[nathanv]

can grados be taken out in public or would they be well heard by everyone around you? in other words can i take them to school or should i get some closed ones?

 

[baka1969]

Grados leak sound in and leak sound out. Even at moderate volumes people will hear what music you're playing. Also, it's been my experience that the ambient noise around you will interfere with the sound quality. A closed 'phone or IEM would be a better alternative.

 

[PANGES]

With my SR80i, they leak both in and out pretty bad. They leak out so much, you might as well be listening to external speakers on your face. Not only would they leak out, they leak so much in, you might end up turning your volume too high to cancel out the noise around you and damage your hearing. If you're going to be bringing headphones to school, I would try something other than Grados. 

 

[nathanv]

dang how about akg semi opens?

 

[PANGES]

No experience there, sorry. =/
 
Are you set on full sized phones? Maybe try IEM's? Although I know some people don't like sticking things in their ears.

 

[nathanv]

i find that iems fall out too much so i'd prefer full sized ones

 

[PANGES]

Quote:

i find that iems fall out too much so i'd prefer full sized ones

If you mean they pop out by themselves alot, that's usually just due to the tips being too large for your ears. But in any case, we might as well rule IEM's out for now and see what other people suggest. I'm still new to this whole head-fi game, so I'm sure one of the more experienced members can point you in the right direction. I'm getting a set of Audio-Technica ESW9A's in next week, which are a portable headphone, so maybe I can chime in and let you know how those go, although, i doubt they will be anywhere near the Grado sound, if that's what you're looking for. 

 

[stang]

Don't even try it if you care about your ears 

 Because they are open, they leak a lot of sound so others around you will get annoyed and hear what you are listening to, and also sounds leaks in, making you want to turn up the volume to louder levels, which could damage your hearing depending on how loud it is and how long you listen for. Buy some IEMs if you want to listen to music out. I would always go for IEMs over headphones for portable use. 

 

[nathanv]

ok thanks

 

[cowjuan]

grados (except for igrado) aren't made to be used in public places. i took my sr80s to school everyday last year and i almost destroyed them. i would place them in my backpack and the headband would bend badly. everyone will hear your music, even in low volume but it's not so bad, the sound that leaks out is actually in good quality. the cord is kind of long, so you will be walking around with a few feet of extra cord. leave the grados at home, they will thank you later and last longer. some iems like etymotic or klipsch would be a better choice. 

 

[krmathis]

They leak quite a bit. But that does not stop them from being used in public.

 

[nathanv]

thanks everyone. and good to know theres some other teenage audiophiles on head fi (though i can;t really call myself an audiophile yet.)
Quote:

i took my sr80s to school everyday last year and i almost destroyed them. i would place them in my backpack and the headband would bend badly.

 

[Bilavideo]

 

can grados be taken out in public or would they be well heard by everyone around you? in other words can i take them to school or should i get some closed ones?

Full-sized cans, even ones as diminutive as the SR80s, are not all that fashionable.  If I were a kid thinking of bringing mine to school, I'd want to give some thought to how I'd be scrutinized in that social pressure cooker we call high school.
 
Open-air cans are also less effective in noisy environments because they don't offer sound isolation.  That said, I don't agree with all the talk about how worthless they are outside the house. I had a pair of SR80s (my first Grados) and I wore them everywhere - the beach, the lake, long walks, the doctor's office, the book store, you name it.  While I wouldn't wear them while mowing the lawn or at a construction site, music covers up most outside sounds, or makes them easy to ignore, even at moderate levels.
 
Three places were a poor fit for all of my Grados: bed (because my wife likes it quiet, quiet when she sleeps); noisy vehicles (engine/traffic rumble cancels out the bass) and places where the ambient music is turned up loud (I took my five-year-old to a fun palace and let her run around while I worked on my computer; on days when the music was kicked up, I found my open-air headphones ineffective).
 
You shouldn't try to compete with noisy environments, where you'd have to turn your headphones up.  The process of drowning out the outside noise forces you to turn up your sound to unhealthy levels.  Where the outside sound is that high, you need something that gives you isolation.  The best choice there is a good IEM.  But most outside environments are not that loud and you can easily get away with open phones practically everywhere.

 

[nathanv]

ok but what about semi opens like akg's?

 

[TheWuss]

Quote:

ok but what about semi opens like akg's?

the k141 is a surprisingly isolating can for a semi-open.
but, it happens to be supra-aural, and has pleather pads that seal against the ear.
and, the semi-open design is a series of slots in the aluminum housing.
making it less open sounding and less open behaving than some other headphones for sure...
 
(btw, this point gets debated lots around here, but the k141 is evidence, to me at least, that there are degrees of open.  that's my $.02)