[mjc60]

As you can tell from the thread title, i don;t have much to spend and i have very little experience when it comes to headphone shopping. I'm just looking for a descent pair of cans that i can hit the streets with or take to my office. I followed a few threads several month's back about Grado and several people recommended the sr80's for first time buyers. Of course, the market has changed alot since then and i was wondering if i could get something comparable or better for the same price (or cheaper). I'm a bass lover, but i want to get a pair of open cans that i know i won't regret buying. Are Grado sr80's still high in the market? If not, are there any other suggestions?

 

[guyx1992]

If you like rock music, the SR80s are for you. But if you want a good bass then I won't recommend it very much. I myself didn't really like the sound of it when listening to hip-hop or something else with bass.
Wait for the more "experienced audiophiles"

 

[aamefford]

You can't go wrong with the Grado SR80's. I auditioned the SR60/80/125/225's. I bought the 125's. They are a nice headphone, but if I had it to do over, I'd get the 80's or the 225's. These two are widely regarded here and elsewhere as the best performance vs. price ratio for Grado. I agree.

Hint - watch the for sale thread here, and eBay. If you get an excellent condition used pair and take good care of them, you can pretty much count on getting your money back out of them if ever you decide to do so.

The Grado sound to me is crisp, clear, a bit bright and dynamic. Bass is present, clear, punchy. Bass is NOT boomy, or super strong. More "studio monitor" and less "car with 1000 watts and bug subs, jeeze I wish he'd get away from me!" Grado's also sound pretty great straight out of an iPod headphone out. Note that many here believe that nothing sounds great out of an iPod headphone out! If you're gonna use the headphone out, Grado's are a fine choice.

 

[pbirkett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyx1992 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you like rock music, the SR80s are for you. But if you want a good bass then I won't recommend it very much. I myself didn't really like the sound of it when listening to hip-hop or something else with bass. Wait for the more "experienced audiophiles"

I think the SR-80s have pretty decent bass actually, but it depends what you mean by good bass. They have a very articulate, tight, fast and punchy bass, but its not that deep (by headphone standards), but I still find it deep enough for most music. Its not dominant bass like it is on a DT770 though.

I think the SR-80 is a good choice. It performs well on lesser systems and still performs well as you upgrade the components around it. Its just supplanted a pair of HD650 in my system, because I find it has a clearer, faster sound and is more fun.

 

[davidr2287]

You might want to consider the alessandro ms-1. They are excellent for rock as well. I cant compared them to the sr-80's though, as I have never heard the sr-80's.

 

[intoflatlines]

I would go with the SR80.

 

[headphonejunkie]

I liked my 80's and will probably buy them again.

 

[cyanidebm]

Any feedback on SR-80s directly to a Zune? I am very close to ordering a pair for my Zune and A25.2.

 

[headphonejunkie]

My 80's sounded great out of my ipod so I would imagine a zune would work too. As for which is better I don't know.

 

[indysmith]

+1 on the SR80s. They are eargasmic sounding cans - and that's without taking the pricepoint into consideration! I'm listening to them right now, and I can tell you that they're a LOT of fun, very vibrant, dynamic, forward sounding, putting you right in the midst of the action. The bass is there too; many people like to complain about it, and while i can agree that there's not as much there as in other branded headphones, the bass you do get is tight, controlled and very articulate. Perfect. They sound great with everything from metal to acoustic tracks.

 

[bashot]

I actually preferred the MS-1 to the SR-80. It was less bright than the SR80s, which I found could occasionally be fatiguing. Plus, my ears just dont suit bowls and putting flats on SR-80s pretty much defeats the purpose of the extras $$ over the SR-60s.

edit: as a minor consideration, MS-1s seem to have a slightly higher resale value than SR-80s if for some reason the sound isn't your style.

 

[trb36]

One thing to consider is that they are open headphones, but if that doesn't matter to you then I think you'll be very happy with them.

 

[crewchief]

I would go with the 80's. As I type this I am listening to my SR225's straight out of my iPod and am very pleased with the Grado sound. That is also taking into consideration that I also have a pair of HD580's (currently down for repairs) so I do know the Senn and Grado house sound. I only have a couple of days to go before a box shows up with my K701's and then I will have 4 different makers in the house!