eervig
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2010
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So I got lots of good help here in my deliberations a couple of weeks ago, and ignored most of it. Somebody, perhaps just being nice, invited me to post a reaction to my new Grado SR-60is when they came in, not that Head-Fi is hurting for information on them. But maybe this can help my doppelganger someday in the future.
I listen to lots of jazz and blues, with a bit of pop, and was hoping to dive a little deeper into classical music with my new investment.
I considered the HD-555s and the AD700s. I clipped the Senns because of all the complaints of cracking and falling apart. The AD700s seemed risky for fit and bass. I ended up making a bizarre pivot and nabbed the Grados, figuring the warnings about them not being suited for jazz and classical was just audiophile snobbery (no offense!) And hey, made in the USA.
So now I've had them for a day. Some burn-in, and a sampling of my jazz (Eric Dolphy's "Out to Lunch"), classical (E. Power Biggs/Philadelphia Orchestra doing Saint-Saëns "Carnival of the Animals" plus some of Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations) and pop/rock (Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" and some crunchy Frank Black).
My impressions...
How are you supposed to enjoy music on headphones that feel like this? Okay, I'm definitely maxing them out...didn't know I had such a big head...but it's sort of like a woodworking clamp on my skull. The "comfy" pads feel sort of cheap, in that they itch and burn very quickly.
Trying to move past that into the sound - I see what folks mean when they describe these phones as "forward." Certain sounds, like cellos and violins, felt like they were getting a little too touchy-feely with my eardrum. Surprisingly, I didn't find loud guitars to be at all grating - perhaps part of the Grados orientation toward rock music.
I also dismissed the warnings about lack of soundstage - again, I figured folks who had a million pairs of headphones were just too picky - but I'll never doubt a (near-)consensus around here again. Everything is vibrant and full-bodied, but every element feels locked into a cutthroat competition for headspace.
I should give these more time, definitely more burn-in. I anticipated being bowled over by the sound quality, but apparently I did well over the years with my meager budget, always buying KSC75s and JVC Flats. Those are cheap, but pretty clear considering. I never, ever thought I'd wear a pair that made the JVC flats feel comfortable by comparison, but the Grados do it.
And now that I know I have a sasquatch skull, I'm giving those AD700s another look...
Thanks!
P.S. - As a relief from the above negativity, I had the opposite experience with another hp purchase that arrived with the Grados. I grabbed the Panasonic RP-HV094 Simple Ear Buds off of Amazon, as they're going for little over $3. Just looking for knockaround earbuds for listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Hot holy hell, though, do they sound unexpectedly decent. I feared dollar store quality, but they're more like JVC Gumy quality for a fraction of the price. Tiny bit of cord noise, but a good deal.