[supersleuth]

It's a very personal thing, but I prefer the wider soundstage and more open sound of the bowls. They don't have to be over-bright if worn supra-aurally (and a bit low and forward), nor do they have to be uncomfortable if the headband is bent for a loose fit (barely enough pressure to keep them on.) But in any case I think that for anyone who is only familiar with one of these pads, it's worth trying the other.

 

[Prog Rock Man]

I prefer the pads and mine have are going grey around the edges with wear and earwax 

 

[Bilavideo]

I used to think the bowls were the better deal.  They do give you a little more ear/driver distance, which helps "open up" the sound.  On the other hand, they also give you less bass.  The problem is that there are three layers to these pads.  The bottom layer is thicker, because it has to maintain enough of a shape to hold the pad to the front grill.  The top layer is also thicker, which makes for a better contact surface.  In-between, however, is a soft layer.  This keeps things airy but in doing so, it leaks bass.
 
The flats fix this problem by providing less ear/driver distance and a thicker top layer, with much less leakage in the bass.  They're problem is that they can end up muffling the sound.  You need some ear/driver distance.  
 
Some time back, I tried various experiments with the bowls.  In one, I cut out the middle layer.  In another, I stacked the bowl pieces, without the middle layers, to produce homemade cushions that opened-up the soundstage without giving away the bass.  I liked the result better than the use of the jumbos.

 

[supersleuth]

Tastes differ. For me (a classical music listener) any more bass than my SR80 with bowls would be too much (which is why I no longer own a DT990).

 

[VALIENTE]

 
Quote:

+1.. The SR60i's are fantastic.. but beware, if you like the Grado sound, you'll quickly become addicted.. LOL
 
I loved my SR60i's so much, I had to try the 325i's.. I'm waiting for them to arrive... Don't let that scare you, if I weren't in a position to trade for them, I would have been completely satisfied with my 60i's
 

 

I only assume, the RS1i has very addicting sound.

 
Grados, you make my ears very happy!

 

[shawnr]

Thanks to all of you who wrote here your comments. I´m giving it some days to settle it in my mind, but for few days I´ve been still thinking just about getting SR60i, so this may be the option I´d go for. But I´ll give it couple few days and I´ll see. So thank you everyone who wrote here something and thank to everyone who will write here somethink in next days also.

 

[beaglepower]

This thread has been very helpful for me. Thanks to all the posters for your time and consideration.

 

[Reprobate]

I say save your money and get the 60, then you'll know if you are a Grado fan or not. I went for the SR80i because I heard that it had more "bass", but now I realize that Grado's are not for me at all.

Grados are supposed to be awesome at guitar based rock. I've tried original CD's by the likes of Hendrix, Zeppelin, Van Halen, Floyd, Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, Alice In Chains and even the Beatles on my PS3-->Optical Cable-->Onkyo Receiver-->Grado and while the guitars are pretty cool if you crank the volume up fairly high(too high for an hour of listening), I still find an unacceptable level of impact from the bass guitar and drums. Even after I have broken them in over 130 hours. I'm really surprised I'm not a Grado guy, or can at least appreciate the 80i's, after the tons of threads and reviews I have read.

I realize now that many people do have a polar reaction to the Grado sound, but I just wanted to help balance out the comments from the Grado fans about this or that model having more or less bass. I've learned it's a lot more relative than may be apparent given the high praise here and elsewhere. My hope is that people will demo/research some other headphones along with the Grados, especially if they are short on cash.

 

[shawnr]

Thanks very much for your opinion. This is exactly what I want to try, if I´m Grado guy or not. I´ve heard grados in shop but this is too short to find out if I like it or not. And yes probably I´m gonna for SR60i.

 

[Reprobate]

OK! I finally got some acceptable sound out of the SR80i's. I had an old (1993ish) Denon AVR-610 receiver that had enough power to drive and deliver bass guitar and drums - I had to max the bass and cut the treble. Surprised my 3 year old Onkyo couldn't keep up. My head was boppin' to all my test songs, but damn if my ears aren't ringing after an hour because I had to crank it up quite a bit. I wont be listening to these more than a few minutes at a time until I can try them out with a dedicated headphone amp to see if that will make these worth keeping. I now side with the seeming minority of people who say the 80's need something powerful to drive them.

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

Thanks very much for your opinion. This is exactly what I want to try, if I´m Grado guy or not. I´ve heard grados in shop but this is too short to find out if I like it or not. And yes probably I´m gonna for SR60i.

I've had my SR60i for over a year now, and I still love them so much that I have no plans on moving up the line anytime soon.

 

[Slaughter]

Grados, at least 225 and below, need very little in terms of an amp. And you shouldn't have to crank them up to get impact. Either you like Grados or you don't. And for the record, reversed bowls give you a touch more bass along with increased soundstage.

 

[jbarbier]

Quote:

I've had my SR60i for over a year now, and I still love them so much that I have no plans on moving up the line anytime soon.

Man I keep second-guessing myself on that.  I want to get into Grados because I love sparkling highs.  I think after being a musician (drummer at that) for 15 years, my high-frequency hearing is shot.  I have to crank up the treble on EVERYTHING that I listen to.  I have about $400-500 to drop on some headphones or headphones/amp combo and I am practically clueless on where to go.  I want to get the SR325is but what if I don't like their sound?  $300 is a lot to take a chance on.  But then if I get the SR60is or SR80is, and want to upgrade, it will end up costing more.  Such a dilemma.  Ooops, I don't want to hijack this thread so I'll start another.    

 

[grokit]

Are the 60s easier to drive, with a 1/8" termination, while the 80s have a 1/4" termination? I'm not sure but I thought that was the case for some reason. Ok, I checked and according to Amazon they're both 1/8", but they could be wrong, or maybe that was before the "i" models or something. Are there any differences between the drivers on the two models?

 

[EddieE]

[size=x-small]Bowls don't come in layers of foam - it is one sort of foam which has been dipped in something (probably something quite similar to PVA glue) to make it firmer on either end. [/size]
 
[size=x-small]My personal preference is TTVJ Flats followed by comfies followed by bowls. [/size]
[size=x-small]I think the whole "brightness" thing with Grados is 100% based on bowls. No way they can be called bright phones if you listen with comfies or flats.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]It's all about personal preference though, great thing about Grados is you get to chose for yourself. [/size]