Catharsis
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2008
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I just recently purchased a pair of Grado SR60s (although they gouge you in Canada), and I’m incredibly happy. I have this inkling in the back of my head though that I should have purchased the SR80s as I’m a bit of a techno freak and I’ve heard from the gradolabs website that the SR80s contain a better bass response.
I’ve been researching the differences between the sr60 and the sr80 on both headfi.org and countless other websites. The overwhelming problem is that there isn’t a single consensus on what the differences are. Please allow me to state the facts:
Facts:
Speculation:
Assuming that the SR60 and the SR80 use identical drivers, and with the ability of the SR60 to be modded with bowl pads, there exists only one major question to ask:
“Does the 4 conductor cable do anything to improve bass response?” If the answer is negative you should be able to conclude that there isn’t any difference between an SR60 with bowls and an SR80.
You could even extend this logic to the rest of the Grado line. All Grados (above the iGrado) use 40mm open-air dynamic transducers but have different frequency responses, subtle differences in sound and driver matched db. If the transducers are all identical, you could only conclude that the housing materials, physical structure and cables and wires used are different.
In all cases, the higher-end Grados need better equipment to sound their best. Would this logic not also apply to the SR60 as well?
If I’ve learned anything during my Grado research it’s that the Grados must sound exceedingly more similar than different as most people cannot agree on what they’re hearing.
Any help from members on this forum would be greatly appreciated!
I’ve been researching the differences between the sr60 and the sr80 on both headfi.org and countless other websites. The overwhelming problem is that there isn’t a single consensus on what the differences are. Please allow me to state the facts:
Facts:
- The SR80 uses a 4 conductor cable as opposed to a 3 conductor cable.
- The SR80 uses bowl pads whereas the SR60 uses the comfy pads.
Speculation:
- The drivers may or may not be the identical 40mm open-air dynamic transducers in both the SR80 and the SR60.
- The bowls on the SR80 account for the differences in sound between the SR80 and SR60.
- A 4 conductor cable may or may not make any difference in sound.
- The SR80 has more bass (this comes up often)
- The SR60 has more bass (amazingly this opposite statement is just as frequent)
- The SR80 has more bass quality (or bass response?)
- The SR60 has more bass quantity
- If you add bowl pads to the SR60s you have a pair of SR80s
- The SR80 may benefit from an amp because the drivers are pulled farther from the ears; however most headphones would benefit from a headphone amp.
- It would be ridiculous to assume that anyone could hear the difference between a 3 conductor cable and a 4 conductor cable.
- People who have tried the SR60+bowls and the SR80 have not been able to discern a difference.
Assuming that the SR60 and the SR80 use identical drivers, and with the ability of the SR60 to be modded with bowl pads, there exists only one major question to ask:
“Does the 4 conductor cable do anything to improve bass response?” If the answer is negative you should be able to conclude that there isn’t any difference between an SR60 with bowls and an SR80.
You could even extend this logic to the rest of the Grado line. All Grados (above the iGrado) use 40mm open-air dynamic transducers but have different frequency responses, subtle differences in sound and driver matched db. If the transducers are all identical, you could only conclude that the housing materials, physical structure and cables and wires used are different.
In all cases, the higher-end Grados need better equipment to sound their best. Would this logic not also apply to the SR60 as well?
If I’ve learned anything during my Grado research it’s that the Grados must sound exceedingly more similar than different as most people cannot agree on what they’re hearing.
Any help from members on this forum would be greatly appreciated!