[geoxile]

Durable enough to toss in a backpack with heavy books all day long?

 

[Gwarmi]

 
 
 What is most likely to happen is the dreaded 'Grado cable kink' - the cables become twisted with the heavy
 books and become almost permanently contorted.
 
 Cups are very sturdy - I'd always put them on top of the books when you fill your bag.
 
 Even better, use the front zipper section on your bag - that way they'll be fine.

 

[Focker]

I agree with Gwarmi. I roll up the cable and secure it with a velcro strip, but I take my SR80s to work all the time. They just get stuffed in my laptop case haphazardly and seem to hold up fine. So far I don't really understand the knocks on Grado durability that I've read once or twice. They are a simple design, sure, but I don't see that they aren't durable.

 

[SolomonPierce]

I don't abuse mine but they seem like they'd hold up to a little punishment anyway, the cable is very heavy duty.  Then again they're no dt770s... I wouldn't even be afraid to throw them out of the window.
 
offtopic:
 
100th post yay!  Hey there goes my wallet!

 

[musicisthekey]

Grado headphones are pretty sturdy. However, I would suggest getting a case for them.

 

[geoxile]

What case do you guys recommend?
 
Also, are the SR225is a worthy step up or should I just stick to the SR80s

 

[Mr.Sneis]

Another thing to worry a little bit about is grattle, basically hairs/etc getting stuck in the driver membrane resulting in horrible sound.  You'll want the case to help avoid stuff floating into them!  eBay Grado case and I think you'll find what you're looking for.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

What case do you guys recommend?
 
Also, are the SR225is a worthy step up or should I just stick to the SR80s

I jumped to the 325s, and I'm thrilled with the improvement over the 80s (and I love the 80s), so I would guess the 225s will be a noticeable improvement, as well. I've heard others say the 225s are the "sweet spot" in the Grado line in terms of the priceerformance ratio, and that the premium for the 325s over the 225s is not always worth it. If I were you, I'd go 225s if possible.
 

 

[GL1TCH3D]

I'm reading interesting things here.. I've always been under the impressions grados were more fragile since I talked to a store owner a year ago about headphones. I've never owned a pair myself but I guess his impressions stuck on me.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

I'm reading interesting things here.. I've always been under the impressions grados were more fragile since I talked to a store owner a year ago about headphones. I've never owned a pair myself but I guess his impressions stuck on me.

Dude, there were a few things I read about Grados early on when I came here, and it caused me to cross them off my list initially. Then someone on another site who is a fellow Magnepan lover told me to give them a chance. I ordered some SR80s, had a couple conversations with other Grado owners, and I've found that pretty much none of the criticisms rang true with me at all. I can see how some would consider the pads a bit scratchy at first, but you throw them in the washer with some fabric softener and problem solved. I find them very light and comfortable, but listening to some others you'd think you had to suffer in silence in order to listen to them. Others said they were fragile, so I felt I would baby them from the get-go...just haven't found that to be the case. SIMPLE design is much different than Fragile. On top of all that, I love the open airy sound, the tight, crisp bass, and the imaging on these things is AMAZING.
 
It's one thing when you just don't prefer a certain type of sound, but some of these criticisms of the Grado line are just unfounded. Iv'e come across people who have their same pair of Grados from 2, 5, 10, and even more years ago....not a single problem at all with durability. Maybe I just happened to get the most perfect pair of SR80s and 325s ever created, I dunno...but I my enjoyment of music over the last few months would have been far less if not for the fact that I gave Grados a try. They may still not be for you in terms of their sound, but some of what you've read about them is just bunk given my experience so far.

 

[zazex]

Quote:

Durable enough to toss in a backpack with heavy books all day long?

No, to be direct about it.
 
They're a quality product that will last a long time if taken care of.
But they're not designed for casual handling.

 

[geoxile]

Uh... Well what are some sturdy headphones?
 
What about the ATH ESW9?

 

[obobskivich]

No woodie would ever survive the punishment you're describing - the wood will pit, chip, and ultimately crack. It's just the nature of the material. 
 
The SR-80 are relatively durable; you can do quite a lot worse, especially for that money. They will not survive direct abuse, but very few headphones actually will. The biggest problem I see, apart from the grattle and headphone cable kinks, would be deforming the headband - it's not exactly fragile, but it can be bent (and depending on how much weight you drop on them, and how abusively you treat your stuff, you could easily damage this). I don't think it's fair to say they're "fragile" compared to all hi-fi headphones; look at something like the Sony F1 by contrast, which is like handling a paper doll (I'd never even joke about taking mine outside). 
 
"Sturdy" is fairly limited - you cannot expect to beat the hell out of something and have it survive; if that's how you carry on, either change your habits or get used to replacing products frequently. In-ears would probably be a much better choice (and since this is almost certainly a mobile use, everyone around you will appreciate that as well; Grados leak quite a bit of sound). I would say that Grados are no worse than "average" if not somewhat above it; Sony's studio headphones are probably on par, and Beyerdynamic models are probably somewhat better. In-ears will survive a lot more, by virtue of being smaller and less complicated (mechanically); you can also put them in a lot of better places, like your pocket. Just something to think about. 

Regarding the SR-225; it's a very nice upgrade over the 60/80. I'd say better than the 325 even (not as harsh, not as heavy). For mobile use, I'd avoid all of them - again, no isolation, too much leakage. Get in-ears, or closed cans. If going with closed cans, look at studio models. They'll survive best (and avoid things like the Denon D2000, if you please). 
 
Oh, one thing I forgot to mention - you may consider some of the Koss dynamic headphones, like the Pro4AA, which are reportedly extremely durable (if the ESP/6, 9, and 10 are any indication, they should survive the end of days; if the ESP/950 are any indication, they should survive to the end of the week). They also have a lifetime warranty, but I wouldn't buy them with the intention of abusing that feature (in other words, trashing them once a week/month and sending them back in to get replaced). 
Quote:

Uh... Well what are some sturdy headphones?
 
What about the ATH ESW9?

 

 

[geoxile]

Well if it's an indication of the conditions they'll be in I carried a pair of FC700s in my pack for 2 years without any damage.
 
As for the IEMs, I'm using the Brainwavz M1 right now. I had (and actually still have) the Brainwavz M4 but I've personally found the quality to be a bit questionable despite the fact I like the SQ (the first pair I got turned out to be defect and the pair I have right now have some superficial issues on the 3.5mm at the very least). I'm simply not sure what IEMs will best suit me. Personally, I liked the M4's V-shape.
 
That aside I'm looking for headphones that can give me a different, arguably, better experience when I'm not constantly on the move.

 

[Focker]

One other brand you may want to consider are the V-Moda line. I read an interview with the founder of the company and they are very focused on making headphones that are built like tanks. I hear they sound pretty good, too.