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The Grado SR-325i. The top of the line in the Prestige Series.

There’s always time for work, but at the end of that long studio day when the emails have been answered, the chores are complete and the boss is just a memory …at least until tomorrow, there is always time to catch a track or two.

I always like to spend an hour at the end of the day to mellow out and enjoy some music. Lately I’ve wiped the dust off of my Sony cassette player (complete with Dolby S) and started listening to old (and newly created) music. Yes, you heard right: cassettes. My fascination with cassette, open-reel and, tape in general is for a whole other cast.

20 years ago, I would have likely swept these headphones with a tone generator and reported the results, but these days, I would much rather rate my listening experience on music and sound reproduction than square waves.

Grado headphones will likely not win any beauty contests. No fancy chrome here. Grados are well respected in the audiophile world as some of the best sounding phones you can find. At a street price of $69 for the SR-60, I completely agree and can add that they are a true bargain.

My studio headphones of choice stay in the studio and my “listening” headphones are cradled at the amplifier next to a very comfortable chair. We talked a while back ago about the great sounding Grado SR-60 and the SR-80 models. These are completely open, so you hear surrounding noise and people close to you will hear the headphones too.

My excellent experience with the SR series left me asking the inevitable question; how would the SR-325i sound? The SR-325i is the top-of-the-line for the Prestige Series. The Reference and Statement Series are still uncharted territory.

The SR-325i’s arrived just as my SR-60 and SR-80, in a rather unassuming and plain cardboard box with foam. Grado Labs does not waste any money on fancy packaging or gimmicks.

I immediately had to try them out. The SR-325i feels a bit heavier (than the SR-60 and 80) and has a metal ring housing. A lot of the sonic response in speakers and headphones are directly attributable to their casing and the way their mass resonates with sound waves. Right away, I noticed a difference. The SR-325i opened up the sound stage even wider. I could hear WHERE the instruments were. That is the sign of excellent engineering. A good pair of speakers or cans will re-create the recording engineers minute tweaks in instrument panning, spatial definition and overall feeling of “being there.”

The bass was toasty warm and the highs absolutely brilliant. As I listened through 3 different models in the Grado Reference series, I could hear small changes and improvements in response and spacial placement.

All in all, I’m hooked on the SR-325i. Everything else I wear seems just a little bit pale and more 2-dimensional. At a street price of $295, the SR-325i is a bargain in the sometimes outrageously priced world of audiophile.

As expected, Grado delivers world class, pragmatic sound. If you can, try out the SR-325i. You won’t be disappointed.

Best,
MarkJensen

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