David Solomon – Headphones.com
AMERICAN MADE GOODNESS – SR125i
The SR125i is a wonderful option for those who prefer the feel of the flat Grado earpads as opposed to the bowl-shaped earpads. I personally prefer the comfort of their flat pads over the bowl-shaped pads. Of course, one always has the option of buying the the S-Cush pads and putting it on any Grado they like (except for iGrado), but an earpad change will dramatically affect the way the headphone sounds to your ear. Since the SR125i is the best model which Grado Labs has designed with their flat pads as the intended earpad, I feel the SR125i is amongst the best buys in their catalog.
*Please note that these flat pads are the same as the flat pads which were shipped on much earlier Grados. The difference is that the older flat pads are hollowed out just as the bowl-shaped earpads are, but are flat rather than raised. The pads installed on the S-Cush pads are not hollowed out.
THE FIT & THE FINISH
A thin cardboard box with a open cell foam interlay - Grado Packaging is nuttin' fancy. It's probably the least impressive aspect of their product line – not so bad considering you don't use the packaging to listen to music. The headphones look pretty much identical to the Grado SR60i and SR80i – Black plastic earcups, flat pads, user adjustable leather headband, thick Y-split cable. The cable terminates to a ¼ " plug which means if you plan to plug it into a standard headphone mini-jack, you will need to buy an adapter.
Like all Grado headphones, the headband tension is easy to adjust to one's head by gently bending the bow (manufacturer's instructions). Like all of Grado's designs, there is a retro charm here. The design will be appreciated by many music lovers and aficionados, even though the design may not be the most gorgeous.
As with all Grado headphones, the SR125i are open back and therefore not ideally suited for outside use or for use in places where disturbing others may be problematic. It is also worth mentioning, as we get asked a lot, what the "i" stands for. It stands for improved from the earlier version of the SR125. Grado continuously attempts to improve their headphones, and the SR125 is no exception. I bring this up also to eliminate confusion that the "i" stands for iPhone compatible as the "i" often does with regard to other brands. There is no microphone here or Apple remote. Shucks!
ALL ABOUT THE SOUND…
The sound, while similar to the SR60 and SR80, is more detailed with greater spatial definition. For some, it may not be worth the added cost, being as they really are very similar sounding. There's actually less bass extension in the SR125, but overall more detail.
THE GOOD
- Very clear detailed sound
- Beautiful lush mids
- Tight bass
THE BAD
- May be too bright for some listeners
- The sound may not be enough of an improvement over Grado's SR60i and SR80i to justify the cost for some
Listening to Eva Cassidy's "Over the Rainbow" the vocal comes forward with great depth. The soundstage here is narrower than I would prefer and because of this the guitar and vocal interfere with each other just slightly. Overall though, this is one of the best sounding renderings of this song through headphones that I've heard at this price point.
Listening to Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" from the Savoy & Dial Sessions (not a particularly good sounding recording by today's standards, but I love those old mono recordings), I was reminded how Grado's house sound almost always sounds spot on with mono-vinyl sourced jazz recordings. The SR125i demonstrates a hint more depth to my ears with regard to the instrument placement than the SR60i or SR80i.
Listening to Bjork's "Army of Me" I have mixed feelings. The bass on most Grado headphones does roll off in the sub-bass region. Because of this, when sub-bass frequencies are present on a recording and you know this ahead of time, you may find something lacking in the sound reproduction. However, the midrange sounds so liquid smooth, it's impossible for me not to be entranced.
Listening to "Radio Cure" by Wilco I was won over by the warmth of the vocal and its ability to not impose itself on the guitar too much. Certain sound effects that happen at the midpoint of the song were not rendered as spaciously as I have heard with other headphones, but when comparing it against the SR60i, it was a noticeable step up.
Listening to the finale of "Brahms' Violin Concerto" as performed by Julia Fischer with Yakov Kreizberg and the Netherlands Philharmonic, the word that came to mind was euphonic. Such a liquid sound, ever so slightly bright, so it allows for a good amount of orchestral overtones to shine through. The SR60i by comparison, sounded muffled.
Speaking of bright, listening to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana from the original CD pressing, I found the treble to be just slightly abrasive. The guitars were just a bit grating on my ears, as were the cymbals. The SR60i by comparison was slightly less grating.
LAST WORD
The SR125i is, in my opinion, a step up from the SR60i and SR80i, but I could imagine that not everyone will be in total agreement. This is the one drawback of Grado offering such a phenomenal headphone in the SR60i. If you are searching for a highly detailed sound, the SR125i is probably the best choice for you if you want a Grado headphone designed with flat earpads. Any of these three headphones are amongst the best in their pricepoint, the SR125i is no exception. Highly Recommended!
RATING CHART AT PRICE POINT
| Sound |
9 |
| Comfort |
8 |
| Design & Features |
6 |
| Value |
8/10 |