[svfoo123]

They are not as comfortable as other headphones but the music is so much more clear and detailed.

 

[TheOtus]

Quote:

Personally, I've never understood the love for PortaPros. They're fine for the money, I guess, but SR60s are amazing for the money.
 
Diff'rent strokes, etc.

Lets see, both are open and suitable for un-amped use. PortaPro just happens to have much more fun bass, it´s more comfortable also. Grado is more detailed, but portaPro isn´t lacking it too much. And considering the price, Grado has nothing on Koss. Off-topic, but I´ve never understood the love for SR60...

 

[Deep Funk]

In my opinion the entry level Grado headphones are somewhat overpriced and since I am not in need of open portables I think my Sennheiser HD428 does its work greatly. Besides I prefer a more neutral sound and the HD428 sounds neutral enough to me.
 
Some day, I might spend some cash on a Grado headphone. Now I just think of Grados as cool looking vintage styled headphones for people who mostly prefer black, which is quite stylish. 
 
You can ask me why I bother having an old Pioneer, I dig the sound. In addition to that I find it cooler looking than most headphones I have ever seen including Grados, it is a bit heavy for showing off though. 
 
May your ears be blessed...

 

[yashu]

sr325 originals owner here.
 
They are quirky, but, they feel as expensive as they sound, and when a wire detatched inside the right can, i could easily pull the barrel apart and fix it, also, fix both sides so the wire would never come loose again.
 
The thing is, where can you just snag a hand made american headphone like that? Grado does not sell a LOT of phones, but the ones they do get passed around and cherished. Mine were bought from someone that went out of his way to take care of them because, well, they just felt more like a way to connect to certain music and it's roots than some mass market, even really good mass market headphones. Get passed the 325s and no two pairs are alike. Find an original set by Joe Grado, and you are not just listening to music, you are sitting down with it and chilling out, getting to know it, maybe over some coffee. They obviously sound good enough for people to go far out of their way to care for their sets, even if they don't like them. For me, I just like the fact that, like some gooood whisky, a good pair of Grados is something from the US that is, at least, given respect around the world. That is something rare. Every other good set I own is German. I am guessing one cannot take a step in Germany without tripping over a really good pair of headphones. I just like the DIY roots of Grados, but within the world of good headphones, they are just one of many. That's cool. I think my DT880s are too nice to take apart. My k271 originals, oddly, use the same EQ settings on the parametric EQ as my sr325s. The k271s had a good studio run. What does that say about the Grados?
 
 
EDIT: I am aware that my akgs are from Austria. I was thinking of precise German engineering, which, I quite respect, as a structural designer.

 

[Ra97oR]

I don't like Grados AT all.
 
Happy?
 

 

[Mr Joboto]

Quote:

I don't like Grados AT all.
 
Happy?
 

NO. You need to go see a doctor.

 

[Head Injury]

Quote:

Lets see, both are open and suitable for un-amped use. PortaPro just happens to have much more fun bass, it´s more comfortable also. Grado is more detailed, but portaPro isn´t lacking it too much. And considering the price, Grado has nothing on Koss. Off-topic, but I´ve never understood the love for SR60...

Speaking of Koss, do you think the PortaPro beats the KSC75 in value? Considering the price, I wonder if the PortaPro has anything on the KSC75.

 

[brandnewgame]

GS1000s are superb for quiet listening with their V shaped frequency response. Also, natural instruments can sound deceptively realistic. For some recordings, if you close your eyes, it can feel like you're physically in the audience or recording studio.

 

[mistyfud]

As an owner of the SR225i, I guess I'll toss in my two cents:
Grados have a very unique sound, unlike any other headphone.They are very intimate and really breathe fire into music. However, not all genres of music work well with Grados. I've tried my Grados with classical and it's safe to say there's no synergy there. Ergo, if you listen to a lot of rock and guitar based music, you'll love Grados.
 
As for the build, I've never had an issue with it. Non-portable headphones should always be treated with care anyway.

 

[daydesiang]

Hmm... actually i'm not a fan of grado. They do sound great but too aggressive to me plus it's very very uncomfortable for me as I have a big head...
 

 

[mark2410]

im not a stunning fan of them either, they arent very comfy but its fine.  sound wise they are a bit bright but thats fine too.  what a i really dont like is the garden hose cable my 325is have, its what makes me never pick them up to listen to.

 

[Deep Funk]

'Garden hose cable,' that is a new excuse. The cable looks heavy, I will skip that headphone? Try a Pioneer Monitor 10, heavy on the head, ear discomfort and some headache giving pressure. For the sound, well music sounds heavenly so once in a while I pick it up to really enjoy my music.
 
'Garden hose cable,' I do not get it... 

 

[TheOtus]

Quote:

Speaking of Koss, do you think the PortaPro beats the KSC75 in value? Considering the price, I wonder if the PortaPro has anything on the KSC75.

Yes, portaPro wins, because I can´t get clip-ons to fit on my ears. Even if I could, I doubt that the fit would be as solid as with portaPro.

 

[Superfrag]

I've heard the SR80 and SR325 and owned the HF2, didn't like their sound signature despite 90 % of my music being rock. I don't know why.. I just don't like it. Plus its not as comfortable as say, AT or AKG or Beyers. Pain to wear with spectacles.

 

[supersleuth]

I've tried my Grados with classical and it's safe to say there's no synergy there.
 
Many happy Grado owners including me would disagree. I'm a musician myself and more often than not I want to be right in the middle of the music- a player's perspective rather than an audience member's. (When I listen to music I'm generally not relaxing, I'm concentrating deeply.) That's what Grados deliver, in spades. My only quibble is that they're noticeably brighter than neutral (yet somehow still deliver very natural-sounding instrumental and vocal timbres), but for those of us with middle-aged ears that's not necessarily a bad thing.
 
But there's no question, it's a sound you'll probably either love or hate.