[544322]

I got those spare. 1 original Grado leather headband and 1 Shipibo made headband. PM me if you're interested.

 

[ACOC0NUT]

So what are the improvements you get as you move up the line? I’m looking at the 5 new Prestige headphones and from the blurbs, here’s what I’m seeing:


SR60x —> SR80x - You go from $99 to $125 and I don’t see any difference whatsoever listed for that $26 price gap.

SR80x —> SR125x - You go from $125 to $175 and you get the 8-conductor cable for that $50 price gap.

SR125x —> SR225x - You go from $175 to $225 and you get F cushions, the metal grating, and 0.05db driver matching for that $50 price gap.

SR225x —> SR325x - You go from $225 to $295 and you get the metal housing and the calf-skin leather headband for that $70 price gap.

Did I miss anything?


These ‘x’ series headphones all look like a nice upgrade over the ‘e’ series, but I still maintain that the Prestige series doesn’t need 5 headphones. I’m not sure why both the 60 and 80 need to exist and the 125 seems like a rather expensive upgrade for no difference besides the cable. I think this lineup should be cut down to 4, possibly even 3 headphones.

Funnily enough, the best deal of the whole bunch here seems to be the 325x, as it’s now only a $70 upgrade over the 225x, whereas the 325e was $95 more than the 225e.

Like someone else mentioned, the difference between the 60 and 80 used to be the 80 had a de-stressed drive while the 60 did not. I don't know if this is still a thing but I imagine they would keep doing this with the new drivers as most of the new generation's improvements seem to be in the voice coil.

As for the rest if the line, I believe there are differences in the drivers, even between the 80 and 125. Of course this is all just Grado's word as they are only willing to say that they make changes to the driver from model to model, but never go into specifics.

They could probably get rid of the 60 and keep the 80 (or visa versa) and maybe drop the 125, but overall there isn't really any harm in having so many models since they cover all the budget price brackets and are supposed to have differences in sound and tuning, even if only subtle ones.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Guys.

Headphones aren't PC parts. Sometimes the quality difference is just "the thing is made better." Just because Grado isn't listing off quantifiable differences doesn't mean there's no difference.

 

[vonspanky]

Just order the Grado Hemp on the back of the feedback and reviews here. I'm currently using the SR325e through a Zen Dac (love that Truebass button!).
I did try the iFi Neo iDSD but was very underwhelmed with the sound through the SR325e's, especially as this is a $700 amp/Dac. I'm surprised by the positive reviews of the Neo to be honest. I am just streaming Tidal via the iMac27 USB so I do have a narrow use case I guess?

 

[Gippy]

gradolabs.com now has the X series infopages live for the Prestige series HERE.

Well, I was right! The Hemp was indeed a test run of the new drivers they'd put in the X series. The L pads being phased out of all Prestige models is an interesting move. I'm betting that for at least the Prestige models, they're just trying to hit a sound preference that would appeal more to a wider variety of people, with more bass and less treble. The airier sound signature of the L and G pads is better appreciated by those with more discerning ears, and those who are willing to experiment more with their equipment.

Setting the price of the new SR60x the same as the old SR80e, $99, will likely end up being an economical boon for them. The SR80e had always been their best-selling model because it was at exactly the sub-$100 price point. The SR60x will sell more than the SR80x, but they get all the extra money from those who would've bought a SR60e.

It may be a long while before the premium models are upgraded. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them only get single digit sales per month. For the wooden cups, they can't just re-carve an X into the wood.

I did try the iFi Neo iDSD but was very underwhelmed with the sound through the SR325e's, especially as this is a $700 amp/Dac. I'm surprised by the positive reviews of the Neo to be honest.

Yeah, I could've told you that was going to be a poor match. You get the iFi products for XBass and 3D, but that product has neither. The Neo iDSD output is best fed to another amp, but that kind of ruins the aesthetic. Maybe try their Signature, or even the Zen CAN at a fraction of the price.

 

[trellus]

Like someone else mentioned, the difference between the 60 and 80 used to be the 80 had a de-stressed drive while the 60 did not. I don't know if this is still a thing but I imagine they would keep doing this with the new drivers as most of the new generation's improvements seem to be in the voice coil.

As for the rest if the line, I believe there are differences in the drivers, even between the 80 and 125. Of course this is all just Grado's word as they are only willing to say that they make changes to the driver from model to model, but never go into specifics.

They could probably get rid of the 60 and keep the 80 (or visa versa) and maybe drop the 125, but overall there isn't really any harm in having so many models since they cover all the budget price brackets and are supposed to have differences in sound and tuning, even if only subtle ones.

Yup, they did keep the de-stressed driver as a distinctive of the SR80x over the SR60x, they just failed to mention on their official store page info for the SR80x but they did notate it on the official product page for it on gradolabs.com

 

[audiobomber]

For GH4 owners, in case you also missed this Positive Feedback rave review as I had.
https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/grado-labs-gh4-headphones/

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

Yup, they did keep the de-stressed driver as a distinctive of the SR80x over the SR60x, they just failed to mention on their official store page info for the SR80x but they did notate it on the official product page for it on gradolabs.com

What does a "de-stressed" driver even mean? Should I ask my SR60e if he's feeling stressed ? Is there a Grado therapist he can go to for destressing?

 

[SomeGuyDude]

What does a "de-stressed" driver even mean? Should I ask my SR60e if he's feeling stressed ? Is there a Grado therapist he can go to for destressing?

From what I've gathered there's some kind of treatment that gets applied to the drivers to "soften" them a bit, essentially helping them sound more balanced across the volume range as opposed to having FR changes depending on how loud they're being driven. I'm also under the impression that this process can be done much more rigorously and more than once on the higher-end models and I suspect it's done by hand.

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

From what I've gathered there's some kind of treatment that gets applied to the drivers to "soften" them a bit, essentially helping them sound more balanced across the volume range as opposed to having FR changes depending on how loud they're being driven. I'm also under the impression that this process can be done much more rigorously and more than once on the higher-end models and I suspect it's done by hand.

Interesting. So it's like a soak in a hot tub, but for magnets. Sounds destressing to me

 

[Gippy]

What does a "de-stressed" driver even mean? Should I ask my SR60e if he's feeling stressed ? Is there a Grado therapist he can go to for destressing?

The driver diaphragm has been treated with a special coating to reduce resonance. (Source) Presumably, the more premium models either have a different coating, or more layers applied.

 

[vonspanky]

@Gippy - do you have a link to the 'Geekria L' cushions your favour in your Hemp review, please? I'm struggling to distinguish from all the Geekria ones available!

 

[ACOC0NUT]

@Gippy - do you have a link to the 'Geekria L' cushions your favour in your Hemp review, please? I'm struggling to distinguish from all the Geekria ones available!

I believe these are the ones (correct me if I'm wrong).

If these are the ones he recommended, I have to say that I REALLY hated these on both the Hemps and SR80e. They are just harsh grainy treble murder imo. Real Grado L-cush pads are a similar kind of sound but miles better.

I prefer these (Geekria LL) for the Hemps. They retain most of the lower mids and bass of the F-cush pads but adds some treble and don't at all sound as harsh or grainy as the Geekria L. I still prefer the stock F-cush pads on the Hemps, but the Geekria LL are the next best for sound imo and have better comfort.

 

[vonspanky]

I believe these are the ones (correct me if I'm wrong).

If these are the ones he recommended, I have to say that I REALLY hated these on both the Hemps and SR80e. They are just harsh grainy treble murder imo. Real Grado L-cush pads are a similar kind of sound but miles better.

I prefer these (Geekria LL) for the Hemps. They retain most of the lower mids and bass of the F-cush pads but adds some treble and don't at all sound as harsh or grainy as the Geekria L. I still prefer the stock F-cush pads on the Hemps, but the Geekria LL are the next best for sound imo and have better comfort.

Thank you
They are cheap enough that I will probably order both and do my own Pepsi Challenge .

 

[Heyyoudvd]

I see that Bay Bloor Radio just added the new ‘x’ series to their site, if any Canadians here are interested.

We’re getting kind of screwed with the exchange rate, though. The current rate is 1.21 to 1, yet most of these headphones have a premium of around 40-44% over the US price.