Darn you SR60's!

[appar111]

Well, I walked into Progressive Audio on Friday to take a listen to some Grado cans (SR60, SR80, SR125, SR325) since I've got some extra money to spend. I'm all hyped thinking that if the 325's sound good enough, I can score them for $230 new. So I try all 4 cans, and I'll be darned if the SR60's didn't sound head and shoulders above the other three. At first I thought it was just the comfy pads making the sound warmer and less harsh, so I put the comfys on the SR80's, and they just didn't sound right, as if these cans obviously weren't made with the comfy pads in mind. Same thing w/ the 325's. Everything from the SR80's on up sounded very thin to me, and without that famous midrange that everyone talks about w/ Grados. Sure the mids were there, but it was hard to concentrate on them while clenching my teeth together from the harsh highs.

I almost walked out with a pair of SR60's (again), but I held off. I kept thinking that the SR60's may be a much better match for pop, rock and metal than the DT770/80's that I've been using.

I may very well be back into Progressive Audio tomorrow morning to pick up another pair of SR60's (I fell victim to this around Christmas too, and when I did a back-to-back with the DT770/80's, I ended up selling them because the SR60's sounded much clearer and better suited for rock). I see myself headed this direction again, although this time I may hold onto the Beyers this time, since they're getting harder to find for the sweet price of $150.

If I do get them again I'm not gonna futz around with pads. I'm just going to stick with the comfies since that's what always ends up sounding the best with them anyway.

So should I go for it?

 

[Ref]

I never tried Grados but maybe they were not burned in (higher models) and that's why they sounded worse ...

 

[appar111]

The SR60's were definitely burned in, but so were the others. They've been the same demo pairs that they've had for well over a year, so they've all been burned in, but maybe the higher models haven't gotten as much use.

I have a hard time thinking that the midrange on the 325's is going to fill out enough to sound like the SR60's, though... and if I can get a sound I prefer for $160 less, than maybe I shouldn't complain

 

[RnB180]

grados sound like crap not burned in with bowls.

even when burned in, IMHO they sound like poopy all high, no bass no mid extension, so using stock unburned grados would be unlistenable to me.

slap on a pair of flat pads and now we're talkin.

 

[appar111]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RnB180 grados sound like crap not burned in with bowls. even when burned in, IMHO they sound like poopy all high, no bass no mid extension, so using stock unburned grados would be unlistenable to me. slap on a pair of flat pads and now we're talkin.

Would the SR80's be worthy of flat pads? $25 for $95 cans seems kinda silly though, don't it?

 

[apnk]

I am glad we did not go for the HD280-SR60 trade when i bought your hd280's.

 

[appar111]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apnk I am glad we did not go for the HD280-SR60 trade when i bought your hd280's.

lol, I know - I always figure this stuff out just a little too late!

 

[TenaciousO]

*cough* MS1 *cough*

 

[RnB180]

I use the the flat pads on my SR-80's definately worth the cost of the upgrade. The sonics jumped a whole new level and added lower bass extension. Ive also compared my modded 80s with the 225 and there was little to no difference, Im sure if I used my othe Grado cable, the 80 would have equally matched the 225 or surpassed it.

 

[appar111]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RnB180 I use the the flat pads on my SR-80's definately worth the cost of the upgrade. The sonics jumped a whole new level and added lower bass extension. Ive also compared my modded 80s with the 225 and there was little to no difference, Im sure if I used my othe Grado cable, the 80 would have equally matched the 225 or surpassed it.

Those look killer - does the cable work much like the sennheiser HD580 cable?

So have you tried the SR60's, or did you just jump right up to the SR80's with the flats? That's also very good news to hear about the comparison to the 225, since with the 225's I would need the adaptor cable, which is just more money.

So I can go with: SR60's for $70, SR80's plus flat pads for about $125, or MS1's for $99, and I can still get the flat pads for those at some point.

Tenacious O, do you use the stock comfie pads on the MS1's, or do you use flats?

Also, are the SR80's with flats really that much better than the SR60's in their stock form?

 

[TenaciousO]

Actually, I don't have the MS1 anymore, but I used to have them. When I did own the MS1, I used the yellow quarter-modded Senn 414 pads. Definitely worth the $5 or so. Drum/bass hits sounded ultrarealistic. I used to have the SR80 and SR60 as well. It's been too long since I've had the SR80 so I can't comment on them. The SR60s are definitely good headphones, but I think it's a no brainer to pay the extra $30 for the MS1. The sound is smoother and everything sounds more realistic. I never tried them with the flat pads, but they sure did sound good with the senn pads.

 

[RnB180]

the flats will change the sonic signature of any grado you slap them too.

compared to the bowls and flats, it makes my sr-80s sound like to totally different headphones. every thing is sonically altered.

the bowls are just flat out crappy sounding, theys ound good with classical and stringed instruments, but I hate them for everything else.

use them for a song that has a cymbol in the back and forget about it, it sounds like the band is faded away and the cymbol is the only thing that runs into your ears like nails on a chalk board.

I cant comment on comfies since Ive never used those. but the flats beat the bowls by a landslide.

either way the grados Ive listened to are far too colored for my tastes, I dont know about the ms1s, but if you listen to live music and want sound to sound like the actual recording look elsewhere,

I got a hold of a pair of akg 240ms which are studio monitors and also cheaper then the sr-80s and they blow away the grados and every grado Ive listened too, in terms of neutrality and sound stage imaging.

ie. Grados are hard left and hard right with a severely unbalanced frequency response, the akgs stock were neutral right of the box and had a very flat frequency response.

 

[mjg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RnB180 the flats will change the sonic signature of any grado you slap them too. compared to the bowls and flats, it makes my sr-80s sound like to totally different headphones. every thing is sonically altered. the bowls are just flat out crappy sounding, theys ound good with classical and stringed instruments, but I hate them for everything else.

Defiantley not hte case with the ms2i....

Prefer them with bowls.

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

LOL, everyone hears things differently.

For me, Bowls spank Flats and I own them both (unless you like smeared mids, hyped bass, and a compressed soundstage).

-Matt

 

[recstar24]

I loved my sr60's, to my ears they are the 2nd most balanced sounding of the current grados with the rs-1's being the most balanced - i went through every grado, and each step up boosted that treble more and more, the sr60's had a balanced and less harshy sound but was somewhat grainy but it was nice, the rs-1's return to that balance but in much more refinement.