GRADO - SR80x - Prestige Series - Open Wired Stereo Headphones

TL;DR, if you've heard anything about these, you're going to go in with some trepidation. Give them a chance and they'll 100% win you over. A little disclaimer before I begin; I'm a relative newcomer to the world of audiophile gear. I'm perfectly happy with my Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, my Sony WH-CH700Ns, and the AKG earphones that come packaged with Samsung phones these days, but there's no time like the present to start actually caring about the music I listen to. BUILD: The good - As the second cheapest set of cans in Grado's arsenal, you're not exactly going to get something that will stand up to cannon-fire. That being said, there's very little on them that can break. No notched adjustment to wear out over time, a thick cable that'll put up with some punishment, and the earpads (although foam) can be replaced quite cheaply if you don't mind buying third-party. I wouldn't throw them haphazardly into my backpack, but I'm not too worried about them biting the dust through normal usage. The bad - The cable. I praise its ruggedness, but at the same time, it has its drawbacks. The thickness (coupled with the fact that the cups can rotate 360°) means that you're inevitably going to find yourself needing to untwist it with some regularity. The nylon braid around the cable is also a bit of a drawback; if it rubs against your clothes or - god forbid - against itself if it gets twisted, you're going to hear it. COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE: The good - These things are light! Properly adjusted, you'll be able to wear them for hours. I was worried about the foam getting a bit abrasive after a while, but I was pleasantly surprised on that front. The padded headband is a lovely touch, and the cable is just the right length for me; easy enough to thread through my hoodie to plug into my phone without too much length left over to flop around, but long enough to plug into my PC and recline for a listening session. If you wear glasses like I do, don't worry about it; they fit over those just fine without pressing them into the sides of your head. The bad - You're going to feel a bit icky about how you adjust these to fit your head. For the best fit, you're going to need to straighten the headband out almost fully, then bend the sides down so they fit /over/ your head rather than around. If you don't do it that way, the cups press almost painfully into your ears after a while. If you do, they're wonderfully comfortable. That might not sound like too much of an issue, but if you're a budget-minded buyer spending just under £100 on a set of cans, you're going to feel like you need to treat them with kid-gloves. Don't worry about it, I'm serious, they can handle it. Though there is a drawback; you can't look down without feeling like they're going to fall straight off. SOUND: The good - With the vast majority of my music library, these things sound absolutely spectacular. I'm hearing things I have never heard before in tracks I've listened to a thousand times. With big band jazz, acoustic, classical, a-capella, and even dubstep, EDM, and drum and bass, these things will blow you away. Get yourself in a quiet room, sit yourself down, and listen to your favourite song; I can guarantee you'll be pleasantly surprised by something. I went into this having heard a lot about 'the Grado sound', and thinking I'd be left wanting more low-end as I'm a sucker for some silly bass, but... these handle it. Sure, they're not exactly going to rattle the fillings out of your teeth, but the low end on these is -wonderful-. And the high ends? Well, they're what the Grado sound is known for. Cymbals in metal, the timbre of violins and flutes, the fingering sounds of guitars, the reverb of live recordings... They're detailed. The bad - Mouth noises, I guess? You can hear what the vocalist had for lunch in any acoustic/a-capela track you listen to. Any other bad things I have to say about the sound of these is purely down to them being open-backs. They bleed, you can hear everything around you, but you're buying open-backs; what do you expect? You're trading isolation for soundscape. CONCLUSION: Buy these. If you don't like them, the likelihood is that someone you know will love them. Also, listen to Ain't That a Kick in the Head by Dean Martin; that's the song that made me realise how good these were.

I'm really happy with the sound from these - appears pretty neutral across the frequencies and gets across the bass and treble really nicely. The ear pads are decent and comfortable, but I found the tension from the headband to be a bit much which made the phones tight and made my ears very hot after a relatively short while. The major downside is the cable, which is excessively thick and stiff, and also a bit short for my needs - it's about 2-2.5m and could have done with being at least a metre longer and a lot lighter and more flexible Added later: after living with them for a couple of months, the cable and the hard plastic Y-piece are really really irritating - there's no need for the cable to be this thick or this inflexible After 2 years of use: the connection to the left earphone has become intermittant - not at all impressed by this, and I'm pretty convinced this is a result of the ridiculously over-stiff cable as the fault seems to be where the cable flexes entering the earpiece

These headphones are very bright sounding and lack sub-bass, so they are not suited for genres like edm, phonk, etc. However, they are absolutely amazing for rock, metal, classical and acoustic versions of songs. They still have very good bass for things like bass guitar, kickdrums, etc. The construction isn't the best it is incredibly simple but still feels quite robust, once they are broken in they are quite comfortable and I can wear them for hours. I also think they look unique and have a retro, industrial vibe to them. For the price to performance and the fact that their only 36 ohms meaning any device an drive them, mainly your mobile phone, is fantastic. Overall an excellent choice if you want an alternative option and your music preference aligns with the headphones forte.

Exceptional headphones at a brilliant price-point. I used to have a pair of 325si's, but I threw them at the floor because my wife is annoying, and because she took all my money, I got these instead. I have to say that these sound just as good, if not better because they are slightly warmer. I use a Mojo version 1. You can hear the timbre of the instrument and all sorts of sounds you won't here anywhere else, such as breathing and even movements in the studio. Absolutely brilliant. Actual emotion is conveyed perfectly. I'd recommend them. I don't think there is much point going higher up the Grado range unless you try them in person at a Graado stockist to see if you can actually hear the difference.

The sound quality is excellent. Some have said it’s overly bright on the treble but I have no issue with this. The separation and sound stage is great and with some amazing detail. Others have been critical of the noise that escapes when in a public area, such as the underground or on a train. Why would you buy open back headphones to use here? It’s a strange choice to annoy your fellow commuters although I don’t thinks it’s bad at lower volumes anyway. My only criticism is the build quality could be better. They do look a little cheap and I am worried how well they will last. The cords construction looks like it will be lasting. It’s an oddly constructed cable with a woven nylon sheath over it that gives is a sturdy presence that can get in the way and needs to be twisted and coiled to hey it lay right. Getting the cans on your head with the lead laying correctly is a bit a of an art. In all, as my first pair of open back headphones, I just love the sound without being totally shutoff from the world. At lower volumes I can still hear stuff when working in my home office and enjoy the music from my phone, my PC via a Cambridge Audio Damagic XS or my Fiio M7 hi-res player.

OK. So I used a Marantz PM 66 SE KI Signature amp and Rotel R CD950 for this test. I have always used Sennheiser headphones and always been very pleased with the sound until my last pair HD559. Look great but sound rubbish. Time for a change. I have never tried Grado before but I have read all the reviews on the SR80X about the true Grado sound. They look like something out of WW2 (which I like) but sound nothing like WW2. I found them light and very comfy. The highs are crisp and clear but won't give you a headache. The mids open and clear and very accurate. The bass is very accurate, punchy and solid though quite laid back... again as I like it. I don't like it over powering. One small fault is that the cable is too short (although it is that thick you could weld sheet metal with it) it needs to be at least a yard (1 meter) longer At less than £90 (sterling) about the same in US $ now I think these are highly recommended. You will not go far wrong with these. Please be mindful that these are open back so everyone can hear what you are playing but for home use they are great value. I hope you found this unbiased review helpful.

SR 80 X’s are fantastic budget headphones & can be improved a little with deeper, open centred pads. Base is punchy without being overbearing & simply selecting the “Base booster” EQ profile gives you more of a closed back sound, mid’s (where most of the instruments & vocals are) are super clean & crisp, so well presented & the somewhat boosted high end is super crisp. Wade of DankPods described the high end on SR 60 E’s as “sparkly” with the boosted high end & that sums up audio from SR 80 X’s too. These are my goto headphones because, in addition to the sound quality these headphones are fantastically comfortable to wear, even for long sessions & very adjustable to fit. The only caveat would be that these are fully open-backed, meaning you can hear everything around you & everyone around you can hear what you’re listening to. Some people don’t seem to understand the point of open-backs but that’s the reason the sound staging is so wide, bass isn’t overbearing & sound is so crisp but they’re not for listening to your guilty pleasure trashy pop music on the bus.

Cannot recommend. Build quality has been poor, I purchased for myself and got my father the SR60 and they both had the same problem with faulty cables, and were not durable. I had to resolder poor cabling, and had to replace the headphone band on both due to poor quality. It is a shame, as the sound is great, but build quality let them down considerably.

Vorneweg, dies sind offene Kopfhörer und die fehlende Isolation von Außengeräuschen, sowie das entweichen von der gespielten Musik, ist 100% beabsichtigt in diesem Produkt. Anscheinend ist dieser Umstand einer ganzen Menge an Käufern nicht bewusst. Falls sie Kopfhörer suchen welche man auch in lauten Umgebungen ohne Probleme nutzen kann schließen sie diese Produktseite und suchen sie stattdessen nach geschlossenen Kopfhörern, oder sogar welchen mit Active Noise Cancelling. Diese Kopfhörer hier sind alle für leise Umgebungen gedacht wo das stören von Mitbewohnern, Kollegen, Busfreunden, Ehepartnern, Haustieren, oder ihrem Bewährungshelfer kein Problem darstellt. Ohne viele Worte zu vergeuden: Die Kopfhörer klingen sehr gut, sind komfortabel, schauen hübsch aus, und können praktisch gesehen an jedem passenden Klinkenstecker laut bespielt werden. Egal ob Handy, GameBoy, Nintendo Switch, oder ihrem 40 Jahre altem Walkman. Sind sie sehr gut balanciert mit ausdrucksvollen, tiefen Bässen und klaren, hohen Frequenzen. Sehr ähnlich zu den BeyerDynamic DT990 aber etwas sanfter. Alle Musikinstrumente sind sehr klar aufgeschlüsselt, Stimmen klingen perfekt, und das zuhören macht allgemein Spaß. EDM, Metal sämtlicher Gesinnungen, Chiptunes, Gothrock, Industrial wird alles bestens bewältigt, Videos aller Art werden ohne Probleme gemeistert. Videospiele sind ebenfalls sehr angenehm, und speziell mit einer Retrokonsole wie einem GameBoy sind sie extrem nostalgisch da sie sich auf den Ohren anfühlen wie die billigen Kopfhörer der 90er, allerdings komfortabler und weit besser klingend. Die Kopfhörer funktionieren tatsächlich an jedem Gerät wo man den (ziemlich dicken) 3,5mm Klinkenstecker einstecken kann und werden dort laut genug um auch Schwerhörigen zu laut zu werden. Alles von dem originalen grauen GameBoy hin zur modernen Switch hat keinerlei Probleme den Kopfhörer zu bedienen, und klingt dabei immer bombastisch. Es gibt allerdings ein paar kleinere Mängel: 1.) Der Stecker ist sehr dick, und wenn man es am Handy betreiben möchte und eine Hülle verwendet kann die Aussparung in der Hülle durchaus zu klein sein. Das ist ein Problem mit meinem Handy, was ich aber mit meinem externen Bluetooth DAC oder einem kurzen Adapterkabel beheben kann. 2.) Dazu kommt dass der Kopfhörer zwar in Handarbeit in Brooklyn gefertigt wurde, aber dennoch hier und da ein paar kleinere Überreste des Plastikguss noch herausragten. Ich hab sie einfach abgebrochen mit dem Finger und 2 Stellen am Kabel mit einem Flachschneider geebnet. Für den Preis bietet da BeyerDynamic eine bessere Qualitätskontrolle. 3.) Persönlich finde ich die großen Kopfhörer von BeyerDynamic alle generell etwas komfortabler da der Anpressdruck der Kopfhörer um die Ohren herum erfolgt, und nicht auf den Ohrmuscheln selbst. Nach ein paar Stunden können die Grado SR-80x dann doch langsam ungemütlich werden. Mit meinem DT880 oder selbst den DT990 aus den 80ern passiert das nochmal deutlich langsamer. Für mich persönlich sind diese Kopfhörer genau richtig. Ich wollte ein paar welches ich ohne Probleme an allen meinen Konsolen und Handy nutzen kann, welche ähnlich zu meinen DT990 klingen aber anders genug sind dass ich mich nicht schlecht fühlen muss 2 offene Kopfhörer zu besitzen, und bevorzugt etwas kleiner als meine BeyerDynamic Kopfhörer sind. Die Grado erfüllen all das mit Bravour und ich bin sehr froh diese nun in meiner Kollektion zu haben. Hoffentlich halten sie so lange mit wie meine anderen Kopfhörer. Sollten sie den Sound dieser Kopfhörer haben wollen aber dafür Over-Ear dann empfehle ich mal bei BeyerDynamic vorstellig zu werden und die DT990 (oder auch DT990 Pro) anzuschauen. Falls ein wenig mehr Isolation gewünscht ist wären die halb-offenen DT880 (und auch Pro) einen Blick wert, diese haben es noch etwas einfacher mit leichtem Hintergrundrauschen von Wind, Lüfter, oder Heizungen. Falls mehr Bass gewünscht wird es mit offenen Kopfhörern nicht viel werden, dann müssen es geschlossene sein, falls sie schon einen Trend erahnen können liegen sie richtig, die DT770 (sowie Pro) sind meine empfohlenen Bassmonster.

These headphones promised high fidelity sound, and they truly deliver. Everyone from my extended family on Christmas absolutely loved the quality of these headphones and the sound they delivered. Keep in mind, though, that to use these headphones for most modern devices, you will need to purchase an adapter that converts a larger jack to an auxiliary jack. These headphones are also designed for stationary usage that also allows you to still be aware of your environment. So unfortunately, if you need headphones you can easily take on the go or need some noise-cancelling potential, these won’t do. But if you’re just looking for a pair of headphones you can use for stationary listening, you honestly can’t do any better than these.

Son audífonos abiertos, el sonido no se aísla para nada, necesitas estar en un entorno tranquilo, no esperes demasiados bajos ni un cable desmontable. Sin embargo, si tienes el espacio adecuado, aprecias los detalles, un buen tuning y la naturalidad en las voces. Son unos audífonos magníficos.

Amazing headphones with a wide soundstage, lots of details. Maybe not the best for pop music since it lacks some speed but its very good for vocals. I got the feeling it’s slightly brighter than the SR80. The comfort could be better but the sound quality is amazing. Only the Audeze LCd-X? are a lot better. But those are €1000 more expensive. I didnt hear a difference in sound quality between the SR80 and de SR325.

Ele virou o meu headphone favorito assim que ouvi a primeira música. Tem todos os problemas que sempre apontam: o cabo é espesso demais e nem um pouco maleável, a qualidade de construção é baixa e as almofadas são péssimas, mas a qualidade do som é incomparável. Incrível para ouvir rock, música clássica, jazz... Já tenho ele há meses e ainda fico maravilhada sempre que uso.