Grado Prestige Series (and others.)

I started out in this Hobby with Grados. First with a pair of SR60’s, then a pair of SR325, then I went all out and bought the PS-1000 (which was the TOTL pair at the time.) I have since sold the PS-1000’s, and I have to say, I miss them sometimes. They aren’t technically good headphones really, but they just do some things so right. This morning I have been on a total Black Sabbath kick, so I took off the Utopias, and grabbed my SR60’s, which I haven’t listened to in ages. Are they as good as my other headphones? No. Are they still f'ing kick ass? Hell yeah!

Compared to my “good” headphones, the clarity is gone, the mids are overbearing, and there is no bass. With Black Sabbath and similar? It just works man. I love them just as much as when I first bought them.

I think depending on your music tastes, you could still do a hell of a lot worse than a pair of SR60’s if you are just starting out and don’t want to spend a fortune. Plug them into your laptops built in output and just go for it.

I kinda feel like these SR60’s are like my taste in drums. I have nice drums and stuff but sometimes the most fun I have is breaking out my cheapest piece of shit drums and cymbals and just playing for hours. Is it nice to be able to go back to the Abyss Phi and Pearl Masterworks etc… of course, but there is something special about good cheap gear, and I think the SR60 falls into that category. Its like music. I’d rather listen to really great music recorded in some shit basement studio, than the best sounding recording if the music sucks.

I know Grado doesn’t get a whole lot of love here, but I’ve just enjoyed the music so much this morning I wanted to share. I still think the prestige series, especially the SR60, has a place in any headphone enthusiasts collection.

This mornings fun


My first "High end headphones"


My First "TOTL" pair.

 

I definitely agree...SR60's are a great way to start out, especially since they don't need much of an amp (as with most Grados), are much higher quality than most other things in that price range, and are "fun" without being bassy.

A lot of people seem to think that Grados are a bad value (at least for the Prestige series) because the higher-end models have a very similar sound signature to the lower-end ones. I tend to think of it the opposite way -- Grados are a great deal, because their lower-end models give you a taste of what their higher-end ones offer. Sure, an SR225 might basically be an SR60 but better, but that means if you like the SR60 you'll probably like the SR225, too. Compared to other headphone brands, it's not like, for example, sub-$100 Sennheisers will give you any sort of feel as to whether you'll like the HD650 or HD800.

One of my go-to headphones for just relaxing and having fun is my SR225 (not -i or -e) with a bit of blue-tack dampening applied to the back of the drivers. (I'm planning on switching it to Dynamat Xtreme eventually, but I've been lazy.) The dampening really reigns in the sibilance & harshness and makes them actually quite nice for longer listening sessions. I also absolutely love my GH-1 with G pads...it's a wild ride, but it's a great set of headphones for when you want to stop being analytical and just want to get blown away by the music. Sure, they're a bit lacking in the bass department, but the amazing mids and treble make up for it.

I've been considering picking up the GH-2 while it's still available. I've heard that it's a rather un-Grado-like Grado, which sounds both fascinating and a little worrisome at the same time.

 

Ill just drop my SR80e measurement in here... "fun"...
More like penetrating...

 

The SR80 was my entry into this headphone hobby. I though it was great at the time, and selected it after comparing against the SR60 and 225 in the shop. I think my next headphone after that was a Shure 840, which was a huge departure. Nowadays a look at both of those... eh... I guess my ears had to start somewhere. To be fair, I think Grados have their niche, and some of those Magnum/Vibro/whatever-they're called not turned out nice. They don't tick my boxes for high fidelity though. The only one I actually hated was the HF-1. That thing was like icepicks and put the 325 to shame for shrillness.

 

I will say this: Grados are good fun at low volumes. I tried using my RS1 at school, and it only took about an hour of listening with the volume turned up *just* enough to be audible in a moderately noisy courtyard before I noticed my ears started ringing. Disclosure: I'm a bit treble-sensitive due to the mild tinnitus I got when I did event coverage at a concert a couple years back— SPLs were f'ing WHAT and I didn't have any hearing protection. I now carry a pair of cheapo IEMs with Comply tips for such occasions.

Anyway, they do some things fairly well, and have a sound signature that suits certain genres, but anything above the Prestige Series seems rather poor value. Compared the RS1 (pre-i, Buttonless version) to an SR80i, and considering the massive price difference between the two... nope. It's a shame though, because I'm one of those who really like the Grado look. Call me a hipster, but damn the RS1 is a sexy beast.

 

Hmm...I wonder how they'd measure with some Dynamat dampening applied to the drivers. I find that mod to be pretty essential to lower-end Grados...they can definitely be harsh without it. Higher-end Grados (starting with the RS2, i think?) come with a smear of dampening material already applied.

Incidentally, I never really cared for Ken Rockwell to begin with, but his SR80e review and SR325e review were where I lost all respect for him. I mean, I like Grados, but even I would never have the chutzpah to describe the SR325 as "natural [and] uncolored".

 

Own SR-80, HP-1, and SR-325i ... and have mixed feelings.

Usual criticism: get uncomfortable after 20min or so.

While all have the signature Grado "house" sound, they are quite different from each other, too.

I performed the electrical-tape mod on the SR-80s pads, and that made an important sonic improvement.

There was some weird sock mod for Grados, posted on IF a few years back. Tyll was fan; I never got it to work

 

Works with the L Pads. Electric Tape around the Edge all the way around. Improves the bass at the cost of making you look like an Idiot.

 

Just got the newest ear pads by Yaxi for the Grado line.
Slightly tamed top end. Firmer ear pad than stock. So does a good job meeting my expectations.

I will get to comfort later on but I think for this model specifically they are an upgrade.

• My ears don't sink in and touch the driver housing like stock pads do.
• They tamed the treble means I can enjoy more volume levels.
  
• Color is an upgrade YMMV you can get them in stock black too.

Other pads I have tried are yellow HD414 clones. I believe them to be a downgrade compared to stock or Yaxi pads.

 

Thanks for the heads up, ordered a set in for my RS2e. Just to compare against the L pads and TTVJ I have.
Look forward to your impressions.

 

Yes! I have bought an SR60e recently.
I bought the Black Sabbath - Ozzy years compilation 25 years ago. These CDs always sounded somehow bad. But now with the Grado, it just works!