Sound quality

Comfort
Sound leakage

These are simply great-sounding headphones. For $69, they are an incredible value for the money. The sound is clean and full; they sound much, much better than any headphones I had used previously (mostly various Sony crap). Even through my 8-year old Sony Discman, the sound quality is excellent.

My only minor complaint is with the long-term comfort of the headphones. They actually feel quite comfortable when you first put them on; the earpads are very nice. But I found that after extended periods of listening, my ears would start to ache. I may need to tweak with the headband some more (it can be "bent" somewhat to fit your head better). That was one nice thing about the Koss PortaPro phones I used to have: they had a pad above the ear that transferred some of the horizontal pressure from your ear to the side of your head; it worked very well.

Another minor thing that might be an issue for some people: the phones do "leak" quite a bit of sound into the surrounding area.

The other thing some people might be put off by is the somewhat "retro" look of the phones. When you're wearing them you look like some refugee from a 1950s sci-fi flick. Personally, I rather like the look (!), but it may offend the excessively style-conscious.

Bottom line: I would say that if you spend a lot of time listening to a portable CD player, these Grados are a "must buy". You won't believe how much they improve the sound coming out of your portable.

Similar Products Used:

Koss PortaPro
Various Sony models

Sound quality

Build quality, comfort

The sounds is fine. My gripe with these is build and comfort. I had to keep stretching them out as otherwise they exerted too much pressure on my ears and became uncomfortable after half an hour. Secondly, the cable management is a real pain- two thick cords running to each earpiece. They seem to have a permanent half twist embedded in them so they never sit comfortably flat. Overall they have been such a pain that I've simply stopped using them altogether.

I suppose that if you are just after sound at a good price, these are fine. If thoughtful design and comfort are important, go for something else.

Similar Products Used:

None

sound quality, accuracy across all frequencies, can be driven from a cd player

lacks strong bass, isn't comfortable for longer than two hours

This stuff is awesome. I bought it freshman year, now I'm a junior and these headphones have been rock solid. They sound better than my speakers (B&W DM305's), my dad's speakers (B&W 804's), and pretty much anything else i've listened to. And of course, they beat the pants off of my old Sony crappo $25 headphones. When comparing this to the Sennheisers two years ago, you can immediately tell that the HD490's are really dark and don't offer much clarity at all. The only thing that they do better tham my Grados is their bass extension - however, you pay for it by getting rather muddy bass.

The SR-60's do lack a bit of low-end punch, but these are relatively cheap in the headphone world. They are awesome, awesome, awesome, showing much greater sonic detail than you'll find anywhere else for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD490, Sony MV250V, Koss TD61

Very smooth, honest sound, unfatiquing, detailed

the open-air design lets sounds in, but that's why I bought them!

I listen my headphones a lot at work, and I need to hear the phone ring, people trying to get my attention, etc... So I opted for the open-air design. The sonic quality doesn't suffer a bit though.

Very honest, sweet sounding headphones, these. They seem well-built. The cord is thick, sure: but that gives me confindence they'll outlast those puny Sony cords.

My old Sennheisser's were quite satisfying, had incredibly enhanced bass response, but ultimately, they don't hold a candle to the Grados.

Best buy for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD 455

My first "audiophile" headphones and I couldn't be happier! Compared to the Koss/Sony junk I've been listening to, absolutely incredible. The construction is a little unusual and the wires coming from the phones are unsecured inside the cans other than by the solder joints. When the wires move you hear little clicks (unless you keep your head absolutely still). If you put a little silicone caulk (just a tiny dab) around the holes where the wires come out and let it set for 24 hours, the problem should be solved. Don't let this kind of deal slip by. If you have less than $100 to spend on 'phones, give these your attention.

These headphones freaked me out. At first, yea they were uncomfortable. The first thing I listened to was Massive Attack (I bought them mail order so there was no "audition") and the bass was so low it felt really strange. Then I listened to some classical music...you can hear EVERYTHING...I heard conductors makin' noises that I NEVER heard on my speakers or with any other headphone for that matter. After a few weeks now...I really like 'em a lot. -Mason

These headphones sound fairly good, and their $70 price tag doesn't hurt either. They sound quite good off a plain old headphone jack, but do benefit somewhat from a better headphone amp.
For comparison: they sound much better than the Sony MDR-V600 that I paid $100 for, but nowhere near as good as my trusty Etymotic ER4-S.

Highly recommended if you don't have anything better yet. They make a nice entry into higher fidelity sound at a very reasonable price. They're probably one of the best audio values out there.

Awesome clarity, I can hear things that never existed before

Bass is a little weak
There's alot of "leakage" where people around you will hear what you're listening to
Quality of the headphones will let you know why those $10 soundcards only cost $10... these headphones will multiply any weaknesses your sound source has.

I bought these at www.nax.com for $62 shipped which is a decent deal considering all other online stores were selling for $69 with shipping. At first I was very disappointed when I brought it to work and plugged it into the Yamaha soundcard on my workstation. There was massive hissing and bass was alot more "thumping" in my old Pro 35's. Plus my co-workers could hear me from outside my cube... there's ALOT of leakage from these headphones. Obviously I wouldn't be able to use these at work.

So I took the SR60's back home after work and plugged them into the Soundblaster Live! soundcard I had at home. WOW! The hissing was gone and the bass was markedly better (but still not as "thumping" as my Pro35). Since then I've preferred the sound of the Grado's because it just sounds so much cleaner and clearer. I actually like the sound of the Grado's better than my Klipsch ProMedia 4.1's, a THX certified computer speaker package.

So to make a long story short, great headphones. But if you listen to alot of dance/rap/hiphop, be aware that the SR60s are a little weak on the bass. And be aware that there's alot of sound leakage.

Similar Products Used:

Radio Shack Pro 35
Assorted cheapy headphones

Toroidal earpads are too expensive for what they are

These are great headphones, so great that I had to put up a full review at intune.org

Similar Products Used:

Lots of cheap headphones (Sony, various OEMs, etc.)

Not travel-friendly-

I used to have an old clunky pair of Koss Pro4A phones that I retired when I replaced them with the Koss PortaPro's which I liked a lot. Based on comments I had read on the web I decided to splurge on a set of Grado SR60's...what a difference! Nice clean bass and highs- far superior to the $40 Koss...I guess you get what you pay for. They are more comfortable to wear than they look.

My only gripe with the Grado's is that they're unwieldy for traveling- I am afraid of breaking them or ripping the foam in my overpacked briefcase. The Koss phones fold up nicely for a jaunt on a train or plane. So for the time being, they'll be staying put at home.

Similar Products Used:

Koss PortaPro, Koss Pro4A, various Sony earbuds