Grado SR225x Review: A sound that feels like listening to speakers at live shows

The Grado SR225x is part of the “X” generation of the brand’s “Prestige” series, made by the Brooklyn-based headphone manufacturer from New York City, USA. With each generation, Grado aims to deliver a sound signature it believes is better suited to its customers. When using the SR225x, I noticed that the bass filled the entire musical presentation, giving me the feeling that I was standing in front of a stage enjoying a live show.

In this review, I compared the SR225x with my Grado RS2e in an attempt to bring a better perspective on the sound, comfort, and build quality of the headphone being reviewed, considering that one belongs to the “Prestige” series and the other to the “Reference” series, in addition to being from different generations.

The generations of Grado’s Prestige series

The generations within Grado’s headphone lines may seem confusing to some. Fortunately, a thread titled “Full Grado Labs History!” on the Head-Fi forum, created by user “devouringone3,” clarifies the order in which each generation appeared and the year it was released.

Although the Prestige series generations are identified by letters, the first one did not have any letter at all. The second generation was designated with the letter “i” at the end of the model name. The most recent one is the “x”, released in 2021. See the timeline below:

• Grado SR225: released in 1993
• Grado SR225i: released in 2009
• Grado SR225e: released in 2014
• Grado SR225x: released in 2021

What are the build quality and comfort of the Grado SR225x like?

The Grado SR225x has a simple build, with just enough to keep the headphone on your head. You won’t find anything elaborate here — instead, the design conveys a sense of something rustic and inflexible. Fun fact: this design has barely changed since the first generation of the Prestige series, launched in 1993.

Compared to previous generations, the SR225’s “X” generation brought two changes. The first was to the headband, which now includes a thin layer of foam to improve comfort. The second was the addition of a braided-fabric sleeve on the cable.

In practice, the changes mentioned above did not improve comfort and overall usability that much when I compare the SR225x with the RS2e. Although the SR225x’s padded headband seems interesting, it is narrower than the RS2e’s headband, which doesn’t even have padding.

With the SR225x, I felt greater pressure on the top of my head, and I believe this is due to the smaller contact area of the headband compared to the RS2e. On top of that, I also noticed that the braided-fabric cable brought both advantages and disadvantages.

There is no doubt that the SR225x’s braided-fabric cable increases the headphone’s durability. However, I found the result to be stiffer than what I consider comfortable for daily use. Even though the RS2e’s cable appears heavier and thicker than the SR225x’s, I found it more flexible and easier to handle both when wearing the headphone and when storing it.

There’s no denying that Grado’s ear pads aren’t as comfortable as those of other headphones. The reason is that they are made of high-density foam, without the use of fabric or synthetic leather, which results in a rougher feel on the skin.

Even with these drawbacks in Grado’s pads, I still preferred them over synthetic-leather pads, which tend to make my ears very warm. Note that the 225x uses the so-called “F-Cushions,” which are different from the “L-Cushions” used on the RS2e.

Also note that both the SR225x and RS2e are on-ear headphones, meaning they rest on top of the ears instead of around them like over-ears. Even so, there are noticeable differences in comfort and fit between the two models.

When using them, I felt that the F-Cushions fit my ears better, and I quickly found a comfortable position when putting on the SR225x. With the L-Cushions, however, I noticed that the edges of the pads extended slightly beyond my ears, giving me the feeling that they weren’t fitting properly — even though the sound itself was good on the RS2e.

After a few hours of listening, my right ear started to hurt around the antitragus, the region just above the earlobe. I believe this happened because the F-Cushions are shallow, causing the tip of my ear to be pressed.

Finally, I should say that the SR225x feels extremely light on the head. Before putting it on, the “battle” I had was actually with the cable, which is not very flexible and weighs more than the headphone itself. Considering that it didn’t heat up my ears too much, I liked the overall comfort when using it while sitting at my desk.

Does the Grado SR225x need a “powerful” amplifier to “sound good”?

No. The Grado SR225x has an impedance of just 38 ohms and a sensitivity of 99.8 dB/mW @ 1 kHz. Basically, this means that any portable device with a headphone output should be able to provide at least a minimally good sound quality.

In my tests, the SR225x performed well both with my FiiO JM21 Digital Audio Player (DAP) (in low-gain mode) and with my desktop setup, consisting of the Topping D70s DAC and the OTL tube amplifier Woo Audio WA3, which is capable of driving headphones from 30 to 600 ohms.

Does any accessory come with the SR225x?

Yes. Inside the SR225x box there is a 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm adapter, since the cable comes with a 3.5 mm plug and the user may want to use a 6.35 mm connector. Nothing else is included.

What does the Grado SR225x sound like?

The Grado SR225x can present itself differently depending on the equipment you use to play your music. The main difference I noticed was in the strength and depth of the bass. On portable devices such as the FiiO JM21, there isn’t as much impact and weight compared to when using a desktop amplifier like the OTL tube Woo Audio WA3.

On the FiiO JM21 DAP, the SR225x’s bass sounded more restrained, yet still present and well-developed within the overall sound. However, the “live speaker at a concert” feeling only appeared when I plugged the headphone into the Woo Audio WA3.

With the WA3, the bass gains a strength that brings incredible dynamics to the music. The sensation I had was that I was standing in front of a concert stage. The beginning of the track “After Midnight” from the album Eric Clapton – The Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions demonstrated this perfectly.

Over time, however, I began noticing that this extra bass energy provided by the WA3 slightly affected the mids and highs. I felt that vocals and string instruments sounded clearer and more natural on the JM21.

The influence of the bass became even more evident when comparing the RS2e to the SR225x on the WA3. Since the RS2e has considerably less bass presence — drawing more attention to the mids and highs — whenever I switched back to the SR225x, I immediately thought, “Here is the bass of the music.”

That said, in tracks where there wasn’t much bass presence, I preferred the timbre of the RS2e for vocals, string instruments, and wind instruments. However, that doesn’t mean the SR225x’s mids and highs are bad — quite the opposite.

I found the mids and highs of the SR225x to be clear when using it with the FiiO JM21, regardless of how bass-heavy the music was. In this scenario, I felt that the frequency extension in this region — especially the treble — gained more air, allowing me to hear musical nuances more easily.

As for the treble, I’d say the SR225x has excellent sparkle and timbre. I noticed a good natural presentation of cymbals, for example. Although I felt they were slightly subdued on the WA3, the brightness was still good. On the JM21, the treble performance was solid across all the tracks I listened to.

In terms of soundstage, I’d say the SR225x presents a more intimate sound, very close to the ears. After some time listening, I stopped noticing this characteristic, because the sense of dynamics the headphone delivers is truly different compared to other models.

Overall, I felt there was a good level of detail in the mids and highs, even though the SR225x emphasizes the bass more. I believe this may be due to the driver’s proximity to the ears, since the F-Cushions are flat and thin, allowing for a greater sense of dynamics without much effort.

Conclusion

The Grado SR225x delivers a sound that captivates and engages. Listening to albums with it was a pleasurable experience, and I didn’t feel the urge to skip any tracks. The dynamics it brings to the music are incredible. Even though its build quality leaves something to be desired, I think the listening experience it delivers makes up for it. On top of that, because it is easy to drive, you don’t need to invest in a dedicated amplifier right after buying it.