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Grado Prestige Series SR80i Stereo Headphone | 
 enlarge | Brand: Grado
Category: CE
Buy New: $99.00
New (20) Used (3) from $80.00
Rating:  203 reviews
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 1.3 x 1 x 0.2
What does the i stand for in the new SR80i from Grado? Improved, that's what! Built on the same features as theSR60i, but SR80i utilizes a 4 conductor connecting cable and the diaphragms are put through a special 'de-stressing' process in order to enhance inner detail, the result of which gives a more open stage. The new SR80i has an upgraded driver design, and they have enlarged and improved the mass distribution in the plastic housing. The way the SR80i's new driver and plastic housing move ai
MPN: SR 80
Model: 80
UPC: 182092000028
EAN: 0411378032133
ASIN: B000G3LCQC
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Adjustable, soft vinyl headband | | • | Superb sound quality | | • | Large ear cushions for comfortable listening | | • | Mini stereo plug with 1/4-inch adapter |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Built on the same features as the SR60, but utilizes a 4 conductor connecting cable and larger ear cushions, the result of which gives a more open stage. The SR80 provides an improved bass resonance, which enhances the overall detail. John Grado says he strove for the best sounding phones for the money, and with the glowing reviews the SR80's have received, who can argue.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 203
 Too bright and good extension of bass but not balanced!! July 29, 2010
AMojica (Texas, USA)
I heard my friends SR80i and it had hundreds of hours of "burn in" time and they did not sound balanced to me at all!! They are way too bright, meaning the highs are so sharp and clear, that after a short while you may experience ear fatigue! My ears would ache from the shrilling highs! And after I took them off, other headphones sounded very muffled; i don't know if this was due to temporary "numbing" of my hearing or de-sensitization to sharp highs but i did not like the after effect! My sensitive hearing was regained by the way...
Also, there is not enough bass to balance the highs. However, there is good extension of the low frequencies so you can hear them but not enough volume to them so the trebles and highs are very overpowering! I later looked at the frequency response graphs on [...] and saw that the SR60's have a better more balanced frequency response. After reading many reviews for the SR60, i found that many do prefer the more balanced sound of the SR60 but they may still be on the bright side, just not as bad as the SR80's perhaps. Also, I found that the better Grado's are the higher end, pricier ones. So you may be better off investing in other brands like Sennheiser, AKG, or Beyerdynamic if you are looking for affordable more balanced headphones.
In the end, this was a gift I purchased for my brother but he told me he wanted the Sennheiser HD 202's instead. Thank goodness he did not open them as this allowed me to return the SR 80's and get my money back. He loved the HD 202's by the way!! I will review these in the near future!
 Solid in every dimension July 22, 2010
Joseph Ferrare
These sound great, look good and are easy to carry around. What more can you ask for? After years with ear-covering or ear-plugging headphones I was a bit worried about the open sound, but it really is excellent. I especially like that I can still hear the phone ringing (etc.) if need be. It would seem to be a bother, but instead it actually allows me to use the headphones when I might get a call or something. I worked my way through every set of headphones at the Apple store before and after getting these, and the Grados have nothing to apologize for. Granted, it wasn't a controlled side-by-side listening test, and the Apple store listening was done via an iPod while at home I listened through my DAC, but I still feel that I won't be missing anything those multi-hundred dollar headphones offer. I go from bass-heavy rock such as Tool to classic rock such as Pink Floyd or Queen and then on to female folks singers and these are excellent every time. I know some people don't love the look, but I got into audio in the '70s, so these take me back a bit.
Best headphones I've ever used for under $100.00 July 21, 2010
Brian
I just didn't realize what I was missing until putting these on. The mids are amazingly vibrant. The lows don't rumble like real speakers, but YOU CAN HEAR THEM with these headphones - nothing is lost. The highs are crisp and clear without distortion or hissing. The detail and nuances are a real eye opener compared to the pathetic quality of earbuds. One thing though: do yourself a favor and listen to only "lossless" encoded music. When you encode with a lossy format, the music suffers terribly, and these headphone will bring that out. If you can't tell the difference, or don't care, why are you bothering with high quality headphones in the first place? If Grado can do this for under $100.00 bucks, I can't wait to sample thier higher-end stuff!
Oh, Boy!!! July 19, 2010
David (Los Angeles, CA USA)
I actually had a hard time choosing the Grado SR-80s. Unlike most people here, 100 dollars on a product of any kind is a lot of dough for me (college student, so don't blame me). Plus, I already had some Sony MDR-V6 headphones, which were really good, so I didn't think it was necessary. So I decided to go to DXC Store, in Los Angeles, to try them out. And oh, boy!
The two headphones are both good, yet they are designed for two different purposes. The Sonys are designed primarily for studio use, which means that the headphones (in theory) reproduce a flat response. This isn't necessarily true with the Sonys (they do have a considerably powerful bass response). Moreover, their closed design allows for a much more professional use in the studio. As closed headphones, thus, they do isolate sound pretty well.
On the contrary, the Grados are not meant for studio use. They are meant for "enjoyable" use. What I mean here is that the Grados, unlike the Sonys, are less concerned on reproducing sound as "accurately" as possible. Accurate sound inherently translates to dullness, in my opinion. Which is why the Grado's frequency is focused on producing a gut-wrenching midrange. What the midrange amounts to is simple: a headphone perfect for rock music. While the Sonys were able to "accurately" reproduce the saxophone section in Pink Floyd's "Money," only the Grados were able to bring the saxophone to life. And the same goes for the solo (the Grados enter "solo mode").
What I'm trying to argue here, then, is that the Grados are headphones you buy to enjoy your music; the Sonys are headphones you buy to listen to an arrangement of notes. This is not to say that one is better than the other. Of course not. This is, however, going back to my first point that both headphones are build for different purposes. As someone who likes music (though not so much into making it, going to the studio, recording, etc.) then it makes sense to get the Grados. They're just too good to let them pass.
Let me state some of the characteristics of the headphone, however. First off, these headphones are open design, meaning that there is no isolation whatsoever (which may lead to a different listening experience depending where you are) and there is a great deal of sound leakage. The two are important for me: i don't like listening to other things beside the music and since the only time things get quiet enough to hear them well enough, it's at night, and I have other people who are sleeping... The open design, on the other hand, lends well to a great soundstage, which is really hard to get in closed headphones (the Sonys by the way have a wonderful soundstage).
In terms of build quality... the headband is cheaply made. The casing is plastic. The cables, however, are pretty thick, so it may amount to a pretty long lasting headphone. The Sonys are, by far, much better constructed (so well that they are known to last almost 20 years). The pads are foam and are flat and will receive and show wear in time.
Sound? Oh man! Like I said, the midrange is strong and lively. This goes well with a lot of music, though I don't imagine this going that well with rap/hip-hop or whatever music known for heavy bass. This doesnt mean that the bass is weak-- it isn't-- it just means that the Grados are much more natural when reproducing bass. This may not be enough for the heavy-bass-conditioned listener, who now believes in the idea of "good bass" as a loud, distorted low-end. The Grados do not exceed the limits of natural bass, which means that the low end is true, "accurate" and prominent. You just don't hear BOOM BOOM BOOM, you actually hear notes there. And that is enough for Rock to be honest. Rock never used to rely on heavy bass, and it shouldn't. As for the treble, there is considerable sparkle, but not so much that will lead to ear fatigue, which is frequently the result of overbearing high frequencies. Coupled with the soundstage, cymbals, hi-hats are much present here, and they add an extra layer of sound not present in many headphones.
Overall, the headphones, in terms of sound quality are great. The i models are especially comfortable, unlike the old, bowl-shaped regular SR80s.
The impedance is also low, allowing use with your ipod, Zune, or any other mp3 player out there without the need of an amplifier. I have the FiiO E5, which complements the headphones well, but they really are not necessary to enjoy the sound.
Since I have a week with them only, they are still in the process of burning in. So I'll update this review accordingly after I feel that the headphones have completely burned-in.
We were made for each other July 18, 2010
merrybuz68
Wow, it's great be back home headphone wise. This is not my first pair of Grados. I had ordered a pair about 6 years ago mainly after reading many reviews and reviews of other headphones. I had owned Audio Tcchnica and Sennheiser and Sony. I would say that all three were a bit more comfy but I did not like the one piece design of the Sennheiser when I looked at it. Some people may say the Grados anre not put together well, but I disagree with that. The only reason my Grados of 6 years had to be replaced is because my husband who is not used to wearning headphones jerked the cord so hard it became detached. And as for the sound, to me they are the best sounding headphones I have heard. They are best listened to in a quiet environment due to the open aire design, you can hear people talking and the TV and they wouldn't work on a plane. But I go off in music wonderland where I can hear new sounds never before heard. As for the comfort issue, Grado has considerably improved that by changing the pads. So they are comfortable enough. I can listen as long as desired and especially now that they are broken in the pads are softening somewhat. But the main thing is the sound,great bass but not boomy, the mids and highs are very clear and not shrill. Perfect sound for any type of music. This is my first review and I to tend to ramble but all I can say in closing is many people are not familiar with Grado, but when you listen to them you'll get hooked and spend a lot of time in music wonderland. Only one thing I wish Grado would do is make a longer cord. Just a couple more feet would be awesome.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 203
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