You’ve probably never thought about succession in headphones, but just like taking on your family’s business legacy, Grado’s SR225x steps up to continue the tradition. It’s the successor to the beloved SR225e, a favorite among headphone enthusiasts for nearly a decade. Grado, known for its iconic look, introduces upgrades like the “F cushion,” enhancing textured tones, an improved headband, and a more durable cable. The star feature is the 4th generation X Series Driver, promising a more powerful magnetic circuit and reconfigured diaphragm.
The SR225x maintains the family resemblance but adds modern touches. The unboxing is minimalist yet informative. In terms of usability, it’s suitable for home use but not an ultra-portable option due to its slightly heavier construction. A standout surprise is its unexpected aptitude for PC gaming, providing an open soundstage and impressive mid-range and dynamic bass response.
In terms of sound, the SR225x impresses with a warm and nuanced middle range, punchy lows, and a well-balanced presentation across genres. The headphone excels in reproducing vocals.
The Grado SR225x successfully follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the SR225e. With enhanced build quality, remarkable sound, and a stylish design, it lives up to the family name and sets a new standard in this price range.
The clarity and range of Grado headphones can reveal new notes and details in songs heard hundreds of times. The driver and housing working in tandem react to sound vibrations and virtually eliminate transient distortions. With warm harmonic colors, smooth top-end, excellent dynamics, and a world renowned mid-range, the SR225x produces a sound that’s pure Grado.
Features
- Polycarbonate housing
- 8 conductor cable
- Vinyl headband
- Drivers matched .05db
- De-stressed driver
- F cushions
- Hand assembled in Brooklyn
4th Generation Grado drivers are here. Specifically tuned for the SR225x, this new speaker design features a more powerful magnetic circuit, a voice coil with decreased effective mass, and a reconfigured diaphragm. Reengineering these components for our 44mm drivers improve efficiency, reduces distortion, and preserves the harmonic integrity of your music.
Customer Reviews
SR225x
They sound great !
I questioned how they would feel on the ears, but after using them they are comfortable and don't notice wearing them after a while.
Highly recommended
I originally wrote (I'm not sure it actually went through properly) a not very positive review of my experience with my new SR225s (compared to my Sony headphones) while using tube-based headphone amps (all Pete Millett diy construction). I found the sound disturbingly muddied and the brights that everyone complained about were not present at all while the Sonys sounded perfectly fine. I was bummed. So I finished upgrading a jfet solid-state based preamp to use with headphones and now the Grados sound great. I'm experimenting with different foam earpads to see how my listening experience changes. Don't know if the harmonics generated by the tube headphone amps don't blend well with the Grado-built transducers or what. Doesn't seem to bother the Sonys. I'm not giving the headphones a 5 only because the construction of the whole the whole headphone apparatus doesn't really sit comfortably on my head.
Great.
I needed a pair of headphones for a vocal recording out of town.
A preliminary recording revealed some noises and I wanted to make sure those have been resolved on the actual recording day.
I read the reviews and the Grado descriptions for each model.
I decided to go with the SR225x.
I listened to Paul McCartney's Jenny Wren. It sounded good on the SR225x. On the SR325x there was added lower end and on the higher it seemed very slightly brighter.
I confirmed this by listening to Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti's Ginga horn section. The SR325x definitely has a wider frequency range and also the soundstage is better.
But for what I needed, vocal monitoring, the SR225x did it's job.