Davesrose
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2006
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For the past few days on this site I've been showing my enthusiasm over trying to find a decent Grado. As everyone knows by now, I'm a Sennhieser fanboy, and I'm not afraid to show it
But after borrowing some SR60s, I knew that I could stand Grado brightness and supra-auralness that's only Grado. It left me unimpressed with the lack of resolution (which to be fair, I'm used to more expensive headphones). One genre it did blow me away with was techno (Amon Tobin to be specific). It's brightness and lack of bass emphasis made fast paced music more exciting then my previous sole rock can: the HD595. So I knew that comparing a more refined Grado would be only fair, and hopefully would allow me to find other genres that I could say I preferred Grado to, compared to my current favs: the HD595 and HD650. My advise to anyone starting this site: don't ever look at the F/S sites here!!!! It surely is a money pit. I saw a used 325i up for sale, and it's showed up on my mailbox today! So here are my impressions. Note that I shall try to be as unbiased as I can (I know, famous last words since we all have certain sensitivities and conditioning).
DA PHONES!!!
1: Aesthetics: OK, I include this category because I have an art background and looks do matter. One of the reasons I decided on the 325i vs other, more inexpensive Grados was that the 325i demands some respect. It no longer has the cheapy vinyl headband of the lesser Grados, and they try to make it more "prestige"-ious with a metal finish vs off the street polystyrene plastic. So in this category, I give the Grado the 3 points stamp! My HD650s, while very beloved, are well very simple and unevolved from the HD580 series. No points to you I say!!! Come on Sennheiser....you can actually change the HD580 molds if you've gone ahead and redone their driver!!! The HD595, I give Sennheiser a solute for totally changing the HD590 design (for the best). While the HD595 is cheaper then either the HD650 or 325i, it's very contemporary looking. Simple, yet it has a leather headband (definitely bests other Grado Prestige cans in its price range). So I give the HD595 2 points
Points:
Grado 325i = 3
HD595 = 2
HD650 =0
2: Comfort: Now this is the category that the Grados may have to break me into!!! Right now these suckers are painful if I leave them on for more then 30 minutes. The cans are so heavy. Did I forget to mention they are heavy yet?? I wasn't expecting them to be this heavy! I figured that since the SR60 was far from uncomfortable, that Grado Labs would design the 325is with comfort in mind too. Apparently they forgot that a supra-aural headphone can only have so much weight resting on the helix of the ear. I'm just using the stock bowls right now....my ears are pretty normal sized, but they do stick out a bit. I'm including a pic of my ear so that you can be the judge: is it my ear that's freakish, or is the 325i freakishly heavy? Needless to say these cans really press down on the helix of my ear. No amount of bending on the headband can help with the weight. So even with the benefit of the doubt that maybe I didn't realize my ears were actually freakish or something, I'm not awarding points to the 325i. Better luck next time! This is a category that's hard to argue against the HD650. About the only discomfort someone might have is that their ears get a little warm having headphones over them....otherwise, it's as if you don't have headphones on. 3 points to the HD650! The HD595s aren't as comfy, mainly because they take some more fiddling around so that cushions don't press against your earlobe. But when you do, they can be one of those that you forget you're wearing too. 2 points to you HD595.
I ask you, is this a freakish ear, or does Grado need to work on comfort? Don't mind any earwax in there!
points:
Grado 325i =0
HD595 =2
HD650 =3
Sound Impressions: Whew....this is a close match so far. Grado came out with a fast draw, but then faltered with the comfort round. Now for the main event that everyone is waiting for!!!
Now I don't think it's fair to say if one can might actually have better sound quality then another. These are all fine cans, and some people will gravitate towards one or another....simply based on preference. So I shall give my system setup and songs used in this evaluation. I'll try to say what songs each headphone really excels at. Now keep in mind that my ideal headphone for rock is one with a slight soundstage, adequate bass, and good extension. It should be well balanced and lively, but not overly colorful. To stay consistent with each headphone, I am only using my Benchmark DAC1 as a headphone amp and DAC....and mainly keeping my Sony SCD-CE595 as transport. This is a nice, neutral setup that lets you just focus more on the headphone signature IMHO (though the DAC1 does have a bit of a soundstage and extension).
Music used: I tried to sample a bit of everything in the rock genres....only thing I don't really listen to is metal: which maybe I need to now that I have a Grado
Orbital: All Together
Massive Attack: Messanine
Jamiroquai: Dynamite
Police:Every Breath You Take
Nine Inch Nails: Downward Spiral
Hot Young Priest (a local Atlanta punk band)
Aerosmith: Done With Mirrors
Cat Stevens: Greatest Hits
Billy Joel: Nylon Curtain
Sennheiser HD650: If your electronica tastes go towards more bass lined trip hop, these are the cans for you!!! Massive Attack is out of this world on these cans....On both the Grados and HD595s, I don't hear a bassline that's present on the HD650. Now the HD650 is considered dark by many Senn folks (and probably what really defines the "veiled" stereotype non-Sennheiser folks think of when thinking of Sennheiser). I see the HD650 as having silky smooth mids....smooth enough that there's more treble extension in upper mids and high treble, that was absent in the HD600. Since it has more bass, and smooth mids, some may view it as veiled. But with its soundstage, it seems the most lively and less headphone like to me. That's why I have been using it more for my rock then the HD595 lately. Now particular emphasis on treble, mids, and bass is always subjective....but I do think that the HD650 is very well blanced in every level: just having that classic softer treble that Senns have. Bass response is really crisp for Massive Attack. When comparing the HD595 and 325is, both of those cans seem to have more emphasis in mids then the HD650....this is a huge difference that some will either like (like me who thinks it's more speakerlike), or will think its too dark. But this silky smoothness makes the HD650 a strong performer for blues or percussions IMHO. That's why the HD650 also is a top performer with Billy Joel: rich bass and soundstage plus enough timbre for the piano man.
HD595: In general, compared to the HD650, the HD595 has less bass and soundstage, but makes up with an upfrontness and brightness that's absent with other Senns. I have used this headphone for referencing, alternative, and harder rock genres. And so it's no surprise that I liked these most for faster paced electronica and alternative. In some categories, it's a toss up between this and the 325i , which I'll cover later. But to my ears, the HD595 has a nice soundstage, bass response and enough treble to kick it up to an alternative junkie. The Police never sounded better! It may not have the detail of the 325i, but it carries a presence that the 325 can't seem to get. Jamiroquai screams to be played on these cans...they may be a bit bassy on the HD650 and bass shy on the 325i: Jamiroquai is only listenable on the HD595.
Grado 325i: OK, the main event.....so what does a Sennheiser boy think of a Grado that many Grado fans find fatiguing? Well I don't find its brightness fatiguing....it's that danged uncomfortableness!!!! But when I do have the cans on for short periods, I find it does have some phenomenal kick in the middle and high frequencies that Senns don't have. In the same vein, with certain music genres, I'm wanting it to have some more warmth and soundstage so that there would be some more impact (I know, everyone's rolling their eyes saying well dah a Sennboy would be calling for that). But there were a few surprises about the 325i tonality. When I play a bad genre through it (it's not suited for alternative IMO), it seems like its on the tinny side....drums and guitars are there, but I miss the impact of the bass drum. On a punk band like Hot Young Priest, I get some really mesmerizing details in the female vocalist and guitars....but where's the bass for the drums? But, that sweet mid section really brings out vocals and guitars. So it was quite surprising that I found Cat Stevens, folk star of the 70s (and what my parents played when I was growing up) that I really like on the 325i. Go figure that one man and his guitar I'd like on the 325i! This softness in bass also doesn't come into play with Aerosmith. Steve Tyler has never screamed into my ears with gritty graininess as ever before. Cymbals on the Done With Mirrors CD really sound glisteningly metallic. There be some impact! The same is true for Nine Inch Nails.....I can't really say NIN sounds more laid back on the HD595 vs the 325i. At least on the Benchmark, there is no slowness with the HD595. It's just the presentation that makes these different headphones. All in all, I liked the 325i over the HD595 for NIN....but only by a slim margin. It's that emphasis in high mids that brings on another detail with many passages. Its a lack of bass that made me wanting more on such songs like Piggy. Maybe I've just gotten used to the HD650 now!
So I guess I should recap and rate these cans on sound characteristics:
Bass response:
HD650:3
HD595:2
325i:1
Soundstage:
HD650:3
HD595:2
325i:1
Brightness:
325i:3
HD595:2
HD650:1
Clarity (this one is a toss up between the 325 and 650, because they're both equally balanced, just whether its on bass or brightness)
325i:3
HD650:3
HD595:2
So as you can see from these ratings, I still love my HD650 for my general cans. I'm not getting rid of the HD595 anytime soon, and I surely need to find a way to make the 325is comfortable!
Any Grado fans mind clueing me in on how to make the Grados wearable?
DA PHONES!!!
1: Aesthetics: OK, I include this category because I have an art background and looks do matter. One of the reasons I decided on the 325i vs other, more inexpensive Grados was that the 325i demands some respect. It no longer has the cheapy vinyl headband of the lesser Grados, and they try to make it more "prestige"-ious with a metal finish vs off the street polystyrene plastic. So in this category, I give the Grado the 3 points stamp! My HD650s, while very beloved, are well very simple and unevolved from the HD580 series. No points to you I say!!! Come on Sennheiser....you can actually change the HD580 molds if you've gone ahead and redone their driver!!! The HD595, I give Sennheiser a solute for totally changing the HD590 design (for the best). While the HD595 is cheaper then either the HD650 or 325i, it's very contemporary looking. Simple, yet it has a leather headband (definitely bests other Grado Prestige cans in its price range). So I give the HD595 2 points
Points:
Grado 325i = 3
HD595 = 2
HD650 =0
2: Comfort: Now this is the category that the Grados may have to break me into!!! Right now these suckers are painful if I leave them on for more then 30 minutes. The cans are so heavy. Did I forget to mention they are heavy yet?? I wasn't expecting them to be this heavy! I figured that since the SR60 was far from uncomfortable, that Grado Labs would design the 325is with comfort in mind too. Apparently they forgot that a supra-aural headphone can only have so much weight resting on the helix of the ear. I'm just using the stock bowls right now....my ears are pretty normal sized, but they do stick out a bit. I'm including a pic of my ear so that you can be the judge: is it my ear that's freakish, or is the 325i freakishly heavy? Needless to say these cans really press down on the helix of my ear. No amount of bending on the headband can help with the weight. So even with the benefit of the doubt that maybe I didn't realize my ears were actually freakish or something, I'm not awarding points to the 325i. Better luck next time! This is a category that's hard to argue against the HD650. About the only discomfort someone might have is that their ears get a little warm having headphones over them....otherwise, it's as if you don't have headphones on. 3 points to the HD650! The HD595s aren't as comfy, mainly because they take some more fiddling around so that cushions don't press against your earlobe. But when you do, they can be one of those that you forget you're wearing too. 2 points to you HD595.
I ask you, is this a freakish ear, or does Grado need to work on comfort? Don't mind any earwax in there!
points:
Grado 325i =0
HD595 =2
HD650 =3
Sound Impressions: Whew....this is a close match so far. Grado came out with a fast draw, but then faltered with the comfort round. Now for the main event that everyone is waiting for!!!
Now I don't think it's fair to say if one can might actually have better sound quality then another. These are all fine cans, and some people will gravitate towards one or another....simply based on preference. So I shall give my system setup and songs used in this evaluation. I'll try to say what songs each headphone really excels at. Now keep in mind that my ideal headphone for rock is one with a slight soundstage, adequate bass, and good extension. It should be well balanced and lively, but not overly colorful. To stay consistent with each headphone, I am only using my Benchmark DAC1 as a headphone amp and DAC....and mainly keeping my Sony SCD-CE595 as transport. This is a nice, neutral setup that lets you just focus more on the headphone signature IMHO (though the DAC1 does have a bit of a soundstage and extension).
Music used: I tried to sample a bit of everything in the rock genres....only thing I don't really listen to is metal: which maybe I need to now that I have a Grado
Orbital: All Together
Massive Attack: Messanine
Jamiroquai: Dynamite
Police:Every Breath You Take
Nine Inch Nails: Downward Spiral
Hot Young Priest (a local Atlanta punk band)
Aerosmith: Done With Mirrors
Cat Stevens: Greatest Hits
Billy Joel: Nylon Curtain
Sennheiser HD650: If your electronica tastes go towards more bass lined trip hop, these are the cans for you!!! Massive Attack is out of this world on these cans....On both the Grados and HD595s, I don't hear a bassline that's present on the HD650. Now the HD650 is considered dark by many Senn folks (and probably what really defines the "veiled" stereotype non-Sennheiser folks think of when thinking of Sennheiser). I see the HD650 as having silky smooth mids....smooth enough that there's more treble extension in upper mids and high treble, that was absent in the HD600. Since it has more bass, and smooth mids, some may view it as veiled. But with its soundstage, it seems the most lively and less headphone like to me. That's why I have been using it more for my rock then the HD595 lately. Now particular emphasis on treble, mids, and bass is always subjective....but I do think that the HD650 is very well blanced in every level: just having that classic softer treble that Senns have. Bass response is really crisp for Massive Attack. When comparing the HD595 and 325is, both of those cans seem to have more emphasis in mids then the HD650....this is a huge difference that some will either like (like me who thinks it's more speakerlike), or will think its too dark. But this silky smoothness makes the HD650 a strong performer for blues or percussions IMHO. That's why the HD650 also is a top performer with Billy Joel: rich bass and soundstage plus enough timbre for the piano man.
HD595: In general, compared to the HD650, the HD595 has less bass and soundstage, but makes up with an upfrontness and brightness that's absent with other Senns. I have used this headphone for referencing, alternative, and harder rock genres. And so it's no surprise that I liked these most for faster paced electronica and alternative. In some categories, it's a toss up between this and the 325i , which I'll cover later. But to my ears, the HD595 has a nice soundstage, bass response and enough treble to kick it up to an alternative junkie. The Police never sounded better! It may not have the detail of the 325i, but it carries a presence that the 325 can't seem to get. Jamiroquai screams to be played on these cans...they may be a bit bassy on the HD650 and bass shy on the 325i: Jamiroquai is only listenable on the HD595.
Grado 325i: OK, the main event.....so what does a Sennheiser boy think of a Grado that many Grado fans find fatiguing? Well I don't find its brightness fatiguing....it's that danged uncomfortableness!!!! But when I do have the cans on for short periods, I find it does have some phenomenal kick in the middle and high frequencies that Senns don't have. In the same vein, with certain music genres, I'm wanting it to have some more warmth and soundstage so that there would be some more impact (I know, everyone's rolling their eyes saying well dah a Sennboy would be calling for that). But there were a few surprises about the 325i tonality. When I play a bad genre through it (it's not suited for alternative IMO), it seems like its on the tinny side....drums and guitars are there, but I miss the impact of the bass drum. On a punk band like Hot Young Priest, I get some really mesmerizing details in the female vocalist and guitars....but where's the bass for the drums? But, that sweet mid section really brings out vocals and guitars. So it was quite surprising that I found Cat Stevens, folk star of the 70s (and what my parents played when I was growing up) that I really like on the 325i. Go figure that one man and his guitar I'd like on the 325i! This softness in bass also doesn't come into play with Aerosmith. Steve Tyler has never screamed into my ears with gritty graininess as ever before. Cymbals on the Done With Mirrors CD really sound glisteningly metallic. There be some impact! The same is true for Nine Inch Nails.....I can't really say NIN sounds more laid back on the HD595 vs the 325i. At least on the Benchmark, there is no slowness with the HD595. It's just the presentation that makes these different headphones. All in all, I liked the 325i over the HD595 for NIN....but only by a slim margin. It's that emphasis in high mids that brings on another detail with many passages. Its a lack of bass that made me wanting more on such songs like Piggy. Maybe I've just gotten used to the HD650 now!
So I guess I should recap and rate these cans on sound characteristics:
Bass response:
HD650:3
HD595:2
325i:1
Soundstage:
HD650:3
HD595:2
325i:1
Brightness:
325i:3
HD595:2
HD650:1
Clarity (this one is a toss up between the 325 and 650, because they're both equally balanced, just whether its on bass or brightness)
325i:3
HD650:3
HD595:2
So as you can see from these ratings, I still love my HD650 for my general cans. I'm not getting rid of the HD595 anytime soon, and I surely need to find a way to make the 325is comfortable!
Any Grado fans mind clueing me in on how to make the Grados wearable?
