Grado SR125i vs SR225i

[brianjrealto]

I've seen a couple review saying there is not much difference in sound between these 2 headphones.

Has anyone compared these side by side and had any huge sound difference?

I want a new pair of Grado's to upgrade from the SR80's I have, but wanted some feedback on the comparison of the 125's vs. 225's

thanks
Brian

 

[prisoners]

I did. There was a slight, but real extension in the lower ranges with the 225. Overall they were very similar, but the 225 had a bit more of a full sound. I liked what I heard enough to order the 325i unheard, the shop didn't have them in stock.

 

[eclein]

I talked to a guy from Grado the other day and asked him the following: "I'm an old retired guy who loves Grado's and has SR60's, do I save for higher up models or are the differences only marginal?"... he replied that one day over the summer he got together with a bunch of retired gentlemen audiophile's and they compared the models on the lower end to the real high end ones and he said there conclusion was that at the 325's and up the differences were not that great, not enough for maybe a retired guy to save up his cash for.
I know that doesn't sound like any help but if you think about it the rate of diminishing returns kicks in at the 325's and according to all the info I've been gathering over at head-fi.org about modding my SR60's, they can be improved to the point of performing as well or out performing the 125's and getting closer to the 225's.
A friend is sending me some 125's that he did not like so I can compare them to my 60's, I'm pretty sure in the mods I've made I've already gotten my 60's to the permance level of the 125's but I'll know for sure in a few days.
So I guess my point is your maybe good with what you have until you can swing 225's or 325's???
I bought mine used for $45, read the SR60 Mod thread ay head-fi and made mods that cost me 0.00 so far and I've already elevated my 60's past my other phones which are Ultrasone Hfi-700's, a set of phones I have been comparing my 60's to along the way after each mod. The mods are easy, they are a bit intimidating at first but once you start and hear the benefits they get real easy real fast!!!!! The guys at head-fi are super to talk to and extremely helpful....I'd save the cash, mod my current cans, and wait for the funds to be where I could get some 225's or 325's....but thats me...holler if you have any questions, I'll be glad to help.

 

[lini]

Brian: If that's any help, in the older, non-i-suffixed versions, the SR60 sounded pretty much identical to the SR80 to me, provided one used the same type of earpads (comfies or bowls) on each. The SR125 seemed not much different, but that rather to the worse: shriller, more grating. Whereas the SR225 sounded a really good bit smoother, more refined and better balanced. So, in case pretty much the same would still go for the current i-incarnations, I'd say upgrading from the SR80(i) to the SR125(i) would be a questionable move at best - whereas the SR225(i) would be worth it, imo.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Permanent Waves]

I agree with ecelin and lini: Probably best to save up for the 225i's (or maybe even 325i's).

This is based off of what I've read on various forums for the past year or two as well as my own decision: I went straight to the 225i for my first Grado. I researched the 125i, 225i, and 325i to try to find out whether or not to go "cheap" (125i) or "expensive" (325i) and the consensus was that the 225i is the "sweet spot" in the lower to mid level Grado line up. It is supposed to be a significant step up from the 125i (and lower models 60 and 80) whereas the 325i is not supposed to be that significant of a step up from the 225i, just a little more refined.

But personally I've only heard the 225i so I've never myself compared any different Grado models to any others.

Also, doing a quick price search, it seems the 225i's are only $50 more than the 125i's. I think that would certainly be worth it. However the 325i's are $100 more than the 225i's. That, based on what I've read, might not be worth it.

You could also just order both (or even all 3) and keep the one you think represents the best cost/performance ratio.

 

[thefragger]

I'm savin' for a set of 325s, personally.

 

[thedelihaus]

I've owned the 60s, currently own 125s, 225s, and RS-2s, and tried them all.

The 225s retain the sound of the 60s, 80s and 125s but excel over them enough to be a real sweet spot in the line-up, and in my opinion, worthy of the added cost.

The 325s were, out of te box, a tad bright, but I've been told this diminishes slightly with use. I have tried a pair with many hours on them and still felt they were, for me, a tad "hot".

While the 60 to 225 are small incremental steps upwards, and the 325 technically is as well, The RS-2 is a big step up, in clarity, detail and imaging. Not cheap, but worth the price.

The RS-1 are not realistically within my price range, but my audiophile store owner friend thinks it's the bees knees and close to the price-rich GS-1000s.

 

[mrarroyo]

Having owned all of the Grado line up to the GS1000 to me the biggest bang for the buck are the SR225 or the RS-2 specially if you purchase them used. You should be able to secure the RS-2 used for about $375 and the SR225 for about $150. Good luck.

 

[lini]

Neat avatar, Miguel! And seems like we're on a good way to consensus here... :yes:

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Permanent Waves]

Glad to know that it seems that I made the right choice. I have no doubt the 325i's are nice, but I remember reading about the treble being a bit too much (though I don't mind "bright" sound I don't want anything harsh/grainy, although the 225i's can be for that matter). That and the $100 more new turned me off.

The RS-2's might just be in my future...we'll see.

 

[mrarroyo]

Neat avatar, Miguel! And seems like we're on a good way to consensus here... :yes:

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

Thanks Manfred, I own a 1970 VW Beetle which was restored in 2003. Since I have driven it almost 80,000 miles and I love it. Here is a picture.

 

[lini]

Miguel: Sweet :thmbsp: - and well restored, it seems. A friend of mine used to have an older one (1958) in black, which also was very neat - as well as a Samba bus, but I don't know if he ever got done restoring that...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[swestenzweig]

I've had a pair of SR-60s for about 8 years now. For quite some time they served as my standby headphones that I used for nearly everything. I used them so much at work and travel that I thought of getting a bit nicer pair for home use. I tried a pair of Sennheiser HD 595s for a while but the presence and staging just wasn't direct enough for me. As one review I read mentioned, it seemed like you were sitting a few rows back from the stage...

So, I began my search for some higher-end Grados. I thought the 225i would be my target, but after talking to some folks I was advised to the 325. From what I've heard, the difference in the SR60 vs. 125 and 225 is rather slight, but the 325 really starts to pull away noticeably.

The advice I received was dead-on. I found a used pair of 325 cans for $195 and never looked back. The 325s are bright and very direct... you feel like you are right on stage. That kind of intensity can wear on you after an extended listening session, but if you love what the SR-60s and 80s offer there is just no substitute for that Grado presence.

 

[thedelihaus]

...From what I've heard, the difference in the SR60 vs. 125 and 225 is rather slight, but the 325 really starts to pull away noticeably....

I'd politely argue that. The 225 and 325 were close in performance in my opinion, just with the 225 being a bit more polite and less prone to fatigue. The 225 is a real sweet spot for the SR line.

...The 325s are bright and very direct... you feel like you are right on stage. That kind of intensity can wear on you after an extended listening session, but if you love what the SR-60s and 80s offer there is just no substitute for that Grado presence.

This is where the 225 has a leg up over the 325- that brightness is tamed, not as forward or direct, and not as intense, so less chance of fatigue.

The 325s are an excellent can, but indeed are brighter than the 225s.



The big difference over the 225s and 325s was moving up to the RS-2s. If they are within your budget, I'd say go for it. The RS-1s are supposed to be a good step up over the 2s, but that really would have strained my budget.


I'm pleased, however, with my 125s for travel, 225s for home use, and RS-2s for home use.

 

[Permanent Waves]

I'd politely argue that. The 225 and 325 were close in performance in my opinion, just with the 225 being a bit more polite and less prone to fatigue. The 225 is a real sweet spot for the SR line.


This is where the 225 has a leg up over the 325- that brightness is tamed, not as forward or direct, and not as intense, so less chance of fatigue.

The 325s are an excellent can, but indeed are brighter than the 225s.

I agree, but again, just from what I've read as all I have or have heard is the 225i. I do tend to like bright sound, but the 225i's are bright enough for me, I wouldn't want anything brighter I don't think.

 

[swestenzweig]

I will chalk that up to personal preference, thedelihaus. I must confess not having the ability to make my own side-by-side comparison, but I do like the raw, bracing impact of the 325s. My musical tastes cut a fairly wide path, including some material at the extreme end of the spectrum. For me, Tool's "Intolerance" at volume should be experienced with enough impact to make your mind swell, your ears bleed, and your body convulse... Well, at least just once.

Someday, my budget will expand my possibilities to the realm of the Grado Reference Series; but alas, that time has not yet come and my audio wishlist is still too long. I'd love to give them a listen, though.

 

[eclein]

Just to confuse everything more....my original SR60's have been modified...alot! So after receiving a pair of SR125's the other day that were stock from a friend who didn't dig the Grado sound...I compared the modded SR60's to the stock SR125's and it became very clear to me that these headphones can tweaked with great success. The modded 60's absolutely sounded better than the 125"s....the later being bright to the point of having to stop listening to them.
These are the only two models I have heard so I'm no expert but I was surprised, I guess in the hifi world more money somehow is supposed to mean better quality of sound and this clearly was not the case with these. I'm not a mad scientist and these mods are very easy to make so anyone can do them....the 125's had to be modded to catch up to where the 60's had gotten to.
After experiencing this first hand I would have to say that an entry level Grado can easily be modded to sound as good/better than models considerably higher up the product line. What that exact point is hard to pinpoint but the 60's outperformed the 125's when lightly modded to the point of having to mod the 125's to catch up...so thats like 2 1/2 maybe 3 models up roughly.
Now my interest is really heightened and I will search out the higher up models and have a listen to see if I can determine whats up. Good stuff!!! Fun for sure!!

 

[gmku]

I don't know. I haven't listened to the 225s or anything above that, but I've auditioned the 60s, I've owned the 80s, and I now own the 125s. In my limited experience, I've found that there's not much difference between the 60s and the 80s, but there is enough of a difference between the 80s and 125s to justify paying slightly more. It's not a huge difference but for lack of a better description the sound stage with the 125s just seems a bit more realistic and expansive.

 

[bliss53]

Having owned all of the Grado line up to the GS1000 to me the biggest bang for the buck are the SR225 or the RS-2 specially if you purchase them used. You should be able to secure the RS-2 used for about $375 and the SR225 for about $150. Good luck.

I agree. I listened to the entire line. The best upgrade was getting the RS earpads for my 225s.

 

[gmku]

I don't care what anybody says. I like my 125s, dammit.

I admit they sound a little brighter than the 80s at first. But I also find that after a breaking in period they really mellow out.