[74371]

I'm new to head-fi, and am a beginner audiophile on a budget. I've learned a lot from just reading the forums here and just wanted to share my experience with these headphones.

I just picked up the Grado SR80 from HeadRoom and my first impressions were "where is the bass." Coming from MDR-V300's the bass was not coming by the boatloads, but it was there. Stepping up to the Grado's gives me improved clarity and wider soundstage which is what I was looking for. I just wanted a side of bass with my order.

Until alas, I stumbled upon the Basshead mod for Grado's I got from one of the posts in these forums. What just happened? I used electrical tape and put it around the foam pads and....let the bass go! I almost didn't want to take them off after I performed this mod, I kept searching through my music collection to listen to more songs to hear the improved clarity and bass.

So my first impressions have changed to RMAing these back to HeadRoom for HD280 to maybe I'll just keep these and order a headphone amp to be really rocking.

My only other problem is the sound leakage, but from my research these are the downfall of all open-headphones. I just didn't know they would be this loud, just like turning on my computer speakers.

When I performed the bass mod I first listened to the SR80's on my Ipod, but after listening with my computer with Soundblaster Audigy Soundcard, I'm definitely keeping these. My wife will have to put up with the sound, I'm In love with these. And I only had these for two days imagine when they break-in.

Any responses welcomed

 

[sk007]

congrats! I remember how I felt at the time I first got my SR60, instead of sr80, after doing some reading here on head-fi. Boy I loved them, they are really great cans. These are actually the first headphones for me to start this head-fi life

and just like head-fi did to other people here, it made me want more and more and more!

hehe, Cheers!

 

[captainzoli]

The SR-80s are a nice set of headphones with a fun sound.

 

[Tomikans]

yeah i recently bought the sr80's and at first i didn't quite appreciate the sound but then gradually i heard the things i couldn't hear with my old phones. The bass head mod really works wonders but i really like the 414 pads..

I'll just use my other headphones if i want to hear my bass. Portapro anyone?

 

[intoflatlines]

Congratulations on the SR80.

Maybe in addition to the tape mod, the improvement you have heard was due to the headphones breaking in. There is a huge difference, in my opinion, in new Grados vs broken in ones.

 

[freid77]

from my sr 60 experience a few hundred hours listening resulted in much more bass. I'm amazed how they can really "bump" coming out of my little iAudio U3. Although, I've heard the sr80 are more neutral and a little more source-demanding. I doubt youll be disappointed with them though..
happy listening!

 

[Mr.Sneis]

I've found the sr-80's to be bass abundant with Flat pads and quarter mod 414's, the sr-60's on the other hand seemed slightly less warm and easier on the bass depot; I still chose the sr-80s in the end though.