Grado SR60i Headphones

Amusologist

Member of the Trade: Amusology
Pros: Comfortable for long listening sessions, completely involving, warm and smooth, extraordinarily dynamic and rugged. Very inexpensive!
Cons: Lacks the resolution and the extension of more expensive headphones.
I've repeatedly bought these headphones, despite also owning Stax Lambda electrostatics and more expensive Sennheiser and AKG phones. And, in an even more interesting accolade, when I've bought Stax, Sennheiser and AKG headphones it was when I was a partner in Western Audio of Palo Alto, a dealer in all of those brands, so I paid wholesale or accomodation, not retail. I've never been a Grado dealer, so I've purchased the Grado SR60's at retail every time. This particular pair came from the Metropolitan Opera Shop in NYC, purchased after I left my older pair on a plane. I don't know the secrets to Grado's art, but I can attest to several things with a lifetime of listening skills. These Grado headphones are not "harsh" as some other inexperienced listeners here have claimed. They are warm and smooth, very seductive with all kinds of music, you simply find the music begins to carry you away. If you've never treated yourself to anything but earbuds, these are a revolution compared to the Beats by Dr Dre. Less expensive, but a whole new kind of musical experience. Whether you listen to rap, rock or hillbilly folk music, you won't find anything you can wear as long, listen as carefully to, and get away with throwing into your backpack again and again for years. Grado sells replacement pads and other parts, the only thing I've ever replaced is the pads. 
Criss969
Criss969
Great review! You just convinced me to get a pair off a friend.

zach8278

New Head-Fier
Pros: Comfort, sound, value
Cons: Non-detachable cable, plastic build, cable is a bit too long for portable use
The SR60i headphones are the entry level headphones in the 'SR' line-up. They retail for a recommended retail price of $79. So, without any more delays, let's discuss these headphones in further detail.
 
In terms of accessories, these are pretty scarce. You get the headphones, and a snap-on quarter inch adapter. That's it.
 
Build/Design - Now, if a regular person looked at these headphones, they would probably say that they are ugly and bulky. Well, in a way, they would be right and also wrong. The headphones are made out of plastic and the headband is made of fake leather (my assumption). Design-wise, these headphones have a retro, old school look to them. A lot of people have said that these headphones were their first pair of 'real' headphones, and that is the case with me as well. The cables are double entry, and are joined by a very weird looking Y-connector. At the end of the plug, we have a standard 3.5mm jack that has a chunky enclosure, so you might run into some interference when plugging these headphones into portable players with cases on them.
 
Comfort - These headphones rest directly on your ears, and i find them incredibly comfortable. They have a slight amount of clamp so that they are stable on your head, but i find that it does not impact the comfort in any way.
 
Soundstage - Pretty good. These headphones are open, so soundstage is obviously a strong point. You can hear cymbals and instruments that are coming from around you. I would imagine that the soundstage is bigger and better in the other grado headphones, especially the SR325i headphones. Keep in mind, that just because these have a $79 price point does not mean they are bad. It is just a low price for some amazing headphones.
 
Bass - It is actually quite punchy. This was surprising to me because i generally think that low cost headphones have a muddy, over the top bass performance, but not so with this pair of headphones. Rock music, which is what these headphones are suppose to sound really good with, is really quite enjoyable. This is really great for me because i listen to a lot of rock and metal music, so these definitely are pleasing to my ears.
 
Midrange - Vocals sound a tiny bit distant, but it is not drastic. They are still clear and you can hear the singer pretty well. If i made these headphones, i would have made the vocals a bit more prominent, but given that these are a low cost headphone, you can't expect a huge amount of vocal separation.
 
Treble - Detailed. It is, in my opinion, the strong point of these headphones. Rock music and a bunch of other genres sound lively, and quite energetic. I guess you could say that these headphones are bright sounding.
 
Conclusion - These are very good entry level headphones. For anyone who wants a good sounding low-cost headphone to add to their collection, i would check these out as soon as possible.
J
joseph69
I've never heard the 60i's, but the 80i's mid-range/vocals are right in your face as if the singer is right in front of you, and they sound like you are on stage with the band! Enjoy!!!
Jeff Y
Jeff Y
I would say go for the 80is just because of it being a bit better for just a few more bucks. (or go for RS1i)

yrumiclarity

New Head-Fier
Pros: clear and bright
Cons: Piercing, harsh, fatiguing, soundstage like IEMs
This review is an unbiased opinion.
 
This post is coming from a consumer foremost as I can't really call myself an audiophile yet. With that said, there are definitely some things wrong with these headphones. First of all, they are really harsh which makes them uncomfortable for listening. I use headphones to relax, not to be keyed up which also means I can't imagine wearing them to sleep. I have to resort to EQing which isn't recommended.
 
They also leak sound although not really a con for open ear cans. But for casual listeners who don't have many headphones, these are impractical, secondary headphones. You can't wear em' in your living room cause of the TV, not in the bus cause the driving sounds will make you insane. Even light conversations will spoil your listening experience. Which means more money spent on closed cans or IEMs.
 
>So most electronic music and modern genres aren't really enjoyable with these because I listen to ambient, minimal, IDM, experimental, etc where every note counts. And the treble in these genres will kill you. Period.
>They sound very good with older genres and acoustic, organic music genres like folk. And also certain songs that are rock. I also tried classical just because of the reviews and they do sound good.
 
I hate to spoil the Grado fan club but the reviews here were the thing that compelled me to buy them without trying. Turns out "forward, fun, and agressive" meant annoying and harsh to me. I wouldn't had gotten these at any price. Not saying these are bad headphones but they just happen to be bad for me. So If anybody wants to buy them off me just say so.
 
 
Edit:
 
Guys take it easy, sorry I can't conform to all of your views but I can't change my opinion just because some of you guys don't like it. I'm quite taken aback by all the responses, I thought this place would be more open minded. I think its necessary for everybody's opinion to be contributed and considered for a product especially for headphones. I think most people like me use this website as a buying guide and they need to know what the Grado SR60i sounds like with electronic music.
 
I didn't have the chance to try them before buying and I fell for the hype because I didn't read enough realistic reviews, so I'm trying to put out what is lacking. BTW they did burn-in for awhile and the sound did become a tad less dramatic, not as much as I would had hope though. 
 
Still the buying experience wasn't that bad, I'm sure I needed to know what Grado sound was sooner or later. I now wish I bought the Alessandro MS1i because "based on the reviews", 
rolleyes.gif
 they are a perfect purchase for people who like the Grado sound but can't stand the aggressiveness. I accept that they don't suit me personally but they are good for most circumstances so I'm rating it 3.5 to be objective while sticking to my point of view. I may grow to like them more, who knows?
zanox
zanox
@Currawong - I wrote the comment out of rage. Anyway, It's deleted now and I apologized to him in my next comment :)
Musicsucks
Musicsucks
Not sure why everyone is getting upset over here. I've been using these headphones for 2 years now and his cons are all accurate. The clarity on these makes it all worthwhile though.
WalterQ04
WalterQ04
For classical music, i use the Grado PS500 or Sennheiser 650 - for jazz the Nighthawk and on stage ATH M50x

zanox

Previously known as xoriac
Pros: Aggresive, very good mids and highs, tight bass, clarity, instrument separation.
Cons: Can be very bright sounding for some people.
One of the best sounding headphones I have ever owned.

Ketmeister

New Head-Fier
Pros: Bass balance. Detailed, punchy sound. Solid design and performer. Cool vintage look. Made in the USA.
Cons: Requires a good HP amp to drive properly. Recessed midrange. Ear pads a little uncomfortable. Longevity of ear pads.
Audiophile classic.

cocolinho

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: sound quality, design, easily mod'able
Cons: design,price in Europe, soundstage
I had SR225, MS1i & this SR60i
In Europe, MS1i probably have the best ratio price/performance but still they are not Grado.
I love its unique vintage design even though it looks cheap. 
Grado sr60i are very good sounding, to me they are  perfect for rock/metal music but not only.
They are comfortable , light,but soundstage is very small for such an open headphones.
SR225 was better but was not night & day versus SR60i so price difference in Europe is not justified.
Newcomers, I would advice you to buy Grado 2nd hands here on Head fi, you'll get a SR225i for the price of a 80i new or 325i for the price of a SR125i in Europe.
Grado's are unique and I think everyone should have one in its collection
 

pmangan35

New Head-Fier
Pros: best sounding open airs I've had
Cons: uncomfortable, bulky
I defy anyone to find a better sounding pair of headphones for less than $100. The response of these is absolutely spot on. The dynamic range is almost perfect and they have even frequency response throughout. It's so easy to pick out every instrument in a song played through these, no note hides and nothing is misrepresented. Grado was so close to making the perfect headphone for me that I almost tear up when I think about how much they hurt to use. The way they press on my ears makes wearing them for more than 30 minutes or so an impossibility.. so sad. If they were comfortable, I would even be able to wear them outside despite the fact that I would look like an alien with two antennas coming out of my head.
ModMax
ModMax
You can gently (very gently) bend the headband to loosen their grip on your melon. It does help some.

National

Head-Fier
Pros: Awesome sound, mighty attack and impact
Cons: Fragile build, flimsy.
Excellent headphones. Everything about them is 'right'. 
 
I suppose some people won't like how they sound, as they're tuned to fit Mr. Grado's ears. But everyone should try them anyway. I loved how these sound, and it started my Grado addiction. I've now worked my way up to the 325i.
 
Yeah. These supposedly more 'affordable' headphones are burning my wallet in the long-run...
 
But in a good way.
fountainpenman
fountainpenman
How would you compare this to the SR80i's?
National
National
the SR80i's, imho, are pretty much better in every way, except they're more expensive.
However, I do think the 80i's definitely have the best value in Grado's Prestige series. They're right in the middle sweet spot for price - sq. Bang for your buck!

chrislovin

New Head-Fier
Pros: lightweight, great sound
Cons: earpads
Excellent open headphone. If your life can support open headphones, these are a great place to start. I currently use them with my Fiio E7 amp. The ear cushions were never very comfortable for me, so I spent the extra $20 and replaced them with the L-Cush pads that come on the more expensive Grado's. Since then, they seen a lot more use and have been much more comfortable. I mainly use these at home so I can still here my wife hollering at me. I tried to use them at work, but it's just too noisy and they bleed too much. The overall sound is just "right." Not too bassy, not to strong in the highs, just good all around. I can't think of a better way to get introduced to high fidelity headphones. 

Smiling Jack

New Head-Fier
Pros: Retro looks, Lightweight, open sound signature, Made in the USA
Cons: Somewhat fragile, impractical for public usage, uncomfortable after long periods
Simply put, these headphones are one the best values in the audio world. They've praised time after time, and I now know why. These are my 2nd pair of quality grade headphones (after the V6), and can safely say I won't be putting these away anytime soon. The low impedance allows usage on both the home rig and portable devices.
 
I'm not an expert on sound signature with the highs, lows and mids, but perhaps the most contrasting feature in comparison to the V6 is the bass/low end response. Maybe it's the open-back design, but the low end isn't as powerful as the V6. It does, however, excel in Treble response.
 
I might be just jumping on the Grado bandwagon, but believe me when I say that for under $100, the value the SR60's give are truly unbeatable.
XxDobermanxX
XxDobermanxX
Very good review R.I.P. sony v6
bikertrash
bikertrash
If they're uncomfortable you can bend the head band to your liking, they are all day phones in my book, once I got the band bent to my liking.
The bass isn't for bass heads, but great if you want to hear the whole sound spectrum without anything overwhelmed by the bass. Too me, the bass is perfect and when I crank it up it actually thumps. Not on the level of Dre's but then I still don't lose any midrange.
RamblinE
RamblinE
I've had mine for ten months now and eventually the band gets conformed to your head shape. They just kind of hang out up there now without much drama. Don't try wearing them with glasses though :/

FlobHobNob

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Great sound, comfort,
Cons: Leakage, small soundstage
To start off, this was my first set of audiophile headphones and let me tell you I was blown away. I've had them for about two years now and I havn't had many complants. As I've already stated, these are the headphones that got me into listening to music the right way. To give you a backround check I'll give you a list of headphones that I've auditioned; Koss Dj pro 100, Beats by Dre studio and solo, Bose QC15, Sennheiser hd598, and multiple Skullcandy's ( sadly). So one with the review.
 
 

Comfort ; The comfort of these headphones was good. The I pads(comfies)where suprisingly comfortable for being supra oral, but sometimes I found my ears being itchy after about 2 hours of listening, but overall I found them comfortable.
 
Isolation; This is one of these headphones weaker points. However these are open headphones, so I didnt really expect great Isolation and you shouldn't but these for that. So that means these aren't very portable either because of one other big reason.
 
Leakage; I wouldnt normal post this one a review, but holy crap. These headphones are like portable stereos when you are listening to music at a semi loud listening level. It's almost comical and this is the main reason these arn't portable.
 
Soundstage; The sound stage on this is like you are sitting on the stage and the band is playing around, not great but ok. I have to add that all the instuments are placed exactly where I want them and the imaging of the headphones is simply fantastic.

The Sound

The lows; If I had to describe these in one word, that word would be tight. They dont seem to extend super deep but they pack a punch. Many people would say that these are "bass-light", but I have to dissagree with them.I wouldnt recommend these for rap, dubstep, or electronica, but the have enough bass for what I listen to( rock). I meen of course you can definetly more bass than what these have to offer but the quality of the bass is good.
 
Mids; This is where these headphones really shine and the reason I bought them. No other brand can replicate the sound of a guitar like Grados, and I stand by my statement. Not only do they do guitars well but vocals, saxaphones, you name it all sound great on these cans. These headphones have better mids than some of my 300 dollar headphones.
 
Highs; The highs on the headphones are prestine. They are very rarly harsh and fatiging. Cymbols, sirens flutes, all sound great on these headphones.
Genre Recommendation; I would recommend these to anyone whos loves rock music, blues, and jazz. These are very aggresive sounding witch is why the are great for rock. I woundn't recommend these for hip hop or rap or anything that requires bass because I think you may be unsatisfide
.
The Jist; Overall I think these are great headphones for 80 dollars and for that price point I think are the king. For fast music under 100 it doesn't get much better than this.
 

sennheiserhd485

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Great for rock, midrange transparency
Cons: Could be a little more comfortable
Highly recommended for rock! They also reproduce cymbals VERY well!

Blue Boat

Banned member koolkat.
Pros: rock and metal sounds great, quite affordable, can be modified easily
Cons: comfort - may not be for everyone
My set-up consists of my laptop running Windows 7, Fiio E7 and my SR60s. 
 
Sound quality
 
I never thought I'd ever get an eargasm. That changed when I got my Grado SR60. Out of the box, they sounded slightly too cold for my taste. I played some of my favourite tracks through them and I realised that the SR60's strengths lie in it's ability to reproduce electric guitar solos. The intro of Throes of Perdition by Trivium really brings out the monster in these cans. The Pixies' Where Is My Mind is also very well reproduced by these cans. 
 
Crazy as this may sound, I felt that the SR60 lacks sparkle in the higher frequencies. They respond well to equalisation, so I decided to sparkle up the highs by pushing the 4-10kHz bands up a few decibels. This also makes the headphones sound brighter at lower volume. The SR60 is also quite detailed, but it is not analytical. I would describe the whole sound signature as one that would make you headbang/toe-tap a lot.
 
Straight out of the box, the bass was slightly disappointing. The Grados definitely thump in bassier songs but the bass didn't linger around, making them unsuitable for genres like dubstep where you want to experience that cavernous drop. The musical presentation of the SR60 is very upfront and personal. They don't do 3D imaging very well, even with the Dolby headphone plugin. Not necessarily a bad thing, as I prefer an in-your-face presentation with most songs.
 
In a rather short side by side comparison with the SR225, the SR60 loses in terms of detail presentation. The SR225 has a slightly more airy sound to me, while the SR60 is a little more congested. The details are quite apparently if you focus on the music, otherwise they both sound really similar. Replacing my quarter modded yellow ear pads with L-Cush bowls made the SR60 sound a lot more like the SR225. With the bowls, I'd say the SR60s are 90% of the way there. 
 
Comfort
 
Out of the box, the comfort was... not there. The standard comfies Grado supplies you with are made of a really rough foam material and that was the main reason I got the yellow ear pads from Sennheiser. Clamping force hasn't changed much over 2 months but the metal piece under the vinyl head band can be easily shaped to make it less clampy. The SR60 is rather light, so weight is not an issue. The supra-aural design also prevents the heaty sensation you get from wearing closed circumaural headphones for too long.
 
Design
 
The design of the lower end Grados on the Prestige line is quite similar, apart from the circular button on the mesh and the cable. I like the retro/vintage-hip look of the Grados. I think the older non-i cups are better looking though. 
 
On the SR60 and other lower end Grados, the head band is made of vinyl. This isn't a big problem as the weight of these headphones are still relatively low. If I ever shaved my head, I would get a leather head band from jmoney or jinteddy. But vinyl's fine at the moment.
 
Driving them with Clip+
 
Not advisable. The SR60 is quite sensitive and can reach very high volume on a small portable mp3 player like the Clip+ but the audio quality is not as good as plugging it into a PC. The SR60 also does well when paired with an amplifier or a better DAC - less hiss, cleaner presentation.
 

 
For those looking for a good headphone within a $100 budget, I would definitely recommend the SR60. You can even upgrade your Grados bit by bit, part by part as you go along. Wood shells, alu-shells, Magnum drivers, custom head bands, etc. 
 
 
 
 

koolkat

1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Light, supra-aural, retro design, thick cable.
Cons: Y link is a little flimsy, not as comfortable as some other headphones I've tried, namely Sennheisers.
I got these from a local shop for SGD120, about USD99.
 
Rewritten the whole review.
 
 
First impressions: These headphones are meh. A little overrated, doesn't carry bass very well.
Current impressions: Great headphones for dynamic rock with lots of guitar, drums and forward vocals.
 
I have modded my Grado SR60i a little. I had the plastic grill and button removed, a painstaking task, but well worth the time and effort. I have quarter-modded the comfies that the stock SR60 comes with and I have also removed the white cloth that covers the driver protectors.
 
Also poked 2 holes on each cup to increase the bass.
 
Some pics to illustrate my point
 
2011-09-15_23-04-29_48.jpg
 
Q-mod with cloth removed.
 
By cutting the bit of foam off the comfies and removing the bit
of white cloth that covers the driver protector, I've made the drivers
slightly more prone to dirt, dust and hair
 
but
 
since there's less material between the driver and your ears, music
sounds a little cleaner and brighter overall.
 
 
2011-09-15_23-04-42_265.jpg
 
Grill and button removed. Grado ring missing on the right.
 
Anything that covers the opening is an obstruction to the airflow.
If you cup your hands over the chamber opening, music sounds
a little trapped and muffled.
 
So I removed the grill and button. There's not a huge difference in
sound but every little change can make you go from liking your
Grados to loving them.
 
End result: Less obstruction - clearer sound.
 
2011-09-15_23-08-06_382.jpg
 
Two holes poked.
 
SR60s aren't really known for being bassy. They can produce
that little thump, but they're far from being bass monsters.
 
I've always thought that poking holes in there would cause 
an increase in bass quantity which would screw up the other
frequencies but I decided to poke one on each side just for
the lulz.
 
While it did tame the other frequencies a little (imo), it didn't
make the overall sound too muddy. The SR60 still sounds
a little harsh on some songs but poking the holes gave music
a little more body.
 
All this is very subjective, what works for me might not work for
you, vice versa. Out of curiosity, I poked another hole in each of 
the cups, so that's 2 holes each.
 
At first I thought the music sounded a little muddy and congested,
but nope. I feel that 2 holes is the sweet spot for me. But to be fair,
my FiiO E7 separated the musical instruments better than my onboard
sound card.
 
Without the E7, music sounded a little bloated and congested. 
For those with a poor onboard sound, then an amp/dac like the E7
will really make the SR60s shine.
 
Comfort
 
Comfort is still an issue. Clamping force out of the box is straight up
overpowered. I couldn't wear the SR60 for more than an hour straight.
 
A couple of guys suggested that I stretch out the headband since the
metal is quite ductile. That helped. The comfies pads are made of 
some low quality material that's quite uncomfortable.
 
It looks good alright, but I prefer the Senn HD414 pads for comfort.
Right now I can wear the SR60 on my head for 2 - 3 hours at a time.
They still hurt a little, but nothing too unbearable.
 
 
Burn-in
 
I'm not a true believer of burn-in. 
 
Comfort improved over time but I haven't had the Grados long enough to see if the headphones suddenly turn magical. Bought this roughly a month ago.
 
All in all
 
Great for alt. rock and indie stuff.
They're worth the price. Definitely.
 
 
 
Some song recommendations
 
The Killers - This River is Wild (Sam's Town)
The Killers - All These Things That I've Done (Hot Fuss)
Blue October - Into the Ocean 
 
 
bcasey25raptor
bcasey25raptor
I own the Alessandro MS1 which is a lot like these and I feel they are great for rock and metal. But surprisingly I like my laid back Shure SRH840 more for metal. Perhaps I am not the norm.
koolkat
koolkat
Imo, it depends on the type of rock you're listening to. I find these great for bands like Panic at the Disco, where the bass really isn't prominent, but for Red Hot Chilli Peppers, I'd definitely go for my HD438s.
Tefloon
Tefloon
Yeah, laid back headphones are better for certain kind of metal (i.e. most of the kinds I enjoy) IMHO.

bentonpatrick24

Head-Fier
Pros: Great Sound Quality, Comfortable, Great Value
Cons: Design, Some Quality Issues
Pros:
Sound is amazing once it is burnt in. The comfort level for me increased after a couple of months. Great Value, Sounds a lot better than my Bose On Ear headphones that cost 100 dollars more. 
Cons:
When I first got them the left one fell apart and I had to put it back together. Then later the left cable came loose and I had to soder it back together.
 

peterabb

New Head-Fier
Pros: Sound awesome
Cons: sound leakage (acoustically necessary)
Definitely worthy of all the praise for sound quality!
Ikelmonster
Ikelmonster
agreed, just wait till they burn in a bit too, they open up nicely
peterabb
peterabb
Really?, should I just use them normally or would you suggest white noise or something else specific?
Thanks for your reply.
peterabb
peterabb
You were correct. I've owned them for over 6 months and they've indeed gotten much better (warmer)

Ikelmonster

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Awesome sound, vintage look, don't require an amp, ability to upgrade
Cons: Uncomfortable until worn in, leak lots of sound
When my 3rd set of Bose noise-canceling ear buds broke, I decided to look into a different type of headphone. The first site I stumbled upon was CNET, and for a couple of hours I poured over their headphone reviews. I eventually decided on the Grado SR60i because of their low price and the high regard that everyone held for them. I drove to the nearest audio store knowing which pair I was going to purchase, however I also tried a couple other Grado models that were on display (mostly the 80 and 225). In all honesty, aside from the sound difference over-ear headphones provide, I couldn't really tell a difference from the ear buds I had been using for years and years. Despite my initial reaction, I still bought the 60's, and headed home.
My first listen with my new 60's was even more of a let down as I realized just how much the sound leaked. With my girlfriend across the room, I couldn't turn the volume up beyond 2 or 3 levels on my Macbook Pro. I was dismayed; not only was the sound not mind blowing, but I had to be in a room alone to be able to listen to the phones at a reasonable volume. Instead of giving up on the Grados however, I again ignored my initial reaction and kept the phones. 
Let me fast forward to June 21. I was sitting on my couch after work, zoning out on the internet, with my Grados on and my itunes blaring away. By this time, the 60's were more comfortable, but I had still yet to fall in love with the sound they produced. Then, all of a sudden,it happened: The song Hold My Finger by Sikth came on, and I had to stop reading whatever I was skimming on the internets because of what was going on in my ears. As the guitars switched back and forth between the left and right side and the bass noodled in the background and the cymbals crashed, I realized that I could hear it all, and not only could I hear everything but it was clear and warm and bright and a million other descriptions.
I have no idea if this sudden epiphany of sound was the result of burning the phones in, or of my ears getting used to the open-on-ear design, or what, but whatever the case, I definitely love these headphones now. People on this site and others love to use hyperbole to describe certain headphones, and I think I am getting a little bit closer to speaking hyperbolically about these 60s.
Despite the leaking sound, these headphones are the s*** (in a good way). Oh, and I also found out that they are easily modded...as if I needed another reason to like them!
 
Also, on a side and closing note, Sikth is an incredible band and really showcases the ability of these headphones, check em out if you have any affinity for rock that dabbles in metal and weirdness.
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Ikelmonster
Ikelmonster
Haha hell yes
JGrignon
JGrignon
Wow, great review. Whenever a story is applied to a review, it makes everything oh-so-much more meaningful. Looking into getting a pair of Grado's one day as my first open-back headphones. After this review, I am considering the 60i's.
vanDelft
vanDelft
*thinking*

Oxyuranus

New Head-Fier
Pros: price, bass, clarity, durability, design
Cons: sound leak
Let me start off by saying I've been a competitive PC gamer for a quite a while now. I never really cared about sound quality. I've had plenty of overpriced headsets labeled as "gaming headsets" from companies such as Razer, Steeleries, Logitech, etc. Never actually listened to a good pair of headphones.  
with some research I found the Grado SR60i's. I went to J&R and bought them. I was so confident that they would sound good that I didn't even try them out before I bought them. listened to a variety of music on the subway ride home and I was blown away by the quality. I was not aware that music could sound so good. 
I couldn't be happier. i'll be content with these for a while. best $80 i've ever spent. they sound great and look good, too. 

blufox4900

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Clarity. Rich mids. Easy to drive. VALUE!
Cons: Sound leakage. Comfort for glasses wearers
Let me just say that these are my very first set of high quality cans..ever and that I'm completely new to all of this. That being said, the Grado SR60i's have certainly changed the way I listen to music..probably forever! The first thing I noticed once I got used their sound signature was the rich mid tones where all the instruments and vocals shine. They weren't kidding when they say grados are king of rock, play some RHCP Stadium Arcadium lossless and prepare to be blown away.

These things are also pretty easy to drive. You can just plug them right away into your DAP without assistance. My sansa clip+ can drive these perfectly fine.

Oh and did I mentioned the incredible value?! Wasn't expecting this kind of quality for $80. I am a noob but I have gotten used to my brother's panasonic RP-HJE900 IEMs and these things are on par, at least to my ears. Your mileage may vary.

There are a few cons, though. First of all is the leakage. It certainly isn't as bad as most people make it out to be but it's something to take note of. People immediately next to you can hear what you're listening and the music can be heard in very quite rooms. That being said, they're not bad. These are, afterall, grados with an open design. It's just something you have to accept.

Another thing might just be me but sometimes after a while the headphones start to feel very uncomfortable..even painful due to the fact that I wear glasses. They put pressure onto the frame and they just dig into your ears. Easy fix is to just lift the glasses frame a bit above the ears and let the SR60i's hold them on and problem solved. Just something to take note of.

That being said, these things don't disappoint.

bigshoe83

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: super sound, low price, good build quality
Cons: haven't really found any yet, maybe a little lacking on bass
I love these babies.  Granted they are my first decent headphones they sound awesome.  I didn't realize headphones could sound this great!
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