WOW! I just found the BEST headphones for the money!

funny_polymath

Fractal Fanatic
Friend of mine turned me on to these this weekend. WOW - flat, accurate, excellent imaging. I don't mix on cans in general, but I do use them for reference from time to time - but if I DID mix with them, these would be it! They are NOT isolated, so, not great for tracking during a loud session (or using on the subway), but for playing on your own, mixing, these are INCREDIBLE for a hundred bucks!

They're also made in the USA (in my home town, Brooklyn NY).

Also: believe it or not, their most expensive pair is.... $1600.00!!! And people say they're worth it too! I'll just have to take that on faith.

But these are $99.00, and I dare anyone to find a better set of reference cans for the $.

Grado SR-80 headphones
 
Good to know. I'd like to try the SR-80's.

I've got a pair of SR-60's and absolutely love them for the Axe. I make a couple of adjustments on the global EQ (I drop 2k and 8k a bit) and they sound perfect.

I've tried several different headphone models of various brands but it's really hard to beat Grado for guitar-oriented music.

My only complaint is that they could be a little more comfortable on the ears, but I still wear 'em for hours on end with no problems.
 
Been using the SR-80s for a year now. Mixing on them too! I must say they are the nicest headphones I've ever put on, including Sennheiser 595s, but I haven't heard the top end stuff like the Sennheiser HD 650 or the AKG 701 and stuff. They are absolutely awesome to use with the Axe FX, though they can cause ear fatigue quite fast.

One word of warning though, I once played bass loud and long through these and now they rattle a bit when playing anything with significant amounts of low end. Don't recommend them if you're a bass player that likes to play loud :)
 
I´ve used SR-60s for almost 10 years, they are great value for money and really sturdy too. I recently upgraded to PS-500s after a LOT of research and testing, and chose them over a lot of other high end Sennheisers, Beyerdynamics etc. The PS-500s are fantastic, but I still use the SR-60s now and then - love the sound of my old cans too :)
 
Amazon has a lot of complaints about build quality & different things breaking over time, as well as the above mentioned rattle issue. For those who have these, what have you experienced?
 
I have found that Grados are not quite but flat. Don't get me wrong though. I have their high end GS1000i set and I absolutely love them but Grado cans have that Grado sound. You either love them or hate them. Most people I talk to love em. :encouragement:

edit: Changed "anything" to "not quite". Wasn't trying to flame. Huge Grado fan here.
 
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I have found that Grados are anything but flat. Don't get me wrong though. I have their high end GS1000i set and I absolutely love them but Grado cans have that Grado sound. You either love them or hate them. Most people I talk to love em. :encouragement:

Have you tried the cheapies? I find 'em very neutral. I have no experience with any other models. Like my Genelecs, I hear details in the Grados I don't hear in anything else (well, anything cheap - I've never had a pair of super expensive cans like my Gennies).
 
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Amazon has a lot of complaints about build quality & different things breaking over time, as well as the above mentioned rattle issue. For those who have these, what have you experienced?

Rattle can happen if you absolutely blast any pair of cans. I am pretty protective of my ears, and have no rattle issues whatsoever. The 'swivel' design of the cans can be annoying, but that's the only issue I've seen. Build quality seems quite good.
 
Grado also provides great customer service, in my experience. I have been using the SR225 for years and sent the cans back to the factory for out of warranty cable replacement. Turn around was fast, and their flat fee for repair is very reasonable.
 
Similar experience here. I own both the 60 and the 225 for years, love them, and get great service from Grado.

Grado also provides great customer service, in my experience. I have been using the SR225 for years and sent the cans back to the factory for out of warranty cable replacement. Turn around was fast, and their flat fee for repair is very reasonable.
 
Have you tried the cheapies? I find 'em very neutral. I have no experience with any other models. Like my Genelecs, I hear details in the Grados I don't hear in anything else (well, anything cheap - I've never had a pair of super expensive cans like my Gennies).

I had the SR60 for years. I lost them :( Best bang for the buck are the SR60 and SR80 no doubt. I am not at all knocking them. I have always been a Grado fan. I do though think Grados are well known for their mids and vibrant highs. That is what I consider the "Grado" sound. It is why I love them. While I find my Senns to be a little more "flat" it's all relative and once you are used to whatever you are using you will know how to translate them to patches.

I met John on a plane. He obviously noticed I was wearing a pair. Nice man!
 
All I know compared to what I was using, the Grado's destroyed them and made tweaking in the middle of the night (when I don't pass out from not having my middle aged nap after dinner) a lot more accurate/tolerable and much quicker for re-tweaking through my reference monitors.
 
I've had SR80's as well for 10 years or so.. great hp's and Grado does indeed have good customer service in my experience. I love open back hp's in general. Beyer DT880's are my best pair and they get the nudge from me as well. But I do still love my Grados and suggest them to others all the time.
 
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