[powerhouse]

As I write this I am listening to Star ****ing Hipsters on my well used grado SR60's that are ~2 years old. When I first received them they made my ear's feel like they would bleed from pain..... after ~6 months they were broke in and while not comfortable were bearable.

Today I have had to JB weld the headphones to the metal posts due to stripped plastic threads, the wire insulation is tearing at both ends of the Y splitter and the foam pads are ripped and falling apart.

The only reason I have put up with them so long is be cause I really like the sound and I am fairly frugal. I would buy a new higher end pair of Grado's in a second if they changed the design/build quality. What are my alternatives?

Use:
~50% Games
~40% Music (Metal/Techno/punk/rap)

Criteria:
Open (this is an absolute must)
Well built (I want them built like a tank that will last 10 years of daily use)
>$300 preferably ~$200 (maybe more is there is a really good reason to drop the coin)
comfortable
They have to rock like the Grado's.

Or am I asking the impossible?

Edit: I have a Auzentech Forte amp

 

[FrozenGecko]

I personal would get another pair of grados. If that is the sound that you truly enjoy; stick with it. The pads and wiring falling apart doesn't surprise me, but your metal posts are stripping out!?! that's either some serious abuse or you got a bad pair. If you get another pair of grados I would just be more careful.

I would also recommend rewiring them, in my opinion the wiring is the weakest part of grados. I had a pair of SR-60s when I was younger and I absolutely murdered the wiring/y splitter.

 

[nhancakes]

i'm not sure about grados improving their build quality at all. But I couldn't stand wearing the sr60s for very long when I had them. Bowl pads with my ms1s really made a difference in terms of comfort/sound. Sr225is come with bowl pads and up come with bowl pads.

 

[powerhouse]

The stripping posts were caused by my youngest daughter playing with them several times unattended and after I JB welded them they have held up.....

Like I said I like the sound but don't really want to spent 6mo of pain breaking them in and have to replace them in two years..... it seems like a waste when maybe I could spend a little more and have a well built pair that will last longer.

I guess I could always rewire and buy new pads, but the condition they are now is an excuse to the wife to upgrade

 

[powerhouse]

"i'm not sure about grados improving their build quality at all. But I couldn't stand wearing the sr60s for very long when I had them. Bowl pads with my ms1s really made a difference in terms of comfort/sound. Sr225is come with bowl pads and up come with bowl pads."

Are the Bowl pads the same as the ones that come with the sr80's? The reason I didn't get those is because the pads were less comfortable for my ears than the sr60's.

Isn't there another manufacturer that creates a similar product? I hate to reward sloppy design (imho) with more sales. The sr60's were only ~$70 if I spend ~$300 on like a HD600 or another brand won't I get better sound all around or will I always miss the Grado sound?

Another problem I have is that the highest end headphones I've ever demo'ed were the sr60's and 80's so I cant really say I dislike others.

 

[jonathanjong]

Grados are pretty comfy if you:

1. Bend the headband
2. Use HD414 pads

I found the SR325i painful with bowls, and I found my solution in the above 2 methods.

 

[FrozenGecko]

I have a jmoney audio v3 headband for my ms-1's. I never really used the original much, but I tried my brothers SR-60's with the stock headband and I don't know if I could ever go back to that thing they call a "headband" that comes with grados =p

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrozenGecko /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a jmoney audio v3 headband for my ms-1's. I never really used the original much, but I tried my brothers SR-60's with the stock headband and I don't know if I could ever go back to that thing they call a "headband" that comes with grados =p

What is it that you find uncomfortable about the headband? That part of the Grados never bothered me at all (except it depresses my hair so that I look ridiculous). The cups of course bother me as much as anybody.

 

[powerhouse]

Are Grado's just that good that there are no alternatives? I thought I would maybe get some ad-900's or HD-600's......

I know this is all subjective but I hate to buy another pair of uncomfortable POS headphones that will fall apart in 2 years, unless thats the absolute price for fidelity.

I also agree with priest, the headband was the least of my concerns compared to the pads and stupid Y cable design.

 

[catachresis]

Powerhouse, I've just been listening to my MB Quart QP50s. They are a lot like a hybrid of Beyers and Grados. Best of all, you can probably finds some on Ebay, if you look, for about the price of the SR60s. Do a search of Quart headphones (and German Maestro, which is what they have been transformed into) to get a sense of what they're like.

 

[powerhouse]

I am familiar with MB quart and their car audio equipment but I have never heard of them making headphones. I can't see to find much info on their website or ebay about these phones.... do you have any links or reviews to share?

 

[Sherwood]

I'm on my third pair of Grados right now. The first two held up for at least a year apiece, and i sold them in excellent condition. My current pair is almost 15 years old, and look like new.

I suppose i handle them differently, but aside from the plastic "L" piece breaking on my SR-60s years ago, i've never had any trouble. A little super glue solved that problem right away, nonetheless.

 

[FrozenGecko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is it that you find uncomfortable about the headband? That part of the Grados never bothered me at all (except it depresses my hair so that I look ridiculous). The cups of course bother me as much as anybody.

It is just all around more comfortable. But if I had to pick I few reasons...

There is more comfort, after long period of use my head feels almost the same as if I didnt even have headphones on. The jmoney band is wider, thus putting less pressure on my head. It also has some firm but comfortable padding(which i felt the original lacked.) I felt some pain/fatigue after extended use with the original.

The jmoney headband feels much more secure(and is). I have full mobility, I have no fear of the headphones falling off with any normal movement.

The jmoney headband is also ascetically more pleasing, as the craftsmanship is top notch.


I'm not sure, but it may help to improve the position that you wear the headphones at so bowls aren't as uncomfortable. I had brand new bowl pads, all I did was wash them and haven't had any discomfort since.

 

[priest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrozenGecko /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is more comfort, after long period of use my head feels almost the same as if I didnt even have headphones on. The jmoney band is wider, thus putting less pressure on my head. It also has some firm but comfortable padding(which i felt the original lacked.) I felt some pain/fatigue after extended use with the original. The jmoney headband feels much more secure(and is). I have full mobility, I have no fear of the headphones falling off with any normal movement. The jmoney headband is also ascetically more pleasing, as the craftsmanship is top notch.

Thanks. I don't have any of those problems, but maybe I have a narrow head or something. I certainly agree that the jmoney headband looks pretty sweet.

 

[jonathanjong]

It's not that Grados are just "that good"; rather, they have a pretty unique sound signature. The differences among my K601, D2000, HD580, and ESW9 are way smaller than the difference between my SR325i and each of these cans. And if you love the Grado sound sig., there really isn't much choice.