Review Grado SR60i

Discussion in 'Audiophiles: Headphones, Earphones, etc.' started by tinyman392, Apr 20, 2012.

  1. tinyman392 Super Moderator

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    Grado | On-Ear Headphone | $ 80.00

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    For the past 60 years, Grado has been producing headphones that stand out to an extremely high quality standpoint. Mention the name Grado to any audio enthusiast, they will instantly picture a classic headset. Although the designs may not have evolved past the classic design, their audio has. For this reason, Grados are regarded as being legendary.

    Specifications
    • Driver: dynamic
    • Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
    • Sensitivity: 98 dB
    • Impedance: 32 ohms
    In the Box
    • Grado SR60i
    • ¼” adapter
    [IMG]
    Included with the Grados aren’t much, the adapter is a nice addition, but it could come with a few more things.

    Design

    Keeping with the typical design of the entire Grado line, Grado did decide to give it more of an edge. The sharp, quick-cutting lines that shape the SR60s isn’t unique to Grado, as their Prestige Series headphones, from the 60is to the 325s, all have this similar body design. The main difference, however, is material. Plastic is the material of choice for the SR60s, being the lower-end model, it does make sense. It is still aesthetically pleasing however, keeping the classic design, but giving a quick sharp cut really brings things out.

    The Grado name is placed throughout the headphones, on the housings themselves, but also located on the headphone jack, the Grado name is imprinted on the large jack. The cable, is a tad bit large however, especially for mobile use. I’m about five feet tall, and I must say, I’m not too tall, but this cable is just way too long… If I reach as high as I can with the headphones, the headphone jack will still be touching the ground with a big of cable contacting it as well. Measuring it out, the cable is 6 and a half feet long.

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    Like the rest of the Prestige Set, the design of the SR60s is hard cut and classic.

    Design: ★★★★½

    Audio

    Grado has 60 years of experience with headphones. The pure technical abilities of these headphones show it. With a well balanced signature at hear, the Grados offer a really slight V in the signature and are extremely lively and fun. Although there are some problematic parts, they are still a great headset overall. The bass is quick and punchy and able to reveal the delicate textures in the song. It doesn’t quite go deep enough though for impact and full texture. Mids do hold energy and good detailing. Above all though, clarity is quite good. Highs are fun, but can be a bit overdone.

    Bass
    These are not bass-monsters, and they should not be regarded as such, but the bass is above neutral. Quick and punchy is really the profile to be used with the bass. It has good accuracy, but doesn't dig as deep as it needs to entirely. There is small embodiment that creates a more open sound, but is just enough to not become a negative. While the punch follows through nicely, there is missing impact in the punch. Deeper textures are also missing from the bass. As stated before, subtle textures are still detectable.

    Bass: ★★★★
    Mids
    The midrange holds a good amount of energy and detailing which makes them my favorite part of these headphones. The vocal power is exposed well and never will be boring. Detailing is really nice, but definitely has some slight work ahead of it. Clarity is beautiful on these which really help bring the whole thing home. The sound stage is nice and grand, but smaller for headphones as they can compare to some IEM's sound stage. Overall, the warmed-up mids offer great quality and energy.

    Mids: ★★★★½
    Highs
    Coming on slightly aggressive with plenty of sparkle and smack, the highs do shine somewhat. The aggressiveness does lead to some sibilance and fatigue, but everything else is good. As stated, these bring great energy in their sparkle and offer ample separation. Details, unlike in the mids, are all there and present as is the clarity.

    Highs: ★★★★½
    Audio: ★★★★½

    Build

    By no means are these headphones cheaply built. However, material selection may not have been the best. Being plastic headphones, Grado could have included a case with these, although they were intended for home use, mobile users may be able to break these quite easily through everyday use.

    Plastic housings may seem problematic on paper. However, build is deeper than just what meets the eye. The plastic is strong and can hold up through much punishment. They can hold up to some torture, despite many moving parts, being plastic like the swivel joints. A metal joint, that allows the cups to rotate, called the gimbal, seems stronger than is needed, if it snaps, Grado will replace it at no charge.

    [IMG]
    The housings on the SR60s are made of plastic, and with close inspection, it can become a drawback.

    The headband is padded lightly with a vinyl exterior. Within this vinyl is one single, metal bar, which makes the headband extremely durable. I don’t see the metal headband snapping, nor do I see the leather tearing. This is definitely something Grado did great with.

    [IMG]
    The headband is built with quality in mind.

    Going out of the housings is the SR60’s six and a half foot cable. Like most cables made for non-portable use, it is nice and thick. It isn’t tangle prone, which proves to be a big positive. The headphone jack is thicker than many of my IEMs, and I’m not comparing headphone jacks. It may be straight, but it isn’t going to cause any problems.

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    Strong, taught, and thick… That’s all you really need to know about the cable.

    Build: ★★★★

    Comfort

    Foam pads feel like clouds for my ears to rest on. It’s really nice, although they can heat up pretty quickly. This may not be a problem during the winter months when this heating is helpful, but in the summer, sweat and discomfort may arise. Although the headband's bar may create discomfort for the first day or two, it goes away quickly as your head adjusts to the new headphones. Swiveling and rotating cups allows for the perfect fit though. The comfort is really a mixed bag of marbles, most of it being good.

    [IMG]
    The foam pads are extremely comfortable, but can heat up.

    Comfort: ★★★★½

    Value

    At around 80 dollars from various venders online, the Grado SR60s prove to be a really good value overall. The audio they provide is superb, price considered. The comfort issues may be the main reasons why some may turn them down. However, for mobile use, the gigantic cable is enough for me to avoid them; this is an iPod, iPhone, and mobile device blog after all.

    Value: ★★★★½

    Final Thoughts

    Legendary, historic, and well known, Grado comes out to provide a nice headphone at an affordable price with their lower-tiered SR60is. However, an extra-long cable turns me away from them from a mobile standpoint. Heating during the summer months may prove uncomfortable. However, you really can’t pass up the classic, cutting-edge design. On top of that, the sound that these Grados give is, well… legendary.

    I’d like to thank John for the review sample.

    Overall Score
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    † All prices are in US currency.
    This review was written by the iFans.com Review Team. Cumulative scores are rounded to the nearest half or full star.
    This accessory, product, or app was received as a sample. Thanks John for the product sample.
  2. C4NNIBAL Member

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    I like seeing reviews on here for headphones, but almost EVERY single review is pretty much exactly the same, with most of the headphones reviewed receiving the same scores on each category for judgement.

    I know that scores are also based on the price, but maybe there should be two differentiating scores, like one overall score for headphones based on the price, and an overall score based on the quality compared to other headphones.

    I'm not sure if that's the best way to word it, but that's just my two cents.
    GadgetOrgy and Kiks52 like this.
  3. ThePickler Member

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    I own the SR 80 Prestige Series Grado which is basically identical in terms of materials. Sadly they are definitely not durable and shouldn't be used by mobile users. After owning mine for two years I have damaged almost every part of the headphones. The input jack is tweaked, the ear piece has separated from the head band, and the ear cushions are worn out beyond use.

    That said, I plan to buy my third set of replacements. Don't expect these headphones to last more than two years if you carry them in a backpack like me.

    I highly recommend Grado, I just wish they were made of more durable materials.
  4. tinyman392 Super Moderator

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    Scores are not based on sound signatures, it's more of a quality thing rather than quantity. Scoring low is extremely hard to do, scoring high is as rare. The scores go

    2.5
    3
    3.5
    4
    4.5
    5

    The majority of the scores will have a median around 4.5 as its really hard to really fail (I like to say you have to try to fail).

    You can find out how they sound by reading the sound description. My scoring system is set up so both an analytical set and balanced set and etc can get a five if it possesses all the requirements.


    Sent from an iPod touch with TapaTalk... Autocorrect may alter the meaning of this message :p
  5. C4NNIBAL Member

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    Like I said, I'm not sure if what I said was the best way to get the idea in my head across.

    I DO read reviews, I don't just skim through the scores, and that's actually why I think there's an issue.
    A $20 pair of headphones just isn't going to have the same sound as a higher-end pair, obviously, so saying that both of them have "good" bass response and they both score 5 stars, how are we (by "we", I mean the people that only skim the reviews, which is a good amount of people) supposed to know what they rate compared to each other without buying them ourselves?

    I'm not picking on your review, this is just something I've noticed for a LONG time, and I just randomly decided to bring it up today.
    Milchkaffee likes this.
  6. Milchkaffee Member

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    I'm with C4NNIBAL in this regard. Good point!

    Nevertheless, nice read. Just the scores aren't comparable between headphones, like he said.
  7. tinyman392 Super Moderator

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    Scores are directly comparable. Value brings price into the matter. There have been IEMs that sound like 100 dollar headphones that have costed 40, likewise, there have been headphones that have costed 180 that sound like they should be 100. The score reflects that.

    Skimming through headphone reviews to just compare price will be a foolish choice for anyone who is looking to buy headphones.


    Sent from an iPod touch with TapaTalk... Autocorrect may alter the meaning of this message :p
  8. C4NNIBAL Member

    Member Since:
    Dec 18, 2008
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    I don't think I'm getting my message across very well with my word choice.
  9. Badd_Blood Well-Known Member

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    I know what you are saying. You want the rating to directly compare to the quality. Like a $15 pair of skullcandy's would get 1 star and a $700 professional headphones would be 5 stars?
  10. Khaos Well-Known Member

    Member Since:
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    I'm going to say this right now, as someone who is a huge grado fan. If you plan on picking up any pair of grado I HIGHLY recommend getting these pads:

    http://www.amazon.com/Grado-L-Cush-Large-Replacement-Cushions/dp/B0006GCCO0/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

    They change literally everything. Bass becomes tighter, midrange becomes cleaner (soundstage widens), and treble (which can now come through) sounds crystal clear. The added distance from the driver to your ear, and the open nature of the pad allows the grado to truly shine. All of the entry level grado headphones were designed and voiced with L-Cush pads, but are sold with comfys.

    Also my personal grado recommendation are the MS1i's. They are like grado but are tuned flatter and are a bit more laid back.

    http://www.alessandro-products.com/headphones.html

    Also I disagree about comfort. Grado are not comfortable, period. I think they are (in my opinion) the best brand of headphones out there if you like to just enjoy music and not focus on the critical aspects. You buy grado for sound quality, not for comfort. Browse any forum, anywhere, that talks about grado and comfort. In 90% of the cases, people will say the grado are not comfortable.

    Too elaborate more, grado are comfortable...for the first hour. After that hour your ears will tend to get irritated and you'll most likely start developing a headache if you continue to wear them.

    Nevertheless, everyone will always say that the sound quality is well worth the discomfort.

    To each his own.


    ----

    Also, to solve this whole rating issue, I believe that if all these products were put into a class range, this would be much easier.

    For instance, assume we have 12 headphones/iems. Assume that headphones 1-4 are $20, 5-8 are $60, and 9-12 are $100.

    Now assume headphones 2,6,11, and 12 all have very close sound quality. We'll call them class A.

    Class A: 2,6,11,12
    Class B: 3,5,7,9
    Class C: 1,4,8,10

    We can safely assume that all headphones in Class A will have better sound quality than those of Class B. Any exceptions can be easily pointed out (Ex: The midrange of these headphones would be comparable to those in Class A.) even if overall the headphones are listed as Class B.

    This way we can have ratings in their respective classes. This allows us to easily establish if the headphones are low, medium, or high, and than compare to others within this range. If a headphone in Class A has 3 1/2 stars, we can still assume its better than those of Class B, but its worse in comparison to those in Class A. This will eliminate the abundance of 4/5stars while still maintaining an accurate review.

    Assuming a product at $100 that has 5stars for bass is better than a $20 headphone that has 5stars for bass can, in many cases, be a wrongful assumption. The problem is, at the current state of the reviews, there is no easy way to determine whether it is or isn't.

    Just my two cents.

    ----
    Nice review tinyman. As always I enjoy reading them. Grado is by far my favorite pair of headphones (they are the king of rock) and I'm glad to finally see an iFans review. The Grado sound is unique. I urge any audio enthusiast to hear a pair. You won't get this kind of sound from any other brand.

    ThanksxP

    Also, your icon link leads to the SR80i. :D

    - Kh[a]os