* Holds its own against an electrostatic exotic * Comfortable * Gold-plated plug, sturdy cable

* Looks

Used "only" for the bedroom-set, for the money this IS a tremendous set of 'phones. Being used to my Stax Lambda-SRD7/SB combo for the main set, this "cheapo" holds its own amazingly well! Midrange and bass-resolution are almost on a par; the Grado only slightly losing out on the high frequencies, sounding a bit exaggerated in compoarison. I was almost glad it didn't approach the Stax too close in that last respect! Idiosyncratic in its looks and feel; audibly, this SR-60 is very much up-to-date. I've auditioned the SR-80 too which is truly worth the extra money; it just wasn't comfortable enough for me to wear: The SR-60 is the only Grado with full cushions, the higher-range models use "sorta" circumaural cushions that just don't feel right to me.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD-420 SL, HD 540 Reference, Stax Lambda-SRD7/SB

Price, sound, comfort, double as ear-muffs in the cold Canadian weather. ;)

can be hot in warm weather, cord tends to tangle.

I was looking for a new set of headphones for some time and was not impressed with what I heard until I found my beloved Grados. I have owned koss' porta pros, sony 500's, took them both back not happy at all. Coloured the sound too much. I read alot of reviews about the grados and decided to take the plunge. I put them on with my portable sony discman at the bus stop and could not stop grinning for the next hour. I was amazed I was hearing things in my music that I had never heard before. Great mids, nice highs, tight lows. I'm not quite sure why people complain about the lack of bass, these phones DO NOT colour the sound, very pure, unlike most crap-o-cans out there. I run them no-prob with my sony D-E221. I believe the amount of bass is dependent on the type of player, type of music, and personal taste. Some people aren't happy until their adams apple is vibrating, well that isn't gonna happen here. What you will get is great transparency and nice sound stage. I have ran mine with every type of music (except country of course) and every time my lovely Grados always respond admirably. They sound better everyday as they break in as well.

Similar Products Used:

koss porta pro, sony 500's

Accurate, flat response, airy, open sound, price.

May need a preamp from really weak sources like the RioVolt MP3 players, 20-20 frequency response (bettered easily by cheaper cans), open air design makes public listening nearly impossible.

As I write this review, I'm breaking in these new Grado SR-60's by playing heavy rock at a moderate to high volume. They're sitting halfway across the room, and sound like a set of mini speakers. These are not headphones you want to use in public -- Period! My first impression was "not too great" -- weak bass, nothing else special, even compared to a pair of Koss KTX-Pro's. However, after even 30 min. of break-in, the headphones are gradually starting to open up. They have a light, airy sound that would be perfect for listening to classical, new-age or other softer music (metalheads may want to look elsewhere). The "open air" design really adds to detail, clarity and response -- if you put your hands against the outside of these headphones, it closes them up and ruins the sound, the design is *very* exacting. So far, these sound better than my Denon AH-D550's in terms of accuracy, airiness and flat response, but not that much better. Will wait until after the break-in to make a final call -- but these will probably be the cans I use from now on to edit digital audio and watch DVD's on my PC.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AHD-550, Denon AH-D210, Koss KTX Pro, Radio Shack Pro-35 Titanium

the sound really is awesome for the price. very comfortable and light (contrary to what others have said)

the open-air design not only allows other people in close proximity to hear sound from the headphones, but it also allows a lot of outside noise into the headphones. this really sux if you walk around in a city like i do. so the SR60s are bothersome in a two-pronged way. indeed, the design makes for better sound, but only when you are in quiet surroundings (home, work, etc). also, many people comment on the quality of the cords. sure, they're thick, but that doesn't mean they have wider cables. if you squeeze them tight enough, you'll feel them deflate a bit, until you feel the wire inside. arbitrary, but worth mentioning. build feels a bit delicate, and the headstrap is not leather - like some have said previously.

follow-up to my previous posting:

good midrange, relatively comfortable

not much for the money

I just recieved these headphones about a week ago, and my first impressions were pretty strong. They have so far exceeded my expectations, I did not think that they would sound as good as they do for the price. I use them primarily on the run were they really blow all those portable ''dungphones'' out of the water.Although they do not sound any thing like my home setup of Sennheiser 600s and a Musical Fidelity X-Can V2, there is little to complain about for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser 600s and 424s

detail, price, comfort

made my head sweat, had strangers asking me for a listen

I've been using these headphones for a couple of years now. I bought them to use with my discman on the way to work. I can't really describe what's so great about them, but they make my $30 earbuds look and sound like trash. I usually wound up buying 2 pairs of headphones a year from Tower Records. That works out to around $60 anyway. So the Grados are well worth the money and not too expensive if you're looking for something to beat up on a long commute. Now that I don't ride the subway anymore I'll probably go with the SR80's next time I want headphones. The only problem I have with these headphones is that in the summer they trapped the heat on the top of my head and made me really uncomfortable. I guess that's because of the design and material but it isn't really that big of a deal.

Similar Products Used:

Sony earbuds

Accurate sound from a portable source. Lightweight,and not heavy on your head.

None at this price

I like to listen to my classical/soft rock/easy listening, music collection with these, while walking my dog. Connected to my Phillips JogProof Discman, with a 1db bass boost, these headphones produce phenomenal sound. The bass is accurate and tight, the midrange is full bodied and accurate, and the highs are just right - not too bright or not too rolled off. They also can be very dynamic when the recording calls for it. These phones are forgiving, as I do have some bad recordings, but they don't sound too bad with the Grados. I found that cutting holes in the ear pads, using a quarter as a guide, improved the sound considerably. Otherwise, they sound muffled, at least to me. Once you adjust the headband, they are comfortable to wear. I get lots of looks from people I pass on the street, who must think "Hey look at that poor guy, he can't afford new headphones because he's still wearing his old ones from 1965! Little do they know, I've got a small concert hall on my head! Anyway, looks aren't everything. These sound great. If you want an inexpensive upgrade from the cheap headphones that come with a portable player, and enjoy good sound, these are a no brainer.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD580 and HD600

one thing that i want to contest other reviews on is the "comfort factor". i'm not sure if these people have senisitive, baby-soft skin, but the pads on the SR60s in no way hurt your ears. i can't imagine grado using any other material for the pads. if you wear ANYTHING for three hours, it's gonna hurt; wheter it's $150 nike air max's or $60 SR60s. plus, they're lighter than most headphones, so there's absolutely no reason to complain about comfort.

hype-factor, vented noise.

since this is probably the most hyped product on the personal audio market, i was a little wary before purchasing. the reviews seemed too good to be true, to felicitous in fact. but i needed new headphones in the sub $100 range and didn't have the time/energy to go out and test different headphones, so i went with the SR60s. that said, i'm both impressed and disappointed. i'm impressed by the audio (clean, clear, etc) and by the design (i love the retro styling as opposed to the futuristic stuff in the market). however, i'm disappointed (expectedly) by the fact that the SR60s didn't live up to all the hype and expectations. which really isn't that big of a deal, because the way these things are touted, it's like they're GODLIKE. seriously people, you have to be a friggin dog to notice the details (minute details mind you) between expensive headphones. and we're not dogs. we're human beings who can't hear all that great to begin with. beyond that, i'm quite please with the SR60s - even though i've only owned them for two days now. like i said, i cherish the days of yore, and really dig the design of the grados. plus, it seems heartening (in a weird way) to support an independent company like grado as oppossed to a sony or a sennheiser. obviously, i'm not commenting too much on the sound of the SR60s, because over 100 other people who can hear better than me have already gave their spiels. so i thought it would be good to talk about the in a more esoteric -even pragamatic- way. one bothersome aspect about the SR60s, which can be attributed to the vented design, is that they emit a lot of noise to outside listeners. these even sound halfway decent if you listen to them the opposite(!) way - turning them inside out. i'm no expert, but i'm guessing that the vented design is better than enclosed headphones, so as to eliminate "muffling" like when you put a seashell up to your ear. anyways, they are pretty noisy, and if i was a considerate person, maybe i'd care. but i don't. i'm selfish that way. in sum, i can say that i've made a good purchase, and for $60, you really can't go wrong.

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-V200

Awesome sound for the price! Am glad I read all the online responses for this headphone.

i agree with most posters...they are slightly uncomfortable..after two or three hours..they tend to bind on the ear.

I am a mid fi person. I own a harman kardon amp and no cd player as of yet. My set of speakers was an old set of Spicas. Do I need the Spicas? No..I have a set of Grado sr-60s. Now I need a set of Grado Sr-325s!

Similar Products Used:

sennheiser hd470,old koss, old sony twenty dollar models. first venture into the world of the audiofillet!

Transparency, clarity, detail, rhythm, dynamics, bass, low cost.

Uncomfortable, lacking a bit in transparency and detail.

Listen to the other brands and I think you will agree that the SR-60 is the best set of cans for the price. It''s all about the sound. Clean, transparent, decent bass, nice details. As for comfort, sucks in the beginning, but gets better as the band stretches apart. I''ve had mine for several years and they are now comfortable enough for two hours or so. Others have no probems getting used to the feel. Now the negatives. I wish these were more transparent and had more detail. My NHT 1.5 speakers seem to provide a bit more detail and rhythm, but then they cost plenty more money. I''ll be upgrading to the SR-125 soon so maybe I''ll finally get that detail and transparency I''m looking for. For portable CD players and such, the SR-60s are a good fit. I use mine with a cheapo Sony portable and they are great. Much better than any other sub-$100 headphones.

Similar Products Used:

Cheapo Sony and Koss walkman headphones, and so-called Studio Series headphones from Sony. All priced from $20 to $90