Should I upgrade my headphones for computer listening?

August 15, 2009 9:03 AM

Are Grado SR 225i headphones worth it for listening to music on my computer?

Right now I have Grado SR 60s (not 60i, I'm not sure what the difference is). I have a Macbook and most of my songs are 320 kbps MP3s, with the occasional lossless file or ~192 kpbs VBR MP3.

Is an upgrade in headphones worthwhile? I don't have any serious complaints with the SR 60s, just some unexpected disposable income and a headphone addiction. They will only be used for listening at my computer.

I'm looking at the 225is specifically, but if you have recommendations for other open-backed headphones in the same price range (~$200), I'm all ears. (Ha ha...ha.)

posted by cosmic osmo to technology (15 answers total)

As someone working in audio production, I'd say don't waste your money.
posted by jjb at 9:15 AM on August 15, 2009

Save your money.
You're listening to mp3s. On your computer. The headphones you have right now are already too good for what you're doing.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:23 AM on August 15, 2009

It depends on the output quality of your computer as to whether there will be any noticeable difference. The quality of the MP3s won't be the bottleneck, though you might notice a slight difference between the 192 and the 320. The 320 is as good as it gets, though--there is no audible difference between that and a lossless file. As far as your computer, I couldn't honestly tell you what to look for--I'm not as knowledgeable in the hardware. Maybe someone else here can.

If you're looking for other options in that price range, you might check out a pair of Sennheiser HD595s. I hear very good things about them.
posted by jgunsch at 9:31 AM on August 15, 2009

Your listening experience will be improved more by a $100 sound card than by those $2000 headphones. A good $300 firewire or usb2 soundcard with your current headphones will probably blow you away, quality wise.
posted by idiopath at 9:37 AM on August 15, 2009 [2 favorites]

What you get out of your headphones is only as good as the quality of your source audio, which doesn't just mean the audio file but the player and sound card. My gut sense (as the long-time owner of a pair of SR60s) is that the higher-end Grados really need a better input than MP3s and a standard computer sound card.
posted by holgate at 9:41 AM on August 15, 2009

I have a pair of SR60s. When I was debating the SR60 and the 225 the guy behind the counter told me they were exactly the same except for the cup earpads and advised buying the 60s and a pair of 225 replacement pads ($40?) which is what I ended up doing. This was at a very high end place, I'm pretty sure the headphones I bought were the cheapest non-replacement item in the building.
posted by geoff. at 10:02 AM on August 15, 2009

Negligible differences between the various types of Grados. If you want to branch out, get something with good passive attenuation (i.e. really damn huge and closed). The Grado's greatest strength - their open ear design - can sometimes be a pain because of how little the insulate you from the world, and the world from your signals.
posted by phrontist at 11:09 AM on August 15, 2009

When I was debating the SR60 and the 225 the guy behind the counter told me they were exactly the same except for the cup

The guy doesn't know what he's talking about. The SR60 specifically has a higher sensitivity, so that it can be driven by low power sources, like portable music players. I think the SR60s have smaller drivers than the SR125/225s as well.

The problem I had with driving SR125s directly off the computer was twofold. DC hash (solved by an external amp that isolated that) and the fact that I could hear exactly what was wrong, some mp3s became unlistenable with them

However, others shone with detail. The idea that all mp3s sound like crap is wrong. Poorly encoded and low bit rate mp3s aren't going to benefit from better cans, but higher bit rates and proper encoding (or better encoding systems, which is pretty much what everyone uses now) will retain more than enough detail to benefit from better transducers.

Grados are *amazing* cans, for the price. But they have no isolation. None. You will be leaking sound in through the backs, and you will be sending sound out through the backs. So they're ideal in quiet environments, and they are a waste in non quiet environments -- the aformentioned Senns are a really good choice if you need isolation. Isolation is important in noisy environments, because it lets you turn *down* the volume and still hear everything in the music.

When I tested Grados, the SR60s sounded different. They were clearly optimized for dealing with handheld devices in noisier environments. While I understand what they were trying to do, and they didn't sound bad at all, the real answer to noisier environments is "not Grados" I could hear a clear difference in detail between the SR80s and the SR225s, but I really couldn't hear the difference between the SR80s and the SR125s, or the SR125s or the SR225s, using real world sources. So, if you want Grado sound, get the SR125s, or make the jump up to the SR325s. Really, I've always though that Grado could easily drop the SR80s and SR225s from the line and have a much more sensible system (60s at the low, 125s in the middle, 325s at the top, and then into the RS series and beyond.)
posted by eriko at 12:32 PM on August 15, 2009

The SR225's will sound slightly but not dramatically better. Only you can decide if that's worth it for you. The best place to research this question is at the Head-Fi forums.
posted by paulg at 4:48 PM on August 15, 2009

Also, with all due respect to eriko, the SR225 is widely considered the sweet spot of the Grado line. Many describe the 325's as shrill. I must admit that I never spent much time with the higher-end Grados myself, because I jumped directly to the Sennheiser HD600.
posted by paulg at 4:53 PM on August 15, 2009

Don't upgrade to fancy cans unless you're going to use them with a decent amp. If you're looking to upgrade, you might consider a headphone amp--there are some good ones that aren't prohibitively expensive.

The 320 is as good as it gets, though--there is no audible difference between that and a lossless file.

This is not true.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:54 PM on August 15, 2009

I'd definitely try out a Total Bithead before I bought more expensive headphones. A passable DAC/amp for $150 is worth the investment even if you still move up.
posted by kcm at 9:29 PM on August 15, 2009

The SR60s are so nice for the money that the 225s probably aren't worth it unless you have a good amp and are in a very quiet area. Might even need better source audio, too. Stick with the 60s and save the cash.
posted by Mikey-San at 11:03 PM on August 15, 2009

Also, with all due respect to eriko, the SR225 is widely considered the sweet spot of the Grado line

Arguably true, esp. if you listen in ideal circumstances. I wasn't, and didn't want to, because I'd often not be listening in ideal circumstances, so the differences between the 125 and 225 were, to me, inaudible.

You make a good point, though -- only you can tell, you being "the listener." We all have different ears and different sources.
posted by eriko at 5:40 AM on August 16, 2009

I'm not an audiophile at all. In fact, I openly laugh at audiophiles. But I do own a BitHead amp and I love the little thing.
posted by chairface at 9:27 PM on August 17, 2009