[zombywoof]

  After clearing the snow this afternoon from yesterday, I'm listening to Quartette Humaine (Bob James & David Sanborn) with the HP2 and finding them to be just spectacular in every way at a nice low listening level. 

I was also taking some time to catch up on my listening after an oh so feeble attempt at snow removal...we got slammed with snow (4 inches but it may as well be 4 feet here)...the real problem will be 3+ straight days of below freezing temperatures...frozen pipes will likely be the end of this story.6
 
@joseph69
I was not familiar with this album...but like B. James and D. Sanborn, and have an album by them from the 80's...Double Vision.  Will check it out.

 

[joseph69]

  I was also taking some time to catch up on my listening after an oh so feeble attempt at snow removal...we got slammed with snow (4 inches but it may as well be 4 feet here)...the real problem will be 3+ straight days of below freezing temperatures...frozen pipes will likely be the end of this story.6
 
@joseph69
I was not familiar with this album...but like B. James and D. Sanborn, and have an album by them from the 80's...Double Vision.  Will check it out.

A friend of mine moved to NC last year and said exact the same thing. He said the slightest snow fall shuts down the whole town (Mooresville) being their not used to/prepared for these conditions.
 
Quartette Humaine features Steve Gadd on drums…great CD.
I have Double vision as well. Time Again (David Sanborn) is a must of you're not familiar with it , along with 3 Cd's from Bob James featuring Earl Klugh: Two Of A Kind/Cool/One On One. 
And of course every Cd from Fourplay which Bob James has been a member of from the start.

 

[zombywoof]

@joseph69
Thanks for the recommendations...I know the James/Klugh albums ad Forepaly...will check out Sanborn / Time Again.  Cheers.

 

[HeavenNotes]

No snow here and Im listening Rudy Royston 303  with my 325Gold  and G original Grado pads.

 

[HarveySwick]

Brand new to the forum. I'm trying to read thru the entire thread. (Right now, I'm up to page 60. I have a lot of reading left to go.) Just figured I'd post and see if I could get some quick input. My wife got me my first pair of Grados for my birthday (I sent her a link. wink.gif ) I asked for the SR80e's after wanting to try a pair of Grados for years and reading that was a decent starting point.

My question is will I be happy with the SR80e's for now or should I just give them a try and, if I enjoy the Grado sound, return them and upgrade to the SR325e's?

I debated the decision for awhile, but I chose the SR80e's because it seemed I'd have a good idea of the Grado sound and she would pay for them and I wouldn't have to kick in some $ towards my gift (and not get a disapproving look from her since I JUST bought a pair of HiFiMan HE-400i's about a month ago!)

Any advice or opinions are greatly appreciated!

 

[headfry]

my 80e's get very little use since getting my SR325e's...the 80e is a mellower
Grado while the 325e has excellent clarity but also can sound a bit hard in the highs..
in the right setup they're a big step up from the 80e.  
 
 
If possible, best to listen to some of your tracks with the 325e's and evaluate for yourself.

 

[beez]

Brand new to the forum. I'm trying to read thru the entire thread. (Right now, I'm up to page 60. I have a lot of reading left to go.) Just figured I'd post and see if I could get some quick input. My wife got me my first pair of Grados for my birthday (I sent her a link. wink.gif ) I asked for the SR80e's after wanting to try a pair of Grados for years and reading that was a decent starting point.

My question is will I be happy with the SR80e's for now or should I just give them a try and, if I enjoy the Grado sound, return them and upgrade to the SR325e's?

I debated the decision for awhile, but I chose the SR80e's because it seemed I'd have a good idea of the Grado sound and she would pay for them and I wouldn't have to kick in some $ towards my gift (and not get a disapproving look from her since I JUST bought a pair of HiFiMan HE-400i's about a month ago!)

Any advice or opinions are greatly appreciated!

first, congrats. grado's entry level is awesome. at one point i sold my rs1i rig because i couldnt justify keeping them when i got just about as much enjoyment from my sr60 straight from my macbook.

that being said, go buy a pair of ttvj flat pads. use them for a week and you'll probably never look back. these are the original pads, and to me it's without question the biggest difference maker/upgrade (moreso than any dac or amp). no idea why grado doesnt still ship with them.

my advice would be to first learn to love your sr80 (it won't take long) and appreciate what it does. nothing has the heart and soul of a grado. when the time comes, the 325 is a GREAT headphone and a worthwhile upgrade. metal chamber grados with flat pads are a perfect headphone in my opinion, even better than their wood counterparts. they are a bit heavier though, which is why you'll want to keep your sr80 for when you want something more lightweight or portable. i wouldnt walk around outside with the 325.

congrats again. grado headphones changed everything for me and made me fall in love with music again.

 

[HarveySwick]

Thanks for the response. So you like the ttvj flat pads more than the stock s cushions or the bowls? I bought a pair of the bowls so I could compare the sound of the two. I'm just really excited to finally own a pair of Grados. I don't know why I've waited so long. I think really choosing which pair kind of caused a delay.

 

[beez]

Thanks for the response. So you like the ttvj flat pads more than the stock s cushions or the bowls? I bought a pair of the bowls so I could compare the sound of the two. I'm just really excited to finally own a pair of Grados. I don't know why I've waited so long. I think really choosing which pair kind of caused a delay.

yeah way more. flats are all i use on all my grados, from the sr60 to my sr200 and sr325 that both have hp1000 drivers in them. theyre also the most comfortable to me by far. the flats tame the highs, give a lush midrange that just melts you with any vocals, and give a tight punch and impact to the bass. everything is just right with them. it's worth trying out all different pads to get a feel for how it plays with the sound though . i also for a little while enjoyed reversed quarter modded sennheiser hd414 pads (you can search around for a how-to on this) but ultimately yea it's all flat pads for me. the flats let you listen a lot louder with no fatigue as well.

i've loved grado headphones for a long time, and i feel that the flats are the only pad that reveals the "true grado sound." i try not to sound like a salesman for these things (because i'm not, lol) but it breaks my heart when i see so many people who havent tried the original grado pad.

with any pad (or even headphone) change, give yourself a few days to a week to adjust and appreciate the new sound. most things wont sound good right away, but then when you go back to the old you'll see the difference. i notice this a lot with a headphone upgrade or gear upgrade or something, when you expect to be blown away right off the bat based on what you read. let your ears be the judge and give them some time.

happy listening

 

[HarveySwick]

Is there any real difference between the TTVJ flat pads and the deluxe flat pads or is that just really overdoing it at that point?

 

[dr cornelius]

Is there a significant difference between the TTVJ flat pads and the deluxe flat pads or is that just really overdoing it at that point?

Try checking out his thread....  http://www.head-fi.org/t/810617/ttvj-flat-pad-test-original-vs-deluxe
 
Pertaining to your original question - I’d go for the SR 60e.  This will give you an idea of the Grado sound (I’m assuming there aren’t any stores in your area to try them) - without spending too much money.  But... if you just picked up a pair of the HiFiMan HE-400i’s, the entry level SR 60e or 80e, might be starting too low...

 

[joseph69]

 Quote:

Congratulations on the 80e (and another year). I believe that the original 80 came stock with the (L) cushions, not TTVJ flat pads. The RS1 originally came with flat pads as well as all of the HP1000 series. In the case of @beez  being in favor of the TTVJ pads I can understand his point using them with his (blackstar-HP1000 drivers) in his SR200/325. I say this because I've tried TTVJ flats on all of my Grados and they just weren't for me, I prefer the L cushions on my 325is/RS1i models. But…when I received my HP1000 (HP2) with (backstair drivers) I agree with his opinion on using TTVJ flats with these drivers.they just sound right. It all comes down to preference and I'm in no way disagreeing with anyones preference or trying to persuade anyone in any way about what pads they sh/should not be using.

 Also, I had the 80i (4yrs) and it was an awesome headphone without a doubt, but I ended up giving mine away due to rarely using them any more due to my 325is. I also had the HE400i and preferred my 325is by far.
Enjoy!

 

[DavidA]

Thanks for the response. So you like the ttvj flat pads more than the stock s cushions or the bowls? I bought a pair of the bowls so I could compare the sound of the two. I'm just really excited to finally own a pair of Grados. I don't know why I've waited so long. I think really choosing which pair kind of caused a delay.

I have a different take on pads, I can't stand flats and the Grado L pads provide a better sound IMO.  But for comfort the G pads are even better but this is just my preference, with the lower models I also like the cheap Earzonk or some of the even cheaper Chinese ones from ebay which are $6 but the QC is not great so might need to buy a few to find a good matched pair.  I'm also one who likes to mod Grados and have been using alternate drivers from EllevenAcoustica, Nhoord, and Symphones so my sound signature preferences are not quite the same as most who love their Grado as is.  Started with a SR-225e and went to RS2e and then got into modding, woody SR60i, woody SR-225i, removable cables (stock 8 conductor is just too heavy for such light headphones IMO), dynamat in the cups and sorbothane on the back of the drivers are some of the mods that I've done.

 

[marts30]

Comparing the sr60e and Alessandro MS2e, they're nearly identical to my ears (with L-cush). 60e has a bit more bass, but they have pretty much the same sig. Not overly bright, great mids.
 
Prefer the 60e because of the more bass.
 

Brand new to the forum. I'm trying to read thru the entire thread. (Right now, I'm up to page 60. I have a lot of reading left to go.) Just figured I'd post and see if I could get some quick input. My wife got me my first pair of Grados for my birthday (I sent her a link. wink.gif ) I asked for the SR80e's after wanting to try a pair of Grados for years and reading that was a decent starting point.

My question is will I be happy with the SR80e's for now or should I just give them a try and, if I enjoy the Grado sound, return them and upgrade to the SR325e's?

I debated the decision for awhile, but I chose the SR80e's because it seemed I'd have a good idea of the Grado sound and she would pay for them and I wouldn't have to kick in some $ towards my gift (and not get a disapproving look from her since I JUST bought a pair of HiFiMan HE-400i's about a month ago!)

Any advice or opinions are greatly appreciated!

 
I owned the SR325e and sold them in favour of the 60e. You really notice the less bass from the 60e or 80e to the 325. You get more highs, but I preferred the sig of the 60. Just put some L-Cush pads on them.

 

[headfry]

the other thing to mention is that the 325e's are clearer and more detailed and really
need a very good dac/source to be worthwhile - e.g.  Audioquest Dragonfly or equivalent at minimum -
- if using straight out of a smart phone or other medium grade source the 80e would be the better choice.
 
For myself at least, while I love my 325e's they were stepping stones to my GS1000i's..
once you have a taste you too may get Grado upgrade-itus. Out of Mojo,
both sound amazing but my GS1000i's get by far the most use. 
 
I'm happy that I used the 80e's for a while, then also 325e then finally the GS1000i -
over the course of 2 1/2 years or so - as I really appreciated the upgrades each time
and still enjoy owning and using all three - the 80e and 325e for on the go -
GS1000i stay at home.
 
 
At its price, the SR80e would be a risk-free choice, as long as you find them musical
to your ears.