Grado SR-80 vs a comparable IEM

[RevToTheRedline]

I'm considering buying the SR-80 headphones rather than IEM's for a few personal reasons, but I'm wondering, I know Grado are good but how would they compare to the sound quality of an IEM in the $90-95 range?

[hockeyb213]

generally big cans and iem's in the same price range the big cans are usually better but all I am able to say is from experience both my triple driver iem's beat up on my grado 125's so in your case big cans may be the proper way to go

[RevToTheRedline]

I've listened to a pair of the Grado 325i's on my NAD C542 24-bit home CD player, not my headphones but holy cow, jaw dropping quality, but that's way out of my price range right now, I just want something new for on the go iPoding.

[NightOwl]

I have the SR-80's and have owned and listened to lots of canalphones and iem's up to the $200. range. I found that only when you spend $150.+ do you get close to the SR-80's. That's if you like the Grado sound (I do).

[hypoicon]

I have both the SR-80s and Shure SE530s. I would not say one is "better" than the other-- just different. The expensive IEMs have it hands down as far as isolation goes, and they also have an edge in bass response. BUT oddly enough, they are both equally comfortable to me.

I can wear SR-80s a lot longer than I can wear my reference phones (Grado RS-1s), and both of those sound amazingly close given the huge difference in price. The soundstage on the Grados is better than the Shure IEMs, in my opinion at least-- but that is something that most people here would probably disagree with. I think it would be really hard to beat the SR-80s for the price or anything remotely close to it.

[lauinbeta]

Originally Posted by NightOwl

I have the SR-80's and have owned and listened to lots of canalphones and iem's up to the $200. range. I found that only when you spend $150.+ do you get close to the SR-80's. That's if you like the Grado sound (I do).

x2 on this.