: Very high quality, fits perfectly and securely, minor increase in soundstage, very comfortable
: Decreases bass response, highs become too much
BACKGROUND
I found that the stock S-Cushions on my Grado SR80e are uncomfortable when you start hitting the 1-hour mark of listening. At 30 minutes, you start to feel the pressure “on” your ears, especially on the area where your glasses’ temples are (I’m wearing glasses). It starts to become painful. Originally, I bought generic replacement G-Cushions online. They are not as expensive and though they fit nicely, they fit loosely too. Long story short, I found a local store that sells genuine G-Cushions and went for them. How are they? Let’s find out.
ABOUT ME
I listen to almost all genres of music but my favorites are rock, blues, and jazz.
I am a music lover, not an audiophile. I need to veer away from the audiophile persona from now on. I love music more than the equipment to play music with. I recognize that decent equipment is important but decent is good enough. Expensive is not necessary. I’m not willing to go past the $100 mark for any reason. I firmly believe in the law of diminishing returns.
I believe in burn-in but it depends on the headphones. Some do not need much. Some do not need any at all.
I believe in measurements but I never relied on them. I solely rely on my ears.
I believe that blind test is the only real test, without any visual influence or biases, without placebo.
Audio nirvana for me is a state of mind, not a state of equipment.
Regardless of my beliefs, I respect all audiophiles and music lovers for their passion and dedication.
PACKAGING
For some reason, the G-Cushions in the local store are not packaged or anything. They are bare. And the storekeeper’s explanation is, those came in that way when it was delivered by the distributor. A pair is in a clear plastic bag of decent quality and then that’s it. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that those are genuine. I can tell by the quality and feel that they are much better manufactured than the generic pads. Here are some pictures:
OFFICIAL PRODUCT PAGE
For official pricing, please check here - http://www.4ourears.net/Grado_G_cushions_p/4e-gcush.htm
QUALITY, DESIGN, AND COMFORT
The pads are of very high quality. They’re not the usual foam. They’re a bit stiff and I’m sure that’s for a reason. The color is gray too, as opposed to the usual black. That could be the color of the special foam material used.
They fit the SR80e perfectly and it’s reasonably easy to put them on too. The fit is very secure.
The pads are very comfortable, miles more comfortable than the S-Cushions. As they are deep and have an over-ear design, they are not pressing “on” your ears and there’s no unreasonable pressure to my glasses’ temples.
Now the big question is, do they alter the sound? Find out below.
SOUND
SET-UP USED:
- Lenovo K4 Note Smartphone (with Wolfson 8281 Audio Hub)
- Dolby Atmos engaged (gives a more accurate perception of soundstage)
- Stellio music player EQ is off
The good stuff first - There is a minor increase in soundstage. Grados are innately intimate and not too wide due in part to their magnificent, forward mid-range. Because of the bigger space where sonic elements can move, soundstage is a touch larger in space, but not by much. Separation and imaging is about the same. This is also due in part to the drivers being moved further from your ears.
Now the not so good stuff – Bass is decreased considerably. I just can’t ignore the fact that I’m missing the usual low end of the SR80e. And from the stock pads and even the generic G-cushions, bass is already “just right”. If it decreases, it will be lacking. Unfortunately, it made the bass “lacking” for my tastes.
Mids are about the same. That’s the magic of Grados – there is nothing you can do to mess those mids. It’s like magic. 
Now regarding highs - Highs on the G-Cushions are too much. As a reference, I am not treble sensitive. I love a shimmery, detailed, and well-layered treble. But even for me, it sounded grating. Now that would be torture to some, especially for bass heads. I tried to adjust to the sound, gave it a few days for brain burn-in to set in. Still, when you get to a song with a lot of cymbal hits and crashes, and intense shredding of electric guitars, it becomes too much.
End result - I exchanged it to a completely different product from the store.
CONCLUSION
G-Cushions are the stock pads for the GS and PS series and these are built for those headphones sonically. For other headphones in the Grado line, I suggest you use them with some care and discretion.
If you’re looking for much better comfort and a better fit for your Grados, you might want to give them a try. I would not readily recommend them for sonic benefits though and I suggest you audition them first, if you can. They’re not necessarily cheap and they do change the sound. For better or for worse, I’ll leave that to your discriminating ears.
Happy listening, everyone!
I miss the screaming guitars from the Grado sound (still has it, but not as much as the stock pads).
Soundstage is wider but just like you've said, not by much. And the fact that it has lost a bit of that front stage feeling typical from Grado makes it a sum zero game when it comes to soundstage IMO. The stock pads give you a more "in the face" presentation and the guitars are more concert-like, let alone the midbass. Still, these G-cushions are DEFINITELY worth it. They present you with a soundstage as good as the stock pads but in the more refined side of things, both are equally very good and I find myself swapping pads pretty often.
PS: any idea of pads that can get the best of both worlds here?