[faileas]

So far, nearly all of my headphones have been the closed sort - two creatives which i forget the name of, two sennheisers (eh 150, and HD202) and my current, and very well loved ATH m50s. And well, i'm pondering getting something open, and well different from what i'm used to in one to two months or so (enough time to cool down, re arrange, and plot 

.

The grado Sr80i looks pretty interesting - and from what i've read on forums, grados tend to sound unique, mod well, and within my possible budget, i should be able to adjust my finances to get either that or a SR60. Of course, i'm curious about what other options i might have for relatively inexpensive open headphones, but the whole thing about a grado house sound, and to a lesser extent, how awesomely oldschool they look makes me curious. 

So, what do you guys think?
 
 
Sourcewise, i'll be using an maudio fastrack, which handles low impedance phones well. Music Genre is too diverse to really list, but Aimee Mann, Sarah Mclachlan Nightwish and Yasmin Levy might be a good cross section.
 

 

[VALIENTE]

Time is Gold.

Grado SR60 is the headphone that every headfier must not miss in his headphile career.

 

[KingStyles]

Alesandro ms1 might be a nice fit. It is a grado for about $90. Has a nice sound to it.

 

[Uncle Erik]

If you haven't spent any time with Grados, you owe it to yourself to try a pair. They're really fun and I think you'd enjoy them more than what you have. The SR-60, SR-80 and MS-1 are fine sets to start with. If you love them, go straight for the RS-1 and skip the rest.

 

[Abovetheair]

Alessandro Ms1i's.

 

[biomedengineer]

Quick question for you guys on MS1 vs Grado SR80:
 
While the MS1 is made by Grado too, are the build quality the same as the SR80?
 
And according to this product review:
http://www.productwiki.com/alessandro-ms1i/
 
The MS1 isn't as "fun" as the Grado's.  I interpret that to mean the attack and other sound quality is a little different. Any truth to that?
 

 

[Abovetheair]

Quote:

Quick question for you guys on MS1 vs Grado SR80:
 
While the MS1 is made by Grado too, are the build quality the same as the SR80?
 
And according to this product review:
http://www.productwiki.com/alessandro-ms1i/
 
The MS1 isn't as "fun" as the Grado's.  I interpret that to mean the attack and other sound quality is a little different. Any truth to that?
 

Not really, I like the sound of my Ms1i's better than the Grado. The MS1's are inbetween the Sr80's and the SR125's. I enjoy them, they are a lot more fun than my M50's
 
EDIT: Yes the build quality is the same
 

 

[joelpearce]

I think you have to spend a good deal more to get better open cans than the low end Grados.  The 125i was a delightful headphone, and very reasonable at just over $100.  I have found open cans I like more, but none of them sell for under $200.

 

[Drubbing]

Quote:

And according to this product review:
http://www.productwiki.com/alessandro-ms1i/
 
The MS1 isn't as "fun" as the Grado's.  I interpret that to mean the attack and other sound quality is a little different. Any truth to that?
 

Some find the low end Grado's harsh, not fun. The MS1 smoothes out the peaky treble, and Grado users may find them more neutral in comparison. But the MS1 is still bright and punchy.

 

[Bilavideo]

People judge the Grados as harsh for several reasons.  First, they don't burn them in.  They try them for five minutes, form an opinion and move on.  Second, they come at Grados from darker cans, where the problem is either a veiled top or an uninvolving experience.  When you get used to this presentation, and then switch to Grados, the difference can be overwhelming.  Finally, Grados are open-air cans that don't do much, if anything, to filter the driver.  This gives them rich treble while the open backs, which reduce resonance, leak bass.  Without an amp, the tonal balance is lopsided in favor of HF.  When people crank up the volume, to get more bass, they're also getting more treble.  This is like quenching your thirst with a cup of salt water.  With every drink, you're back where you were before - or worse.  Grado compensates with pads.  The smaller the pad, the narrower the soundstage and the narrower the HF dispersion.  By the time you get to flats, you may actually feel a muted HF, necessitating the switch to bowls or a little surgery on the inner ring.
 
A good amp - not a tinker toy with shiny knobs - will dramatically increase the bass, which needs good airflow to overcome the open-air leakage.  You can manually assist this by venting the driver further.  I did this with an SR60, enough to switch to the jumbo pads.  If you "bass up," the jumbos will cut the mids a bit, giving the presentation what some call a more "refined" presentation.  You don't want to do this too much; Grados are known for their hot mids; a little goes a long way.  Still, if you feel the presentation is "harsh," ask yourself what, exactly, "harsh" means to you.  Chances are good that if you think through what you're hearing, you'll find an adaptation that eases your pain.
 
Every headphone involves tradeoffs.  I like Grados because they're more engaging.  The HD800 is the only alternative I've come across that really compels me to appreciate the other side of the coin.

 

[Mr Joboto]

Gogo MS-1!

 

[kite7]

Quote:

People judge the Grados as harsh for several reasons.  First, they don't burn them in.  They try them for five minutes, form an opinion and move on.  Second, they come at Grados from darker cans, where the problem is either a veiled top or an uninvolving experience.  When you get used to this presentation, and then switch to Grados, the difference can be overwhelming. 

Very true, couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[wind016]

Grado is a love/hate thing.
 
For me personally, there is enmity.

 

[VALIENTE]

 
Quote:

Every headphone involves tradeoffs.  I like Grados because they're more engaging.  The HD800 is the only alternative I've come across that really compels me to appreciate the other side of the coin.

I agree too. I like Grados because they are very engaging.

Grados let me participate in my every single music which I like so much.

My other headphone let me just pay attention to the music, as if watching a singer on stage.
However, my Grado always ask me this question:
"Come on, join me, let's celebrate music."

And my answer will always be:
"Sure, all the time."

 

[peli_kan]

 
Quote:

People judge the Grados as harsh for several reasons.  First, they don't burn them in.  They try them for five minutes, form an opinion and move on.  Second, they come at Grados from darker cans, where the problem is either a veiled top or an uninvolving experience.  When you get used to this presentation, and then switch to Grados, the difference can be overwhelming. 

Grados have been benchmarked and they are far from neutral.  The upper-base hump and treble spike are undeniable colorations that are subjectively either good or bad.  You have to make your own value judgment when deciding whether or not you like the Grado sound.  What's beyond arguing is the fact that Grados are not neutral. 
 
You mentioned using a good amp to bring up the mid.  Essentially, you're trying to restore the Grado to a flat frequency response; does this mean that the original upper-bass hump and treble spike weren't desirable?  You can't argue for both sides. 
 
Personally, I like Grados.  They represent an important point of view when it comes to musical representation, but they have never been and never will be the alpha and omega of headphones.  As long as you understand this when buying a Grado, your love affair with them will be happier and longer.