and was leaving the US for London soon. I haven't seen him since but these are memories I cherish. This was the same meet where @rhythmdevils drop by my table with a backpack stuff with of random assorted vintage headphones. I still remember being intrigued by the AKG passive radiator headphone.

    Sigh, this COVID thing really makes me long for human contact. Not only that, but those old style meets which were not commercial, just us hobbyists sharing with each other. This to me is what the hobby is all about. Not commercial audio shows, not graphs, not SINAD, but actual hands-on with people of similar interests.

    SBAF should fund a real headphone meet later this year or maybe early next year. I'll make it out and help fund this - whoever wants to take this on. (I figure CA may be a better place because of the concentration of hobbyists who I know have all sorts of great gear, but perhaps TX too? Austin?)
     
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    Last edited: Jun 28, 2021
  15. Marvey

    Marvey Super Friend

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    I do have the SR225x coming in this weekend. Will let everyone know how they compare.
     
  16. Grattle

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    I could send you my PS500 for a couple of weeks if you’re interested.
     
  17. Ronion

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    Is it possible that these cushions are just the regular flat pads (like on the SR60) with a hole? I love my SR60 and have for over 15 years. I’ve bought several of the regular flat pads for them, but I wouldn’t mind warming them up a little.
     
  18. donunus

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  19. Ronion

    Ronion New

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    Hopefully they’ll start selling them on Grado’s site then....
     
  20. Dash

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    SR 225X arrived yesterday and these are initial thoughts*:

    *I have owned every prestige Grado at some point and both Alessandro models. I also lived several years with a vintage RS1 and Mapletree Audio Ear+.

    These new pads are more comfortable than the the TTVJ flats and the Grado pads. The foam is a little softer and denser. They are thicker than flats. The fact that you do not have to shell out immediately for flats makes the price hike of the "X" series tolerable.

    There is still the Grado immediacy and slam, but there seems to be less peakiness. Traditionally speaking, the SR225 was the most agreeable model short of the wood.

    Listening done off Asgard 3 and Modius.

    Edit: I still hate the cable and would love to find someone to make the cables removable.
     

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