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  1. #1
    it's about the music
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    Senns HD650 vs Grado 325i

    I can get any of these two at roughly the same price, both HEAVILY discounted. i MIGHT be able to hear them, but i probably will not.
    So what would you people pick and why?
    i'm currently on grado SR-80s.
    cheers!
    I remember the days when I thought 128kbps sounded great and had never spent more than 10 bucks on cables...

  2. #2
    DPM
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    I have direct experience with both..well, kinda'

    I used to own a pair of Grado 325's. I had them for about ten years. All-in-all, they were a good set of headphones, but they did tended to be bright sounding at times. I've not heard the new i version.

    I now own a pair of the Sennheiser HD 650's, and I'm not sorry I switched. They are quite different from the Grado's. If anything, they tend to be slightly warm, but they are in no way muddy or overly lush. They are also very comfortable to wear.

    So, my advice would be to go for the Sennheisers. But, YOU are the one who'll be spending the $ and living with your choice. If you can, do try to hear them both before spending the bucks.

  3. #3
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    Remember...

    ...that the 325i's are little more than refined 80's. The Senns are a whole new ball game, and more comfortable too. A no-brainer, IMO. That said, you can probably buy electrostatic cans off eBay which will do better than either choice. I recently found that my Senn 600's just did not quite keep up with my fairly ancient Stax SR-5's. I had wanted dynamic [I call it moving-coil] headphones which were the Stax's equal, but realized there was not point in it.

    Laz

  4. #4
    test the blind blindly emorphien's Avatar
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    I'll say it's a matter of taste and how you like your earphones. I tend to listen in a quite room and don't have them turned up a lot and I love the SR325s. I also love the Senn HD600s and 650s and plan to get a pair eventually but that'll also probably push me in to the "have to buy an amp" situation.

    I also don't find the SR325s uncomfortable fitwise, I do have a big head so maybe that helps.

    Either way I'd suggest trying to find a local dealer that has both and give them a shot. I'd say they're both great but in different ways. The Senns are a more refined product in terms of build, feel and comfort however. You need to take care of the Grados and they'll take care of you, otherwise they don't look like they'll hold up too well.

    I disagree however that the 325s are little more than refined 80s. On paper perhaps but that's it.

  5. #5
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    depends...depends...
    what amp are you using, if youre using a dedicated headphone amplifier at all...
    what sort of music do you listen to? How do you like your sound?
    Also bear in mind that everyone is talking about the 325s and not the 325i... Ive heard both...theyre very different. The i version is less bright, but the most detailed in the entire grado line up. This huge detail is usually mistaken for brightness or harshness. Indeed, one may not like this, being used to more rounded off sound.people also claim aural fatigue due to the detail with theese cans, but im using a good tube amp(headrooms millet) so i really love theese and have experienced none of the aforementioned problems. The bass on the new 325i is huge without being boom-boom even at very high volumes.
    I find the sennheisers too laid back. the grados demand your immediate attention...they drag you into the heart of the music...If you like the grado sound, youll love theese.
    Also, the grados are much more demanding. To make a jump from the 80s you have to have good recordings, a good amp and good cables. theese cans will reveal any and all flaws in your recordings and eqipment.
    Dont get me wrong, the senns are great, but once youre hooked to the lush grado sound, its hard to get off it. The 325i is the best in the series after the rs1. Yes, I even prefer it to the the rs2, which i think is a halfway compromise. Oh and headphone.com is selling the rs2 for 375usd, in case you're interested.
    The differences between the 325 and the 325i do not end here. the 325i looks much cooler and the air chamber behind the driver is a lot bigger. The senns are indeed more comfy, by a small margin, but its the sound youre after. With a 32ohm impedance, the 325i is as efficient as can possibly be.
    Also, even though youre decided on theese two, I suggest you take a look at the akg 601 and the akg701. The 701 is headrooms fav. dynamic can, and thats really saying something.
    Cheers!

  6. #6
    it's about the music
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    I'm using a chinese-built "Darkvoice" tube headphone amp which i am quite satisfied with. I do, however, find the sound at loud volumes to be quite harsh when paired with the grados. Not a real problem since i don't listen at high volumes (i'd like to keep my hearing in place so i can blow the walls apart when i listen through my speakers).
    Nordost Solar Wind/amazing handmade solid silver litz interconnects... Cambridge Audio transport and TriVista 21 DAC.
    ALL kinds of music! from Classical to Jazz to Prog to Rock, pop, Punk and even heavy metal sometimes (noticed how pop and heavy metal are the only two genres without a capital letter? teehee).
    The how do i like my question is a tough one. If i'm LISTENING to it, as in critical, concentrated listening, i love detail. as much as possible. I'm the kinda guy who likes listening the the little clicks of the opening and closing of the valves on wind instruments, and i also love pinpoint imaging.
    Trouble is i'm doing a lot of reading lately, and the excess reading can be a little fatiguing. But i can live with that.
    Cheers!
    Last edited by Kaboom; 04-16-2006 at 12:39 PM.
    I remember the days when I thought 128kbps sounded great and had never spent more than 10 bucks on cables...

  7. #7
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    The grado's, then; without a doubt. But flaws in your amp WILL be revealed, and you MAY experience fatigue due to the detail.
    If your spending that much, i REALLY recommend you take a look at the AKG's I mentioned. They are the best, and will do better without an awesome amp.

  8. #8
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    if you say that you like detail and you always do critical listening, the senn is probably your best bet. the 650 is the benchmark for most high end phones. ppl always praise it for is wide soundstage and its details. i haven't heard anyone saying the same thing for grado 325. most ppl think that grados are bloated in bass anyway, so probably not so great for listening to little details.

    comfort is a big key for me. not so sure if it's as big of a factor in your purchase, if it is then maybe your choice will be easier.

  9. #9
    Santa Claus
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kaboom
    I can get any of these two at roughly the same price, both HEAVILY discounted. i MIGHT be able to hear them, but i probably will not.
    So what would you people pick and why?
    i'm currently on grado SR-80s.
    cheers!
    Hi Kaboom.I own the Sennheiser HD 650 and am extremely pleased with them.I got mine from J&R music world for $299 and had to barter with them to get that price.At this price it's surely a bargain although I haven't heard the Grado 325i.Search the web on reviews of these great headphones as most people would agree with my findings.Also you have to take into account that you might have to get one of the many upgraded cables besides the Sennhieser stock cable.If you go that route your looking at an extra $150 to $300 depending on the lengh of the cable.I personally own the Cardas cable and did notice slight improvements over the stock cable over a long period of time.Is it worth the extra cost, that is debatable.Many swear they hear night and day improvements with them.I personally think there delusional.However,with the stock cable alone you will still have a stellar headphone.But all this for you to decide.In my case I needed 15' of cable so I didn't have a choice and went for the cheapest and most popular one,the Cardas.Hope this helps.

  10. #10
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    I have a 14 year old pair of Senn HD 480 II's and i love them. Still rockin after all these years. You can't go wrong with Sennheiser.

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