Which brings me to the Grados. The SR225s are the second pair of Grado headphones I’ve owned. I started out with a pair of SR125s which, until these, were my favorite ‘phones for around-the-house listening. Large, soft foam-covered earpieces and an over-the-head style band do not make these ideal “out-and-about” listening devices. They’re also an open design and bleed sound like no other headphones I’ve ever used, subjecting anyone in the same airspace to whatever it is you’re listening to you. Calling them headphones is almost a disservice, they’re more like a head-mounted speaker system.

Which isn’t far off the mark, really. If I could continue the head-mounted speaker analogy, you might find that you need a better amp to drive these without distortion compared to smaller, less demanding headphones. The iPods have long been known for possessing a decent headphone amplifier for a portable device. When driving the Grados, I find noticeable distortion at volume settings that are clear and detailed with my Shure in-ear phones. These ‘phones exacerbate the problems with the MacBook audio circuitry like no others. The noise is painful and may make you want to invest in a decent external audio interface, which, if you’re serious about sound, you’ll want to do anyway.

So far, I’m making these out to be more of a pain than they’re worth, so you might be wondering why I’d have bothered to upgrade the SR125s to the 225s. And why I’d consider myself a serious enthusiast for these headphones.

The reason is that with a decent headphone amplifier, these headphones don’t sound like any other I’ve ever listened to. They have Real Bass. It’s detailed and palpable and extends far below where you might expect a headphone to go. The other reason is they possess an airiness and spaciousness unlike any other headphones. All that moving air your neighbours are being subjected to while you listen to these is the same air the Grados are using to magically create a soundstage inside your head.

If you like listening to music and consider yourself to be a person who likes nice things, and you have a decent sound system, you might want to do yourself a favor and audition a pair of Grados. Honestly, with the type of music I listen to mostly (rock and electronic music predominantly with occasional forays into jazz and classical), I don’t notice a huge difference between the SR225s and the 125s. The bass is a little more detailed and present, I think, but otherwise, without going into fruity audiophile language, I don’t think there’s a whole lot of difference. The build quality on the SR225s is marginally better though and they have a slightly longer and thicker cable.

If you do want to use these with a portable device like an iPod, you should consider an external amplifier. Here are a few links to well-reviewed headphone amps:

• Total BitHead (review on Stereophile)
• Grado RA1
• Creek Audio OBH-21

Also, take a look at Grado Labs’ website. They’ve expanded their product-line in the past couple of years and have some in-ear headphones as well as a slew of truly high-end ‘phones that you probably can’t afford but will lust after because they’re beautiful.

One final relevant link I rediscovered when looking for a place to actually purchase (US only) the Grados online: goodcans.com’s review of Grado headphones. They mention that the Prestige series that the SR225s belong to have been updated and have a new ‘i’ designation. Apparently the bodies have been redesigned and are a bit deeper which can only mean that they sound even better.

• SR225i on amazon.com, B&H Photo Video ($200)

For the past five years or so, the Shure E3 headphones (now called SCL3) had been my sound delivery weapon of choice for serious business. Developed for stage use, they quickly became popularized for portable audio for their excellent 30db attenuation of outside sound and crisp sound quality. Some criticized them for less than impressive bass performance, perhaps with good reason. But the super-detailed middle and high ranges more than made up for it for me. The phones were updated about a year after I bought mine, becoming the E3Cs and available for the first time in white to appeal to the white headset crowd. Later they were joined with the E4s to round out the line and give people an option between the E3s and the really pricey E5s. This is somewhat surprising considering these are considered professional equipment for performing musicians, but obviously, people were buying them in enough quantity for Shure to notice and shift their marketing to accomodate.

These types of ‘phones are not without their drawbacks though. Inserting them into your ears required a bit of fiddling to get them in right. The cables were also meant to be worn behind the head which often meant some fairly ridiculous contortions if you were trying to put them on in a confined space, like, say, an airplane seat or a small shower stall. (What? Don’t you listen to music in the shower?) Also, the small yellow foam sleeves (or “foamies” as I like to call them) could be uncomfortable for prolonged listening. The various silicone ear pieces never worked for me, in any of the available sizes. Walking around while wearing them can create a “booming” effect as your feet hit the ground, channeling the shockwaves up to your ears through bone conductivity. You can hear yourself breathing with them on. Talking to people (even though you can’t really hear them) is also really difficult and kind of disorienting.

Still, despite all these strange oddities, I really like them. A lot.

Enter the SE530s. I’ve been eyeing these as replacements to the “E” line of earphones since they were introduced. As a more consumer-friendly set of in-ear monitors, they lack some of the harshness of the E3s which could be, if possible, a little too detailed. The SE530s are also a three-driver design with a separate tweeter and two separate bass drivers. The difference really comes through on music with strong bass-lines and dynamic drums like the National’s album “Boxer”. The bass sounds smooth and doesn’t get overwhelmed by the surrounding drums in quieter tracks like “Start a War”. The mid and upper range detail is still there too, but it seems better blended than with the E3s. The SE530s produce a smooth, buttery sound that will envelop you in music.

Another great improvement is in the new foam sleeves. The new ones are a black foam that is apparently washable which should greatly extend their lifetime. I used to go through the yellow foamies at the rate of a pair every couple of weeks, more if I was using them heavily. I’ve had the same pair of foamies on the SE530s since I bought them and they’re still in great shape. Protip: You should wipe ‘em off periodically with a non-alcohol based anti-bacterial gel.

Other items included in the box are 3 foot and 9 inch extension cables, a full set of ear pieces in varying shapes and sizes, an airplane adapter and a 1/4″ conversion plug. The phones roll up into an included oval carrying case. Shure does not disappoint with build quality and accessories in the box and retailing for the price of a top-end iPod, you better believe the box they come in is real metal. The earphones’ cables are also really nice, with a supple feel.

Speaking of cables, I just acquired and tested-out the Shure MPA music phone adapter which comes with a “voice port” microphone for use with my iPhone. The first call was deemed a success. The little command button even works as a play/pause or answer call button.

So, would I recommend these for everybody? No, I probably wouldn’t. I wouldn’t have bought them myself if it weren’t for the ridiculous deal I found on eBay (seriously, if you’re looking for a pair, check it out). If you’re a discerning audiophile, or just someone who loves music and looking for a compact, portable listening experience that can block out a lot of external noise, then these might be right for you.

I have never used the white plastic earbuds that came with my iPods and usually throw them out. They are garbage. I don’t care if they “sound better than other earbuds” as some have said, they cost 10¢ to make and if you’re going to listen to those, you might as well admit to yourself that you have no taste and don’t deserve your shiny new iPod.

For the past 10 years or so I’ve been using a pair of Koss Portapro ‘phones. These headphones are a workhorse for listening. They look like crap but they sound great. A friend once asked me what was with the “ghetto ‘phones”. So I let him try them out. And he said, “Oh”. They really sound good, but don’t just take my word for it. There are a ton of reviews out there extolling their virtuous sound. The review on goodcans.com in particular is worth reading to give you an idea of just how good these are and how much people like them. I love them. But unfortunately, they’re not perfect for mobile listening. For one thing, they’re an open design so sound does leak out of them fairly prodigiously. That can be annoying to those nearby. They also allow background noise IN. Which makes them unsuitable for listening in loud environments. Like airports. And airplanes.

After ten years of frequent use, the foam pads on mine were shot, the plastic speaker sections of the phones peeking through and scraping against my ears. Fed up, I started researching replacement headphones and came to the conclusion that there were no replacements. Nothing could match the sound quality, portability and durability I’d come to apprecaite, despite the flaws of the open system. My experience with Sennheiser has never been good, and I have yet to listen to a pair of those that doesn’t sound muted and imprecise. All Sennheisers I’ve used (dating back to the late ’80s when I used to sell Sennheisers at an audio shop) have had efficiency problems and seem to require a ton of effort to get any sound out of them. So I went to a store in Ottawa that sold Koss (Bleeker Audio on Merivale) and asked them if they had any Portapros. The sales guy informed me that they were out of them so I then asked what I should have asked first: if they had any replacement foam pads for the ear-pieces. That’s when he told me about the lifetime warranty on the Koss headphones.

A lifetime warranty. If there is something wrong with your headphones, they will replace them. An idea so shocking and against what I have learned to expect from companies that it just kind of stopped me dead in my tracks.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to the foam pads, but if you look on Koss’ website, you can find replacement pads for them for 5 bucks. Which doesn’t work in Canada. So, I phoned their 1-800 number and talked to a nice lady in Milwaukee who shipped me a replacement set of earpads which arrived about a week later. It was a great customer service experience and it has made me appreciate these venerable phones even more. I *heart* them.

I made one fatal mistake with the replacement foams though. They Portapros have a pair of pads on the temples as well that fit just above your ears. When I got the replacements, I figured I’d replace those too, even though they appeared to be glued to the plastic. I ripped these off and a bunch of the backing from the originals remained stuck to the plastic, preventing the new temple foam pieces from sticking properly. Fortunately, the replacements came with two pairs of each type of foam so I have a backup set. I should be able to remove the gluey foamy stuff from the plastic with a bit of lighter fluid which hopefully won’t melt the plastic.

If it does, it might require another phone call to Milwaukee.