Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2014
Updated: 2-1-2015
I listened to each Prestige headphone for at least 10 hours. The music I listened to was compressed in Apple Lossless format. I used my MacBook Pro with iTunes for playback. The differences in sound quality noted in this review were also heard on my iPod Classic with music compressed in AAC format at 256kbps VBR quality (iTunes Plus).
The Grado Prestige Series
===================
I've done hours and hours of research about the Grado Prestige Series. The following points lead me to initially purchase the SR-125.
- Numerous forums indicated that the SR-325 was too bright and caused listening fatigue.
- Although numerous forums recommended the SR-225 instead of the SR-125, a review from goodcans.com said that the difference between the SR-225 and SR-125 was noticeable only in certain songs and required well-trained ears.
- The Grado website advertises "The SRx25 will produce a sound that is pure Grado, with warm harmonic colors, rich full bodied vocals, excellent dynamics, and an ultra-smooth top end." on all SR-x25 headphones, which indicates that the SR-225 and SR-325 are refinements to the original SR-125 (original by order of price).
Below is the list comparing the headphones in the Prestige series and the Reference series. Please note that I have only listened to the SR-80i, SR-125e, SR-225e, and SR-325e. I relied on data from my research for the following differences: SR-60 vs SR-80, SR325 vs RS2, RS2 vs RS1.
SR-60 - entry level
SR-80 - improved bass
SR-125 - improved separation of horizontal sounds with a wider soundstage, more intimate soundstage
SR-225 - improved reproduction of space with a deeper soundstage, more intimate soundstage
SR-325 - improved look and feel, punchier bass
RS-2 - improved accuracy (warmer) with a smooth top end
RS-1 - improved look and feel, deeper and more intimate soundstage
-Prestige Buying Recommendations-
The SR-80 sounds really good for its price, but if you want a taste of the detail you've been missing without spending too much money, try the SR-125. The SR-325 is the real treat of the Prestige Series. It reveals even more detail than the SR-125, has an addictive bass, and a "look and feel" to be cherished. If you don't care much for "look and feel", the SR-225 will provide you more value.
-Reference Buying Recommendations-
The Reference series is notable for its warmer sound and smooth top end. The warmer sound will help instruments (like brass) and vocals sound more life-like. Those interested in Jazz and Classical music should give these serious consideration.
-Comparing the Top of each Line-
Prestige (SR-80) = Value Series
Prestige (SR-325) = Original Series (Improved Detail)
Reference (RS-1) = Prestige + Warmer Sound
Statement (GS-1000) = Reference + Bigger Soundstage
Professional (PS-1000) = Statement + Neutral Response
SR-80i vs SR-125e
==============
While some forums say that there is little difference between the SR-80 and SR-125, I disagree. When going from the SR-125 to the SR-80, there are obvious differences.
There is a much wider soundstage with the SR-125. Imagine a sector of a circle whose central point is at the back of the listener's head and the arc length is at the front. This area illustrates the space for sources of sound. The central angle would determine the soundstage width. The SR-80 would have a central angle of 110° while the SR-125 would have a central angle of 180°. For example, a sound that only plays on the left phone would sound like it's coming from the point 55° left of center with the SR-80. On the SR-125, it would sound like it's coming from the point 90° left of center.
The wider soundstage and improved intimacy result in more accurate sound with sufficient space for good separation of sound sources. In some songs, I can focus on just one track recording of the song; for example: backup singers become well defined like they are in a space all on their own, separate from the other sounds, as if there were recorded separately and then mixed in at that location (which is what happened). The SR-125 reveals this other dimension of production: how much work was put in the stereo mixing of the song. I have found that not all songs have such interesting production.
These improvements also make defects in the recording (hiss, pops, and clipping) less subtle.
I had to get used to such a wide soundstage provided by the SR-125. In the beginning, it felt like a different experience. Sometimes, I found it difficult to focus on the music as a whole because I felt bombarded with what seemed like stereo sources 180° apart. It seemed to require work to piece the sources together and felt a bit unnatural. Early Beatles albums in pseudo stereo were dreadful to listen to. More than ever, they became like listening to two completely different sources (which they are).
However, I found it more difficult to go back to the less intimate sound of the SR-80. The sounds become so distant that it no longer seemed like I was in the same room with the band, but maybe looking through a window. Now, I am used to the wide soundstage.
Another thing I read in some forums was that the SR-125 has less bass than the SR-80. I think that because of the improvements, the bass has to compete with the other sounds that now come into focus with the SR-125, which makes the bass seem more inconspicuous.
SR-125e vs Other Headphones
=======================
Interestingly, the difference in width of soundstage is not as obvious in other headphones I have such as the Koss PortaPro or the Sennheiser HD280 Pro. However, their sound quality is closer to, but not as good as the SR-80.
SR-125e vs SR-225e
===============
The SR-225 comes with L-cushions instead of the S-cushions that come with the SR-125. The difference in sound quality between the SR-125 and SR-225 is not as impactful as the difference between the SR-80 and SR-125, but I was surprised to hear that even more intimacy was possible.
The L-cushions increase the intimacy further, providing additional clarity and making details in the music are easier to hear. Vocals come closer to your ears. The reverberations of the lightly tapped cymbals are more easily heard; they can also be heard for bass drums. These reverberations give the sound a more musical feel. In addition, bass seems to be easier to isolate. When switching back and forth between the S-cushion and L-cushion, the intimacy is immediately noticeable; the details are easily noticeable in slower songs.
The SR-225 also has a slightly wider soundstage, but it's difficult to detect.
The headphones are slightly heavier, probably due to the larger chamber and different grille.
I enjoyed the increased intimacy of the SR-225. Again, once I had more intimacy, it was difficult to go back to the SR-125.
*No headphone amplifier was used for this experience. See section: The Case for a Headphone Amplifier.
*Also see section: Infamous L-cushions.
SR-225e vs SR-325e
===============
With the SR-325, we enter the area of diminishing returns with regard to sound quality. The SR-325e has a warmer tone - it's difficult to detect. There is also a punchier bass - can be detected, but not significant. I had to listen to songs back and forth at least a handful of times to understand some of the differences I was hearing. It also helps to be in a quiet environment and use quiet, slow songs in some cases.
The best thing about the SR-325 is the improvements to the look and feel of the line. The headphones are numbered (carved on the ear pad side of the chamber). The chambers are made of aluminum and painted silver. The aluminum adds weight to the headphones, but it feels good. The headband is much improved (thank god). Pictures somehow don't accurately describe it. It is wider by 1/4", made of stitched leather with a rigid paperboard inside to support its shape, and lightly padded on the underside.
However, I do have some complaints about the look and feel. There were a few small defects in the paint. A small piece chipped on the first day. The exterior nubs of the plastic piece that holds the cans to the headband were not the same size. These issues might have been caused by the struggle to meet the spike in demand caused by the introduction of the E series headphones.
While I'm not sure the SR-325 is worth the full premium over the SR-225, it was difficult to give up the aluminum chambers and sturdy leather headband once I had them in my hands.
*No headphone amplifier was used for this experience. See section: The Case for a Headphone Amplifier.
*Also see sections: Infamous L-cushions, Long-Term Listening to the SR-325.
Long-Term Listening to the SR-325
=========================
I've been listening to these exclusively for about 3 months. During this time, I noticed some things.
Over time, the SR-325 developed a liquid smooth, airy bass thump (the so-called "punchy" bass). This gives an addictive quality to music. Just listen to the intro of Pink Floyd's Breathe in the Air... or Carpenter's Mr. Guder. It's so blissful; yet, such a tease because it leaves me wanting more. This "punchy" bass alone motivated me to upgrade to higher-end headphones (GS-1000).
I also noticed that I've been gravitating towards different music. I cherish music that was recorded better. Slow music that I previously thought was boring now became exciting. On the other hand, music with ambience, that I previously thought was exciting, became less exciting.
*No headphone amplifier was used for this experience. See section: The Case for a Headphone Amplifier.
The Infamous L-Cushions
===================
The L-cushions provide the biggest upgrade to the base sound quality of the SR-125e than the other upgrades that make up the SR-225e or SR-325e.
If the SR-125 was also shipped with L-cushions, the differences would be as follows.
SR-125 - base sound
SR-225 - slightly wider soundstage, slightly improved accuracy (warmer)
SR-325 - improved look and feel, slightly punchier bass, slightly improved accuracy (warmer)
Owners of the SR-125 may be tempted to buy L-cushions to get better sound. However, I found the sound to be too bright to enjoy for extended periods. Thus, revealing the greatest strength of the SR-225: not too bright with the L-cushions.
If you are looking to experiment with the S-cushion or L-cushion: moving to the L-cushion increases the brightness of the sound, which improves intimacy and tightens the bass (more defined); moving to the S-cushion decreases brightness, which reduces intimacy and loosens the bass (more boomy).
*No headphone amplifier was used for this experience. See section: The Case for a Headphone Amplifier.
The infamous drawback of the L-cushions is their comfort. When I used the L-cushions for the first time with the SR-225e, they were very uncomfortable to wear for more than 15 minutes. On some days it was not so bad, but repeated wearing made a bad situation worse. Even hours after I stopped listening, I would feel the pressure points on my ears. Below are tips on how to make them more comfortable.
- Rest the cushion on the upper tip of each ear. The biggest cause of my discomfort was caused by the upper tips of my ears rubbing against the driver. I discovered that the cushions became more comfortable when I rested them on the upper tip of each ear. This may change the sound. However, Grado has said that the best way to wear them is the most comfortable way. I also try to keep the headphone label buttons where my ear canal is so that the sound isn't affected too much.
- Loosen the headband. Loosening the headband will help by reducing the clamping force of these cushions on your ears. However, you will be shifting more weight of the phones to the headband. If it is not padded like the SR-325, the headband will become uncomfortable with too much weight.
- Don't move too much. Even with clamping force, these cushions do not have much grip on your ears, so they will shift easily when you tilt your head or widen facial expressions. The shifting increases discomfort. Try to use the headphones only while your body is in an upright position (ex: not lying down).
Using the the above tips, I can go 1 hour without needing to readjust the headphones. That's not as comfortable as the S-cushions, which I can wear for more than 2 hours without issue, but it is bearable.
The Case for a Headphone Amplifier
=========================
Headphone amplifiers built into devices such as iPods and computers are designed with power limitations driven by two goals: small footprint; safe universal operation. Unfortunately, high end headphones typically require lots of power to sound their best. They might sound OK without one, but they could sound much different when connected to a good headphone amplifier.
I was skeptical at first, until I bought Grado's GS-1000 and was disappointed by its bass performance. When I called Grado about this, they said that a headphone amplifier would help with bass performance. I picked one up and was blown away. Not only did the bass improve to a satisfactory level, but the soundstage completely transformed. It felt like another headphone. I was so impressed by the improvements that I had to try the amplifier with other headphones.
With the SR-325, the bass and soundstage was improved to satisfactory levels. The bass became louder, rounder, and smoother. The soundstage felt more spacious as instrument reverberations occupied more space, significantly improving the reproduction of ambience. The difference wasn't as dramatic as with the GS-1000, but the improvements are enough for me to justify making a headphone amplifier a requirement for the SR-325.
I no longer have an SR-225, but I expect improvements similar to the SR-325.
With the SR-125, the same improvements were noticed. The bass became slightly louder, rounder, and smoother. The soundstage became more spacious, mildly improving the reproduction of ambience. The difference is not as dramatic was with the SR-325. I would say that a headphone amplifier is not a requirement, but it would improve your experience with the SR-125.
With the SR-80, there were slight improvements, but not enough to justify buying a headphone amplifier.
*Note that headphones have to be broken-in to see the maximum benefit of a headphone amplifier.
Unfortunately, not all headphone amplifiers perform the same way. A headphone amplifier's job is not just to supply additional power, but also not imprint itself onto the audio signal while doing so. That's the challenge. The JDS Labs Objective2 is my reference headphone amplifier. I've compared it against the Fiio E12 and the Denon DA-10 and the Objective2 provided the best performance. You can check out my reviews for the E12 and DA-10 if you need more specifics.
*Note that a Gain of 1x (or 0dB) is perfect for Grado headphones and the Line Out of an iPod Classic (6G). However, this is different for Media Players without a line out, such as the iPod Touch (6G). In this case, I set the Headphone Out to 75% volume and use a Gain of 2.5x (or 7.5dB). With the efficient GR10e, a Gain of 2.5x gives me use of 50% of the headphone amplifier's volume knob for songs with a dynamic range of 14 dB. With the less efficient GS1000e, it gives me use of 75% of the volume knob.
Other Considerations
================
Since the headphones are open back, music can be easily heard by others and external sounds can be easily heard by you. External sounds will interfere with your perception of bass performance. This is typical of other sound sources open to the environment, such as car speakers.
The phone plug is 1/8" (fits in iPod) and comes with a 1/4" adapter.
The headphone cable is very thick, but sturdy. I feel like I need to be careful not to put too much stress on a 1/8" phone port. The 1/4" to 1/8" adapter from Grado may look like a solution to prevent stress on a 1/8" phone port, but the 1/4" adapter is thicker than it looks and makes the cord much heavier, making the situation worse.
PS
==
Relaxed, intimate, and emotional songs sound better with more intimacy. Examples:
K's Choice - Not an Addict
Spandau Ballet - True
Spice Girls - 2 become 1
Sting - Fields of Gold
Glossary
======
- Accurate - A more accurate sound means a better balance of all frequencies, resulting in conspicuous details.
- Brighter - A brighter sound is one with more treble.
- Intimate - A more intimate sound is one that sounds closer to your ears. This usually feels like the artist is playing for just you, rather than for an audience.
- Muddy - A muddy sound is one that does not have clarity. This can be caused by inaccurate sound reproduction or narrow soundstage.
- Soundstage - A soundstage is the amount of 3-dimensional space available for sound sources. A bigger soundstage will provide more separation between the track recordings of a song, which helps a listener to focus on each one individually. In addition, a bigger soundstage also increases the amount of perceived space around the listener.
- Soundstage Width - Imagine a sector of a circle whose central point is at the back of the listener's head and the arc length is at the front. This area illustrates the space for sources of sound. The central angle would determine the soundstage width.
- Soundstage Depth - This relates to Soundstage Width in that the radius of the sector would determine the soundstage depth. However, because of headphone design, the final shape may not resemble that of a sector.
- Warmer - A warmer sound is one with less treble and/or more bass. Warmer sound can be easily detected when listening to female vocals. Other sounds that are usually bright, such as cymbals are also a good point of detection.
