[pataburd]

The SR-60 are a fun headphone to wear at work and run with a portable amp, and they make great gifts for friends who have never really heard a "decent" set of headphones before.  
 
Haven't tried the RS-1, MS-Pro, GS-1000, etc.  I owned and enjoyed the SR-60, SR-80, SR-225 and SR-325i for awhile, but have come to prefer the likes of the AKG K501, and most recently the DT880/600 ohm.  

 

[mistyfud]

Quote:

 

No, it's not "safe to say there's no synergy..." Too many absolutes. And, in this context, synergy is a subjective term, which means each individual will have their own assessment, based on their own tastes and preferences. Statements like this are, obviously, more appropriately couched as opinion rather than fact. 

 
OK, my statement was a bit grandiose, but my point remains the same. The nature of classical music calls for a more realistic soundstage than Grados offer. On the other hand, however, that same diminished soundstage works well with intimate genres of music. Still, we're all entitled to our own opinions; I find other headphones work better with classical than Grados.
 

 

[yashu]

one moment please

 

[yashu]

I don't know why, but they just sound natural. Live music IS bright, so it makes sense, but it also makes sense that the manufacturer of high end tonearm carts would experiment with winding a delecate voice coil, perhaps, to voice the products they sold, or just for fun, who knows, but the experience obviously paid off. There is *something* about a good pair of Grados that can pull you in. It may not happen at first, but when it does, that is the moment it becomes easy to appreciate their simplicity, fragility, but also their status among people very serious about music reproduction. They are not my favorite headphones, but, they do things so many other headphones can't.
 
Vinyl has clicks, pops, tracking issues, rumble, and all the other problems of mechanical playback, but many would argue that it can bring one closer to the music than the "flawless" digital counterpart. Tubes have all kinds of distortion compared to transistors, but many argue they can bring one closer to the music... We are naturally drawn to that which has the flaws of humanity, and to me that says it all.

 

[BassoonHead]

Grado prestige line (like my 225i) offer a mid-way point between IEM and full sized cans (HD600-Beyer 990).  I find them portable for some occasions like short hikes.  I have many IEMs and two of them quite good but they just don't compare in SQ to over ear headphones at 1/3 the cost.  Plus IEMs let you hear every step while walking.
my 2 ¢

 

[Raguvian]

Just got my Grados in the mail.
 
Off the bat, this pair is used but it feels much better than the original non i SR80's I had that I bought new. Also, the crimps are gone and I'm very happy about that. However, I must say the comfies aren't as comfortable as the bowls.
 
Onto the sound, after listening to my ER-6i's, these sound way too warm and bassy. I will have to get used to it I guess.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Just another way to illustrate the subjectiveness on sound:
 
1) People who use Focal speakers at home or in the car, and more so when they also like Naim amplifiers, most likely prefer Grados.
 
2) People who tend to like DLS at home or in their car, and mroe so when they can make do with powering them with a low-output, very musical tube amp, most likely prefer Sennheisers.
 
3) People who tend to like Audiobahn tend to like Skull Candy.

 

[MrGreen]

Quote:

Just got my Grados in the mail.
 
Off the bat, this pair is used but it feels much better than the original non i SR80's I had that I bought new. Also, the crimps are gone and I'm very happy about that. However, I must say the comfies aren't as comfortable as the bowls.
 
Onto the sound, after listening to my ER-6i's, these sound way too warm and bassy. I will have to get used to it I guess.

This would adequately describe my experience going from the ER4S to anything below an SR225.
 
In a sense the warmness stays, but the gap in "cleanness" if that makes sense becomes less.

 

[islington]

Lots of good information in this thread

 

[Bilavideo]

Just got my Grados in the mail.
 
Off the bat, this pair is used but it feels much better than the original non i SR80's I had that I bought new. Also, the crimps are gone and I'm very happy about that. However, I must say the comfies aren't as comfortable as the bowls.
 
Onto the sound, after listening to my ER-6i's, these sound way too warm and bassy. I will have to get used to it I guess.

Make a quarter mod in the center of each cushion.  That will open them up.  If they still sound too warm, remove the front grill cloth, which will give you a little more sparkle.

 

[SemiAudiophile]

I got my first "wow" moment listening to SR80's, something magical and engaging that only a Grado could do. I then moved on and listened to HD650 and K701 and was impressed, but not "wow'd".
 
It was then that I knew I was a Grado lover...

 

[supersleuth]

Almost a decade after buying them, I still get "wow" moments from my SR80s all the time. Especially with chamber music and with live, simply-miked recordings of orchestral music and opera, the clarity, body and impact of their sound can make for a realism that's almost eery. Still one of the great bargains in audio.

 

[bbophead]

Plus 2!

 

[PANGES]

Quote:

I got my first "wow" moment listening to SR80's, something magical and engaging that only a Grado could do. I then moved on and listened to HD650 and K701 and was impressed, but not "wow'd".
 
It was then that I knew I was a Grado lover...

I think I have a similar experience. I've tried quite a few different headphones after the Grados (W1000X, HD650, DT-880's), and although they sound pretty good, I was never quite "wow'd" like I was when I first listened to the SR80i. I also noticed that I don't find myself tapping my feet or tapping my toes as much as I did when I had the Grados. Needless to say, I'm searching for a pair of RS1's right now. =/
 
Or quite possibly a pair of 225i's may even do it for me.

 

[eugenius]

I agree, they are short on technical qualities (soundstage, resolution, detail) and even bass if you exclude the HF2. But they communicate some music to your heart like no HD800 ever will. It's called emotional involvement. For rock, strings and percussion dominated tracks, I've heard none better.
 
The only other two headphones that compete in emotional involvement with Grados are CD3000's (electronic music and synthpop) and AD2000 (female vocals).
 
Actually, if you have a fast and kickass solid state amp with bass boost and don't mind a little congestion on large scale music (less than you get with the Grados anyway), the AD2000's are the solution for most Grado hate/love relationships.  But it's NOT the same thing. Grados have no substitute. It's just for the one headphone guys/girls.