[Bobofthedead]

I have been using a pair of Sennheiser HD 202s for quite a while now, but whilst they sound adequate to my ears [size=xx-small](please don't kill me...)[/size], they are hopelessly uncomfortable. On my left ear, they feel fine; nothing to writhe home about, whilst on my right ear, if I listen for more than ten minutes, my ear feels like it is being cut off with a rusty hacksaw.
I have some money now, about £100 to spend on headphones, and what I want to know is this:

I have heard much talk about the "Grado sound", and I reckon it sounds a good complement for my collection of Prog and Classic rock. I don't want to know about that. What I want to know about is the comfort of them: If I listen to them for an hour or so, will I find my ears on the floor in a pool of blood? Or will they disappear off my ears in a glorious eargasm of music? Basically, are they comfortable?

If the general consensus is that they are not comfortable, then can anyone recommend me some comfortable, Grado-esque headphones for under £100, that sound good un-amped?

Cheers.

 

[carlineng]

Grado's won't clamp down on your ears like the HD202s do. They are MUCH lighter. Some people find them uncomfortable because they rest on the ear, and the foam cushions aren't too plush. I find them to be comfortable enough, and can wear them for 2+ hours without any problems.

 

[1Time]

Grados are basically not comfortable for everyone, which could include you. You're probably going to be better off seeking circumaural comfy headphones. Based on what I've read, I suggest the RP21 with Beyer pads.

 

[paaj]

I think Grado's are comfortable, they just need some time to get the shape of your ear. See if you can try some at a local shop?

 

[Bobofthedead]

Wonderful, thanks for the swift response, but do you mean the Grado models in general, or are you talking about a specific model? I'm currently looking at the Grado SR80...
Oh, and 1Time, when you say "the RP21", what brand is that?

 

[Nocturnal310]

Grado SR80 doesnt clamp your head

 

[Aimless1]

Probably won't get a clear consensus on this question. I wear my Grados for 6+ hours and find them quite comfortable, and this is with the bowls. There is a pretty vocal crowd that just can't stand the Grado bowls, which are on the SR-80 through the RS-1.

Since the cans match your music selection why not give them a go. If you decide you don't like them you can always sell them here. There is a good market here on head.fi for used Grados

 

[Bobofthedead]

Fair enough; I reckon I'll find some bricks 'n' mortar shop near me that sells them (no mean feat...) so that if I have a serious problem with them, I can take them back. Hopefully I won't have to though!

Thanks all.

 

[hmpf]

My first day with SR225 was bad I had red ears and feel bad comfort, things is change second day, Grado's are very comfortable as for me I dont feel nothing bad on my ears just great comfort. But truth is SR225 are great headphones but sombody dont have to like Grado's soundstage wihich is different from other marks, I dont think RS and GS models.

 

[SleepyOne]

Lower model grado isn't too hard to find in London, think you can hear them in Swisscottage Sevenoaks, and also in Walrus Systems. Please double check with the shops. Alternatively you can get it from online shop which maybe cheaper. Do check re: warranty. However, whichever way it only last 1 year.

Re: comfort, I can wear mine for a few hours but it isn't particularly comfortable.

 

[yale.reinstein]

I'm sure they'll hurt. If you persist it will be months before you get used to it. But.... in the end I believe the air around your ears and lightness make them more comfortable than Stax or any super comfortable circumaural design.

 

[jonnymk]

You get used to Grado's. Basically they sit on your ears rather than around so expect to get used to them. I can wear them for hours now an feel fine.

-Jonathan

 

[lisztian420]

Hi,

So I am a huge fan of Grados. But they are not comfortable. There are a few ways of improving the comfort without sacrificing the sound. First, you can use flats. Easiest Way! The second option is using the bowls that come with 80s and just add an extra pad in the middle. (foam materials or search for shack mod) That will make it sound a little muffled up but what you can do is make many small holes or make a big hole the size of a nickle in the center of the pad/foam.

The alternative option is to use the jumbo bowls from gs1000. But the sound suffers quite a bit. Also with this mod, I recommend you to apply the basshead tape mod or the glue mod. This improves the comfort a great deal, and improves the sound stage.(better for classical/ movies) I hope my advices helps you. One of our fellow headfier said it best, with grados, no pain no gain! Good luck!!

 

[F107plus5]

"Clamping" is not a word in the Grado vocabulary.

The headband can be bent to be adjustable from here to next week. Just bend and tweak it to the point where they fit just perfectly. Unlike with some companies cans where the band will snap(like my HD600, if I were to try to bend them)the Grados are intended to be bent again and again until they're adjusted just right.

The pads are even made of a type of foam where the pad material actually intentionally breaks down over time to conform to your ears.

It can take a little effort to get them adjusted just right, and a bit more time for the pads to fully conform, but once that's accomplished, they can be quite comfortable.

 

[nvkid909]

a relative of mine has SR 80s. they are extremely light & sound great. i just can't get my head (ears?) round the circular foam pads, even if they are concave. i do like 'speakers that you wear next to your ears', but circular foam pads feel sooo wrong to me. i know they're open cans, but to my mind there should be no gaps between ear & pad. they should make larger oval shape pads like on the senns (ooops!)