There’s something about Grado headphones.
While they’re an acquired taste for some, the Brooklyn-based brand’s lineup of over-ear cans has helped shape the current headphone landscape, from the wood-clad RS1x to the open-air GW100x wireless and the ever-present SR325x.
Grado knows headphones, with five-star reviews as well What is Hi-Fi? Prizes become part of this course in later times.
We have generally found an adequate product list of stone cans that are attractive for several important reasons. First, Grado often puts sound above all other considerations, and since we’re a publication that also places sound performance at the top of the list of requirements, that often goes down well in our test rooms.
Grado headphones tend to ride that line between analysis and entertainment effortlessly, digging out details while extracting the essential music of our favorite tunes. Results vary, but it’s safe to say that some of the best wired headphones we’ve heard in the last decade were born in Brooklyn.
In addition, this is a brand with a real sense of self-awareness. Its products tend to look and sound unique, and while that may alienate those who don’t subscribe to this sonic and aesthetic philosophy, it can be pure heaven for anyone with similar priorities.
Grado has always felt like a no-nonsense outfit: few jokes, no gimmicks, just a misguided focus on (mostly) good sound.
Drugs over style?
That philosophy, however, can be a double-edged sword, and as is often the case in life, the thing that provides the most appeal may end up being the product’s biggest liability failure.
As incredibly minimalist as many Grado cans appear, they rarely climb the luxury stakes. We tend to preface our reviews of Grado headphones with a similar warning about user comfort, particularly in regards to its continued use of thin, scratchy foam ear cushions.
Grado’s continued faithfulness to its soft, in-ear designs is admirable, and we realize that much of that dedication comes from a desire to aid sonic performance, but we wonder if a better balance can ultimately be achieved. From the SR325x to the high-end Grado GS3000x, we raised the concern that comfort often lagged behind performance.
Take the recently updated SR325 Classic. They’re not heavy and sturdy in terms of their typical fit, but the ear cushions are so thin, unforgiving and scratchy that they’re bound to put off wearers, especially if you can get the luxurious and comfortable Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X at a low price.
The new SR325 Classic’s headband is also very thin on padding, as is typical of Grado, although this is rarely a problem like the ear cushions.
Grado reasonably argues that its ‘F’ cushions help the SR325 Classics’ “quick and powerful presentation”, but when the DT 900 Pro X manages to be comfortable without compromising on sound, all at a low price, those only go so far.
These aren’t cheap headphones – the SR325 Classic cost £349 / $350 at launch, while the more comfortable DT 900 Pro X are around £200 / $250 at the moment. We know which pair we’d prefer to wear for hours at a time, and while we accept that the SR325 Classic is an on-ear design rather than an over-the-top design, again, those only go so far.
We also found the Classics’ ear cushions popped so easily on our review sample that we could remove them from our test pair with one finger. It might be a bad bunch we got with our test sample, but given our extensive history with Grado, that’s a useful translation.
Is our patience waning?
The problem with Grado is that, while it may make sense to defend being a ‘sound first’ company, or to argue that such ear cushions can help achieve that signature Grado experience, those arguments often collide when a given pair fails to produce sound in the front.
The SR325 Classic may win our preference if its sound quality reaches SR325x levels across the board. We found that while the new pairs are clearer and more expressive, they have a worse driving feel than the old model. Because of this, a certain Spartan way of comforting is very difficult to justify.
We previously raised concerns that the premium GS3000x ear cushions “feel scratchy” and pointed to the need to “find a quality alternative at this price point”, which the five-star cans don’t get because they are some of the best sounding cans Grado has ever made.
If performance fails to meet those high standards, however, we are less willing to forgive the inevitable pitfalls in other areas.
We don’t expect Grado to completely throw the baby out with the bathwater. The way its headphones are a big part of the industry’s strong identity, while those cushions are designed, at least in part, to help provide that sound and classic Grado look.
As with all things in life, balance is key, and we’re just wondering how well the Grado can justify the many jumps in comfort and, in the case of the SR325 Classic, overall quality.
It’s all well and good if you nail things on sound performance, but when other five stars can offer competitive sound and great comfort for the same price, it may be time for Grado to admit that potential buyers choose headphones not only for what they like to listen to, but how they feel wearing them.
MORE:
Read ours Grado SR325 Standard Review
Closed back vs open headphones: which design is better for you?
Read our guide at the best wired headphones