[zantetsuken]

hi so im in the market for a grado, since i hear theyre the best unamped upper middle range headphones. now my questions are

- i listen to music of a wide variety of genre
- artists from coldplay thro linkin park to katie melua to a bit of 2pac
- budget is about 500 AUD
- source is a computer flac->foobar->standard 3.5mm jack->phones
-may also be used for portable music but is not necessary

- which grado shud i go for?

these are some of the prices in AUD



SR 80i - $180
SR 125i - $280
SR 225i -$380
SR 325is - $500

some of my questions are

- ive never heard or seen grados, but i hear theyre very good for rock which i listen to somewhat..but how do they fare against other genres? like alternative, rnb, soul, etc.
-do they break easy?..
-also are they sit over the ears..or completely cover them?
-i get painful ears sometimes..with headphones like the PX100..which sit over my ears..would this cause problems as well?
- i have so many questions since im buying online and am unable to try any of them before i buy

lastly, if for the price you can show me a better headphone (doesnt have to be grado)..be my guest! =).

any help is greatly appreciated thanks!

 

[Dobber65]

Lots of questions, so I'll try to help.

What music preferences do you have? Grados are great, but excel best with rock, etc. vs. classical (although I like them for all genres). If you lean towards rock, then by all means they are recommended. That said, given how they may not sound or fit well on your head, go for the SR80s as a start. The best thing about Grados is that they have a very similar sound, improving as you move up the range.

If you like the SR80s, you can always sell them and upgrade later. They will give you an accurate taste of the Grado sound without stretching your budget.

Other options depend on your music preferences, sound preferences, and wallet preferences.

 

[fjrabon]

you might consider the alessandro MS-2, which is basically a Grado, but some people think slightly better. I think its generally preferred to the SR325. Also you might look at the MS-1 as well, its cheaper, but very popular.

Alessandro Professional Headphones - Shop by Brand (I'm not sure what the current exchange rate is though)

 

[zantetsuken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dobber65 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lots of questions, so I'll try to help. What music preferences do you have. Grados are great, but excel best with rock, etc. vs. classical (although I like them for all genres). If you lean towards rock, then by all means they are recommended. That said, given how they may not sound or fit well on your head, go for the SR80s as a start. The best thing about Grados is that they have a very similar sound, improving as you move up the range. If you like the SR80s, you can always sell them and upgrade later. They will give you an accurate taste of the Grado sound without stretching your budget. Other options depend on your music preferences, sound preferences, and wallet preferences.

some of my musical preferences are

-coldplay, 2pac, ace of base, cafe del mar, dr dre, little of dj tiesto, freemasons, hed kandi, katie melua, ministry of sound, johnny A, Kanye West, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Nelly Futardo, Punjabi MC, sean kingston, snoop dogg, Snow Patrol, Timbaland, etc if that helps.

the MS-2 here cost

Alessandro:
MS-2
Price: $459.00

my question is..should i save up more and get a higher budget before i buy?...im sorta in between on whether i should take the STAX route, grados or HD600, or Denons. sighs so confusing!...my only problem is because in aus we mostly buy online..its hard to go try these out anywhere.

 

[Cankin]

-Grados are pretty realiable
-yes, they sit over ears like PX100, if you don't like the fit of PX100, you may not like Grados but you can adjust the headband to lessen the clamping force. SR80i and SR125i come with comfy pads and SR225i ~ RS1i come with bowl pads

-For someone who's looking for their first Grados, I'd not recommended SR325 because high can be too much. Out of those mentioned Grados, I'd say SR80i.

 

[fjrabon]

I'd say just start with the MS-1's or SR80i's, whichever is cheaper. That way you're ntot oo invested in them if you want to try something else. They can easily be resold here on the for sale forums for a minimal loss (I regularly see used SR80's going for $80 USD, which is only a $15 USD loss).

If you buy something much higher, you're going to take a pretty big hit int he wallet if you decide you want something else.

The thing is that after you get past the level of the entry level of the good brands, its all personal preference. Some people prefer SR60's to Sennheiser HD600's. Its all about which "sound" you like.

 

[KevM2]

Grado SR80's for $75+ shipping here:
MUSICDIRECT - GRADO - SR-80 HEADPHONES

Don't know how much that translates into AUD or if you could get them to ship over there. Give me a day as I should have the Grado SR80 over here soon. I listen to some rap, so I'll let you know how it does with that.

 

[zantetsuken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevM2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Grado SR80's for $75+ shipping here: MUSICDIRECT - GRADO - SR-80 HEADPHONES Don't know how much that translates into AUD or if you could get them to ship over there. Give me a day as I should have the Grado SR80 over here soon. I listen to some rap, so I'll let you know how it does with that.

NOTE: Due to our dealer agreement with Grado Labs, this product is not available for sale outside of the United States. For information on purchasing Grado products outside of the US, please contact Grado Labs directly.

 

[KevM2]

Yeah, that sucks. I'm not a fan of that Grado, 'these can only be sold in the US' ordeal, but it looks like Sennheiser is doing it as well with the HD800, presumably to control prices.

What traits do you prefer in your music? Great bass, treble, midrange? Viscerality or a more laid back presentation? I think the Denon AD2000s have been said to be good 'all-arounders' and possibly the AD700s as well. The AD700s are $100 and have been getting a good bit of attention. Supposedly, they are a bit bass shy though, but they have great clarity.

 

[zantetsuken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevM2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, that sucks. I'm not a fan of that Grado, 'these can only be sold in the US' ordeal, but it looks like Sennheiser is doing it as well with the HD800, presumably to control prices. What traits do you prefer in your music? Great bass, treble, midrange? Viscerality or a more laid back presentation? I think the Denon AD2000s have been said to be good 'all-arounders' and possibly the AD700s as well. The AD700s are $100 and have been getting a good bit of attention. Supposedly, they are a bit bass shy though, but they have great clarity.

i listened to the denon 2000s a while back they sounded really good..in terms of music trait..i listen to a variety of music..depending on the mood..i like to have something in between laid back and agressive..not too much..i dont like really high treble..i like a decent amount of bass..but not to the point it sounds to rip..just enuf to feel the bass..and decent clear vocals..

 

[KevM2]

Sounds like the Denons may be more to your suiting, especially since you've heard them, and also, the Grado has a reputation for being 'aggressive' headphones and can have ear-piercing highs to the tastes of some. I'll know by tomorrow when my pair of SR80s come in. I ordered them to get a taste of the Grado flavor and to have a contrast to the gentle Sennheiser HD600s. I also have a pair of Denon D7000s on the way, but I don't know when they are supposed to come in. I would do a write up comparing all three of them, but I can give you impressions of the HD600 and the SR80s by tomorrow.

 

[zantetsuken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevM2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sounds like the Denons may be more to your suiting, especially since you've heard them, and also, the Grado has a reputation for being 'aggressive' headphones and can have ear-piercing highs to the tastes of some. I'll know by tomorrow when my pair of SR80s come in. I ordered them to get a taste of the Grado flavor and to have a contrast to the gentle Sennheiser HD600s. I also have a pair of Denon D7000s on the way, but I don't know when they are supposed to come in. I would do a write up comparing all three of them, but I can give you impressions of the HD600 and the SR80s by tomorrow.

excellent!=D thanks i cant wait to read it.

 

[DanD]

I have the MS-1, it's good. It has problem in the very low octave and very high octave. But that only apply to very few musics in my collection. I used eq to make it less aggressive sounding. Build quality wise better than some headphones I used in the past, but the glue they used do come apart. The good thing though it's kinda easy to repair if anything come off, just glue them back together. Comfort, it's the most comfortable superaural cans I used. When new the pad felt rough on the ear but once the pads are used awhile, it becomes soft.

So if you want to try Grado, I think MS-1 for 150AUD is the way to go.

 

[fjrabon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanD /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have the MS-1, it's good. It has problem in the very low octave and very high octave. But that only apply to very few musics in my collection. I used eq to make it less aggressive sounding. Build quality wise better than some headphones I used in the past, but the glue they used do come apart. The good thing though it's kinda easy to repair if anything come off, just glue them back together. Comfort, it's the most comfortable superaural cans I used. When new the pad felt rough on the ear but once the pads are used awhile, it becomes soft. So if you want to try Grado, I think MS-1 for 150AUD is the way to go.

Yeah, this was my reason for rec'ing Alessandros to begin with. They don't have the international restrictions that Grados do.

 

[scytheavatar]

To answer your question:

Quote:

- ive never heard or seen grados, but i hear theyre very good for rock which i listen to somewhat..but how do they fare against other genres? like alternative, rnb, soul, etc.

Uh, I don't think alternative is a genre. Generally, the Grados sound the best for anything that needs to be fast, aggressive and exciting. However, anything that demands soundstage or a more mellow presentation will sound lacking on the Grados, and that includes some types of rock (like Pink Floyd). If you are looking for something all rounded the Grados are not for you.

Quote:

-do they break easy?..

I had a few friends who owns Grados and the breaking at the Y connector is a common complain. Nothing that recabling cannot solve.

Quote:

-also are they sit over the ears..or completely cover them? -i get painful ears sometimes..with headphones like the PX100..which sit over my ears..would this cause problems as well?

Sit on ears, and yes many people are not happy about the Grados comfort, but many people are happy with the comfort... which is why trying out the Grados is very important.

If you are looking for the best unamped upper middle range headphone, I'll point you in the direction of the AD700. It will probably suit you more than the Grados.