Grado SR325X

Subtle tweaks keep the range topping SR325 at the cutting edge of performance at this level

The Prestige range of headphones has been at the core of Grado’s output since it was first introduced three decades ago. While the series has developed over the years, Grado has always done so in small evolutionary steps. The story remains the same for this new ‘x’ generation.

There’s little to separate the SR325X from its predecessor (the What Hi-fi? Award-winning SR325E), apart from the new flatter foam earpads, updated cable and lighter coloured stitching on the firmly padded headband. Most of the important work goes unseen. The 44mm drive unit has been changed considerably with a revised motor system, upgraded coil and new diaphragm. The aim is to improve efficiency and reduce distortion.

The new 8-conductor cable uses ‘super’ annealed copper and is claimed to deliver a purer sound than that used before, now terminated by a 3.5mm headphone jack, with a 6.3mm adaptor also provided. Elsewhere, the SR325X remain as before. They still remind us of headphones used by 1940s air traffic controllers – a rather basic aesthetic that divides opinion among the What Hi-fi? team.

The open-backed design means they leak sound, but also provide almost nothing in the way of noise isolation. If you’re listening in a room with others, be prepared for your listening experience to be disturbed if they make any noise at all.

Grado’s Prestige series models have rarely felt like luxury headphones, and so it is with this new generation. It’s an impression that starts with the packaging (still a basic cardboard box) and extends to the rather coarse foam used for the new, thinner earpads. If you’re looking for a premium feel you won’t find it here.

You will find ruggedness and durability. We have used numerous pairs of Grado Prestige headphones over the years and they have needed little more than semiregular earpad changes to keep going. The foam earpads don’t last for ever, but are easily changed and don’t cost much to replace. The basic structure of the headphones and materials chosen are impressively robust for day to day use.

At 340g, the SR325X are not heavy, and there’s enough adjustability to cope with a wide variety of heads. But not everyone will get along with the new foam earpads. Even as long-term Grado users, it takes us a while to get used to their thinness and overall shape, but a few days of acclimatisation makes us more kindly disposed towards them, particularly as the new earpads cause a subtle shift to the balance of the headphones’ sound, making them a less demanding listen.

Greater refinement

We compare the two types of earpads and the new design makes the headphones sound smoother and more authoritative in the bass. We test them on previous generations of SR325 (both ‘e’ and older ‘i’ versions). In each case the sonic changes are consistent; a more direct presentation with greater top-end refinement and improved low-end solidity.

But the better sound of the SR325X is down to more than just the earpads – the benefits of those changes to the drive unit are obvious too. We listen to Massive Attack’s Heligoland and the SR325X sound notably cleaner and clearer than before.

The SR325S have always been detailed and articulate performers, but the ‘x’ generation sounds that bit more precise and insightful. We can follow low-level instrumental strands with more ease, especially in the more densely produced tracks. Rhythms are still delivered with enthusiasm and plenty of punch.

The Sr325x’s open-backed design means they’re wonderfully expressive dynamically, and lows are agile and tuneful, but there’s still not the weight and low-end punch of closed headphone designs. The SR325X can sound a little bass-light in comparison, though we’re happy to make that sacrifice for the many benefits of an open-design approach.

We love the Grados’ ability to convey the texture and attitude in Lana Del Rey’s voice in her Chemtrails Over The Country Club set. The excellent insight generates a lovely sense of atmosphere and we find ourselves lost in the music rather than just analysing the Sr325x’s performance.

Of course, you have to provide the Grados with a quality signal. They will still sound acceptable with a phone, laptop or budget music player, but we’d be looking at an outboard DAC of the quality of Chord’s Mojo for the laptop and phone, and at least Astell & Kern’s A&norma SR25 music player, if we want to hear the scale of the Sr325x’s talents.

We listen to a wide range of music during our time with these Grados and they always please, if fed with a good enough signal. Whether it’s the soul of Gladys Knight, the hard-edged tunes of Nirvana or the hip-hop of Eminem, these headphones sound right at home.

The SR325X once again prove evolution is a more reliable way of making things better than a headline-grabbing design revolution. The best just got that bit better.