Lots of people don't like Grados. Many find they can't enjoy them simply because they find them too uncomfortable, and others because they can't appreciate the piercing highs they are capable of producing.
Grados with bowl pads are not comfortable. On my head they're not really uncomfortable, but they are definitely less comfortable than the high-end Sennheisers, Sonys, and Audio-Technicas. Depending on the size of your head, the pads will exert different amounts of pressure on your ears, affecting your comfort level. Keep in mind, though, that the 'comfy' pads and the old flat pads are both more comfortable than the bowl pads, and the two types of Sennheiser replacement pads that fit Grados are supposedly the most comfortable.
Sonically I think most Grados are more accurate than HD600s and most of the other headphones that Head-Fiers consider at that level. The HD600 hasvery noticable irregularities in its frequency response, especially in the treble. HD600s have very good bass, but the treble just sounds wrong -- you can call it 'distant' if you'd like, but it's wrong: HD600s are incapable of producing trebles notes with the intesity that the instruments in a recording may have. Conversely, Grados can and do produce high-energy treble, which admittedly is sometimes exaggerated. Nota bene: Grados are not bright, but piercing notes sound piercing. Anyone who listens to live music of any sort knows that some high notes, especially those off brass instruments, vocals, and electric guitars, as well as the sheen on cymbals, can sound unpleasant (in the conventional sense), and that's what Grados give you. There is a peakiness to the treble of Prestige Series Grados that doesn't exist in the Reference Series, but I feel that all of the new Grados exhibit a slightly exaggerated treble in some areas. Overall I think it's much more accurate than the treble of the HD600s, though. (The HP-1000s and other Joseph Grado Signature Series headphones have more accurate treble than either the new Grados or the HD600s, but it is much closer to the Grados than the Sennheisers.)
I strongly believe that a headphone, if it's good, is good for all music -- but there is some validity to people's claims that Grados are good for rock and Sennheisers for classical. Rock music does not contain much low-bass content, (bass guitar notes reach down only to about 41Hz, and though kick drums can produce lower frequencies, they are coincidental with higher bass frequencies, which the ear hears better) and consequently some of the greatness of the HD600's bass is unutilized when listening to rock music. Similarly, though classical music contains plenty of treble content, it is usually played in a way that the HD600's dips in frequency response make it euphonic -- a lot of the treble in rock music, on the other hand, is sharp and purposefully biting. Further, a lot of people concentrate on the midrange and bass more than the treble anyway, so the HD600's deficiencies aren't significant.
So it's understandable that a lot of people don't like Grados -- or like Sennheisers more -- despite the fact that I believe they're sonically more accurate than Sennheisers. I've only heard one pair of Audio-Technicas, the ATH-A9X, and though I didn't find them very impressive, they are something of a middle ground between Grados and Sennheisers. The best bet that I've found, however, is the old Grado line -- disregarding comfort, I really don't think anyone, whether Grado or Sennheiser afficionado, would dislike the sound they produce.
kerely
