[swmtnbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdipisReks materials variation. i'm sure there are plenty of SR series phones that have shoddy paint, too.

Exactly, which is why you can't just make sweeping generalizations about the HF-1 being better or worse than any other Grado in regards to this problem.

 

[milkpowder]

The gold lettering/paint rubs of relatively easy on my SR325i. The paint on the grille is also surprisingly brittle. The bit where the cables meet at the Y-split also looks a little worrying. However, there is actually nothing to worry about. Just make sure you don't put your cups upsidedown or allow the cable to twist too much. Do keep in mind that these matters are all cosmetic and can be DIY-fixed quite easily (maybe apart from the Y split problem). The actual build of the headphones is good and I will expect them to last quite a while!

 

[omedon]

I have 3 pairs of Grado's and the paint is fine on all. Although, I don't scratch at them with my finger, the horror, or even do anything practicle with them, like carrying them around in a bag, aside from place them on my head to listen.

 

[HypnoLobster]

This is one of the many reasons that I am not a Grado guy... Too many little things, too many random problems.

It's a great company, there are just too many horror stories and little irritating tichy things that would drive me nuts.

Someday I would like to hear a few of the high end Grado's though.. You never know what might happen.

 

[Kram Sacul]

I must be pretty lucky because the SR-225s I've had for the past 6+ months are mint. None of the silver lettering has rubbed off and the cord has minimal memory. Of course I baby them and am very careful how I store them though.

The lettering on the SR-60s I had for less than 30 days chipped pretty badly. Go figure.

 

[Mullet]

The paint on my MS-2is has almost totally disappeared. First the paint on the L and R came off. Now the silver paint on the grado/alessandro lettering is disappearing. I definitely didn't rub the stuff off. It just comes off with minimal contact.

my .02 cents,
Mullet

 

[arto]

I've had my SR125s for a few years. The plastic enclosures are in pretty good nick, considering I had to enlarge the cable hole with my Swiss army knife as the cable was initially jammed (incorrect assembly) and making a terrible noise. The rattle that pops up in the right-hand enclosure goes away if I flick it hard with my finger. The comfy pads I use have faded to a disgusting mustard colour on the edges (the bowls long ago disintegrated into a nasty black powder - replacement bowls here in NZ are about $40US, thanks to Mr Grado's enlightened international distribution policy).

I look after my things like anyone else, but the quality control at Grado is not great. It's almost a shame they sound so good.

 

[Spiritboxer]

I've had my SR 225's since about 1994 and they're in great shape 'cause I take good care of them. Only problem is the yoke wires are kinda twisting/curling up, doesn't seem to effect the sound though so I'm good.

 

[Rob80b]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MD1032 "rubbed off"... what do you do, sit there and sub at the paint? No wonder it came off.

Actually I should have said that just by touching the outer buttons, the outer ring with the Grado Signature is not affected. It was as if the paint was not dry or they used the wrong paint for the buttons.
As for the cable, I'll probably add my own when the warranty is up in a year or more.

 

[kontai69]

On my MS-Pros, I first noticed a slight scuff on the silver paint on the "R". My reaction was "What" since I've always handled the cans with extreme care. I very gently scraped the scuff with my fingernail and the paint started to flake off before my eyes! I decided to just scrape it completely off (using only my fingernail, no chemicals) with the intention of doing the same on the "L" on the other side for the sake of symmetry. Well, it turns out the paint on the "L" would not come off at all no matter how hard I scratched it. I'm going to send it in to Grado for repair under the 1 yr warranty. I figure the missing paint would affect the resale value if I chose to sell the cans in the future.

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one with this problem. From the other posts in this thread, I'm guessing that the paint on some plastic pieces were not applied properly.

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjg i've owned alot of grados.... they all aren't built the same, parts aren't always the same, and all i can tell you is the ms2i i've had and used (quiet alot) for a year hasn't a smudge of paint worn off.

x2 again

My old MS2... the paint on that thing is rock solid

 

[dhp]

Paint rubs off a little. Actual build quality has been great.

 

[solbergg]

The good news is that the silver paint doesn't add any benefit to the sound quality

 

[apnk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by solbergg The good news is that the silver paint doesn't add any benefit to the sound quality

What! They lied to me, I want my money back!!!

 

[scratchyvinyl]

Maybe there's a correlation between the environment (where the Head-Fier is) and the type of paint that's being used? I've had my SR80s for about seven years and the paint hasn't come off.