Grado SR125
Manufacturer: Grado Labs Inc. Part number: SR125
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Delivering top-notch home-listening performance, the Grado SR125 will satisfy even the most demanding audiophile.
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Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
Grado SR125 price range: $150.00
- Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
- Reviewed on: 02/23/2004
The good: Over-the-ear headphones; superb sound with high-frequency detail and taut, powerful bass.
The bad: Doesn't ship with a 1/8-inch adapter; retro look won't appeal to the fashion-conscious; not comfortable enough for extended wear.
The bottom line: Delivering top-notch home-listening performance, the Grado SR125 will satisfy even the most demanding audiophile.
Grado, the Brooklyn-based manufacturer of headphones and phono cartridges, has amassed a devoted worldwide following. Even the cheapest model in the company's Prestige series has garnered raves in all of the hard-core audiophile magazines. The SR125, listed at $150, sits atop that stellar lineup, above the $69 SR60 and the $95 SR80.
The catch is that the SR125 shares the pitfalls of its siblings; they won't win kudos for comfort or style. For starters, Grado's thick cable is stiffer than that of most competing brands. Also, the headphones' design is very basic. Take, for example, Koss's bulked-up Pro4AA Titanium. It weighs a confidence-inspiring 21 ounces and sports luxurious, extrasquishy Pneumalite padding. The SR125, with its vinyl-covered, steel headband and its foam cushions, seems crude in comparison. At least the Grado is lightweight and won't make your ears sweat.
Of course, audio quality plays a major role in any headphone contest, and the SR125 excels in that department. The Grado's sound is vividly detailed and pure. It's also remarkably open, not as squeezed between your ears as with closed-back models, such as the Pro4AA Titanium. The SR125's bass is nice and deep, with palpable detail and texture. And the Grado is equally adept with DVDs, rock, jazz, and classical music. In comparison, AKG's $130 K 301 Xtra shines mostly on rock and dance tunes.
Unlike the SR60 and the SR80, the SR125 was designed to mate with home equipment, so it doesn't come with a 1/8-inch adapter for portable players. You can buy your own, but on our iPod, we actually preferred the SR60's plumper sound. We were best able to appreciate the SR125's higher-resolution audio when we hooked up the headphones to our A/V receiver, a Pioneer Elite VSX-27TX.
User reviews
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the sound is ridiculous
Pros: Here is the bottom line, if you dont know anything about audio, you will write a review like whoever knocked these for a pair of sennheisers (what a joke). Im assuming that whoever gave the thumbs down must work for sennheiser. The sound coming out of th
Cons: Your typical consumer will be put off by the light weight feel of these, and the unimpressive packaging. It was a turn-off that they don't package these with a 1/8 adapter, but maybe that is Grado's snooty way of saying that these were only meant for 1/4
11 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Awesome headphones with some quirks
Pros: Orgasmic sound. That is all :).
Cons: These headphones take a very long time to "burn in." Many headphones show their true quality right out of the box, but I noticed that with Grado headphones, you have to leave them running for a long time (like a day or two) before you'll realize their fu
9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Why would I ever want anything else?
by ivorygate on May 15, 2005
Pros: Excellent sound, great comfort (with the "flat" ear pads)
Cons: "Bowl" ear pads nowhere near as comfortable as the "flat" ear pads that originally came with my headphones
Summary: I'm not even sure how long I've had my Grado SR125 headphones, going on 7 years I believe it is. Bottom line is it was probably the best $...
Summary: I'm not even sure how long I've had my Grado SR125 headphones, going on 7 years I believe it is. Bottom line is it was probably the best $150 I've ever spent on anything!
Now, what any given person gets out of a headphones is totally subjective to their personal tastes and expectations, so I can't help in that regard; having nowhere near tried out every model and make of headphone ever made, it would be pointless for me to try to make comparisons. The only frame of reference I can give is that for my home theater I have Definitive Technology ProCinema 80s; if you think those sound great, then I would expect/hope you'd think these Grado headphones also sound great.
The one thing I do want to point out, however, is that the ear pads that came with my older pair of SR125s are apparently *not* what Grado currently sells. They now have a thicker, "bowl" shaped ear pad, which I unfortunately received as part of the replacements I bought in 2004.
Having seen no reason to replace these excellent headphones, just because the ear pads wore out (from my thousands of hours of use), I was shocked to get this newer kind. Until I received the "bowl" ear pads, I could never understand why some reviewers of Grado SR headphones complained about comfort; I wouldn't have kept them all these years, regardless of sound quality, if I couldn't wear them for *hours* at a time!
So, after wasting $15 on the replacement pads, I searched and finally found toddthevinyljunkie.com who sells the "original, flat" 5/8" thick Grado ear pads, for $30. For what it's worth, if anyone has Grado SR125 headphones and don't like the thick, bowl type ear pads, I recommend checking out the flat kind I *very* much prefer!7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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These have replaced my Sennheiser 600's
by Uncle Vic on May 26, 2005
Pros: Soundstage was nice and broad throughout the spectrum
Cons: Had to stretch the headband for a better fit.
Summary: I had originally bought these to be my mobile headphones-I couldn't see keeping a pair of $450 Senns in my carry on. I followed the directions in the box ...
Summary: I had originally bought these to be my mobile headphones-I couldn't see keeping a pair of $450 Senns in my carry on. I followed the directions in the box and slightly stretched the metal headband and hopped on my flight from SFO to Dallas/Fort Worth.
These headphones reproduced things I didn't even know were part of the track. And the passages I knew were supposed to be there had much more presence. There was no ear fatigue after 5 hours straight, but I think stretching the headband helped with it.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Grado's Rock
Pros: Grado makes the best sounding rock-n-roll headphones on the market, bar none. Extremely detailed, warm, lively sound with plenty of bass and a wide sound stage. Be prepared for you CD's to sound completely different. You will hear subtle tones and back
Cons: Grados are slightly forward in their presentation--kind of like sitting in the first row at a concert. This is not a con if that's how you like your music, but some people prefer a more laid back sound that is more like being somewhere in the cheap seats
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great cans, amazing customer support
Pros: -Thick heavyduty cord -Strong headband -Amazing sound and bass -Service/Support -Headphones can swivel I got these headphones last year and they still sound amazing. The bass is great and they can pump some massive volume as well. They're incredible for e
Cons: -Comfort, might need to find your own earpads or mod them (i've seen a tube sock mod) -Connector size is large, too big for portable players unless an adapter is purchased -Need to wear them in / get used to the detailed sound They need to be worn in for
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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well actually.
by Scopip on October 4, 2005
Pros: super defined bass- meant techno/rock
Cons: not full sounding for classical, although piano is good
Summary: you all should look into Alessando MS-1's. they are modifed Grado Sr-125.
$50 less, and comes with 8mm jack and goldplated adapter.Summary: you all should look into Alessando MS-1's. they are modifed Grado Sr-125.
$50 less, and comes with 8mm jack and goldplated adapter.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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great sound, serious foam problems
by nostriluu on September 12, 2006
Pros: excellent sound
Cons: foam falls apart every two years, requiring a $15 replacement.. it adds up and the wear and tear is a constant issue.
Summary: The sound is very clear and the bass is surprising, it seems to come from nowhere.
However, you'd think their designers could come up with a better foam solution. ...Summary: The sound is very clear and the bass is surprising, it seems to come from nowhere.
However, you'd think their designers could come up with a better foam solution. Aside from the fact they are always falling off and come apart every couple of years (and the intermediate time when they sorta need to be replaced) I had my sr125s in a drawer for a few months, pulled them out and put them on my notebook, and got all kinds of black foam powder dust in it. Is this a consumer product?1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best sounding cans I've ever heard!
by courierdriver on January 17, 2006
Pros: Great-bass, smooth-mids, sparkling-trebel, nice big soundstage...it's like having audiophile speakers strapped to your head!
Cons: No mini-plug adapter included, large compared to earbuds, canal-phones, and others.
Summary: I recently sold my high-end, home audio-system, as a result of a move to a small apartment. The acoustics in this place are horrid, and are NOT conducive to the ...
Summary: I recently sold my high-end, home audio-system, as a result of a move to a small apartment. The acoustics in this place are horrid, and are NOT conducive to the careful-placement required for good sound, with high-end equipment. I downsized my gear to an MP3-player, a portable CD-player, a mini headphone amp, a high-quality mini-mini interconnect cable, and these Grado SR 125's.
Used this way, these headphones replicate sound equivalent to that of my $7000+ full-sized rig. No lies, here!
I could go on-and-on; about their great, impactful bass, smooth and detailed midrange, and clean highs. I could talk for hours about their soundstaging capabilities, and how I've had them for only 5-days, and put about 30 hours on them already.
It's impossible to stop listening to music through these. I keep pulling out CD after CD, rediscovering old favourites, and getting goosebumps with certain tracks. I sold my month-old Shure E5-c's for these. Yes, they are alot bigger than the Shure's, but I find them very comfortable...something the Shure's were NOT. And the sound is WAY-better.
If you are looking to upgrade the sound of your portable-system, computer sound, or an audiophile headphone-system; you need to hear these cans. Best results are attained with the addition of a headphone amplifier. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with the sound of these. Some have found comfort, to be an issue. I have worn them for 6-hours average per day, and have had no-problem with them at all. I find them very comfy.
I urge anyone who is looking for a good set of headphones, to hear these. Even if you are looking at something more-expensive, you still need to hear these. You'll be happy, by all the money you saved to achive this level-of quality-sound.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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No contest at this price.
by Roblin on June 11, 2005
Pros: Open, insanely accurate sound, with fantastic detail, and taut accurate bass
Cons: none. I actually think they're quite comfortable and stylish
Summary: These really do compare with other models that are more than twice the price.
Listen to them
Your in a concert hall on the stage, not just in the audienceSummary: These really do compare with other models that are more than twice the price.
Listen to them
Your in a concert hall on the stage, not just in the audience1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Grado Labs Inc.
- Part number: SR125
- Description: Grado's ability to combine lightness with extreme rigidity and internal damping has been put to good use on the SR125. The SR125 features an improved diaphragm and voice coil design and UHPLC (Ultra-high purity, long crystal) copper voice coil wire. The diaphragms are put through a special 'de-stressing' process in order to enhance inner detail. An improved headband spring provides even greater comfort allowing the listener to relax and enjoy the fine tonal spread and balance. Bass, midrange and treble are all more open.
General
- Product Type Headphones
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
- Headphones Form Factor Ear-cup
- Headphones Technology Dynamic
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Response Bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Sensitivity 98 dB/mW
- Impedance 32 Ohm
Remote Control
- Type None
Power
- Power Device None
- Battery None
Product series
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Manufacturer: Grado Labs Inc.
Specs: Headphones, Ear-cup, Stereo, Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
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Manufacturer: Grado Labs Inc.
Specs: Headphones, Ear-cup, Stereo, Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
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Manufacturer: Grado Labs Inc.
Specs: Headphones, Ear-cup, Stereo
Manufacturer info
- Grado Labs Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Grado Labs Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.gradolabs.com/
- Address:
4614 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11220 - Phone: 718-435-5340
