A bit uncomfortable unless you don´t stretch the headband. The cord is very stiff and gets easily twisted.

Decision:
After my trusty, old Yamaha HP-1 broke down I was in desperate need for a new pair of cans. I went down to my dealer and checked out Grado´s SR60 and SR80 and also Senn´s in the same price range. There was an obvious difference in clarity between the Grados and the Senns. The HD270 was a bad deal. The bass was unprecise and murky, too much 100-150hz bass and fuzzy hi end. And the HD500 had a better sound, more bass but the dynamics were missing. Still quite good cans. Then I connected the SR60´s which were much better. They were rich sounding, wider, the lower registers were tight and the heights were clear. The vocal parts sounded closer. The stereo image was more open. I liked these and listened to the SR80´s which were only another $20. They were quite similar to the 60´s but had more details and a better bass response, a tighter sound. They take you and your records to new musical dimensions for a low cost.

First I considered to get a couple of the AKG 240 or something similar for a natural clean sound. The SR80s is not an ideal pair of phones when I am in my studio cause they can get too detailed and coloured maybe but when it comes to the plain listening they are, with no doubt, more funny and lively than a pair of monitor cans (around $90-100) which tend to sound closed and laidback. I guess this is a matter of taste. But for my studio I have to get a proper reference for sure.

The components:
I have not got the latest machines. Dual CV5670 amp, Dual CD5070, Dual CS5000 with audio technica AT3200XE cart, Esoteric air-litz interconnections, I don´t know how well these things match today´s standard. One thing is for sure, these cans need a proper amplification. Portables and headphone jacks in the cd player don´t deliver power enough and makes the SR80s sound thin and dark or to bright with no solid bass.

Comfort:
When I came home I experienced some pain on my ears and I became a little concerned, like "Hmm, $85 and my ears are
hurting". I gently pulled and formed the headband and after a while they felt really good. Of course they are not the most comfortable cans around. I´ve heard that the new pads make them more comfy but that they also damp and muffle the sound in a negative way.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser 200, 270, 500, HD-25 SP, Grado SR-60, Yamaha HP-1, Koss Porta Pro, AKG K-66, AKG 240

A bit uncomfortable unless you don´t stretch the headband. The cord is very stiff and gets easily twisted.

Decision:
After my trusty, old Yamaha HP-1 broke down I was in desperate need for a new pair of cans. I went down to my dealer and checked out Grado´s SR60 and SR80 and also Senn´s in the same price range. There was an obvious difference in clarity between the Grados and the Senns. The HD270 was a bad deal. The bass was unprecise and murky, too much 100-150hz bass and fuzzy hi end. And the HD500 had a better sound, more bass but the dynamics were missing. Still quite good cans. Then I connected the SR60´s which were much better. They were rich sounding, wider, the lower registers were tight and the heights were clear. The vocal parts sounded closer. The stereo image was more open. I liked these and listened to the SR80´s which were only another $20. They were quite similar to the 60´s but had more details and a better bass response, a tighter sound. They take you and your records to new musical dimensions for a low cost.

First I considered to get a couple of the AKG 240 or something similar for a natural clean sound. The SR80s is not an ideal pair of phones when I am in my studio cause they can get too detailed and coloured maybe but when it comes to the plain listening they are, with no doubt, more funny and lively than a pair of monitor cans (around $90-100) which tend to sound closed and laidback. I guess this is a matter of taste. But for my studio I have to get a proper reference for sure.

The components:
I have not got the latest machines. Dual CV5670 amp, Dual CD5070, Dual CS5000 with audio technica AT3200XE cart, Esoteric air-litz interconnections, I don´t know how well these things match today´s standard. One thing is for sure, these cans need a proper amplification. Portables and headphone jacks in the cd player don´t deliver power enough and makes the SR80s sound thin and dark or to bright with no solid bass.

Comfort:
When I came home I experienced some pain on my ears and I became a little concerned, like "Hmm, $85 and my ears are
hurting". I gently pulled and formed the headband and after a while they felt really good. Of course they are not the most comfortable cans around. I´ve heard that the new pads make them more comfy but that they also damp and muffle the sound in a negative way.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser 200, 270, 500, HD-25 SP, Grado SR-60, Yamaha HP-1, Koss Porta Pro, AKG K-66, AKG 240

High, mid and bass sound, comfrotable, look good, simple design.

I found these headphones much more attractive on my head than any of the other standard head sets. They are light and pack a good punch. They work great with the my portable cassette player called the "Ironman". In fact, they sounded better without activating the bass boster on the player. (No need for a pre-amp) Of course they do sound better with my Harmon Kardin at home.

I found them to be very comfortable. They come with a foam cushions that can be replaced very easy and can even be taken off and cleaned if you want. They are designed very simple yet sturdy, less things to go wrong.
Best headphones I have heard. I run 3 to 5 miles three time a week at the local health center. Nothing better so far.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 250, Koss, Radio Shack.

Lo price, lightweight, gold plated connectors, long 6 ft cord (could also be a weakness), tough thick cord (for long life!)

Uncomfortable, sound can get bright, other than this they're perfect!

I found out about the Grado's while browsing around for Video Editors at an electronics site. Then I came here and felt compelled to get one.

First impressions:

Asked for a demo and the salesman hands me a pair of SR80's. I look at them and they look just like the pictures I saw on the web. Very rudimentary design in my opinion - cheap plastic housing, vinyl headstrap, cheap foam ear pads. Looks like a piece of junk if you didn't know better. The adjustment bars that allow the ear pieces to slide up and down look a little bit silly on my head. The sliding bar sticks up a little bit making it look like I have little antennas sticking out of the top of my ears.

Plugged the gold plated adapter into my Panasonic SL-SW404 portable CD player(made in 1996) and turned it to the first track of "Aria".

BOOM!!! Woah there...there was wayyy too much bass. I immediately turned off the unit and turned off the "Xtra Bass System" which is located inside of the unit. Ok, these headphones are REALLY sensitive!!!

Started up the first track of "Aria" again and finally got to listen. All I can say is, these "cans" are remarkable. Bass is deep, and accurate. The delicate highs are all present. It's all there.

The second thing that entered my mind after listening after about a minute was: Man! These things are REALLY uncomfortable!!! I am used to using the Sony "Sports" headphones that rest inside of the ears. I'm not used to having anything directly pressing against the sides. I've been listening to the SR80's since 4:00 when I bought them and now it's 9:00.

I had read about a "break-in" period from some reviewers, however, my unit pretty much sounds like the demo did from the box.

The one I have looks different than the one I demo'ed. The one I was listening to in the store had a gold transducer(?)(it was yellow on the inside) and the cheap foam ear pads were flat.

When I opened the box, I noticed that my foam ear pads had a lot more padding on the outer portions and when I put them on my head, I could immediately feel more of a "cushion". Plus the transducer(?)(inside portion) of the unit was silver, not yellow. The sound quality is the same however,

I have found that the SR80's have an extremely low listening fatigue level. I have one CD-R of Lena Park and Kelly Chen that I made (these are Asian artists whom you've never heard of). Before, I would listen to the first ten tracks by Lena Park and then I would get bored or annoyed with Kelly Chen, and turn it off. When I listened with the SR80's I could it much more enjoyable to listen to.

As far as the sound being more "spacious" I don't know about that. It doesn't really sound more spacious. There's a lot of "open air" built into these units. Reviewers below have said it already, these headphones leak a lot of sound. If someone is sitting next to you listening at average sound volume you can pretty much hear everything they are hearing.

As for getting a headphone "Amplifier" I have found that my portable CD player can power these things just fine. Before I bought these, I noticed that one serious shortcoming of many CD Walkmen was that when you turned up the volume, the sound would only go up marginally and if you wanted it really loud, you had to turn it up to 9 or 10. These headphones are VERY sensitive and efficient. If you own a pair of Sony V6's or similar model and you can get good sound out of these, then you shouldn't have any problems.

Btw- true to the manufacturer's words, these headphones have been designed to resolve the smallest detail of any sound at any sound level. I have pushed these things pretty loud on my Portable CD player (which is pretty powerful) and the manufacturer is true to their word. These things were reproduce *everything*.

I'm still working on getting these things to be more comfortable. I have tried bending them like an "oval" as reviewers have explained before, but after about 30 minutes or so they revert back to their uncomfortable selves again and I have to bend it back all over.

One other thing, I would not recommend these headphones over long flights. The reason is because outside sound gets in easily. You have to listen to these babies while in the quietude of your bedroom or office!

In conclusion I will reiterate what one reviewer has already stated:

It just sounds beautiful. Very, very highly recommended. It makes any portable audio source sound as if it were really expensive.

Similar Products Used:

Different Sony Headphones MDR-W10, MDR A40V, and others.

Extremely good sound for the price, sounds similar(only similar) to my RS-1´s, bass is very punchy and accurate

need a good source to sound good, a bit expensive for me(i live in germany)

I have to admit upon first listen to these headphones i was not impressed at all, i thought i bought a piece of junk, but then i let them play overnight then in the morning i listened to them and wow, i am still amazed by this product, all i can say is be careful, give these a chance and you will get upgrado fever,(you will want MORE) since buying these i have then bought SR-325, then RS-1´s and the RA-1 amp(btw, the SR-80´s sound BEST with the RA-1 amp than anything i have ever heard them out of)

Similar Products Used:

Grado SR-325, Grado RS-1, Grado RA-1 amp

Just got these to replace a set of AKG 501s that I returned. The Grados are MUCH better for the music I listen to. They have the best bottom end of any headphones I've heard, and they sound crystal clear to me. They still kind of give me a headache after a while, even at low volumes, but maybe that would be cured with a good headphone amp (www.headphone.com here I come, when I have some $$$!). My biggest complaint is that they aren't very comfortable compared to the AKG cans, and not even close to Sennheisers (I wish I could get this sort of sound with the Sennheiser padding setup!). Apparently there is a set of replacement pads that's much improved (like the new SR60 pads). All in all, very good headphones.

Great sound! Overall bass is good, midrange is great

Bass sometimes is a bit shaky, it seems to adjust itself randomly

These are superb headphones! Although I much preferred the higher level headphones made by Grado, I chose these for myself. The Sennheiser's were very comfortable, but they usually bloated the bass severely. I don't see why so many people say these are so uncomfortable, I have no problem wearing these for a few hours. What I don't like is how the bass can go "switch" itself from low to high. The bass is somewhat jumpy and greatly effected by the music, but all that means is it's extremely responseful, even though it's annoying. If you have the money, I highly reccomend upgrading, especially to the RS series. Although I have only demoed them, the mahogany wood makes an extreme difference in sound. Overall, I think these speakers are great, and they have an extremely high decibal level for headphones. Thumbs up for Grado!

Similar Products Used:

I have only demoed all Grados and most Sennheisers.

great sound, good bass
sound much better than any sonys ive heard.. but i havent heard the more expensive sony either
things i dont like about these are they can be uncomfortable after wearing for a few hours (you can buy softer pads but i havent gotten around to it), the cord is quite heavy, they are too big to be portable and they leak quite a bit of sound

besides these points they are great headphones for the price

Similar Products Used:

sony

High level of musical detail
Good bass extension

"Retro" styling
Somewhat uncomfortable

Just bought a pair of Grado SR80 headphones for use with a portable CD player. On my home system I have used Sennheiser HD530 II headphones for a number of years, and value their incredible level of detail (almost as detailed as the HD580s). I was looking for headphones which gave a detailed insight into the music, but which were more compact than my Sennheisers and which could be driven by a portable CD player (marginal with the HD530s, impossible with the HD580s and I have had really bad sonic experiences in the past with low-end Sennheiser headphones which are easier!) So I listened principally to the Grado SR60 and SR80. The SR60s were detailed, but to my taste rather lacking in bass. I was evaluating them by listening to the Faure requiem (yes, classical listeners need bass too) and low organ notes simply disappeared. The SR80s, in contrast, gave a similar level of detail, but a much greater degree of bass extension. Initially I was concerned that this might simply be the result of a hump in their bass response, but careful comparison with a number of other headphones, both familiar (AKG) and unfamiliar (Sony: a muddy and fuzzy presentation, which IMHO is typical of mid-market Sony headphones!) convinced me that the SR80s were simply doing a better job of revealing the melodic line in the bass without artificially overemphasising it. Subsequent listening to relatively moderate rock (no headbanging here!) has reinforced this impression: the Grados are remarkably communicative and transparent headphones for the price. They may look like a refugee from a 1950s language laboratory, but in this case (as always) it is the sound which counts. At their relatively modest price they have to deserve a full five stars.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD530 II

accurate yet forgiving

long breakin time

When I first listened to the sr80’s I felt betrayed by one of my most respected audio advisors. The sr80 sounded tight, very restrained, muffled in areas and harsh in others. Ted at Wavelength audio had said so many good things about the sr80, I felt perhaps I had a poor source. I was listening to the headphone output on my Sony str de835 receiver. Ted; clearly not a Sony fan, had told me about a creek headphone amp because of the poor quality he felt the Sony equipment displays. In light of my first listening experience I began to feel the headphones amp was not an option but a matter of necessity. So I decided to change my source from the str de835 to my Sony str da555es receiver in my front room. With hopes the change improving my results, this change didn’t help. Needless to say my first impression was a poor one.

I read several reviews where people spoke of a break in period. Ted failed to mention this monumental piece of information. So I let them play for the thicker part of the weekend. I bought the sr80’s on Saturday, come Sunday night they did sound better, I was still disappointed in their performance. I let them continue to play over night. The long break in time was foreign to me since only my home speakers are the only pieces that required a break period of this length. I also own a couple of sets Sennheisers one of which is the 580. They did require some breaking in before they began to perform as they do now. The 580’s never sounded this bad nor did my fusion 500’s. So the sr80’s definitely need some running time before you start listening.

My next step was to take the sr80 to work where I planned to just see how they sound. At work I have a Sony cmt-ex1 desk component system. I plugged in the sr80. Gray skies parted and Gods wonderful musicians tickled my ears with deliberate and deep tones. All is forgiven, these puppies sound so great now that they can make a Christian man curse. The sr80 is very musical and accurate. Sound stage is not a figment of your imagination but vast and detailed so precisely illustrated. When listening, I get visions a dimly lit, smoke hazed room, a small table for two and my self nursing a dark liquor drink on ice. Watching Bob James and Larry Carlton performing right before me. Piano, guitar, percussion and drums come together to make a production of their performance, versus reproduction of something “close”. From kick drum to female vocals the sr80 never lets you feel left in the foyer of this fantastic jazz club. Highs are effortlessly accurate, midranges are liquid glass providing a transparent bond between cymbal crashes and rhythm of bass guitar, and lows are quick and full. I don’t understand why they sound so awful at home but so great at work. I will never take these puppies home again.

In comparing the sr80’s to my sennheiser fusion 500’s, they make the 500 seem slow and muddy. The 500 seemed under-powered on my desk unit. All though the 500’s do sound substantially better at home. I will say that they are a good set of headphones. I will recommend them to most anyone for their first taste of good a headphone. In closing, these two products are so for apart that in an analogy if the 500’s were a car they would be a caviler and the sr80’s a camaro z28. The sr80’s are more than I could have ever imagined I could enjoy at work.

There is no way you came enjoy this level of audio entertainment without spending a lot more money. This is the best sub $100 set of cans i've ever heard.

Similar Products Used:

sennheiser fusion 500, koss 85, akg (dont know the model)