[Digital7]

I've never been a fan of Grado Labs headphones, or open-back headphones for that matter, but this new e-series has taken me by surprise, i must say; wow oh wow, the new e-series is quite something.


 


The spiel from Grados website...


 


.


Every single component, surface, and material used in The e Series has been upgraded and optimized for one purpose - outstanding dynamics and fidelity.



Grado's proprietary SpaceBlack Polycarbonate is engineered to absorb excess energy and reduce secondary impulses, for a clearer tone.



So, i was doing the A/B thing in the store and started-out with the SR125e, i wasn't overly impressed, and then just for the hell of it i threw on the SR60e and bang! You have to be kidding me. It even held its own against many of the high-end closed-backs, i went back and forth between all the lauded headphones and this magic little SR60e made me proud of Grado for what they have achieved.


 


I knew in the past that the SR60 had a reputation and was popular, same with SR80, but i didn't think that this new e-series gem would perform as good as it did. It didn't backdown to anything, and held it's head high amongst the giants, no joke.


 


If anyone has heard the new SR80e i wouldn't mind hearing if it's even better again. The shop had them but wasn't prepared at that point to bring them out of the box, so i have to wait until next week when i visit the other headphone store.


 


I hope to hear from anyone who owns the SR80e, if it is even better than the SR60e.


 


Here's more info about the e-series from the Grado website...


 


Design refinements within the housing prevent stray resonance from interacting with the driver, thus protecting the purity of reproduction.



The magnetic field has been fine-tuned for symmetry throughout the full range of the voice coil.



Even the glue is new, optimized for greater strength, less mass, and better reliability.

 

[one1speed]

Very cool! I've read that the 80e is pretty amazing, one of the high-points of the new 'e' series. It sounds like if you like the 60e, you'll really like the 80e.
 
From what I've gathered, the 80e, 325e and 500e have very impressive upgrades. I've got the RS2e and am impressed, but don't have a point of reference.

 

[Digital7]

Wow! The RS2e? You my friend have got good taste. How do you find wearing them? I didn't like the design with the driver exposed like that, it feels uncomfortable to wear.

I also notice the Grado series have extended treble, it extends a long way through the frequency range, i wonder if this is down to deliberate boosted tuning or if they just resolve better than closed-back designs.
It's quite phenomenal how much further the treble extends, and almost seems weird when comparing to closed-back headphones. These closed-back headphone designers seem to have a habit of rolling-off the highs from what i can see in many frequency graph plots; maybe that's the advantage of open-back design, i don't know. I'll wait and see when i audition the new SR80e.

 

[one1speed]

Wow! The RS2e? You my friend have got good taste. How do you find wearing them? I didn't like the design with the driver exposed like that, it feels uncomfortable to wear.

I also notice the Grado series have extended treble, it extends a long way through the frequency range, i wonder if this is down to deliberate boosted tuning or if they just resolve better than closed-back designs.
It's quite phenomenal how much further the treble extends, and almost seems weird when comparing to closed-back headphones. These closed-back headphone designers seem to have a habit of rolling-off the highs from what i can see in many frequency graph plots; maybe that's the advantage of open-back design, i don't know. I'll wait and see when i audition the new SR80e.

 
I find them quite comfortable, actually. Don't have any issues.
 
I believe you are correct, in that open backed designs do help the treble, making it more airy and open sounding. However, they generally aren't bass kings, not for the bass head. There are simple mods you can do with Grados if you are looking for more low-end. However, you generally get used to the bass, as it's more accurate, not boomy, etc. Depends on what flavor you prefer. And the newer 'e' series seems to better in the bass department.
 
If you would like more info, there are threads here on Head-Fi, such as the "Grado e Series" and "Grado Fan Club" where there are a lot more contributors, many with more experience. Generally great people that are always willing to try to help.
 
Cheers!

 

[Digital7]

You said... "However, you generally get used to the bass, as it's more accurate, not boomy, etc"

I noticed this myself the other day when listening to them, they have a lovely accurate bass.


You said... "And the newer 'e' series seems to better in the bass department."


I concur, i like a solid bass that conveys what is in the source material, nothing more, nothing less, and i found the Grado SR60e was doing just that, it was fine, so no problems there. In fact, it was better than a lot of closed-back headphones, in that it was ample, but accurate!


You said: "However, they generally aren't bass kings, not for the bass head."

I am not a bass-head, so no issue for me there.

Can't wait to try the SR80e, expecting good things, i hope it's not a let-down.

 

[one1speed]

Can't wait to try the SR80e, expecting good things, i hope it's not a let-down.

 
Great, look forward to hearing our thoughts on the 80es.

 

[Digital7]

My opinion after the SR80e audition session, it's a dud!

Looks like the SR60e is the gem in the range; what a valiant little battler it is. I'll be getting the SR60e.

The SR80e sounded almost shrill, lacked bass, and the classic Grado 'distant' sound was all too apparent.

 

[one1speed]

Interesting. I would have to guess that the 80e wasn't broken in, only because all the reviews have been pretty stellar. Your take sounds exactly like it was pretty much fresh out of the box, and would sound much different after 30+ hours.
 
That said, congrats on the 60e! Very cool, do enjoy.

 

[Digital7]

Thanks bro!

I think yes the SR80e was pretty-much fresh out of the box, but so was the SR60e when i auditioned it. So, as a starting point of both, the 60e sounded better to my ears. Also, it would thus seem that the 60e has got more potential after burn-in than the 80e. Cheers, and thanks for your interest.

You may be wondering, is there anything to substantiate what i'm hearing? My answer would be yes, here's some other feedback... "an outstanding home headphone that has little competition at or anywhere near the price. If you are looking for a headphone that is capable of a truly hifi performance at a sensible price, this is it.
- AV Forums, Ed Selley"

And the spiel from Grado themselves... "We have taken one of the world's most legendary headphones and made it even better. The SR60e has a new driver design, a new polymer to better damp resonant distortion in the plastic housing, and a new cable from plug to driver connection. The way the SR60e's new driver and plastic housing move air and react to sound vibrations virtually eliminate transient distortions. This allows the signal flow over the new cable to reproduce sound that has tight control of the upper and lower range of the frequency spectrum, while supporting Grado's world renowned midrange. The SR60e will produce a sound that is pure Grado, with warm harmonic colors, rich full bodied vocals, excellent dynamics, and an ultra-smooth top end."

And from another site review... 9.4 out of ten.
BASS
9.1
MIDRANGE
9.5
HIGHS
9.4
DURABILITY / BUILD QUALITY
8.8
VALUE
9.5
DESIGN
8.7


I only looked-up these reviews 'after' i have spoken to you, so these serve as a very good confirmation of my own appraisal.

 

[one1speed]

Very cool. Interesting that they were both newer, out of the box. I'm sure you can't go wrong. Cheers.