Clarity, you will hear EVERYTHING in the mix. Great highs and mids. Deep, clear low end.

Slightly discomforting after long periods of use (HOURS). The cords that go to each ear twist together, very annoying.

Hands down the best headphones I have ever used. The key word to these cans is CLARITY. If you aren''t used to hi-fi sound and you put these suckers on you will be amazed. Using the Grado Sr-60''s made listening to music a whole new experience for me. The high''s are perfect, the mid''s are strong, and the bass is deep, but never over powering. Some complain that the bass is weak, what they really mean is that the bass is not booming. They accurately reproduce the low end, they don''t over emphasize like so many other headphones. You will finally be able to hear bass lines with clarity instead of distortion. The Grado''s do have a few quirks, however. One, they are slightly discomforting after LONG periods of use, and I am talking about hours here. And two, the cord they use is nice and strong, but the two cords that split off to go to each ear twist in a very, very annoying manner. Other then those two things, these are by far the best money can buy. You will not be disappointed.

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Grado SR-80''s, cheap headphones.

Price vs/ Performance,Build Quality.

None[for the price.]

I wanted a high quality headphone to use while I cut my lawn on a soon to purchase John Deere riding lawn mower.I knew EXACTLY what company to turn to none other than Grado!!I did not want ISOLATION if I would I would have bought Eptymotic Research Earbuds would blow away Sony, not even a fair comparison.Sony or ANY closed ear phone are JUNK compared to EPTYMOTICS.Anyway if your looking for high bang for the buck very comfortable with new ear cushions look no further than these!!!They also go lower than you think,I will be using these with a new Sony E915 Discman weighs only 6ozs also have a Boostaroo amplifier velcroed to the Sony case weighs only 1 oz boosts the signal by 4db.Will get plenty loud whan I want it to this summer.Go Grado.Nice Job!!!!!!!

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser.

Good price, excellent sound, comfortable light feeling, American made.

Open air design doesn't provide isolation. That could be a bad thing or a good thing, depending on your uses (see my review below and others).

I hade a set of these a few years ago and traded them for some Sony MDR-7506 Professional Studio headphones because I needed something that provided better isolation. I had noisy neighbors at my apt. and often wanted to listen to music with my headphones, in order to block out their annoying rap music late at night. The Sonys sound great too, and provide much better isolation, however they are not as comfortable to wear for long periods of time. I found the Sony's got my ears feeling hot after a while, even though they provided great isolation and sound quality.

Since I no longer need the isolation (my noisy neighbors moved) I have gone back to the Grado SR60s and love them! Another benefit for me is that I often listen to my portable CD player at work. With the Grados, I can still hear the phone ring, etc.. This is one situation where the open type design is actually a benefit and you don't want so much isolation. The Grados sound slightly better for music than the Sonys, although both headphones are wonderful.

In summary, if you need isolation go with the Sony MDR-7506s (most soundmen for movie location shoots use these, because they provide great sound and great isolation). If you don't need isolation (like are just going to be using headphones at home and not in a noisy environment) then the Grados are definitely the way to go! Also, both headphones have equal bass performance in my opinion.

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-7506

I agree 100% with you Leonard.

The best deal on headphones.

And you are totaly right they do require a long break-in time, just as any other audio product. For those who say they sound bright out of the box the break-in should solve the problem among other things.

For the price they are very honest. Or shoukd I say a steal. Whatever.

Thanks mostly to the abscence of "room-effects,Grado SR-60 is the best buy anywhere for pure sound reproduction,overall.

Thanks mostly to the abscence of "room-effects, headphone-listening is deficient in both realistic soundstaging and bass reproduction.But,see below...

Fact:Grado SR-60 is Grado's best value in his array of headphones.Fact:SR-60 is Poorboy's road to real HI-END sound from stereo sources.Fact:The average Joe(no,take no offense,Joe Grado)cannot afford to pay out what it takes to extract pure sound from speaker/amp combos,all things considered.Therefore,Grado can get Poorboy very close to what he wants for minimum expense.Here is how Poorboy has wisely compensated in life:Combine Grado SR-60,Onkyo Integra P-304 preamp,Sony DVP-S9000ES CD/DVD/SACD- player,B+W 601 S-2 speakers and stands,Audiosource Amp-One Amp,B.I.C.DV-1010 acoustic-suspension sub.,mid-priced cables and interconnects,and high-quality CD recordings.Mix all together in one 10'by 12'room.(About $2,700 spent on equipment)Because headphone sound rules,and speaker sound bows down,I spent the most on the excellent preamp and CD-player that feed the Grados directly.The other stuff mostly reinforces the Grado-experience.To do this you need an amp with it's own volume-control for speaker-sound,separate from the one you will use to adjust headphone volume that will be on the better quality preamp that you plug the Grados into.Now fire up the CD-player,preamp,and plug in Grados to preamp jack(which is a very good one on the P-304).Adjust music volume to taste.Notice how using a sub while listening to the headphones adds the missing ingredient in headphone bass(actual room air pressurization and "visceral" sensation),as long as the sub level does not obscure the headphone presentation.Now,turn on the amp and adjust the speaker volume to just below what you perceive the headphone volume to be.When adjusted just right,you will scarcely notice the blend of sources,and the Grado's excellent detail will not be smeared.(This blend of sources is only possible because of Grado's "open" design that lets in most outside sound)Now you will have helped to cure what sucks about headphone-listening:Lack of "felt" bass,and also the overly literal presentation of stereo-seperation that headphones give because the ears are not allowed to cross-reference right/left sound signals as in real life.The sound will no longer feel "all-in-your-head",as before the mix,but will seem more open and natural.Is it somehow counter-productive to use two listening systems simultaneously? Not when you consider the shortfalls inherent to each,in my humble opinion.I know I may take fire for this idea,but I am not an "audiophile" yet,only an "enthusiast",and maybe I am twisted like my girlfriend says.But,try it-you may like it!I think it is the only way for Poorboys to conquer "the room you're in",thanks to this "Grado-Ear-Filtration-System"? Well anyway,thank-you Joe Grado for all your years of work where it really matters,in sound!I'll be upgrading soon to one of the "Big-Three"(RS-1,RS-2,or SR-325).I'll keep you posted...

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Various brands headphones,various speaker-systems more costly than my own.Have not visited the DuPont homestead yet,though.

That sound.That weight.

Humm, probably the comfort.

I bought a set of these headphones a little while ago for use with my hi fi separates after some research into different headphone makes and models. I looked at a set of Sennheiser 590 going cheap at a shop near ware I work, and although I was slightly impressed with their sound and extreme confront they turned out to be nothing compared to the excellence of the Grados.
The first time I heard the 60’s I was more concerned with the 80-pound price tag rather than the sound. –You must understand I am a student, and that happens to be a lot of money to me, especially as I hadn’t envisaged spending that on a set of headphones. When my friends enquired as to the cost of these vintage looking Grados they fell about laughing. - However the sound soon made me realise I simply had to have a pair of these. The sound was-and still is-fantastical the best I’ve heard; the bass clear, pure and well defined, where as the higher frequencies are very exact and distortion free. Even on the most of ‘extreme’ frequencies of Leftfield and The Prodigy can’t stop the Grados from doing their job. They simply never distort no matter what the sounds you push through them.

Classical music too sounds well coped-with and extremely enjoyable. G.F. Handel’s Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks has a huge lifting presence and…power about it that smaller earphones (or earbuds) simply can’t come close to. Vivaldi changes too; it has a greater fuller sound than when listened to through cheap speakers or cheap headphones you use for the television.
Change the music to REM, The Verve and other such guitar based bands, and you can hear individual instruments plainly on their own from others. You can also hear instruments and vocals, which were completely inaudible on the recording before you listened to it through the Grados. In short these headphones give the best listening experience I’ve ever had, with only electrostatic headphones only being able to top the Grado performance.

They do need a little time for the drivers to brake–in. I did detect a little vibration coming from them when I first bought them whenever I played a particularly low frequency track through them at some volume; though after the initial couple of months they’ll be fine.

They are so very light in weight, the construction is to a minimum. There are no thick foam headbands or absurd earmuffs here, they are minimalist and not sporting any fancy gimmicks that claim to give ‘Mega Bass,’ or ‘ultra low weight’. These headphones are simple, simple in internal design and simple in external design, they are for those who care about great sound and not whether their headphones will make them look cool.
The foam pad which the user’s ear sits next to is parentally more comfortable than that of the previous models, making wearing them for a couple of hours perfectly comfortable. As their design is minimalist these headphones aren’t as comfortable as they could be, (Sennheisers are usually the best for comfort as a rule;) though with the newly designed foam ear pads they are perfectly exactly for some lengthy listening.
They don’t happen to be over physically durable either, which isn’t surprising considering the build. They’re not designed to be thrown about and abused, and would brake very easily if you should sit on them, far example, so treat them with some respect and don’t take them out of the house.

The Grado SR 60s do happen to designed in an ‘open’ fashion, meaning there are little holes on the sides of the headphones allowing the sounds to resonate better, and overall improve the quality of the sounds when compared to a set of ‘closed’ design headphones. (Please consult a good hi-fi magazine for more information on this subject as I won’t profess to know too much.) The down side to having ‘open’ design headphones is every decibel of music is audible by those in modest proximity. The Grados leak sound, and they leak sound a great deal, so they’re not for use on any form of public transport, or in a place where people are likely to take offence to your music. Sitting on a crowded bus in the morning on your way to work with a set of these headphones bleating out the Wu Tang Clan is likely to result in your being assaulted.

There is just one matter about these headphones that may put off some potential buyers, the look of them. They have a 1930’s BBC radio presenter style about them that may not be to everyone’s taste. They don’t look particularly conformable ether, with the thin plastic and metal headband not seeming all that inviting. Having said that, you don’t buy Salvador Dali to listen to it, do you? No. In the same light, you don’t buy a set of headphones to hang then on your wall and muse over. It’s not really the looks you should be after.

The cable is also a little short at around ten feet which can be difficult if you have a listening chair more than a few feet from your hi-fi, though it is at an impressive thickness. A gold plated adapter is supplied with the headphones allowing them to be used with both sizes of jacket socket. This is very handy as it allows you to use them with your hi fi separates at home, and a portable. (Talking of portables I have recently plugged these headphones into my portable Sony Discman, and I can tell you it has never ever sounded quite so brilliant. These headphones would probably make a cassette tape player sound good!)

When compared with a set of Sennheiser headphones the sound is the most obvious difference after the comfort. I had a good listen to a few sets of Sennheiser headphones especially the 590s (please note I didn’t have the chance to try the much acclaimed 580s and 600s,) and I can honestly say that that although these Grados are cheaper in financial terms, the sound was far batter. They seemed to be more detailed in sound, better in weight and not sounding nearly so bright and uncomfortable. The sound on the Grado SR 60s was just better all round. They stir emotion, Sennheisers sadly don’t.



At the end of the day, these are 80 quid ear Jacuzzi’s. They are simply fantastic sounding and the fit is not all that bad at all. Buy some, and buy some Radiohead and Vivaldi to listen through them at the same time; with a good CD/MD player you should be immersed in sound.. (Steer clear of MP3 though, it’s complete nonsense, and never sound have been invented.)

fairly comfortable

sound leakage, lack of deep bass, clear treble

I bought these as a replacement for my 20 year old Sennheiser's, and I found them to be decent, but no better. The reviews I read convinced me to buy them, I figured I couldn't go wrong, but I just didn't think they live up to the hype. The sound leakage is really bad, and the sound seemed almost a little muffled compared to some other headphones I'd tested. The highs were OK, and the bass was pretty good, but the detail that I'd heard all Grado phones had was absent. I read that some people actually cut holes in the earpad to "release the sound". It seems to me that if the problem is the earpads, Grado would have addressed this problem in the testing and design process, especially given their reputation for sound quality and good design. I haven't decided on my next pair of cans, but I'll give the SR-80's a try along with Sennheiser's 495 and 575 models. I have a real problem putting vinyl on my ears, I prefer foam and cloth pads for comfort.

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Sennheiser HD 400

Excellent clarity, pumping bass on cd player and minidisc player. Extremely comfortable (with new full foam pads). Read summary for more info!

Distortion at loud volume (cd discman with megabass: groove step 2 turned on)

When i received these today i was jumping around like a little kid! They sound great for their price but there are some things to point out. First there is distortion when the volume is put up quite high with second step of mega bass turned on (I tested garbage: version 2.0, metallica: black album, madonna: music, and toni braxton: the heat). They distorted the most on version 2.0, and a bit on the black album. Maybe they need to be broken in? i dont know, but they sounded fine with the first step of bass turned on. They sound fantastic with my minidisc player! Top it all off i heard stuff i never heard before! For example, on "enter sandman," i actually heard a echo in james' vocals (i never noticed this before). Plus the sound thats put out is FULL, DEEP, PENETRATING. Also since their open headphones everyone can hear what your listening to, so these are probably not meant for the trains, cuz the sound will get drained out by all the loud noises in the subway. Bass is very tight and the treble is crisp and clean. For all the people that think you need to cut a hole in the foam to get the best sound, your nuts! They sound fine, plus the foam makes these headphones VERY COMFORTABLE! They dont hurt at all. Oh, compared to my other phones, the Yamaha's are comparable in overall sound (they pretty much hit on all the good points as these grado's do...without the distortion!). Although the grado's are stronger (ie LOUD), the Yamaha's are very close (crisp sound, good bass, very comfortable) and i would recommend those to anyone to try (only 40 bucks with taxes/shipping), they sound very good. The Sony's and Rolands simply stink compared to the Grado's and yamaha's. For the price, the Grado's are worth it, but they didnt floor me, but i am very happy with em!

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Yamaha RHMa5 (www.insight.com), Sony v150, Roland RH-50

see below

see below

To the person who responded on 9/4/99:
If you think the SR60's have no bass and incoherent mids and highs, then you must be used to the crappy, boomy, bass-heavy cheap headphones that everyone else hated! I actually listened to some of the very same headphones you loved and found them to be piles of s***! Get your freakin' labotomized !?# off AudioREVIEW!

Crystal clear, transparent and exciting sound

The Grado doesn't score that high when it comes down to comfort when compared with other headphones

After having bought a Sharp MD722 portable MD-player, I decided that I needed a good pair of headphones. The earplugs Sharp provided with the player did not sound that bad at all but earplugs just are not my thing. After reading a lot of rave reviews about the Grado SR60, I decided to take my chances and order one.
And all I can say after listening to it for approx. two weeks is: wow! The Grado sounds wonderful with a warm and crystal clear midrange, transparent but non-fatiguing highs and a reasonable bass. It sounds great and I am sure my Sharp MD player now sounds the best it can be.
I am very satisfied with my Grado phones and when looking at the price I paid for it ($69.00) I can only say that these phones are definitely a bargain.
The only little drawback is that their wearing comfort is not as good as that of my Sennheiser headphones. The Grados press a bit on your ears and after an hour or so that pressure gets a bit tiresome for my ears.
But after taking them off for five minutes or so, I always want to put them on again to enjoy their sweet and musical sound. If Grado would improve the comfort of these headphones then the SR60 would for me be the headphones of the century in their price-class. Now they are 'just' very good headphones which I can heartily recommend to everyone who would like to improve the sound of their potable audio in a substantial and dramatic way.
Therefore I give these phones 5 stars for the value rating (they really are a bargain), 5 stars for their sound quality and three stars for the comfort they provide.

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Sennheiser HD570 Symphony, Sharp earplugs