petermc's Full Review: Grado SR80 Professional Headphones
I have owned my Grado SR-80 headphones now for approximately 7 months, and I can honestly say that the sound just seems to get better with more use.
Tired of the sound and discomfort of the earbuds supplied as standard with my Panasonic SL-SX280 portable CD player I knew I needed to replace them with a pair of headphones that would satisfy the following criteria,
1) Provide quality sound across the range;
2) Be easily driven from a portable;
3) Match-up with a quality home based system; and
4) Provide value for money.
After reading the excellent reviews in various audio specialist publications and on sites such as epinions, I decided that the Grado SR-80 headphones would best meet these criteria. Unable to audition a pair locally I ordered a pair on faith.
Initially I was greatly disappointed with what I heard for the price, but knew from my reading that after a break-in period of 30 hours they would sound considerably better. The difference was unbelievable. All of the above criteria were met with flying colours, and they provide great sound across a variety of musical formats.
The bass is fantastic - tight and controlled. On my live Jazz CDs I am blown away by the clarity of the sound stage.
On Oscar Peterson's "The Trio" I can clearly distinguish and concentrate on each instrument, while behind me I can hear the waiters delivering drinks and the clatter of cutlery on crockery. Meanwhile I can also clearly hear Oscar Peterson himself making a verbal connection with his music - some people find this annoying, I find it enlightning.
Equally, the portrayal of artists such as Dean Martin, Neil Diamond and Mick Hucknall, are amazing.
If there is any problem with the SR-80s it is that they have revealed some of the weaknesses in my CDs that had hithro gone unnoticed; most notably - hiss and poor mono to stereo conversions. The recent Beatles release "1" is a case in point.
I find the SR-80s comfortable, and the cord is a good length and very supple. The pads are not irritating in the least and become more comfortable with time. The leakage levels stop me using these headphones on public transport and so I rate these fairly low in Portability, but I have no problems with outside sounds interfering with my own enjoyment of the music.
All in all, the Grado SR-80 headphones are great value for money, and I have no hesitations in awarding them 4 stars overall. I would give them 5 stars but in all fairness I haven't listened to the SR-125 or others. I look forward to matching these up one day to a good headphone amp – for me I’m sure there are still untapped reserves of listening pleasure yet to be had from these headphones.
New Document New Document SR80i Package Includes a pair of S-Cushion ear pads + Free Shipping which totals to $114.00 !!! $103.99 total for SR80i Pack...More at eBay
The Grado SR80 Headphone delivers more powerful sound and a unique design. They operate on a vented diaphragm design that incorporates a large air cha...More at J&R Music and Computer World
Built on the same features as the SR60, but utilizes a 4 conductor connecting cable and larger ear cushions, the result of which gives a more open sta...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Built on the same features as the SR60, but utilizes a 4 conductor connecting cable and larger ear cushions, the result of which gives a more open sta...More at OneCall
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.