anatomy of a grado

[pistolsnipe]

during the (attempted) repair of some sr-80s i completely disassembeled my headphones, since i have not yet seen any pics of this yet, i thought i would post them

 

[subtle]

So that's where the magic happens! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rinshin]

Grados, so simple, so wonderful.

 

[muffin9988]

So THATS what I spend hundreds of dollars for!

 

[Germancub]

Yeah, when my boyfriend helped me solder back on the broken wires to my $295 SR325's I had I was shocked at how sloppily they were built compared to how much they cost.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Germancub /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, when my boyfriend helped me solder back on the broken wires to my $295 SR325's I had I was shocked at how sloppily they were built compared to how much they cost.

If you've disassembled any mid to hi-fi headphone, you know you're paying a premium.
If you think audio isn't a nice profitable business, you're naive.

Easier to say DIY amps and cables than headphones.

 

[Punnisher]

I think people are too quick to judge their craftsmanship. Simplicity =/= lack of quality.

Cool pictures by the way.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punnisher /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think people are too quick to judge their craftsmanship. Simplicity =/= lack of quality. Cool pictures by the way.

It's not so much the craftsmanship but the price. You can get stunning results from stuff that doesn't look great, but there's no denying there's maybe $15 of parts in there. The more expensive models don't have especially more expensive parts inside, either.

That's why something like the HD-800 is particularly galling. They might have $50 into it, but are asking for $1,400. Even if they have $200 of parts in there (highly unlikely), $1,400 is still way too much.

Sure, there's R&D, manufacturing, overhead, etc., etc., but the profit margin on headphones is incredible. Consider that a SR-60i is profitable at $70 and that the labor, parts, costs of production, and everything else can't be more than the RS-1, at ten times the price. Sure, the mahogany is more expensive than injected molded plastic, but maybe $5 or $10 more expensive.

 

[priest]

That's it?? Where's all the stuff that makes the music?

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's it?? Where's all the stuff that makes the music?

Driver = second pic, top right. Best educated guess anyway.
Anyway, $15 of parts = a tad harsh tbh. I'll be a bit more than that, maybe ~$30.

Well documented are of course Apple's products and their profit margins.
In audio, it's not so much what's it worth in parts, but more how much profit/added value are you willing to put on it.
Come to think of it, this really applies to all electronics.

Capitalism works like this:

I got the know-how/security/service etc. You don't. You pay for the parts and the know-how.

 

[Nagasaki_Kid]

The diapragm looks alot like koss and so does the center magnet of the driver.

 

[cheemo]

R.I.Pieces SR80.

 

[Wankerfx]

Wow, amazing how something so simple can sound that good.

 

[Xan7hos]

Thanks for posting, may your headphone rest in peace

 

[kmhaynes]

Hmmm. I can't see the pics -- only red x's. Does everyone see pictures???