[KevC]

Hey,

A friend's birthday is coming up and I'm thinking of picking up a pair of SR60 for her. Aesthically, I think Grado screams her name since it's all retro and stuff =).

She'll be coming from iBuds so I'm sure she'd appreciate the quality difference. If not, hey... SR60s aren't that much of a cost anyway. She does love music.

She has a iPod Mini... which I heard had the worst sound quality of the bunch. And she also spends much time on the subway to commute. She's been happy with her iBuds for now, so I'm wondering if Grados would let even MORE sound in compared to those?

Possibly getting a set of closed cans or IEMs is a better idea for her (subway noise) but it's possible aesthetics is more important.....

Are there any closed, retro/grado-looking cans that are decent?

thx!

 

[craiglester]

Grados are pretty much completely open, they let in a lot of sound, and seem to let out just as much. My MS1s are noisy as hell to people around me, and don't isolate worth a damn.

So in short, yeah, very open

 

[JSTpt1022]

There are SO many people walking around with ibuds or other open phones on listening to their music in noisy places. Getting on the bus or the train and turning their volume up so that they can hear it. Everytime I see them I shudder. I want to scream at them, If I can hear your ibuds on a moving bus from two rows away you are ruining your hearing as we speak! And they do it everyday...

Ok, I'll stop. Do your friend a favor and get her to try some closed cans or some IEMs.

 

[RasmusseN]

maybe just get her some JVC marshmallows? they will isolate sound and there better than ibuds.

 

[uraflit]

agreed. they are too open for public use... plus she might turn up the music to compensate for the noise around her, which would destroy her ears!

i'd try to go towards the closed route too... akg k81dj, sony mdr-v6, etc.

or maybe IEM's of some sort?

 

[KevC]

That's true. I don't want her hearing to degrade... but who knows how good her hearing is anyway since she's always clubbing and at concerts haha.

Anyway, I do have a Bestbuy GC... I see on the Canadian site there are JVC Gumys. Those aren't the Marshmallows right? Grr... American's have it but not us.

Maybe a pair of HJE50 and SR60... haha.

 

[potatotron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevC /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyway, I do have a Bestbuy GC... I see on the Canadian site there are JVC Gumys. Those aren't the Marshmallows right? Grr... American's have it but not us.

No, they're distinct. The Marshmallows cost about ten dollars more ($25 vs $15) and I think they're only available at Future Shop.

 

[hawkhkg11]

 

[Deftoned]

I'm curios about that too, wether buds isolate (just a little bit) more than Grado's, just one way to find out I guess.

If you'd decide for buds, be sure to give the Yuin P2K a look (69$)(I'm buying a pair too replace the SR60's for portable use). They seem to be the best there is in buds, apart from it's bigger brother PK1 (which need amplification and are twice the price.)

One problem I have with my SR60's for portable use, which you may not have considered, is the cord length, it's loong. I'm tall but it's still lying on the ground when I sit down. And it's always getting tangeled up in something when you're on the move.

For cord legnth I'd stay away from K81Dj too...

For a closed retro-look the Panasonic RP-HTX7 is the first one to spring to my mind.

Btw. they (audiocubes) have theese canalphones too. Maybe not her thing though...

Good Luck!

 

[Deftoned]

If she's going to be using it in traffic I wouldn't recommend something with a lot of isolation (like IEM's). It's plain out dangerous..

Being isolated from noises on the subway/bus is nice but being suprised by a car you didn't hear is not that nice.



On a side note, I think that the iPod Mini yields noticably better sound quality than the Nano (at least the first version)

 

[Tele]

Much more so. My wife has a hard time sleeping with me wearing then in bed.

 

[OneStepCloser]

With either the 325i or 80 my wife can hear them in the next room if the place is deadsilent at night. That is with moderate levels of volume or my normal listening level.

Not that it is so loud she can hear it clearly but she can tell that they are on. So make of that what you will but I wouldn't recommend grados for bus/plane use.

 

[Cooter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevC /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's true. I don't want her hearing to degrade... but who knows how good her hearing is anyway since she's always clubbing and at concerts haha.

Do her a huge favor and buy her some Ety ER20 earplugs to go along with whatever phones you buy her. Several cool colors to choose from. Search if you need more info. They're highly recommended by many head-fiers.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do her a huge favor and buy her some Ety ER20 earplugs to go along with whatever phones you buy her. Several cool colors to choose from. Search if you need more info. They're highly recommended by many head-fiers.

Yup; I got mine free (gift from Altec Lansing) and it saved me so many times when snares, cymbals, and bass drums are right behind you hitting away as hard as they can. Whatever you pay for them, it'll be worth it tenfold (not $-wise) for later on in life someway, somehow.

 

[PooJou]

To answer your q (for about the 10th time) the Grado/Allessandro series all leak like sieves. Basically people around you hear something like 50% or more of the volume music you hear.

Just the design I guess (I use my MS-1's outside much to the detriment of the general public )