[FlobHobNob]

Ok so I've had my grado sr60i's for almost a year now and they are already starting to fall apart. I wont to upgrade this summer to some higher end grados(sr225i) but I'm worried that the sa me things will happen. I just want to know if  this is commen for grados

 

[Kerry56]

No, not common, and very easy to fix with a dab or two of hot melt glue.
 
On the bright side, if this is happening to both sides, you are in good position to do some mods. 

 

[Focker]

There is another thread around here somewhere where this was discussed. The bottom line is that Grados have a simple build, but they are no more or less durable than the next headphone. There are Grado owners who have had their headphones for ten years, just like there are those who had a pair that broke. Obviously the manner in which you care for your gear will be a huge factor. I recently sent back some Beyerdynamic DT880s in order to upgrade them to the T1, mainly because I liked the sound of my Grado 325s far better....I want two pair of headphones that sound different but that I enjoy equally as much, so hopefully the T1 will get me there. But I have two pair of Grados and I have no concerns about their durability at all. If you're always on the go, though, you may want to choose something that is better geared to being portable. Grados are typically better suited for home use.

 

[ile]

Ok, this is an old thread, but I had to come to Head-fi to rant about this issue.

I have had my Grados (SR225i) for 10 years now, in a light use in the home. After 5 years I had the first durability issue, one of the plastic parts was cracking (the one where the metal rod meets plastic). After that it's been downhill with more and more parts getting broke. For example, the wiring (about 10 cm from the cups) got torn, because the plastic in the wiring is quite stiff, that doesn't withstand much movement in the long run. And now, as the final nail in the coffin, the sound is cracking as well - it is disappearing/appearing along the movement of the headphones.

I think they should not behave like this, as the usage hasn't been that tough on them (although 10 years may sound like a lot). Just normal use. I'm quite shocked in fact, at the brittleness of these headphones.

And sorry, if this is bad for Grado (the company). I wish they would listen to this feedback and make some changes though (there would be a lot of them).

I'm now off to buy some "cheap good headphones" which I won't regret too much if they break...

 

[cherylyn]

Ok, this is an old thread, but I had to come to Head-fi to rant about this issue.

I have had my Grados (SR225i) for 10 years now, in a light use in the home. After 5 years I had the first durability issue, one of the plastic parts was cracking (the one where the metal rod meets plastic). After that it's been downhill with more and more parts getting broke. For example, the wiring (about 10 cm from the cups) got torn, because the plastic in the wiring is quite stiff, that doesn't withstand much movement in the long run. And now, as the final nail in the coffin, the sound is cracking as well - it is disappearing/appearing along the movement of the headphones.

Same thing happened with my SR80e. I emailed them, and they were surprisingly responsive and sent me a new pair.

 

[up late]

Ok, this is an old thread, but I had to come to Head-fi to rant about this issue.

I have had my Grados (SR225i) for 10 years now, in a light use in the home. After 5 years I had the first durability issue, one of the plastic parts was cracking (the one where the metal rod meets plastic). After that it's been downhill with more and more parts getting broke. For example, the wiring (about 10 cm from the cups) got torn, because the plastic in the wiring is quite stiff, that doesn't withstand much movement in the long run. And now, as the final nail in the coffin, the sound is cracking as well - it is disappearing/appearing along the movement of the headphones.

I think they should not behave like this, as the usage hasn't been that tough on them (although 10 years may sound like a lot). Just normal use. I'm quite shocked in fact, at the brittleness of these headphones.

And sorry, if this is bad for Grado (the company). I wish they would listen to this feedback and make some changes though (there would be a lot of them).

I'm now off to buy some "cheap good headphones" which I won't regret too much if they break...

your grado experience hardly seems worthy of a thread revival in order to rant about a durability issue. things break, including headphones and ten years of use is a long time. i've never had a grado fail on me but if it did, i'm sure that grado would repair it. of course you have to be prepared to pay for repairs after the warranty period has expired.

 

[ile]

your grado experience hardly seems worthy of a thread revival in order to rant about a durability issue.

Sure, the moderators can delete it.

I would say some of these are design issues, like using stiff plastic (as it would seem to be) instead of flexible rubber, in the wiring.

 

[up late]

Sure, the moderators can delete it.

I would say some of these are design issues, like using stiff plastic (as it would seem to be) instead of flexible rubber, in the wiring.

you could contact grado with your feedback, if you haven't already

 

[cherylyn]

you could contact grado with your feedback, if you haven't already

From when I contacted them, it seems it's a common complaint. They're simply not built too well.

 

[up late]

From when I contacted them, it seems it's a common complaint. They're simply not built too well.

i can only speak from my own experience and i've never had a reliability issue with grados

 

[cherylyn]

i can only speak from my own experience and i've never had a reliability issue with grados

It's a hit or miss imo. My girlfriend's SR125e have been going strong after 6+ years.

 

[up late]

It's a hit or miss imo. My girlfriend's SR125e have been going strong after 6+ years.

well grado have been making headphones for a long time. i have no idea how many they've produced over the years, let alone how many of them have had flaws or developed them due to poor build quality, wear and tear, misuse etc. i wouldn't be making any sweeping generalisations about grado's build quality and reliability based on the anecdotal evidence in this thread.

 

[peskypesky]

I've owned three pairs of Grados. They all fell apart in one way or another. The fact is, Grados have great sound, but are the least durable headphones I've ever come across. The cables in particular are a disaster.

this has happened to all three of my Grados:

 

[peskypesky]

i can only speak from my own experience and i've never had a reliability issue with grados

I think you're an outlier.

 

[up late]

I think you're an outlier.

i think that's a questionable assertion for you to make in the absence of any statistical data to support it. anyway, i didn't come here to defend grado against every complaint that individual owners feel compelled to make about their headphones, no matter how reasonable or unreasonable it may be.