Grado SR-125 Headphones

First off, I want to say that I'm not somebody who just bought these things and am scrambling to write a review about them; I've had these beauties for a while, and I'm finally buckling down to write about them. In fact, I have a pair of RS-1s on order, and will most likely write a review on them later on this year or next. But let's get on with the review, shall we? Oh, one last thing, if I use the word "cans" at any point in this review, I'm just using a slang term for headphones, so just pardon my language. Anyway, on we go...

Power
The normal impedance for these headphones rates at 32Ohms, which (for those of us that need a little explaining), basically means that these things will work surprisingly well even when powered by something like a portable cd player, mp3 player, or (god forbid) a minidisc player. I've used mine with my Panasonic SL-201C (older Panasonic portable CD player), my Aiwa AM-C80 (my portable minidisc recorder which has since been damaged and handed over to someone else), and my Panasonic SL-CT780 (my current portable cd player). The older Panasonic ran on two "AA" batteries while the other two used internal non-alkaline rechargeable batteries. Each of these units had more than enough power to run the phones, though most people do prefer running them through an amp. I tried these out on an old 70's Hitachi stereo system that I've recently set up for myself. And the headphones, when running through the Hitachi stereo control amplifier (HCA-7500) and stereo power amplifier (HMA-7500), responded better with a fuller sound and stronger mid-range. Also, while using a stereo graphic equalizer (GE-206), I was able to pick up more detail with stronger highs and mids. But enough about my equipment, let's talk a bit about the construction.

I give these cans:
9/10

When it comes to power usage, these things will run on nearly anything.

Construction/Design
These headphones are made up of two materials, plastic and metal, though they are found in different forms throughout. The transducer housings (the part the holds the speakers for the unit) are plastic with a metal (aluminum) plate with a multitude of holes drilled to better focus the sound within the small air chamber contained in these sweet little cans. The plastic semi-circle on which the transducers pivot to conform to your head are made out of a hard, yet durable black plastic (the same as the transducer housings). The look of this plastic is that of a brushed finish which adds a bit of texture to the phones while at the same time removing any tacky, glossy appearance. Attached to this are metal poles that pivot against plastic connecting points on the headphone band, allowing the transducers to rotate a full 360 degrees (VERY HANDY!). These poles are capped off at the top by a plastic cap so the transducers don't come off (just make sure not to give any kind of quick jerk to the chord, or these things will pop right off. And lastly, the vinyl-covered metal band which is the headband for this piece. Overall, the components work alright together, but I think there could have been a bit more attention to detail when it came to the design of these things. The vinyl headband, for one, is hardly padded at all and certainly not very comfortable. I solved this by attaching the nice padded headband from a big old pair of 1970's headphones. Oh, I mustn't forget about the padding for your ears when you put these puppies on. A lot of people have been whining and complaining about the old padding used by Grado on all of their cans, well, I can now certainly assure you, that if you buy these headphones new from ANY decent internet or local retailer, you will only receive the NEW PADS. They stopped manufacturing and shipping the old pads years ago, so I'm very much certain that the stock of these old models are long gone. But who cares about looks and craftsmanship, right? Let's talk about SOUND!

My score for Construction and Design is:
6/10

There certainly isn't $100 worth of material in these guys, an the construction could use a bit of work.

The Sound
The Grado sound experience is certainly one that I have yet to see matched by any other headphones on the market (granted, I haven't tried a huge assortment of headphones, but I have certainly tried a few, including some Sennheisers...that's right, I said it!). I think the most incredible thing about Grado headphones is the amount of detail these things can pick up. This is partially due to the very broad frequency range that their cans can cover. The SR-125s, for instance, have a range of 20Hz to 20kHz which is approximately the range that human ears can detect (though the human ear is most sensitive to the 500Hz - 4000Hz range, but let's not get too technical). Basically, these cans cover a very large range of sounds and will even pick up the high voices of the Backstreet Boys, if you are so evil as to play that horrible rubbish. So, where was I?...Oh yes, headphones...Each pair of phones in the Grado line-up comes complete with a vented diaphragm (the aluminum plate in the SR-125s, as mentioned earlier), and an air chamber. Now, the SR-40s to the SR-225s have an air chamber which is "non-resonant" which basically means that there isn't enough room for the sound to bounce around and fine tune the overall sound. This may or may not be important to you, though it is really important to some. When the sound resonates in the headphones, it basically separates the frequencies of the sound a bit, which provides what is called in the audio world as a "larger soundstage". It does this by removing some of the frequencies that just colorize the sound, or even add distortion to the music. To most people, the difference in sound is hardly noticeable, but to those who are just obsessed with their sound (like yours truly) it can make a world of difference. Another thing that helps the sound in this (though nobody is sure exactly how much it actually helps it) is the UHPLC (Ultra High-Purity Long Crystal) oxygen-free copper voice coil (try saying that three times fast). This is basically the best damned copper you can find, and it apparently provides much more lifelike sounds. The SR-325s to the RS-1s also have this supa-dupa copper in their connector chord, providing a clean line for the power to flow to your cans. I don't know how great this stuff really is, but I guess it could remove a bit of distortion, maybe. One last thing that I must cover about the sound of Grado headphones in this review is that Grado cans MUST have at least a 24 hour break in period. What I mean is, most headphones and speakers sound a lot better once they have been played for a while, it helps to stretch the membrane in the transducers; well, I must warn you that before you judge the Grados, give them a good amount of time to break in. When you first buy these, they will definitely sound better than any low to mid end headphones you've heard before; but you will not experience the full sound capacity that these things can deliver until you break them in properly. For the first couple of nights that I had these phones, I plugged them into my stereo, turned up some music rather loud, wrapped them up in blankets, and shoved them in my closet. Each morning, the sound was warmer, and the highs were a lot less squelchy, and the mids were a bit more tight; I can't stress the break in point enough, just do this one little chore and it will pay off for you BIG TIME. So now you might be asking "Well, sure these things might sound good, but can I bring them around with me?..." I'll touch on that in just a second.

For sound, these phones rank:
9/10

These are the best headphones I've heard for this price range, these certainly sound incredible and are well worth a listen.

Portability
I personally think that Grados are pretty darned portable considering they are of a very high standard. The transducers aren't giant ugly beasts like most electrostatic headphones (I could talk a lot about electrostatics, but I don't have the time, nor the finger power to type it all), and they are fairly light, the RS-1s being the heaviest at 9oz, and the SR-125s weighing in at about 5oz. There are a couple of points about these headphones that I think should be pointed out, however. One of them is that involves the connector cable; this cable is pretty darn long (about 6 feet) and is quite thick (close to a quarter inch), this can be a problem for some people, because it is heavy and can easily get snagged on things as you walk around. The chord splits to both of the transducers individually instead of wrapping around the headband (I actually think this is a nice feature instead of a hindrance, it is the way all headphones should be wired, in my opinion). And lastly, the chord ends at a 1/4" (quarter inch) adaptor, which will not fit into your portable cd player unless you go out and pick yourself up a 1/4" to miniplug (1/8") adaptor. These can be found pretty much anywhere, but if you must, you can order one from Grado, but it's going to cost you about $15 US. The RS-1s now come with this adaptor, so if you're planning on one of those puppies, you have one less thing to worry about.

Value
You can usually find these at around $120-$150 US, and at that price, you can't get a better sounding headphone. I know I was a bit harsh when talking about the construction of them, but they are certainly worth trying out, and I'm sure that for the average user, these are the best headphones you could ever want. This item has been described by some as the link between low end and high end, it is basically the first little step into audiophile; if you get these and get hooked into the audiophile world (like I've been), then prepare to open up your wallet, because great sound doesn't come cheap. Looking back at the purchase of these headphones I remember thinking to myself that $120 US is a lot to spend on headphones, but now when I think about it, $120 is about the least I would spend.

My verdict for value:

10/10

though they might not look like $120+ headphones, they sure do sound like it. These are a great value for any budding audiophile!

Overall
These are FANTASTIC headphones, you can't beat the value for the kind of sound quality these things will give you, but if you are looking for something a bit more advanced, prepare to dish out the cash. You are not going to find that much of a difference between headphones that cost $120 and ones that cost $150. Don't bother going for the SR-225s, from what I've heard, they aren't much better than the SR-125s, and they are a bit more money. I would recommend holding onto the SR-125s until you are ready for a bigger step. The next big step up are the SR-325s that have a resonating air chamber, and the UHPLC copper in the connector chord; but I digress. Please do your self a favour and at least find out where they sell these headphones near you and give them a listen in a nice quiet room with some familiar music, you wont be disappointed. And, if you're like me, and didn't have a place near you to test these out, by all means, scrape together the cash and pick up a pair online; you can usually find them pretty reasonably priced on eBay (I'm kind of an eBay addict...don't tell anyone), or other online stores. Good luck, and happy listening!

*** Update - About the Comfort
Some people complain about the comfort of Grado headphones, and in some ways, I can understand where they're coming from. after about 2 hours of constant wear, the phones do tend to tire out the ears a bit and cause a bit of an aching around the cartilage that make up much of the top rim of the outer ear. But this is only minor, and some people don't even experience this problem, I rarely listen to more than 2 hours of music at a time, and even if I wanted to, I would probably just switch to my speakers for 5-10 minutes to let my ears relax a bit. This generally helps, and lets me get more listening in. Hope this has been a bit of help for those who have been wondering about the comfort.***