As all Grados do, these SR325's give you an up-front and involving ticket to your favorite bands, though sometimes they can be a bit TOO up-front for some.

They are quick and resolve detail well, especially in the attack, giving them electric guitar a nice bite; though at the expense of a bit of accuracy in the decay. The bass is quite tight and also hits quickly. However, this makes them sound a bit thin by comparison to some other high-end cans (notably the Grado RS-1, which maintains the 325's great attack speed while adding a more accurate decay).

The extension on either frequency extreme is decent, but not great. The treble is forward, and somewhat harsh, though clearer than lower Grado models, which suffer from graininess. The soundstage is also wider and better separated than the lower Grado models, thanks largely to the larger air chambers, though nothing special by comparison to other high-end cans, even some closed headphones has more impressive soundstaging.

The weight of the aluminum "cans" makes the SR325 less comfortable than all other Grados save the heavier HP1 and PS1, and after a few hours my ears become somewhat sore, and need a rest, with any of the various pads. The larger air chambers makes them less portable than the lesser Grados, as they are more likely to come off due to weight, and of course you look dorkier.

An amp helps these cans sound better, mainly by smoothing the high end and filling in the bass, but is by no means necessary.

The SR325's are hardly the best headphones from a technical performance standpoint, and have a very strong sonic signature that is imposed on all music played through them. I would not consider them good all-around headphones, as their weaknesses are generally more prevalent than their strengths. It is hard to recommend the SR325, since it is a bit overpriced for the performance it offers, and is very taste and music specific.

My ratings: Bass Extension: 5 Bass Impact: 6 Bass Quality: 7 Mids Quality: 6 Highs Quality: 4 Soundstage: 4 Detail: 6 Portability: 3 Isolation: 0 Comfort: 2 Durability: 4 Improvement with Amplification: 4 Value for the Money: 3