Grado SR-325 Headphones

Rating:
Summary: A great headphone -- if it's your sound
Review: The Grado SR325 has now been replaced by the 325i -- recognizable by its goldilsh-silver aluminim styling.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.