symbiosis's Full Review: Grado SR-125 Professional Headphones
Introduction
I have long been a fan of headphones. I greatly enjoy listening to music. Sometimes, I need to listen to music. Many times, other people are sleeping or studying when I want to listen to music, so headphones are a must. Like many people, I started off listening to cheap Sony (or similar) headphones. When I got out of college, and had a little money, I tried some slightly better Sony headphones, and even a pair of less expensive Sennheisers. Still, I found all of these headphones wanting, especially when compared to my reference audio setup, composed of Paradigm Monitor Series speakers and a high-current 100-watt Onkyo receiver. So finally I started reading reviews of more expensive consumer headphones. The brands that seemed to be more highly regarded in this range are AKG, Sennheiser, and Grado. I decided to try the Stereophile Product of the Year Grado SR-125s. After nearly two years, here are my impressions:
Appearance and Construction
As you can see in the picture above, the SR-125s have a rather old fashioned look to them. To me, they look like they could be from the Fifties or Sixties. But I wasn't around then, so what do I know? The overall design can look pretty cool, especially if you like the retro look. The construction is solid, using mainly very durable plastic for the major structural pieces of the headphones. The headband is metal, wrapped in a vinyl covering. The vinyl covering does not provide much padding, and this lack of padding allows the metal headband to become rather uncomfortable after about an hour or so. If you read many older reviews of the SR-125s, you will also encounter a lot of complaints about the foam padding for your ears. Grado seems to have improved this over the years, but these are still not as comfortable as the pair of Sennheisers that I owned for a few months. I find that the foam pads start to be uncomfortable after an hour or two.
I have had these headphones for about two years, and they are still in pretty good shape. The cord leading to one of the transducers has become somewhat twisted, but this is a minor complaint. So I would say that the durability of these headphones has been good.
The All-Important Sound
Headphones, like speakers, exist to reproduce music. The quest for greatness in headphones is the quest to do as little damage as possible. Since it is not possible to perfectly reproduce the music that was recorded, the device that can reproduce it while adding the least static, additional noise, or coloration to the sound is the one that the true audiophile critics normally praise.
The SR125s definitely have a unique sound. The first thing that I noticed is that they are extremely fast. Notes hit exactly when they should, and linger only as long as intended. This is especially noticeable on drumbeats and bass guitar riffs. The bass is fast and very controlled. To those used to the muddy, buzzy, rattling bass of cheaper headphones, the SR-125s might seem to be light on bass. This is not the case. The bass is there, but is very tight and controlled.
The second thing that I noticed is that these headphones are very revealing. Unless you have a very high-end reference system or other similar quality headphones, you are probably going to notice a lot of new details in your music. In some songs, where I could only hear a voice with some weird effects before, suddenly I could hear that there were two or three voices mixed together. I also started to notice a lot of other small things, like the fast controlled breaths of an experienced vocalist. Headphones this revealing are a double-edged sword. Well-recorded pieces of music will shine, but average or poorly recorded music can become downright unbearable.
The final thing that I noticed is that there is a lot of treble with these headphones. At first, they seemed very bright. Later, I decided that they were just revealing a lot more detail in the upper frequencies. And after even more time passed, I decided it is a little of both. They are more revealing overall, and thus do have more detail in the higher frequency ranges. But I think they are a bit bright too. I find that they can be fatiguing after about an hour or two, which is also often a sign of brightness. A previous reviewer suggested that these headphones can reproduce such high frequencies that they can even pick up the ultra-high voices of the Backstreet Boys. I have been unable to verify this claim, as I would rather shoot myself in the foot* than listen to such vile audio pollution.
Other Considerations
Many higher-end headphones have impedances that make headphone amplifiers necessary. This is not the case with the SR-125s. With an impedance rating of 32 Ohms, the SR-125s can be adequately powered by most portable devices and audio equipment headphone jacks. I have found that these headphones work perfectly fine with my portable CD player. The sound is slightly better when used with my receiver's headphone jack. I'm sure a headphone amplifier would provide even better sound, but it is not necessary to enjoy these headphones.
The cord is 6 feet long with the larger 1/4 inch phono plug end. A common 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch adapter will be necessary for use with most portable devices. Grado offers a 15-foot headphone extension cord for around $40.
These headphones are an open design, meaning they will both let some outside sounds in and leak sound out. As such, they are not really appropriate for listening when there will be other people nearby whom you do not wish to disturb.
Grado headphones are made in the U.S.A. Grado Labs is a family owned company that has been in the Audio business for over 50 years.
Overall
This is a nice pair of mid-priced headphones. The construction of the headphones is very solid. The sound is very impressive, rivaling some high-end reference audio systems. On the other side of the coin, they are not the most comfortable headphones. Also, they can be slightly bright and can become fatiguing after an hour or two. There are some very nice headphones out there in this price range, including models by Sennheiser and AKG. I recommend that you also consider Sennheiser HD580s, which often can be found for about the same price.
*Other things that I would rather shoot myself in the foot than do: participate in team building exercises, follow the Atkins diet, shop at Wal-Mart, watch a Tom Cruise movie, play golf, drive an enormous, gas guzzling SUV.
Grado's ability to combine lightness with extreme rigidity and internal damping has been put to good use on the SR125. Based on the same design as the...More at OneCall
Vented diaphragm Non Resonant air chamber UHPLC copper voice coil wire Standard copper connecting cord with 1/4 inch plug Winner of the 'CRITICS CHOIC...More at Amazon Marketplace
Grado's SR125 Headphones combines lightness with extreme rigidity, for a more enriching sound experience. Its internal damping, improved diaphragm and...More at J&R Music and Computer World
"B&H is a top rated - authoriozed Grado store" - SR125i Dynamic Open-Air Supra-Aural Stereo Headphones, Based on the SR80i, Upgraded Drivers, Adjustab...More at B&H Photo Video Pro Audio
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.