Grado SR325 Classic Series Open-Back Headphones

The Grado SR325 is an open-back headphone built around a precision-machined aluminum housing, the one material change that separates it from the molded shells used further down the Classic Series. Its 44mm X2 driver is matched channel to channel within 0.05 dB, half the tolerance of the SR60 and SR80, and the metal housing damps resonance a thinner shell would pass straight back into the driver.

Key Features of the Grado SR325

• 44mm X2 Dynamic Driver: Mylar diaphragm, copper voice coil and a rare earth magnet system, tuned for articulation and speed.
• Precision-Machined Aluminum Housing: Reduces unwanted resonance in a way molded plastic cannot, supporting a fast and controlled presentation.
• 0.05 dB Driver Matching: The tightest channel-to-channel matching in the Classic Series, half the tolerance Grado specifies for the SR60 and SR80.
• Signature Silver Headband Assembly: Engraved reinforced polymer gimbals and junction blocks, taken from the same engineering platform as the Signature Gold system but lighter.
• Genuine Leather Headstrap: Contrasting white stitching over an internal steel spring band you bend yourself to set clamping pressure.
• Signature Silver Cable: Reduced weight and improved flexibility compared with Grado's earlier cable designs.
• F Cushions: Hold the driver close to the ear and reinforce the immediate, energetic presentation.
• 18Hz to 24kHz Response: The widest quoted bandwidth of the three Classic Series models we stock.
• Assembled in Brooklyn, New York: Built in the same building the Grado family has owned since 1918.

The X2 Driver Behind the Classic Series

The SR325 uses Grado's 44mm X2 dynamic driver, built from a Mylar diaphragm, a copper voice coil and a rare earth magnet system engineered for efficiency and control. Grado tunes this one for articulation and speed, which shows up as tight bass response, forward midrange clarity and crisp high-frequency extension. The X2 platform is shared across every Classic Series model, so the driver is not what separates the SR325 from the SR80.

What does separate them is tolerance. Grado matches the SR325's two drivers to within 0.05 dB of each other, against 0.1 dB on the SR60 and SR80. Channel matching is what holds a center image steady: the closer the two drivers track, the less a voice drifts off center as the music changes level.

Why the SR325 Uses an Aluminum Housing

The SR325 is the only model of the three we stock with a precision-machined aluminum housing rather than the die-injection molded shell used on the SR60 and SR80. Aluminum is denser and stiffer, and Grado specifies it here to reduce unwanted resonance while supporting a fast and controlled presentation. A housing that rings adds its own signature to everything played through it.

The finish on this generation is black. Earlier SR325 models were sold in a silver finish, so a photograph of an older unit will not match what arrives.

Signature Silver Headband and Cable

The SR325 carries Grado's Signature Silver headband assembly, developed from the same engineering platform as the Signature Gold system used higher in the range. It uses engraved reinforced polymer gimbals and junction blocks that keep the Gold platform's improved geometry and controlled rotation while cutting weight, and a genuine leather headstrap with contrasting white stitching sits against the head.

Inside the strap is a steel spring band. Grado intends you to bend it: clamping pressure is adjusted by hand rather than by a click-stop mechanism, so the fit is set once to your head and stays there. The cable is Grado's Signature Silver design, lighter and more flexible than the cable it replaces, and hard-wired into the cups. Detachable cables are a Signature Line feature and are not offered anywhere in the Classic Series.

F Cushions and How Grado Tunes With Them

The SR325 ships with Grado F cushions, which hold the driver close to the ear and reinforce its immediate and energetic presentation. Grado treats cushions as a tuning element rather than a comfort part: changing the cushion changes the distance from driver to ear, and with it the tonal balance. Owners routinely swap between S, F, L and G cushions to shift the presentation, and Grado sells them separately for exactly that reason.

These are on-ear cups. They sit on the ear rather than enclosing it, which is central to the Grado design and is also the thing most worth trying before committing if you have not worn a pair before.

What the Classic Series Changed

Grado introduced the Classic Series, bringing the SR325 together with the SR60, SR80, Hemp, RS1, GS1000 and GS3000 under one banner and moving them onto the X2 driver platform. Grado describes the goal as improved consistency, control and refinement, with greater clarity, extension and balance, while preserving the lively presentation the range is known for.

Two other things changed alongside the driver. The cable is a newly developed Signature design, built to be lighter, softer and more flexible while keeping Grado's traditional hard-wired construction. The headbands were reworked for comfort and long-term durability without changing the familiar look. Every Classic Series headphone continues to be assembled in Brooklyn.

Grado Labs, Three Generations In

Grado Labs has been a family-owned American company since 1953, founded by Audio Hall of Fame member Joseph Grado, who invented the moving coil stereo cartridge and developed the first true high-end dynamic headphone. The company still works out of the Brooklyn building that Pasquale Grado bought in 1918, which started life as the family fruit store.

John Grado took over from his uncles in the early 1990s, having swept the floors of the same building as a boy in the 1960s. He handed leadership to his brother Richard in 2023, with Jonathan and Matthew Grado, the third generation, coming up behind them. The headphones and the cartridges are still made in that building.

Where the Grado SR325 fits in the Grado Classic Series

The Listening Room Difference

We're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.

Grado SR325 Specifications