[headfry]

I can't say that I feel that way about the SR and RS Grados, not without EQ.

..funny you should say that.....I used to gently eq the lows and highs, but since upgrading my
USB cable to the Curious it no longer needs any high adjustment...just the bass...this is true for
both of my go-to Grado's (also the GS1000i...amazing!)....just a touch of bass lift works wonders and great for low volume listening.

 

[wormsdriver]

I would've picked Layla over Signe for Eric Clapton's Unplugged, as that track is absolute bliss on my GS3000e. But Signe is probably a better starter to wow those two because it's a simpler piece.


I'm guessing he's only listening to the crowd when the lp starts on that track

 

[cathee]

I've always wondered about John Grado's reference tracks. He's mentioned them before but not what specific track in the album and what he is hearing for in each track, very cool!

Don't know about John, but OG Joe once shared the three songs and specifically what he listens to in them for testing headphones. I don't remember the specific elements he listens for now but there songs were:

1. Signe (Acoustic Live) - Eric Clapton
2. A Night in Tunisia - Ella Fitzgerald
3. Malletoba Spank - Duke Ellington

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Don't know about John, but OG Joe once shared the three songs and specifically what he listens to in them for testing headphones. I don't remember the specific elements he listens for now but there songs were:

1. Signe (Acoustic Live) - Eric Clapton
2. A Night in Tunisia - Ella Fitzgerald
3. Malletoba Spank - Duke Ellington

What the Grados listen for in each of those three long-standing test songs...

1. Signe... the clapping - each handclap and the texture of the many;
2. A Night in Tunisia (the other one used on the album, “Clap Your Hands, Here Comes Charlie”) her voice, esp. midrange
3. Malletoba Spank - the xylophone, specifically, its decay.

Conveniently, each of these occurs at the very beginning of its track.

 

[elira]

I bought mine from my local hobby shop. HERE is something very similar to what I use.

Thanks! I got similar ones, how did you get them through the black tip?

 

[joseph69]

Thanks! I got similar ones, how did you get them through the black tip?

Pull them off gently, then slide the shaft collars on, then just put the rubber boot back on. You may need to heat the boots a little with a hair dryer, then pull them off. also, don't bother glueing them back on because they fit snug and they're not going to just fall off.

 

[Mad Max]

any idea what the difference is between the SR60 and SR80?

Not much, but 80 has a bit more bass and treble if I recall correctly.

... The Grado SR line improves the higher you go up to the SR225e, the SR325e changes too much. ...

Really? 225i isn't that different from 325is, both with bowl pads, do the e-series really change things that much?

 

[elira]

Really? 225i isn't that different from 325is, both with bowl pads, do the e-series really change things that much?

I've the sr325is, and tried for a couple days the sr225e and the difference was big. I don't know if the difference between the sr325e and the sr225e the difference is smaller.

 

[peskypesky]

Not much, but 80 has a bit more bass and treble if I recall correctly.

I wonder if they have different drivers. I've always suspected they have the same one. But maybe that's because they look the same and are close in price


https://majorhifi.com/grado-sr60e-vs-sr80e-headphone-comparison-20-difference/

"Going from track to track through the entire album I finally declare this sonic sound signature mystery is solved. The Grado SR60e focuses a little more on the bass… shaking and rolling around like thunder. And the Grado SR80e has a slightly dialed back bass and sings well through the entire mid-range.

So it turns out the $20 difference in price is very difficult to see but very easy to hear. The Grado SR60 and SR80e are nearly the same headphone with the exception of sound. The SR60e is a headphone with a well rounded bass that makes for fun, grungy rock and roll listening. And the SR80e is a headphone that simply chooses to be a little more flat and true to the mix bringing out the best of the mid-range."

 

[Jazmanaut]

any idea what the difference is between the SR60 and SR80?

Better driver matching.

 

[peskypesky]

Better driver matching.

what does that mean?

 

[Jazmanaut]

what does that mean?

That both of the drivers are performing as close to each other as possible. 125 and 225 are matched even better and better.
There is basically no any other differences between them. But as said before, performance between revisions vary between year to year, so SR80:s from this year, and from 5 years ago could be a bit different sounding, so compairing is quite difficult.
A good way to check this out, is to listen sinesweep from 20Hz to 20KHz. Sound should stay in the middle all the way, if driver matching is proper.

 

[Mad Max]

I seriously doubt driver "matching" is the reason for 225i and 325is sounding better. In 125i vs. 225i, 225i is noticeably much higher fidelity, simply much better in every possible way, except soundstage depth (60i, 80i, and 125i have an edge there versus 225i and 325is, not to imply that the former three are great at that at all). This quirk about the SR Grados strikes me as a little odd, but anyway, I've serviced DT770s in the past, so I'm familiar with how much manufacturing variance occurs in 770/880/990 as a result, mismatched drivers result in sound that is anything but "unbalanced" or so - they give an impression of the headphone being faulty or defective.
No Grado sounds that way unless the headphone is actually faulty. Driver "matching" has little to do with the differences between Grados as far as I can tell.

 

[Jazmanaut]

I seriously doubt driver "matching" is the reason for 225i and 325is sounding better. In 125i vs. 225i, 225i is noticeably much higher fidelity, simply much better in every possible way, except soundstage depth (60i, 80i, and 125i have an edge there versus 225i and 325is, not to imply that the former three are great at that at all). This quirk about the SR Grados strikes me as a little odd, but anyway, I've serviced DT770s in the past, so I'm familiar with how much manufacturing variance occurs in 770/880/990 as a result, mismatched drivers result in sound that is anything but "unbalanced" or so - they give an impression of the headphone being faulty or defective.
No Grado sounds that way unless the headphone is actually faulty. Driver "matching" has little to do with the differences between Grados as far as I can tell.

Sorry i explained that poorly. English is not strong language to me.
All the drivers of Sr60-325 are the same, as far as i know. But they pick them by manufacturing tolerance and match them that way to wich goes to what model.
I have opened and measured and modded over 20 different pair of grados, and thats what i have find.

 

[audiobomber]

From viewing the Grado site, I believe:
SR80e same as the SR60e, except de-stressed drivers
SR125e same as SR80e, except 8-wire vs. 4-wire cable
SR225e same as SR125e except L-cushions and closer driver matching (0.05dB vs. 0.1dB)
SR325e same as SR225e, except different driver housing (Brushed Aluminum) and leather headband

I am trying to decide which Grado to buy. I have the old SR60, which I recently compared to a friend's SR80e. The SR80e is crazy efficient but I have three headphone amps, so efficiency is not a factor. No significant difference in bass or mids that I could hear, the highs on the SR80e were more detailed, but unpleasantly aggressive with some music. Based on this demo, I know I need to shop higher up the range. I had considered the SR225e and SR325e, but the GH3 and GH4 are on sale, which makes them an attractive proposition. The GH3 is priced exactly in between the SR225e an 325e.

I've had the RS2e on loan a couple of times. I like them a lot, but overall I prefer my Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro. According to this comparo, https://majorhifi.com/grado-gh4-vs-beyerdynamic-dt-1990-pro-review/, the GH4 and DT 1990 should be close in overall SQ. If I were shopping for the best Grado in my price range, the GH4 would seem to be the obvious choice, as they are about $150 CA less than the RS2e right now.

I'm not looking to replace the DT 1990. I am looking to improve on the SR60, so I maybe don't need the highest fidelity. The GH3 costs $200 CA less than the GH4. The GH3 has S-cushions, which I find more comfortable than L-cushions. According to Major Hi-Fi, the GH3 has less bass and lower resolution, but smoother highs. Lower resolution and less aggressive highs may actually be an advantage for times when I listen to Google Play or YouTube Music. Do you have any advice for me?