Grado SR80 Professional Headphones

Pros: inspired open-air design, cheap price
Cons: not as good as Grado's top-of-the-line

These are the first Grados I ever bought. I'm not sure I qualify as a textbook "audiophile," but I have taken back almost every pair of headphones I have ever bought - and usually within 24 hours of their purchase. Why? Because most headphones just ...

Pros: Phenomenal sound for the price. Probably the best headphones you can buy for under $100.
Cons: Foam pads are inexcusably discomforting. You will need a rest after less than two hours.

Having gained much knowledge from these reviews before I made my purchase, I feel obligated to contribute to them now that I have my new Grado SR80s. I have had them for about a week and have enjoyed them very much. They are the best headphones I have ...

Pros: Clean clear sound. Even seperation. Unbeatable deal for less than $100
Cons: Sound leakage, a little uncomfortable after long usage, revealing of poor recordings

After reading hundreds of raving reviews about the Grado SR-80, I decided that I would take the plunge into high quality audio. While I wouldn't concider myself an expert in the world of high end audio, I have always been a proponent of aftermarket audio ...

Pros: Near-audiophile quality sound, Light, Value, Easily driven
Cons: Somewhat bright, Uncomfortable to some

*Updated for greater accuracy Before further commenting on the Grado SR-80, I must first say that I have owned numerous headphones in the past few years. Most, however, only acted as a catalyst to my appreciation for exceptional sound. They merely ...

Pros: They sound pretty good
Cons: My $10.00 Sony earbuds were almost 80% as good.

Well, I have been listening to the Grado SR-80 for the last 4 to 5 days with my Dell Laptop. I listen about 2 to 3 hrs per day, I must say these are great headphones, however I am not exactly ecstatic, I am not getting goosebumps as I listen to my ...

Pros: Great Sounding, very 'lively' sound
Cons: Not very comfortable, old fashion look

Purchase Background
Recently, I started the music listening habit while writing code at work. The Radio Shack headphone that I bought for $15 provides reasonable sounding (at least at that time), but it was too uncomfortable for long period...

Pros: Great Sound, Great Value
Cons: Too revealing of poorly recorded music

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...

Pros: Increadible clarity and accuracy
Cons: Very uncomfortable

I come to this review as a musician of 10 years with some professional recording experience.

I was looking for headphones for practicing in my apartment. The headphone I currently own (AKG K-300's) I bought years ago and bought them because...

Pros: Made in America! Unbeatable clear natural sound
Cons: Foam ear cushions, strong chemical smell when new

I purchased these cans (British term for headphones) back in October from an online source (goodcans.com) Sources Tested with: - Computer as source EMU0404(Pro sound card) -> Monoprice Toslink -> Entech 203.2 DAC, Monster MKII400 IC -> ...

Pros: execelent sound for the money
Cons: can be uncomfortable for some listeners

I have had quite a bit of exeperience with pro quality headphones being an aspiring musician. I have also biased my hearing having listened to my share of studio monitors, and audiophile grade speakers, and feel my judgement in audio gear is valid, no...

Pros: Value, excellent sound quality, did I mentioned value ?
Cons: a look that might not please everybody and somewhat uncomfortable

People are funny, they buy a 300 $ top of the line portable audio device and use the bundeled ear buds and expect great sound (that's what they paid for, right ?). Well, it's time to wakeup guys! The SR 80 may not be suited for portability but they sure...

Pros: Brings you closer to the music -- clarity and quality is unreal.
Cons: Larger than ear-buds -- cost about $100.

I work on a notebook computer anywhere between 40 to 80+ hours per week. Nearly the entire time I'm listening to music (MP3s and CDs). I've been cramming these "nice sounding" Sony ear-buds into my ears for a couple years now -- and it was...

Pros: Great sounding headphones. Easy to drive, Well built.
Cons: Original ear pads were uncomfortable, but replacements are much better!

The Grado SR-80s are a great souding easy to drive headphone that benefit greatly from the Grado design philosophy and available technology.
They are Dynamic, open air units, with frequency response of 20hz-20khz.
SPL = 98, impedence is 32 ohm....

Pros: Terrific sound for the $$$
Cons: Took awhile to feel comfortable on my head; could have better ergonomics

I've had my Grado SR80 headphones for about 5 years, so I've got plenty of experience with this fine product. I go into more detail below, but I'll go ahead and tell you now: these headphones are a bargain and sound great!

Fit and styling:...

Pros: Fairly inexpensive, excellant performance, from a strong company
Cons: Could be cheaper

I bought these to go with my new SONY DISCMAN (see my other reviews) and, to be honest with you, ONE of the two items is going back - and it's not the headphones! GRADO has always made great audio/video equipment, I have many of their products from the...

Pros: Good sound. Seems durable.
Cons: The physical design of the headphones begs to be revised.

There are many reviews of the audio capabilities of these headphones and these are almost unanimous in their high praise. I agree with these positive reviews. The Grado SR 80s sounds simply spectacular, and I will not linger on the audio side of things. ...

Pros: fidelity, fidelity, fidelity Best headphone for under $100- period.
Cons: sound leakage,

I purchased these initially as a present for someone else- but while testing them out in the store- I realized that I HAD to own a pair. I had read the reviews posted everywhere about these headphones- and the consensus was that they were a little ...

Pros: Clear, detailed sound
Cons: Not as comfortable as some other headphones

Three months ago I bought a pair of Grado SR-80's, and had been running them in for close to 40 hours. I have never been more satisfied (for the price that I paid for them) in my life! Here is my review:

Some recent reviews on the SR-80's have...

Pros: Sweet sound.
Cons: Painful design.

Though the Grado SR-80's have long enjoyed a favorable reputation among audiophiles, it's difficult for me to understand why. They're the most uncomfortable headphones I've ever used; wearing the Grado SR-80's is like putting your head in a vice. While...

Pros: Excellent soundstaging and definition. Very clear overall presentation. All the hype was well deserved.
Cons: Construction can be improved, especially given the status of Grado.

I finally bought a Grado after all these years. I have to say that all the hoo-ha over Grado's cans flew over my head. I did make a mental note to get my hands on a set when I had a home system years ago. Never did I imagine that I will be getting a SR80 ...

Pros: Amazing sound quality for the price!
Cons: Earpads very uncomfortable.

These are the best headphones I have ever heard.

In the past, I usually bought headphones that cost over $200. The reviews that I read on Epinions convinced me to look at the lower-priced Grado's. I was a bit skeptical because of the price,...

Pros: No distortion at all. Wonderful, soaring treble...balanced bass.
Cons: Could be more comfortable. Open air design disturbs others.

This is the best pair of headphones $100 can buy you, hands down. I went to a store with my Siamese Dream album that I've been listening to for 7+ years now and was amazed as soon as I slipped these puppies on. After 7 years of listening to this album, I...

Pros: BARGAIN price for SUPERB sound.
Cons: Long cord = not too portable.

I got my first listen to a pair of these at my local hi-fi shop and was immediately impressed. I had tried Sennheisers before as well as the top-of-the-line Koss' and I must say I was most impressed with Grado.

Here is my unscientific,...

Pros: sound quality
Cons: minor discomfort

I bought the Grado SR80 headphones because they seemed the best on the market. They are not the most comfortable things to wear for long periods of time but the sound is great. I preferred them to the SR60 headphones because the foam earcoverings are...

Pros: Great sound - Extremely Clear highs and mids with Great Bass
Cons: Cable is a tad long for my portable - this is a minor consideration.

My jaw hit the floor when I first slipped these over my ears. After I struggled with the thin sound of my Sony 888's for weeks, it felt like I was eating chocolate cake the moment the rich sound flowed into my head.
Now, keep in mind that you will...

Pros: Comfortable. Un-fatiguing and natural sound quality. Open and large soundstage.
Cons: Materials used are not as plushed. Need a bit more jiuce to get going.

Seems that everyone who has an opinion without qualifications can write a review. I have been in the audio business for 30 some years (Yes, I was involved with High-end audio since I was quite young), and for anyone to say that a pair of Sony earbuds ...

Pros: New comfy earpads!!! Great sound Under $100
Cons: Cheesy looks

The Grado SR-80 has long been known as the sound winner in the $100 price range but the earpads sucked. Well, that has just changed. You see folks, I just bought a pair and mine were shipped with Grado's comfy earpads. And they did not degrade the...

Pros: Very good sound, lay flat.
Cons: Must be pulled apart somewhat to make them comfortable

I have a large head and the SR80's hurt after wearing them for 30min or more. By pulling them apart I stretched out the metal headband. The enlarged headband has greatly increased the level of comfort. I can now wear them for a few hours without any...

Pros: Sound quality is sensational! Very heavy duty cable.
Cons: None (though they're not as easy to carry as the in-ear style).

Bought a set of SR-80s last week after reading the reviews. I found them on sale at Cambridge Soundworks for $85 and decided to give them a try. What a great set of phones! My journey began with a set of fairly basic Sonys that were fine for a ...

Pros: Good reviews!
Cons: Terrible Build quality.

Bought these because of all the good reviews! Very disappointed when they arrived. Withing seconds o ...

Pros: Absolutely amazing sound, deep rich bass, heavy duty cable.
Cons: Very uncomfortable when first wearing, much better after a few uses.

I have never owned a quality pair of headphones and after many weeks of reading reviews, I decided to buy these. They were well worth the money spent and I would tell anyone considering buying a pair of headphones under $100 to take a look at these. The...

Pros: great sound reproduction
Cons: not good for big earlobes

I needed to buy a good headphone for my digital piano. I picked many headphones and actually tested them out, hitting large chords in various regions of the keys. The Grado 80 has an excellent bass response, comparable to the HD600 (which is five times...

Pros: sound very close to reality,good on all frequency range, light comfortable,my best headphones ever
Cons: looks like a $5 headphones (cheap plastics and unpleasant earpads )

the sound is very natural and close to the real sound i love this headphones, when compared to my hd280 pro from sennheiser almost at the same price, the hd280 has more details and it has this incredible deep bass (not strong but deep low this is hard to describe) but the hd280 sound is unatural like a sound coming from a metal tin ( especially noticable with human voices) so the grado in this price range beat sennheiser hands down, not bad fro a small company. the finish quality is really poor compared to sennheiser, it seems grado puts all the money in the quality of the speakers rather than in the quality of the plastics - not a bad choice. cable seem solid except at the y junction, i hope it will last long. sennheiser cable on the hd280pro look much more solid.

Pros: Every thing is perfect.
Cons: None.

When I came to the store and asked to hear these head phones, it took me about 5 seconds to say: "ok I will take them". The sound was amazing. For a small amount of money you get to hear music in a way that only few very rich people that own high end hi fi hear. A bargain!!!

Pros: Sound.
Cons: Cost. May not be usable after 18 months due to jack plug connections failing.

Good sound, though uncomfortable after a short time. Non-existent customer service. Surprised the other reviews don't detail this problem. Jack plug connection fails before you have paid for them!

Pros: Beautiful sound reproduction, light and comfortable
Cons: Open air design might be a problem for certain environments

Like what's been said in many other reviews, don't let the old school look fool you into thinking these headphones are anything less than top-notch. I just recently got mine, and they're very good at what they do, which is drive sound to your ears. They're an "open air" design, which means outside sounds come through (and vice versa), but depending on the conditions in which you use them (I use them at home), this is probably a null issue.Highly recommended for the price bracket. Heck, highly recommended, PERIOD, unless you want to drop $300+ for the next step up.

Pros: Sound great, nice thick cord, cheap looking, but in a oddly cool way
Cons: Cheap looking in an oddly cool way. Hurts to wear after a while.

Love em!! Well, almost. I'm not an audiophile, but I think that these are great. There is such great separation in the different sounds of the music, that prior to these I had not known about.

I will say this though. They will very likely hurt your ears after a while, or perhaps after not so long. I always notice that more though after I've already taken the headphones off.

But they do sound great. To me.

Pros: smooth rich sound .....descent bass...lovely highs
Cons: Earpads from hell....not the most comfortable

smooth rich sound ......Bass response could be abit richer but plenty for average listening. Great soundstage......rich highs.......I'm very picky on my listening and I feel this purchase was a very smart buy for cans under $100.00 ....I am going to trial these cans with a HP amp, but with my RCA Lyra MP3 player ......honestly no amplification is needed....All in all cant go wrong with this product.....Ive recommended these to all my fellow musicians that require a distinctive ear for their music......Thumbs up GRADO!!!!!!On 20 some hours of burn in time..........Sounding more rounded.......I hear 30 hours plus improves these cans

Pros: Great detail and wide open sound stage, well balanced response, tight bass.
Cons: Cheesy construction quality, fat cord.

After reading so many glowing reviews I just had to give it a try and I will say the sound is very nice--open and detailed as is characteristic of this type of headphone and comfort is not as bad as I had expected from the reviews. I do have to take issue with the physical construction however. They have a feel and look of something you'd find in a flea market for $10. And the cord is curiously thick although it is quite flexible. By way of comparison my Ultrasone 550's are built like a tank but the sound is rather more muffled due to the closed construction. I guess the comparison is that of solid durable German BMWish Ultrasone to high performing but tinny Chevy Cobalt SS Grado.

Pros: Great sound and reasonable price.. they delivery the sound that Grado is reputed as having.
Cons: Not the most comfortable or the best for portability.

I've read alot about the Grado headphones series and decided to find out for myself what they are all about.

As you may have allready heard they require some break-in time.. I have found after a few hours they mellowed out on the highend. They actually sound horrible at first
..so it may even be a good idea to just put some music on and just set them down.

After that period of break-in I found them to be incredibly accurate headphones and maybe in some cases too accurate. All around they sound great.

So since then I have been wanting to listening to them constantly but find the earpieces too tiring and uncomfortable. You need to excercise the headbar so that they do not pinch too hard.. this made a big difference.

Maybe Grado did this so that you would not be tempted to listen to headphones for long periods of time and go deaf?

The question is would I be willing to get any of the more expensive headphones for Grado? Well at the top of the scale for $700 I would hope they would be more comfortable!