Amazon.com: Customer reviews: GRADO SR80e Prestige Series Headphones

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2020

If you're interested in quality sound and you can afford $500 headphones, you should at least give these a try first. They're that good.

But note: Headphones are probably the hardest of all consumer electronics to rate, because they come in so many varieties:

Wired/Bluetooth
Open back/closed back
On ear/over ear/in ear
Bass enhanced/reference (flat)
High impedance/low impedance

If you’re in the market for one type of headphones, the other won’t work for you—no matter how great they sound.

Add to this the fact that no two people hear in the same way. We know that color blindness exists, and many people need glasses in a variety of prescriptions. So why should we assume that all people hear a flat response from 20hz to 20khz? They don’t.

The styling of these 'phones is retro—I mean pre-WWII retro! They are on-ear cans, and the pads can be a little itchy initially. Nevertheless, the headband is made of metal and is adjustable; I found these to be comfortable for long wearing, and the music you play through these won't cause ear fatigue.

Go to Rtings.com and compare these to almost any other headphone. These are true audiophile headphones for an amazing price.

By the way, I've been around the block a few times, so my hearing isn't what it used to be, with some hearing loss above 8k. These cans have a bump of about +5db at 10khz and a roll off of that amount below 30hz. That works for me, but this might make the music too bright for your ears and not yield enough bass for your musical tastes.

These cans do a fantastic job of reproducing anything that’s recorded well, and they excel at reproducing voice and acoustics.

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S. Rider

Stunning for budget high-end cans!!

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2018

Verified Purchase

I love these Grado's. The sound stage, the build quality are simply unmatched at this price point. Yeah, there are better sounding cans out there, you'll have to pay more to get them (i.e. higher end Grados).

What really makes these shine are the open-back headphones. The pros for this type of headphone is a larger sound stage, more life-like detailed sound. These can's imaging make almost all music sound so natural, so detailed, that you'll feel like you are in the studio with the band. Its so hard to put into words how these make you feel you are in a studio. Vocals are up front, guitars, bass etc are set back just a little "behind" the vocals, and the drums, depending on the production, can sound HUGE!!!

Then the sound itself. You can hear the intricacies of sound. Classical music sounds detailed, soft and very realistic, as you can also hear the individual instruments clearly. Nothing gets muddled out... Jazz, classic rock, sound great, very detailed, vocals just pop, guitars are sharp, and the whole sound is just, again, realistic. Cymbals and snare drums are also very detailed, you can hear the whole drum set!! Even movies and TV sound great too.

But the bonus is watching movies on my smartphone, these headphones can almost sound like a theater. The bass is crisp and sharp, the voices come out clearly, and the sound effects like explosions sound lifelike as well. Voices are soft, clear and the whole soundtrack sounds like I am in my home theater -- albeit the surround is not as good as the theater, but they have such good imaging that it almost gives them a surround feel to them.

Cons re: open-aired headphones -- they are too private. Someone sitting next to you will hear what you are listening too. And you can hear the outside as well, so these headphones are the exact OPPOSITE of sound deadening headphones. However, I don't use these in public, so they work for me.

These are not the best looking, and I can live with that. It makes them less likely to be stolen. The sound and comfort blows the competition out of the water, by a long shot. Now, I just hope they get that wireless version released soon!

Note, if you are a bass lover, whom is not too interested in the whole sound from the source, you may not like these. The bass is loud and sharp, not booming. Rap music still sounds great, but the Grado's do not emphasize bass over the other tones. Its a rather flat sound, so all the frequencies will have about even loudness. That is why I particularly like these cans!!!

If you have bass heavy headphones, like Beats, you loose the details of other tones. Some others like Sony, JBL, etc are like that, they market to the urban hip-hop/rap crowd, so I feel those headphones are not even close to as good as these Grados. I feel that many headphones emphasize too much on bass, which is a shame as music is more than just bass... Even for rap... You have mid-tones (voices) and high tones (high hats, cymbols, higher octaves of voices, etc), and when a manufacture focuses on just bass, they loose out on the whole music experience.

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Unihiron

I don’t always write reviews, but when I do:

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

I don’t always write reviews, but when I do:

Here is my “out the box” review of the Grado SR80e. I’ll get to the basics. My grammar sucks. You will see weird sentences. I’m providing my thoughts to the whole wild world free of charge for your mental anguish. They are not broken in yet. (So?) I’m not going to write a scientifically accurate dissertation of the fundamentals of a broken in ear cup thingy.

Right now at the time of this typing, I’m listening to a recording of Snarky Puppy’s Sylva. Metropole Orkest + Snarky Puppy..incredible. Google it. (in fact just stop reading and Goole now and come back)…………….

Hi. Welcome back! I’m listening to this recording through a first gen Fiio X1 in FLAC format. The FLAC was created with EAC (Exact Audio Copy) using default settings. And stuff.

I am a musician. I play that keyboard piano synthesizer electric thing that you lug around in a suit case and set up on a table and sit at a chair like dinner. Thank goodness its only 61 keys and noise comes from a magic box that’s really loud and makes small children faint and lead guitarists sweat. None of that 88 key full scale garbage. Save that for Classical consumption. All silliness aside, I’m not claiming at all to be a functional audio expert, but I’m not some sort of brick of a tool that will listen to any garbage headphones and call myself satisfied. In addition that that, I’m not some sort of brick of a tool that will listen to popular top whatever of the most recent media induced pool of garbage and call it a technically, sonically, and superior accurate pinnacle of music. (I made your head hurt that’s awesome.)

Wow. You are still reading this my ramblings of slightly offensive jibberish. Congrats! First off, as far as how these things SOUND, I’ll state the facts.

The internet audio expert division was right. They sound like that they say they say. They are indeed “forward” and “in your face” and “up front” and “active”. Some say bright. I agree. BUT That doesn’t mean they don’t lack bottom..(this means bass, low end clarity, full spectrum). In fact the bass is so well controlled you can’t help but focus on the “harsh” mids and small sparkles of slight annoyance. So I’m going to leave the “bass” side of things alone for now.

I listened to the first track of Sylva with no EQ, thinking about what the internet had told me and prepared me for. In fact all I could think about was how true self said audiophiles don’t even consider talking about equalization when they review their Mercedes super hand build oak infused ear things. Well fip diggity, I used my EQ. (gasp!!!). Why? Because these things are so good at sonic separation that its worth rolling off the top end to make it fit my own personal preferences. The Fiio X1 has an excellent EQ. It nudges the sound it doesn’t color or scoop or do any weird stuff that some lower end software phone pc, etc, EQ’s do. Attached is a picture of what I did to flatten out the upper midrange hype that is the Grado sound.

If I didn’t have an EQ, I would be in a little trouble. Yes they are fatiguing without it. But ya know what? I spent my $100 and I’m not upset at all. I had the tools I needed to make the most of what I got. Final thoughts:

PROs:
Built well. Solid. Sound. They are not “dry” like monitor style headphones. They are not “boomy” like other brands that turn midbass and bass into an earthquake slag fest. Simply put, they don’t sound like total noise trash that so many companies get away with because some of the non informed public just has money to throw at things. I don’t know about sports but that’s ok. You probably do and you can tell me all about it if I ever want to know.

CONs:
THE INTERNET WAS RIGHT! But so what?..It didn’t stop me from buying them or writing this review. They talk about the sparkle the brightness the hype the in your face sound… ha I LIKE IT! I wear glasses so it’s like getting a new pair for my eye balls to adapt my brain to.

The stock foam leaves something desired. I’m sure in time it will be as fluffy as a walmart throw rug but right now they did get a little mildly annoying. I couldn’t wait for it to grow with me and break in and stuff. Its like getting pants too small hoping your belly will shrink while you are wearing them. Right then. Instantly. I did what everyone else says do and I got those yellow Senneiser foam things. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002B4OEZ0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

FINAL THOUGHTs:
Wow i’m really surprised you made this far at all...yall are either bored or mildly amused.

I highly recommend using a good EQ to help roll off the high sparkly mids and shrill treble that may affect others. I don’t mind it. In fact I like it. I hear a lot of crazy good clarity I missed in all my recordings. I’m hearing harmonics and hidden noises I have never (ever) heard before. However, my baseline is just Koss Portapros and Sennheiser Px100 and Px100-II. These are my first expensive headphones that kinda hurt to buy. I don’t care. You only live once. I’m a happy customer and I’m officially a Grado fan!

Buy American, blah something about economy. Make sound great again? Happy Eyeball adventures hearing me type with your eyes.

49 people found this helpful

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Heber Soto

Fantastic and crazy controversial headphones. EDM/HIP HOP/DNB FANS: LOOK ELSWHERE.

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2021

Verified Purchase

I searched for these SR80es after seeing them get recommended by one of my favorite YouTubers (which is probably why the demand for these is so high right now), and I must say that it is simply one of the most crisp and detailed headphones I have had to date. Playing content like movies and games through these is wonderful. Rock and jazz playing out of these is also a surreal experience. These headphones were definitely made with these genres in mind. I love the retro styling and the handmade feel (more on that below) these had.

I've seen a few people complain about comfort. It's actually quite comfortable even with the bare foam that these have. However, you have to bend the headband outwards for it to fit on your head. If you feel that they're just sitting on your head instead of clamping down hard, you'll know you have them adjusted correctly.

Everyone in my household was dazzled with the sound quality, but they were quite surprised by the fact that all the audio bleeds out of these. Yes! If you're self-conscious about your music choice, these are not for you. They bleed audio by design. Being open-back headphones, the soundstage on these is much wider than you'd get on more common closed-back headphones, which means much more open sound and a better listening experience. Unfortunately, this also means these headphones are NOT meant to be taken out in public. For most people who have not had very much experience with high-end headphones, these are great.

With all the good stuff out of the way, this is where all my issues with these headphones come in...

These are handmade, and I love that they're made in New York, not outsourced to be built in some factory in China with little to no worker's rights. However, this is handmade AND made with cheaper materials. This is not a good combo, in my opinion. These headphones do not feel durable, and running your fingers over the parts where the cups get attached to the headband will reveal just how light (which is a good thing for comfort) and rough the plastic can be. The cord is thick but gets easily bent and damaged with minimal use. Considering that the wire cannot be removed without disassembly, this is not good. These are compromises to get the sound as good as it is at this price point, but they are compromises nonetheless and should be noted.

And now, the sound. I said that these Grados are great, and I still stand by that. However, after researching and finding an immense amount of contradictory opinions about them, I'd like to take a shot at explaining why there are such polarizing reviews over these.

For jazz and rock or any other genre that emphasizes acoustic sound, these are fantastic. For music that I listen to, which is mostly electronic, the sound is almost grating. These are seriously the most genre-specific headphones I've ever owned.

These headphones loooove treble. The high end is emphasized with these. That means that above all the detail that these are capable of giving, it's all outlined in sparkly highs. Imagine if someone were to turn up the sharpness on an already detailed monitor or TV. That's what the sound is like through these.

The bass is there, and you can hear it and hear it accurately, but it is left in the background compared to the rest of the range. Some people like that. Me? Personally, I find them disappointing. The bass, which I have come to like, is punchy. That's about all it is, though. The sound through these is almost piercing in music where the highs are already made louder like some drum and bass tracks. If you're sensitive to treble and noises on the high end of the spectrum, these will hurt your ear holes.

I'm going to return my pair and replace them with Sony MDR-7506s, as they're within my price range. If you like the same kind of music I do, you'll probably want to find some other headphones as well.

One person found this helpful

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Shadow

These ACTUALLY change the way you hear music

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2021

Verified Purchase

Please keep in mind that the headphones I used to use were mainstream bass heavy headphones. I have no experience with iems or open backs so this is new to me.

When I first heard about these headphones, I was intrigued to say the least. Plenty of people said that they heard a few things about them and even said that they were bad. When people hear "sparkly" they tend not to think of a pleasing sound. They might assume such a headphone will sound tinny or even hollow. They could also think that the bass isn't there. My expectations were mixed at best because I have seen plenty of other reviews praising the clarity and the openness of these headphones, some people regularly using them to watch movies and tv shows. What do these headphones bring?

Well, the first and rather striking thing about these headphones is the build quality. They don't exactly feel like they will fall apart, but I think one bad fall will break something. I really wish there was more metal on the build, especially when it comes to the yoke. I have seen plenty of pictures with snapped yokes and I wish there would be a revision of the headphones that at least addresses that. Another small issue I have is with the headband padding, or rather.. Lack thereof. It is quite literally a stiff wire with two thin leather straps slipped onto it, this is another thing I wish they could address in a revision. But since these headphones have been around for so long, plenty of people from the community have come up with fabricated replacement parts and improved pieces that would make these headphones nicer like metal yokes and padded headbands. Lastly is the cable.. Its beefy, a little too long and has a few creases in the sleeving. If you wanted something that looked as handmade as it gets, purchase these.

However, once I put on the headphones, the next thing that struck me was how open they were. Since the backs aren't closed, sound can leak out and allow you to hear your surroundings while letting others hear some of what you're listening too. Now being able to hear cars and trucks is not the primary purpose, this design allows the headphones to provide a better sense of "sound stage". A better way to put it is how 3D the noise is, almost like having surround sound for yourself.

Now for the sound itself.

It's wonderful.

Even bass heavy tracks have a proper thump, but when you listen to tracks that have more instruments and vocals, these make them sound better. I have a mix of Kpop, 80's rock, Numetal, Electronic, and movie soundtracks that I like to use for testing and man... All of them made these headphones sing loudly and proudly. It was almost like I was listening to these songs for the first time because with my old headphones, the muddy bass tends to veil other details. With these, I can hear everything and nothing can hide from these headphones. Now you should know that listening to mp3's that you downloaded off limewire and burned onto your cdr aren't going to sound too good on any set of headphones. Not that you should be listening to lossless 1411kbps flacs, but if you use..... Spotify.... Just make sure you're at the highest preset possible, or make sure the tracks you have save on your computer are directly ripped from your cd collection.

Even at $100, I believe that these things are underpriced. I heard a story where Grado presented their SR60's (the beginner version of their prestige series) to people at a trade show, and basically all of them said that the 60's sounded great for $200 headphones. But the owners of Grado explained that the retail cost of them was actually $80. Now I can see what they were talking about, because these headphones easily sound like twice their price. Nevermind the build quality or the odd looks you might get, because these are worth all of it. In fact, these are my 'going out' headphones until I can find something better. Just know that you might want to thread the cable through some belt loops before plugging it into your device and putting it in your pocket.

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Amg0998

An all around great pair of headphones

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

An all around great pair of headphones, not much to say about it. Obviously this is subjective because everyone has different ears, some like Sennheiser sound, while other like flat sound for increased accuracy, while I like the warm and open sound of the Grado world. There are so many brands and styles and types of headphones, I couldn't even touch on them all, but these just work right for me.

Thoughts:

- Sound Sound Sound, they sound great, I mentioned in the beginning that this is subjective, but I love them. The mids are very present. the bass is punchy and crisp, not muddy. And the highs out of the box are great, but with my modifications they are even more to my liking now.

- Head clamping strength is just right in my opinion, but if it is too tight it will wear out over time and become more comfortable (if you like them tighter, they also have a metal headband which can be bent back into place as well). To further prove my claim on the perfect head clamping I will share with you something I'm quite ashamed of, on more than one occasion I have taken these headphones out for my runs when I couldn't find my running headphones, they stayed on just fine, although I don't recommend this.

- The cable is long and durable and has lasted me about two years now (I wear these daily as well as at my desk and I have had them ripped off my head a few times being caught on a desk or a railing, all solder connections have held up fine)

- These can sound great on almost anything, they are very easy to drive, I use them with a Dac at my desk but they sound quite well when using my phone also, but this can differ depending one what phone you have (my phone is the ZTE Axon Pro for reference).

Probably my favorite part of these headphones is when you own a pair, you are opened up into the classic Grado modification community.

I did do a few modifications for increased comfort and (in my opinion) better sound. I'll list them below for those who are interested.

- I replaced the ear cushions with these ear pads (http://www.amazon.com/EarZonk-Long-Life-Leatherette-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B00OM21W1I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453399895&sr=8-2&keywords=ear+zonk+grado+earpads) sorry for the huge link.

^ With these ear cushions, people in their reviews were saying they are trash and they create a very muddy and muted sound, but I still picked them up because I had an idea on how to fix that issue. when I received them I agreed, they were terrible. But it was very easy to fix, all I did was use an xacto knife to remove the fabric inside the cushion to expose the driver, this kills two birds with one stone, the sound was not only improved back to its "stock" nature before the new ear-pads, but it was improved even more by exposing the drivers which gives clearer highs, that brings me to the next modification.

- One of the easiest and oldest Grado mods is the "Ear-Pad quarter mod" I'm not using the stock ear-pads but I still was able to use them for this modification. This is when you cut out a quarter sized hole in the middle of the ear-pads to get clearer highs (achieved in the last bit) and take that small bit of foam you cut out and glue it to the back of the ear-cup behind the mesh, this absorbs up the leftover sound waves bouncing around in the ear-cup that haven't escaped through the mesh, creating a clearer sound.

Out of those two mods the new ear-pads probably had the most impact, with my modification to them, they increased the quality of the highs, they create a better seal around my ears, and they are just super comfy, the leather is perforated so they stay cool as well, even in the summer.

Most Grado mods are bashed and people say that it doesn't really improve sound. But once again it is subjective and those who do it don't really care. I will most likely continue with my modifications because I just plain enjoy tinkering and customizing my belongings. I have a few more ideas of mods that I will do when they get older:

- I will sand down the outside of the ear-cups to remove the branding and make them flat black
- I would like to replace the mesh on the back with a less dense, black metal mesh, this would open them up to the point where you wouldn't have to worry about absorbing those sound waves, plus it would look neat to be able to see into the drivers
- I want to have a go at creating my own custom, removable cable, that way I can have a few, like a shorter one for on the go, or a longer one for at the desk. or an even longer one to reach my receiver from my couch
- If I get around to it, I would love to recreate the driver housings with something along the lines of walnut or maple and give them a nice grain-popping stain. I already have them modeled, I just need to source the woods and get a hardwood bit for the CNC machine in the lab
- Also I have some leather around and I would love to dye it black and make a thick, authentic leather headband-cover to replace the one that it comes with

TL;DR These are a great pair of headphones that will stand the test of time, plus they are made in America, which I can be proud of. There is a large modding community if you're into that, but they sound just fine out of the box as well. I would buy these again

Thanks for taking the time to read my quick review and I hope it helps!

55 people found this helpful

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Christopher J. Schmid

May end up 5 stars over time.

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014

Verified Purchase

I have been on a never ending search for decent headphones at a reasonable price for years. I am in my 50's with far too many years of live music and my hearing is not what it used to be couple with a little tinnitus but I still love my music and want it to sound as good as possible. I have done the ear buds, the better in ear phones, Sennheiser 100's and eventually settled on some Sennheiser 448's a couple of years back. Not bad but not awesome. I tried the new Harmon Kardons and they were ok for the quiet stuff but didn't handle rock too well which is OK as I lean towards Americana and the like more than rocking out but still like to kick it up a little on occasion. So after some investigation my search led me to the Grado SR80e's. So far I like what I am hearing after 2 days of serious listening.

When they arrived I was a little underwhelmed by the packaging....very austere. I knew they were not "cool" looking so that didn't bother me at all. They are what they as far as looks but all I care about is the sound. I also know all about open cans so that isn't an issue for me as they are for home use. They seem pretty sturdy, sort of light and ugly. The Grado's also seem to be pretty comfortable for my use. I may add a little cusion on the head band but otherwise they feel fine and I have a pretty big head.

I've been listening on my iPod classic loaded with ALAC rips from my CD's. Some Allman Brothers, some Emmylou, some Springsteen, some Dead, some bluegrass. The sound is very true to me. Bright but not overly so. The bass is there but not "fake". Especially on the acoustic stuff the bass sounds like a bass. As others have said these are not Beats. I like the sound for what I listen to. The experience is wide and full with excellent instrument separation (at least on the recordings that are not overly compressed). They do reveal some limitations of the recordings. For goodness sake Bruce record a decent sounding album please. I think this is what folks have been commenting on as the "Grado sound".

All in all a very good listen that may eventually become a great listen. I'll post an update if that is the case. Most definitely worth the 99 bucks.

UPDATE: I plugged these cans into my home system and the sound is absolutely fantastic. The 100w amp really drives the headphones and the sound is, well about the best I have heard out of headphones (I am no audiophile so I can't comment on the really expensive cans).

UPDATE 2/12/15: So I added a Fiio E11K today and while the difference is not omg it does provide a quite a bit more oomph to the already great sound. After a month I really love these headphones. You really can't do better for $100 as long as you accept the limitations of open cans. I upped my rating to 5 stars!

3 people found this helpful

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Noneya Bizness

Great quality sound, but fatiquing mids and very little bass. You NEED to amplify these headphones.

Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2017

Verified Purchase

Just received my SR80e's and I have to say, I'm a little disappointed given the wide praise they've received. Sound is obviously subjective to a point, but I just don't feel like these quite live up to their reputation.

The clarity is on point, they sound crystal clear and you can hear all sorts of little nuances in music.. that much is true. What's also true, as many others have said, is that bass heads will be sorely disappointed. If you're hooking these cans up to a phone, PC, or any other source that provides little amplification, bass is almost non-existent no matter how much you tinker with an EQ. Despite the low impedance, these headphones ABSOLUTELY demand amplification. Once you properly power them, bass is adequate for most types of music.. but it will still not enough for some people, and perhaps not ideal for watching action movies if that's your thing.

I have a variety of sources I was able to test on:
- Smartphone, very little bass
- A PC with basic onboard audio, very little bass
- A PC with more advanced amplified sound hardware (gigabyte z170x gaming 3), great sound and decent bass
- A PC with a dedicated Sound Blaster X, great sound and good bass
- A PC with FiiO e10k headphone amp, untested (might edit later)

Ok, so we've established that they're not very bassy (and that I have too many computers). That's not even my biggest issue with these headphones.

My #1 problem with the SR80e's is that the upper end of the mid-range is extremely fatiguing. Not the highs even.. but somewhere near the top end of the mids. So much so that it makes me squint at high volumes because it's hurting my ears. These frequencies can be dialed down in an EQ so that the headphones sound much more neutral/pleasant.. but you shouldn't have to, and a lot of people simply don't have the capability or know-how to do that.

I'm also the owner of Audio-Technica ATH-M50x and Sennheiser G4me One headphones, so I have some decent cans to compare to. Both sound better by comparison.. they have a much more neutral sound with no fatigue and a much stronger (but not overblown) bass profile.

As far as comfort goes, the SR80e's are a lot more comfortable than I was expecting. And I have a big head. I've seen people complain that they're too tight, too scratchy, etc. This hasn't been a problem for me. No complaints here.

Build quality is a little disappointing, they seem a bit flimsy and weigh almost nothing, although you could probably tow a car with the cord.

Overall, I'm not terribly impressed. If you have good audio equipment at your disposal to properly drive them, and don't mind having to fiddle with an EQ to bring down the mids a bit.. you're likely to be happy with them.

5 people found this helpful

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Mr. Litwin

Great bass response at the expense of fidelity

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

The first thing I noted when I listened to these much-celebrated headphones (at least the Prestige line at any rate) is how incredibly exaggerated the low-end is. While getting that kind of bass response from a headphone driver is impressive, showing it off at the expense of fidelity is not something I particularly care for. When using these on a device where a DAC is involved, such as an iPad, I have to use the 'bass reducer' EQ profile on the device or the sound will otherwise will be muddy with distortion. I am sure this has a lot to do with the dinky amplifier inside the iPad being unable to fully drive the the whopping 32 ohms of resistance the SR80e pushes back with. As a rule, underpowered amplifiers are what ruin the drivers inside speakers or headphones so when you hear distortion it means your amplifier is underpowered when matched with the driver and you need to change one of those two things. When you hear distortion from a crappy amplifier that's the sound of your speakers being slowly ruined so you really want to avoid this. (I always have a sad chuckle when some punk is walking the streets with ghetto blaster at maximum volume and the sound is atrocious- little does he know that what people are annoyed by is not the volume, but the distortion! Plus he's ruining his equipment.)

Using the SR80e with a mobile device is a case where an external headphone amplifier would be highly desirable, if not required, so this is a bit of an ask. I have not had a lot of success with the in-line amplifiers designed to run off of the device's power (specifically the Lightning-DAC-and-amplifier combos that you can buy to replace the dongle that Apple ships with their new iPhones) where I played recordings which have very high amplitude levels. For these recordings, the distortion is intolerable even though records at a nominal recording level sound great. The lack of gain control is a real problem with these gadgets- something that is de-facto on any headphone amp that you don't put in your pocket. Therefore, you'll be reduced to using headphones like these at home or work, which is where I use mine.

The fact that you have to significantly alter the EQ profile of your audio player to even have these cans reproduce a sound that is remotely like the original recording violates "high fidelity" by definition. Compare this to a sound engineer style headphone set like Sony MDR Pros which are designed to reproduce the source signal as accurately as possible. This is what "high fidelity" actually means. Some people may not like this and will end up using some artificial bass boost on their device to compensate, which the MDRs will gladly deliver. Most people who listen to popular music are generally accustomed to excessive bass. If that is the sort of listener that you are, then these headphones are for you because once you get the SR80s tuned properly, the sound these cans deliver is very impressive. Very. Impressive.

Unfortunately, when using an IOS device, playing this profile with even high end earbuds like the UE Triple Fis, the sound will be tinny, so toggling between the two modes by way of a shortcut would be a nice bonus, but as it stands I have to go deep into the preferences to change this setting. Therefore, I would only recommend these headphones if you intend to use them in a stationary location. Since these are very high resistance earphones (even higher than most loudspeakers for that matter) you really ought to get an headphone amplifier if you want these to shine.

One other issue is with the minimalist foam cup pads. While they are comfy, they do not block sound in or out whatsoever, so if you use them in a noisy office you will be annoyed at how loud you have to play these to drown out ambient noise. Also, your workmates will probably be annoyed by the bleed through. I ended up getting a different cup pad kit which is marginally better, but it changes the fit somewhat so it takes a little fiddling to get them to sit on your skull around your ears evenly. Otherwise, the headphones are incredibly comfortable as they are very lightweight, which is surprising considering the size of the driver. Grado has found the sweet spot between having a massive (and heavy) drive coil magnet and being featherweight, even if I might take issue with their choices about fidelity reproduction.

Tl;DR: If you really like your sound overcharged with bass, these are the headphones for you. Otherwise, if you are looking for a quality but moderately priced pair of headphones, you might be better off with a more reference-style set like the Sony MDRs.

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Sibble

Grado SR80e

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2014

Verified Purchase

These headphones are by far the best I have ever heard. They are also the most expensive I have ever owned (But only by $15). This set, the SR80e (Which I was very nervous about because it was a redo of the SR80i, and redos don't always go over well.) but rest assured, this set sounds like someone took a good pair of Hi-Fi stereo speakers and taped them to your head! The clarity is amazing compared any other set of headphones I've had. The cymbals are very clear, but not harsh. The only downside is that it really pulls out the tape hiss of older music. When I say that, cassette is what comes to most people's mind, but I mean even the reel to reel master hiss of many older songs (For example, a CD release of a Led Zeppelin album or Janis Joplin). Not unbearable, but it gets noticeable. The bass is great. It manages to be clear and punchy without sounding weak. The bass is pronounced rather than "enhanced" like, say my friend's Beats. If you want headphones with bass that will physically rattle your headphones loose, don't buy these. They are accurate to a real speaker, not a sub-woofer. The midrange? Just as good as the bass and treble. You don't just hear the music, you hear everything. The singer very quietly breathing in between verses, the guitarist's fingers touching the strings as he gets ready for his/her cue to jump in... In some songs, I can even hear the squeak of the drum's bass pedal! (I thought it was a bird outside at first...) The vents are cool, if you place your hands over them, you'll get something that sounds just plain horrible like a really cheap set of closed back headphones. You can even mess around and get a bit of a phaser affect if you cover the vents swivel your hands around. It really demonstrates that full "Grado soundstage" that everyone raves about and how it completely dispersals if you take away the openness. The only reason I gave this a four star rating is because pf the build quality. People complain about the headband, that it digs into their head. I have no such issue. My problem is that I wear glasses and the arm of the glasses makes a pressure point and hurts my ears if I have the headphones on for ~45 minutes. If I take my glasses off they feel fine, but then after about an hour and a half, my ears hurt just from the pressure of the pads. Not good if you are a long session listener, but for me, it's ok. The plastic cups are very sturdy and unless I get my hammer out won't break at all as far as I can see. The jack is really beefy, the plastic handle(?) being almost obnoxiously large. This was obviously a jack designed to be used with the 1/4" adapter, rather than something that is just "compatible" with one. The only downside is that anyone with an Iphone, a case on their MP3 players, and similar situations will need an adapter. The plastic is way too fat to fit in the "Fancy" carved hole. Seems odd to get a 1/8" to 1/8" adapter, but you will need it. The cord, now THAT is the disappointment, and the reason for the four star rating. The main section of the cord is (just shy of) 1/4" thick. Looks like if I got it caught on something, I'd accidentally hang myself and it wouldn't snap. No issues with the main section. The split section (That Y piece that many people talk about) is almost as thick, but then I felt them. It is a fat piece of tubing over a thin wire. I'm not sure how thin, but it's much, much less than half of the tube's thickness. They remind me of something you'd get with a really cheap headset you'd get for free with a Walkman or something and feel very flimsy. I think I will have a problem as time goes on. Nothing at all like the main piece... Perhaps this is because these are supposed to be stationary headphones...? Either way, Grado makes these purely with sound quality in mine. They don't neglect the "small" things, but they are certainly not the priority. If you want a great set that was proudly made in the USA and sure sounds it, than these are the way to go. I almost forgot. The seller. They are awesome. It was shipped the day after I ordered, and arrived a day earlier than expected. Five stars for them! *****

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