Currently my two favorite pairs of headphones I own.
The Mezes are extremely comfortable and look amazing. They quality of the cables and materials, carrying case making them fear-free for carrying to and from work, and the fun sound quality are all amazing.
The Grados are a third of the cost, but at also pretty comfortable and have good build quality for everything except the earcup swivel. The plastic on it is a little cheap and it squeaks occasionally. Sadly, I believe all of their headphones, even the more expensive options, have that same bracket.
However, as the Grados are on-ears and the Mezes are over-ears, there is a massive difference in comfort. The Mezes could be worn for days on end with no discomfort. The self-adjusting headband and large earcups add to it. Today is about the 2nd day I’ve worn the Grados consistently. Wearing them around the house for chores and at my computer - probably upwards of 8-hours a day total worn time. They are not nearly as comfortable. I have mild pain on my ears. Putting on the Mezes for the rest of the day, they are immediately so much more comfortable. However, I also noticed a major difference in quality.
The Grados are so much more precise than the Mezes, from what I can tell. The latter is more bassy compared to the Grados, and because they’re closed back they seem to have narrower sound-stage. Not a surprise to anyone.
Just an observation I had today. I will likely be getting the Grado SR325X next as they seem to fit my aesthetic best while remaining Grados. The SR80Es will be reserved for guests at my PC when enjoying media.
If anyone has been on the fence about the Grados, I highly suggest them. I’m not sure what the differences are between SR60E - SR225E. The descriptions seem fairly similar to each other. I figure the SR60Es would be good enough for most just starting out in this hobby. They are so light the discomfort takes so long to set in, and I am constantly so excited to start using them again. If you’ve been thinking about grabbing a pair, go for it.
I love my sr125es, but holy fuck do I hate the cable and swivel. I am definitely gonna do the detachable cable mod at some point, and I might replace the swivels with some metal ones if I can find them. If not, oh well I’ll just do the detachable cable mod and get an upgrade down the line. Probably something planar or an old pair of STAX.
can def recommend the mod, from memory just give yourself a bit more cable to work with when you cut it than the instructions recommend.