I have now completed the cable mod on the SR325X, the mod I started last weekend. The soldering is not tricky and with all cable mods I always wire them, not just "in phase" but in "absolute phase", something I learned back in the early eighties when wiring up Hi-Fi speakers.

Again, I fitted Dekoni sheepskin pads to them and compared them to my original, identical Dekoni pads from 3 years ago. They do compress over time as you can see in the pics but I suppose all pads do this, but the difference in sound is quite noticeable, something you would not normally notice as it's a gradual change over time.
Obviously, with the new pads my ears are further away from the drivers and the volume is lower. The bass appears to be the same but the treble and mid-range could be slightly lower than the compressed pads (hard to tell). So, I guess I will need to wear in these new pads, but boy...it's worth it.

https://preview.redd.it/snvhgah5k4kh1.jpg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5521aeb25f00bdacd4cae65d5fff62bdd0a6a71

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Well, they we quite cheap. £85 on eBay with an intermittent cable problem. All that thick, throat-strangling Grado cable and they still broke, so I couldn't resist the cable-conversion I have done many times before. My only reservation about the 325s is having to drill three holes through aluminium and my drill bits are getting blunt.
As usual with the 325s, I also prefer to fit a cushioned headband at the same time.
Anyway, all the hard work now done, just the easy bit of soldering to do.

https://preview.redd.it/8doav09bxpjh1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac41a9475d4a6d1f66339b57bd62cd7d07c36332

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Back in the late 70s and into the 80s the audiophiles often said the most important part of a good Hi-Fi system was the input and the output. With those two aspects dedicated to the highest budget you could afford, it was possible to get away with a medium budget-priced amp. The NAD amps of the time spring to mind.
The same is still true today. A decent input from a good .flac file, perhaps only on a mobile phone, and good output from something like Grado SR325X, it's quite possible to produce excellent audio on a budget.
In this example setup (and I have others) a Samsung Note9 was used (it has a headphone jack) at a cost of around £90, Poweramp music player, a pair of Grado SR325X (cost around £150 on eBay) and some Dekoni sheepskin pads (around £70). With a total cost of around £300, the sound is quite exceptional and totally portable. The SR325X cable conversion did make connecting to a mobile phone more practical.
I recently spent just over £300 on a DAP, which I returned for a full refund because this setup was as good, if not better and offered me far more flexibility and features than a dedicated DAP.
Even with this budget setup the clarity is quite amazing and with a tight bass that you not only hear but can feel it as well, but that's thanks to Dekoni.
In conclusion, don't write off your old mobile phone, especially if it has a 3.5mm jack.

https://preview.redd.it/oohdbdmm8bjh1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d60e31bb81432ea3d2ebdec143945f4dd01340e5

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and here was the answer,

"If you're deciding between the new Grado Classic Series SR325 and the Prestige Series SR325x, the differences are more significant than Grado's naming might suggest.

Feature	Classic Series SR325	Prestige Series SR325x
Driver	New X2 44 mm driver	Original X 44 mm driver
Sound	More refined, cleaner, wider sounding	More energetic, punchier, more exciting
Bass	Tighter, more controlled	Fuller with more impact
Treble	Smoother and more polished	Brighter, more forward
Soundstage	Slightly wider	Slightly more intimate
Build	Improved cable, stronger metal gimbals, redesigned headband, black finish	Older cable and fittings, silver aluminium finish
Price	Around £350	Often discounted to £220–250 while stocks last

Sound differences

The SR325x has the classic Grado character:

• Fast and lively
• Lots of attack on guitars
• Excellent rhythm and "toe-tapping" presentation
• Rock, blues and indie sound incredibly engaging

The SR325 Classic moves toward a more audiophile presentation:

• Better instrument separation
• Cleaner imaging
• More neutral balance
• Better low-level detail
• Slightly less "fun" and less aggressive

Several reviewers have noted that while the Classic is technically superior, it sacrifices some of the excitement that made the SR325x so popular.

Build quality

The Classic gets several welcome improvements:

• more flexible cable
• improved headband
• stronger metal hardware
• black anodised aluminium cups
• new X2 driver

The SR325x still feels solid but has the stiffer cable that many owners criticised.

Which suits your music?

SR325x

• Rock ★★★★★
• Blues ★★★★★
• Guitar music ★★★★★
• Jazz ★★★★☆
• Classical ★★★★☆

SR325 Classic

• Classical ★★★★★
• Jazz ★★★★★
• Acoustic ★★★★★
• Rock ★★★★☆
• Metal ★★★★☆"

The bit where it says of the Classic version...

• Slightly less "fun" and less aggressive

LOL, I like fun so I think I'll stick with my 325X 🤣

I'm not sure I would really want to go outside wearing any of the Grado headphones. Personally, I feel more comfortable using earbuds in this scenario, in my case, Baseus Bass BP1 Pro, but that's another story.

I know many of you use a DAP and/or a mobile phone +DAC, but I don't find Grado headphones to be that discreet. In fact, I would feel a complete idiot walking around the local park sporting a pair of SR325Xs.

However, there is a scenario where serious music listening can be had, and that is at home.
So in my case, take a decent Windows 11 PC, no sound card needed , instead connect a iFi Audio ZEN DAC V2 to the USB port, a pair of cable modified SR325Xs and something like JRiver Media Center to play .flac files (and more). With this setup you can get a really great experience from the Grados. I have zero requirement for this quality of sound when I'm walking or away from home.

So in conclusion, you don't need to spend a fortune these days to have decent quality audio. The above setup probably sounds better than anything I owned in the 70s and 80s, and as someone once said, back in the 80s, rather than spend all your money on the best Hi-Fi, it would be cheaper to pay the artist to come and perform in your living room.

https://preview.redd.it/aqg3dzfk0jhh1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30c6c17c8c0d0b1b3ecc17ac9cefd2596be5065d

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But seriously, another SR80X cable conversion done. This is my sixth and I'm getting quite good at it. I buy them with the Grado cables and sell them without. I have two sockets left, so maybe just two more conversions.
Looking at the 4th generation drivers in the Prestige series, it's very hard to tell the difference between those found in the SR80X and the SR325X. Even the small holes in the back are of the same size and the same place. The picture here shows one removed from a 325X. I must confess I have never owned any 125X or 225X, only 80X and 325X.
TBH, with the same (Dekoni) pads on each the 80s sound every bit as good as the 325s and it starts me wondering if Grado have all the options in the range simply to price match the competition from the likes of Sennheiser, Sony, Baer Dynamic, etc., when in fact the whole Grado Prestige X range is very much the same.
OK, driver matching maybe different, 0.1 db on the 80s and 0.05 db on the 325s. A four wire cable on the 60s and 80s and eight wire on the rest. With two oscilloscopes instead of two ears, yes you might see the difference, but for twice the price and just my two ears, I am hard pushed to tell the 325s from the 80s. They are both superb.

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