Grado Prestige SR325 Headphone

The SR325 is the top model in Grado's Prestige series. Open-backed and priced at $295, it looks ideal for the earnest headphone listener who doesn't want to take out a second mortgage to buy a pair of cans. Its styling is dated but my reasons for not being a headphone fan are more serious than any lack of cute looks. Most phones simply don't sound convincing enough to substitute for loudspeakers, and the majority refuse to stay perched firmly without crushing my cranium or making me sweat. The SR325 manages to meet both those demands. It also has a sensible lead that's not cumbersome but sufficiently robust to avoid tangling, which is a rare and welcome attribute in headphone leads.