Grado SR125e Prestige Series Open Backed Headphone

I am a very big fan of Grado headphones and this the 5th pair I have purchased. I have used other brands but always seem to return to Grado as in my view they offer an excellent balance of comfort, performance and price. This is my second pair of the 125 series. The previous pair was the older 125i model. I have used cheaper and more expensive Grado models vs the 125 model but I consider this model to be an excellent price/performance balance for computer/ipod listening. I do not notice a big performance difference with this new e series vs the older model other than they seem a little mellower/smoother with the sound. The new e model does come with the 3,5mm PC jack vs the 125i, which had the HiFi 6.35m jack. However, both models give a really smooth, clear sound. I listen to a lot of rock music on my ipod and you get a very clean bass sound with the 125 model. I consider there is a step change in quality moving from the SR80s to the 125 model and paying this extra for the 125s is a good investment. Like all headphones that are open they leak sound like a sieve so they need to be managed in public places. However, some sensible management of this situation does not distract from the pleasure of owning these headphones. In conclusion, a brilliant pair of headphones and fully recommended.

I’ve left it a few months before writing a review. Initially I was horrified by how bright they were, but having let them “burn in” for a while (month+) they now sound amazing. I haven’t got any real experience with audiophile headphones, but it’s hard to imagine anything could sound better at this price. They are definitely on the brighter side of neutral and the level of detail you hear is Amazing. Instruments and drums sound real. There is bass there, but only when it should be. I don’t think you’d like these if you listen to music that requires a lot of bass. Initially I listened via an Audiolab M-DAC Nano and you had to have the volume quite high to get a satisfying level of bass, but now I listen to the same DAC via an old NAD 3020 amp and the bass sounds perfect and just as detailed as the highs. 1 star for noise cancellation is a little unfair because these aren’t noise cancelling headphones, they’re opened backed by design, so you can hear stuff around you and anyone around you can hear what you listen to. I wouldn’t call them comfortable, but I wouldn’t call them uncomfortable either. It feels just like I’m wearing headphones. They’re on ear not over ear headphones which is a disadvantage. All in all they are exceptional headphones, but whether you’d like them is going to depend on the type of music you listen to and what equipment you listen to them on.

As usual the sound quality is fantastic, which you come to expect from grado, and I see that the cable is now a lot thicker which should stop it from twisting (that was a big problem with the sr125i series, well actually with all the i series from what i could see) however I do have one gripe, and that is the length of the cable, it must only be about 5 foot long, the i series was about 6 foot long and I thought that was short, if they make it any shorter I will have to sit on my hi fi system when I play it, i think this might be a ploy to buy there extension cable that was about £30 a shot a couple of years back, but then again maybe I am getting cynical in my old age.

Noise cancellation shouldn’t be included in the review as these are open back headphones and as such will let noise in as well as bleed sound. They are excellent quality, the sound is excellent and as they are a low impedance you will not need an amp or anything like that.

These were my first open back headphones which I use for both music and games. I was very very impressed with the sound quality, build and comfort. Only thing to note is that the cable is a tad on the thick side.

I'd urge some caution when buying these headphones. I've tried them with my Mac and iPad and in the main, they do the job and are certainly an improvement on standard in-ears. However, if you plan on using them for serious hi-fi listening, I'd say they are limited. I've tried them with Arcam and Cambridge Audio systems and the sound was slightly muffled and light on clarity. Should also warn that the headphone lead is very heavy and can be prone to movement in both large and small sockets leading to some cut-out in channel output. I'd spend a little more to improve quality if your budget allowed.

OK Ive given 4 stars but I sort of wanted to give it Three. And here's why; The sound quality, for the price, is EXCELLENT. BUT. At this price there are other headphones out there which sound good too, and both look and feel far more comfortable. Grado, for those of us who can overlook it, don't put emphasis on comfort and design, its all about the sound. And they DO sound good. BUT when wearing headphones you want something that is comfortable on your head, which these rate average compared to others I have worn. Not the worse, but not the best. Its just a thin PVC sleeve around a thin flatwire band. And that brings me to my final point. Some people may like the retro cheap look but ultimately I could not resolve the price to the comfort and look. I wanted to, and you may well do (in which case read my score as 5 stars since on audio alone it deserves that).

Love these headphones. Love them even more having bought them at a reduced price. There is no fault with them at all and I consider this a bargain. Thankyou again.

Ciao a tutti! Difficile non essere stupiti da queste meravigliose cuffie.. Parto dicendo che non sono cuffie adatte da un amante dei bassi e dell'isolamento più totale, perchè il suono che riproducono (testato in Flac da un riproduttore Hi-Fi) è una melodia perfettamente riprodotta, bilanciata ed equilibrata. con una dinamica pazzesca, che non enfatizza nessuna frequenza in particolare, ma che anzi, fa della neutralità e della purezza il suo punto forte. Senza un file flac e un riproduttore adatto non si apprezza tutta la qualità disponibile, certamente anche il cellulare più di bassa lega riesce a farle muovere, ma vi assicuro che non serve a niente un paio di cuffie del genere se non si ha tutto "l'impianto" di livello. Assodato quanto detto prima, passiamo alla comodità, i padiglioni in dotazione sono comodi, non scaldano troppo e non schiacciano la testa, io riesco a fare anche 3 ore consecutive con queste Grado, e anche a volumi alti non affaticano perchè tutte le frequenze riprodotte non "sparano" mai più delle altre e quindi non sarete mai intontiti da bassi esuberanti, da alti gracchianti, o da medi nasali. L'effetto "apple" è totale, i materiali sono premium, la pelle che ricopre l'arco superiore è morbida e di sostanza e i padiglioni esterni non sfigurano davanti a nulla, il cavo è della giusta sezione e anche i jack finali (è presente l'adattatore per i 6mm) sono di qualità e di sostanza. Con queste cuffie potrete veramente giudicare con estrema neutralità il mixaggio e il master del disco che state ascoltando e vi renderete conto di quali autori prestano attenzione ai dettagli e di quali registrano e mixano con patate carote ed ortaggi vari. Questo è un difetto da un certo punto di vista, perchè se ascolterete una cantantucola pop attuale vi renderete conto degli effetti e dell'autotune a manetta che va in voga in questi anni, e questo, vi farà cadere tantissimi miti XD!!!! Fortunatamente non è il mio caso, perchè fortunatamente non ascolto certa roba. Scherzi a parte, grazie a queste grado riesco ad apprezzare tutto, il charleston suonato con spazzole o con bacchette, il basso suonato con plettro, dita, slap, la chitarra che monta una certa dimensione di corde, o la voce che vibra, soffia, urla, scende e sale, il tutto condito da suoni di contorno (appunto per chi maniacalmente arricchisce i suoi brani) che perfettamente sposano ogni canzone... Sentirete gli archi grattare le corde, i fiati che giocano con il soffio, le diverse sonorità delle percussioni in base alla tipologia di materiale ecc In definitiva, consiglio l'acquisto agli amanti della perfezione sonora, della dinamica e della neutralità della musica registrata.

The Grado SR125e headphones are a nearly perfect headphone for me. The have all of the tight bass punch I need in that jazz drum beat and bass strumming while maintaining the utterly crisp and detailed mids and upper register for which Grado is so famous. This is all within the context of a slightly warmer sound over the SR80s (which have a slightly warmer sound than the 60s). Mind you, I’ve yet to find a pair of Grados that I don’t like, but they do improve at each price point so that, at least for these three, they seem the best value of their respective price points for quiet listening. They are, after all, open air, hence the wonderfully large sound stage. So, sound seeps out and into the headsets. When I need to close off the world, I go to my Sennheiser Momentum’s (see Cans: A Personal Journey Through Soundscapes for more on the Sennheisers) and for more mobility I use LG Platinum Tones with Comply Sport Earphone tips (see LG Tone Platinum Tone Brings the Clarity and Detail, Comply Sport Earphone Tips make Your Workout Bassalicous for more on these). I have loved the Grado line ever since my first pair of SR60s which I bought a little over eight years ago. The hallmark of Grado headphones is clarity and detail combined with an open sound stage. The SR 60s bring exactly that. There is nothing that touches them in that price range. If they are so good, why move up? Two reasons: the supporting base is reasonable but it lacks oomph and the overall tenor of the sound is a little analytic. I prefer something slightly warmer. The SR125es bring all the richness with tight bass while keeping that sparkling clarity and penchant for detail. The also are relatively easily driven, so, while an amp will help these, they don’t require one. I mostly listen to them with my LG V20 phone which sports an ESS Quad DAC that can push 32 bit / 384 kHz sound with a solid amp. Much of my music is FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) files ripped from CDs in the standard 44.1 kHz, 16-bit mode. I also have some lossless WMA files, 320 mp3, 256 mp3 and a smattering of others. However, I also have a mix of HD music (from HDTracks) ranging from 24 bit / 44.1 kHz to 24 bit / 192. I also traverse from classical orchestra and string quartet to jazz to electronica and mashups (think Lindsey Stirling’s dubstep pieces). The SR125es handle this eclectic mix of genres with aplomb. I would also say that the bass is slightly tighter than my Sennheiser Momentum as well a more detailed mids. That’s saying something since the bass and mids on the Momentums are smooth and clear with an astonishingly good soundstage for completely closed in over-the-ear (circumaural) headphones. What do you need to know about owning these? Well, when you first get them, the headband might be a bit tight; it loosens up over time. The cable to the headphones is thick and a bit stiff at first. It will also lose its tendency to not want to uncurl. It’s also permanently attached to the headphones, so if it breaks (unlikely with this set), you’ll need to send them in. I did this once with my SR60s; they were quick and the repair was reasonable. On par with a new set of cables. While breaking them in may improve them, they sound great right out of the box. As I indicated above, they need a relatively quiet environment but in such, your $150 will be well rewarded. I cannot recommend these enough. See joesgeekfest on Wordpress for more detail.

Ich wollte einen offenen Kopfhörer für zu Hause, um einfach zurückgelehnt Musik zu hören oder auch den ein oder anderen Film zu schauen. Ich habe mich durch etliche Hifi-Foren sowie -zeitschriften gewälzt und immer wieder wurde der Grado in dieser Preisklasse empfohlen. Also habe ich mir gedacht, ich bestelle ihn mal auf Verdacht, wenn er mir nicht gefallen sollte kann man ihn ja ohne Probleme zurücksenden. Mit großer Vorfreude traf er heute ein. Also direkt mal ausgepackt und reingehört. Angefangen mit der Verpackung - das ist wohl die einfachste Verpackung, die ich jemals gesehen habe. Ein einfacher Karton, der mit einer Schaumeinlage ausgefüllt ist, in der der Kopfhörer liegt. Einziges Zubehör ist ein 3,5mm auf 6,3mm Klinkenadapter - das war's. Erster Eindruck: Die Optik gefällt mir persönlich sehr gut - sehr "Oldschool". Das Lederband sowie die Ohrmuscheln sehen sehr gut aus. Der Kopfhörer ist gut verarbeitet, die verwendeten Materialien fühlen sich jedoch nach "5-Euro-Plastik" an. Das Kabel ist sehr lang und hat einen Querschnitt, der, ich sage mal "ordentlich" ist. Besonders die Außenseite der Ohrmuscheln besteht wohl aus dem billigstem Plastik, das mir jemals untergekommen ist. Die Ohrmuscheln sind mit einem Stoff überzogen, der mich an Gratis-Kopfhörer verschiedener Fluggesellschaften erinnert. Aber all das gehört irgendwie zum Charme dieses Kopfhörers. Dann ging's an die Hörprobe - und ich kam nicht aus dem Staunen! Wie genau und klar dieser Kopfhörer aufspielt - unglaublich! Die Höhen wirken erstmal erschreckend spitz, einfach, weil man sowas bei anderen Kopfhörern noch nicht gehört hat. Der Detailgrad ist atemberaubend, man hört wirklich das zupfen einer Gitarre, einen Schlag auf Hi-Hats und ein- und ausatmen in ein Mikrofon - wirklich erstaunlich...das kenne ich so bisher nur von meinem geschlossenen Denon D7100. Ich verstehe einige Rezensionen über "zu wenig Bass" nicht. Was einem hier geboten wird ist knochentrockener Tiefbass - so, wie er vom Interpreten wiedergebeten wird. Hier wird nicht "schöngespielt" oder "hinzugepumpt". Dieser Kopfhörer ist ehrlich! Besonders beeindruckend klingt er gepaart mit einem vernünftigen Zuspieler. Ich habe ihn erstmal probeweise am iPhone probiert, um einen Vergleich haben zu können. Und der Klang war gut. Dann habe ich ihn am Oppo HA-2 probiert, erst einmal ohne Basszustaltung. UNGLAUBLICH! Diese Stimme. Das Berliner Live-Konzert von Alicia Keys klingt unfassbar. Ich war erschrocken, habe die Kopfhörer abgesetzt, da ich der Annahme war, mit mir redet jemand...dann jedoch gemerkt, dass jemand im Publikum redet - da schaute ich etwas verdutzt und konnte das nicht glauben. Mit der Bassanhöhung wird alles etwas wärmer, druckvoller. Electro klingt so, wie es klingen muss! Warm, sauber, spaßig! Hier dröhnt und "pumpt" nichts sondern macht einfach Spaß. Dann habe ich ihn interessenweise an meinem Astell & Kern AK 100 II probegehört und hier bildet sich wirklich ein ERLEBNIS! Höhen sind brilliant, die Mitten superweich und der Bass ist noch einmal eine stufe präziser, trockener. Auch hier fallen mir wieder die Stimmen auf, die unglaublich realistisch klingen. Die instrumentale Trennung ist schier unfassbar. Ich höre Sachen, die ich mit meinen anderen Kopfhörer nicht vermerken konnte - eine Bassdrum rechts, Gitarre links, ein Klavier etwas hinten mittig - ich denke so kann man es am besten beschreiben. Die instrumentale Trennung ist der Wahnsinn. Zum Thema Bass: Ich kann die schlechten Bewertungen nicht verstehen. Der Kopfhörer hat an entsprechender Quelle wirklich unglaublichen Druck - und das ohne ihn einzuspielen. Nocheinmal: Kein aufgeblasener, übertriebener Bass, wie es einige "Kopfhörer" "renommierter" Hersteller tun. Dieser Bass ist knochentrocken, und falls er im Lied so abgemischt wird, spürt man ihn bis in's Rückenmark! Unfassbar. Und dann wird einem dies zu einem Preis von gut 200€ geboten...da kann ich nur sagen - zuschlagen! Ich werde dem Kopfhörer noch (wie von Grado empfohlen) einiges an Einspielzeit geben und dann noch einen Nachtrag verfassen, wie sich der Kopfhörer entwickelt hat. 5 Sterne! Unfassbar, was man hier für sein Geld geboten bekommt!

Though the plastic cover does not immediately scream high-fidelity, EVERYTHING ELSE DOES! The sound is amazing! They wear very comfortably on the ears. Add a high quality turntable and amp and... you are in the studio. For the price, they are really amazing!

C'est mon premier Grado et, très très bon casque ouvert qui me ravi totalement ( c'est bien la 1ere fois que j'ai un coup de coeur instantané et pareil pour un casque) !! Parler de sa musicalité est impossible par écrit ; le mieux étant de l'essayer. Je l'utilise à la maison depuis plusieurs mois sur un Shanling M2X, NAD 320 BEE et sur un DAC Focusrite 2i4 avec Foobar en sotie Wasapi bit perfect. En tout cas le fameux medium Grado c'est pas du pipo. Quant aux basses, elles sont bien là et les aigus ne sont jamais agressifs ; tous les styles musicaux en profitent. Je lui pardonne ses petits défauts ; écoute un peu plus frontale que large, câble un peu gros et court, ergonomie qui pourrait être améliorée. Qu'importe, dès que je l'ai sur les oreilles, la musique devient vivante, dansante, prenante.... Depuis, mes Beyer et koss sont pour l'instant au placard. Grado on aime ou on aime pas, mais pour moi le rapport "enchantement musical/prix" de ce sr125e est juste incroyable. Grado, véritable révélation, me pousse à écouter les sr225e et 325e pour comparer et éventuellement monter en gamme. Voilà, si ça peut aider.