Grado SR325i

"Right in with the music"... That's the way the Grado 325i's were described to me as opposed to the Sennheisers Pro 280's I had back then which were my all-round favourites (possibly still are). This was a very accurate description too. It really feels like you are in the orchestra or band when using the 325i's. Every sound, high or low, is brought to life with amazing clarity and the best thing about the 325i's, is no matter how many different instruments there are playing, they all seem to be well distinguished from each other, unlike many headphones which seem to blend them all together and let the more predominant sounds drown out all the other background sounds. Not so with the 325's.

I've had mine 3251's for about 4 - 5 years now and each time I use them, they are quite uniquely different from the other brands I have. They just sound very precise and are obviously made for the more discerning listener. To be honest, my style of music probably couldn't ever justify using 325's but sometimes I like to compare phones and other times I listen to some nice orchestral music and this is definitely 325i territory. Violins nd other stringed instuments as well as all the wind instruments literally jump out and bite you into reality listening with the 325i's. They're pure magic here...

The only one area which I scored in the negative with the 325i's is the open cans. These can/do let in lots or any noise from your surroundings. If you're in a noisy room, it will kill your listening enjoyment, as all that noise crashes through into you ears along with the music. It's best to choose a very quiet place to really enjoy the 325i's, and don't try to cup your hands over the end of the cans because that will distort the sound to very ugly heights. These cans need free air to work properly. The sound chord is probably a bit stiff and clumbsy but you learn to surivive this. Price is about what you'd expect to pay for such quality.

Overall, Id say the 325i's are not for everyone, especially if you are into rock or heavy beat music, not that the 325i's can't handle it, just that you can exploit mainstream music like this with less expensive sets made for the job and no more. If you're into a subtle source of sound, like instrumental or orchestral, where reproductive accuracy is key to your listening enjoyment, the 325i's are right on the money. If you can handle the second world war look of the Grado family then for the average listener like you and me, I'd sure recommend them above many other headphones. Grado does not make false statements about the 325i's abilities. They are dead true...