Grado SR60 // SR80 _(Z Reviews)_ 

Protip: Wash the Grado flat pads in a hot bath (hot water + antiseptic). Their molecular structure is permanently altered and they swell up into big soft marshmallows. Don't know if this applies to brand new ones because I only did this after I owned them for a year and they had to be washed because they were saturated in human skin oil. Maybe the human oil is the secret ingredient that makes the magic happen.

I live in the UK, and I find your expletive profanities here to be hugely entertaining.... your NY accent adds to the amusement... thank you for your very honest exposé of these very good earphones.

I just picked up a pair of SR60 for 4 bucks at a second hand store. I LOVE the fact that these headphones look too old to be worth anything. SR60 are a GEM! I was blown away by the clarity of these cans as cheap as they are built. I do NOT regret my purchase :)... new pads cost more from china than these headphones. LOL!

Currently use Sony MDR 7506's for sound monitoring, ordered SR80 Grados for $50 on Ebay...I really lucked out!

I've bought the Grado SR325 as empty shells (no drivers) and bought some custom drivers from South Africa called Nhoord Red V2. So someone else's junk empty headphones, some 70 Euro custom drivers, some wood glue with the same default headband and wire, it honestly made the best sounding headphone in my collection. And I have Sennheiser HD800, Audio Technica AD900, Beyerdynamic D1770, Stax SR-507, Stax SR-007 MKII - and they are all in the cupboard gathering dust, while this shitty, put together Frankestein of a headphone is on my desk for daily use. I cannot explain it!

Couple of my friends had sr-60s like 15 years ago and they were my first "hifi" headphone experience although the amplification and dac setup was a little lacking, but i remember being very impressed. The bass was actually pretty damn good.

Great video! I have owned my SR60's since the early 1990's and it is a love/hate relationship. I have found that the SR60's love tubes.

Always thought the SR60e and SR80e looked pretty dope.

Had a pair of SR80is as my first ever nice headphones. I dropped them in the bath once and they got even bassier. No degradation in sound quality, just more bass. Best headphones I ever owned until I sold them and bought SR325s. No regrets.

Love my SR80e. I auditioned them both but I needed the low end for a wide variety of music so I picked the 80e. And as you tested towards the end, the 80e can handle a wider range of genres due to the added warmth. Legendary sound for $100. Could be modded to be detachables (MMCX), find the perfect pads for them, and these are end game. Been waiting for you to review these and finally wish granted. Thanks, man!

I recently got the original SR60 for just 50 bucks, but lack of wearing comfort was unbearable and I couldn't use them until I swapped the pads and the headband to nyczaj audio aluminum gimbals and EP01 earpads and I can finally enjoy them. I'm honestly shocked how good these drivers sound after all these years, it was well worth modding them! Shame the comfort isn't on par with the sound quality.

Ive owned several Grados, including the GS1000, and myfavorite overall is the RS2e. Also, the Earzonk pads are a nice upgrade over the stock scratchy foam.

“Hopefully not destroying their wallets, i keep doing that” Damn straight! Mine is begging for mercy every time youtube notifications shows up.

I have the SR80s from like 8 years ago. I love them so.

I am so impressed by the SR60e that I returned my Shp9600 and Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. I do not think you can't find anything better in this price range.

i bought the SR60 a few years ago and i am very happy with it. I found that having them hooked up to an headphone amp boost the bass up a bit.

Just discovering this channel for the first time. Gotta say I love this dude's style. I was gifted a $100 Amazon card for Christmas and I'm like "What the hell. I need a workhorse pair of cans for the office. 60s or 80s?" I feel even more conflicted than before. I had had the chance to listen to a pair of 60s, and I thought they were juuuuuust this side of harsh on certain tracks, but now I'm thinking maybe I'll miss that in the 80s...

I got the SR80E, I am really happy with them after I replaced the original pads with GS1000 pads ❤️

I own a pair of SR80's from over a decade ago. They are definitely a unique sounding set of cans. I find them fatiguing since they are very bright sounding. The foam is also not comfortable. Ive had to replace them. They're not for everyone and for normal usage.

I think they both are fantastic gateways into the audiophile world. The SR60s were the first open-backed headphones I had heard, and while they aren't the widest, that first experience blew my mind. And they're both not so different in price that you can truly just pick the sound signature you like better without worrying about the cost discrepancy.

The SR60e's come with either a red or silver magnet cover you can see through the open backs. The silver back drivers have a lot more bass. I asked them which one's were sold through Amazon. They said it could be either silver or red. Anyway, I've had fun modding several different Grado models. Love my Grados.

Zeos, thank you for this video! I bought Grado sr60e based on your review, and they are amazing! Soo sparkly and airy and clear! P.s. give them a bass boost, you will be suprised how well they respond, without losing their magic :)

SR80's end Satania are two of my favorite things.

I modded my SR60's and modded them. So the simple mods, make holes for more bass. (Which gives perfect deep bass) Removed all the cottons etc. Added weight behind the driver and they sound AMAZING. Have Sony wh-1000xm3, doesn't come close. Heard a DT770 Pro not even close. They all sound veiled compared to my Grado.

I listened to the SR60e, SR80e, and the GS1000e and liked the SR60e best, surprisingly. I was so happy by how good these sounded, especially being the cheapest that Grado makes. I recently replaced the foam pads on my Sennheiser HD238 with memory foam. I put the old foam pad inserts into my SR60e's and -holy shit- did it make them better. They weren't the most comfortable either and these foam inserts helped considerable. Stretching them out (like Zeo's stated) helps soooo much. I also have AKG Q701, Sennheiser HD599's, Bose SSF, Sony WH-1000XM3, Magnepan MMG, M&K S1B, Paradigm Shift A2, lots of DIY equipment, and numerous pieces of "less than hifi" equipment. I have heard a lot of HiFi gear (in the $250,000~$1,000,000 range for reference) and own some decent budget gear, if that matters.

4:50 is probably every grado owner ever ( i had to replace the OEM cable once on my SR60is , may have to do it again soon-ish)

I bought a pair of used SR80Es for $4O awhile back and I love them. Certain music, like ACDC, that dosent have booming bass but instead awesome electric guitars, is pure bliss. The slider, little plastic piece that holds the headband, just fell apart one day while i was putting them on, had to super glue it back together...made in Brooklyn yo

I used to have SR80is. They sounded really damn good but they were very uncomfortable and the wires would constantly get tangled up so all the good sound quality in the world couldn't stop me from hating them.

I own the Alessandro ms1, and I love them. I made the same pad change. It has bass, treble, and forward mids, and it sounds different from everything else in my relatively large collection. Never heard the 60's or 80's though.

I'm a long time Grado user. Different models, mods, etc. Just bought a pair of the new 325x. For me these are the best yet. Some people aren't going to like the flat pads they come with though. New drivers, flat pads, sound fantastic to me.

Thanks for the review! I bought the SR60x on a whim, and really like them. Then i noticed the SR80x are only slightly more expensive, so I started to wonder if I should return the 60s. But, i love detail and clarity in my headphones, so I’ll keep the 60s. I realise the x series is newer, but I figured the difference between the models are still the same. Thumbs up for the review!

I have had Grado's (starting with the SR60) for some years now (including the I-Grado) and I must say: looking purely at price - quality they are the best out there. I was blown away the first time I put on a Grade SR60. After having had several headphones (JBL, Sennheiser and AT) this was such a pleasant surprise. Currently use the SR225e.

Sometimes I wear mittens

The GS1000 are amazing, the first time I heard them I got goosebumps.... I could not find a review for the SR125? I put the GS pads on the SR125 and wow!!!

Just got some SR60x's with similar style replacement pads to the ones he put on the 60's and 80's. They sound fantastic with the stock pads but sound incredible with those replacement pads.

I own the SR80 and heard the SR60. They are okay for sound and meh for comfort. I did a review of them on headfi forums in comparison to also the OKCSC m1 and m2 which I find are better. You should try the M2 over the grado products Z.

STICK STOOPID! I love the random Jurassic Park reference.

Found a couple SR225's in a bargain bin, the old version that are non-fat. Haven't used them much becasue they squeeze my head but I just now saw yours are much wider spread apart than mine - so I just pulled them apart a bit! Thanks for the video for that tip if nothing else!

I had Alessandro MS1i (similar to grado 80) with Grado 125 pads and they were awesome! And I had Sennheiser HD595 that has very similar sound signature, made same magic in mids with acoustic music, but with more extension in bass and treble and clearer bass-mids-highs - winner! Try it if you have a chance! Btw 600/650 don’t have such mids excitement and more wooly

I got my pair of sr60x's today and I already love them.

what about these vs the koss kph30i

Yaxi does make pads specifically for Grados gratuitously called "S Cushion by Yaxi" and they are by far the most comfortable and best all around sounding pads I have tried on my Grado RS2Es. Now I can wear my Grados for hours without discomfort and they sound better than the stock pads. They sound better, look better and are more comfortable than anything that Grado offers in my opinion. Best $20 I've spent on Amazon (probably worth getting that link in the description). Oh, and they come in classic black or acid purple for funsies. Apparently you can get the Yaxi Porta Pro pads to fit on Grados as well but I haven't verified this myself.

Im still not sure this guy has enough headphones for me to trust this review.

Nice video on these cans Zeos. The 60s & 80s are great headphone bargains for frugal and budding audiophiles. I have the SR125 & 225 Grados and I have the L-pads on both pairs which have the center cut out and for me, they would be a good mod for the 60s and 80s. I have a number of different audiophile headphones, but I find myself going back to the Grados because they just are more comfortable and lighter for long listening sessions.

I purchased the Grado SR325i in 2007, I still love the warm sound. Since they are brass (or different type of metal), they are fairly heavy. My first audiophile headphones and still slay Bose or Beats.

Oh, so glad to see the Philips SHP 9500S on your channel again, love them!

pretty fun stuff. RS2e are the best Grados imo, but they are almost $500, I don’t know for sure that they are $440 better than the SR 60....

This is an interesting review for me because my two main sets of headphones are the Phillips and SR80s, the latter of which I've owned for easily 8 years now -- I bought them for listening to jazz and classical music, and was not disappointed. I bought the Phillips off of your video review last year, and I agree 100% with your assessment of their awesomeness. But I also love my Grados, despite their terrible build issues (I've Gorilla Glued them multiple times to keep them functioning). But watching this review I have to say I agree 110% with everything you say about the Grados in terms of their warmth and excellence with treble. While the treble is definitely superior to the Phillips, the Phillips has far better low end and better sound stage.

One of the few cheaper sets I've been curious about. I only get cheaper sets because.... well, I can't afford super high end headphones, but I like having a range of different ones that do different things better than others. I've watching Z's reviews long enough to find the right sets. So I got the Takstar 2050 HIFI then modded them to have a cable that disconnects. I have the Monoprice DJ (I forget the number) that were like, $30, but with aftermarket ear pads, head pads, and some thin foam put on the inside of the ear pads, they sound down right amazing. I have the Phillips SHP which I got a good deal on and they are great. I have Sennheiser 558 which I love. I also have the Superlux 668B with custom pans and I love them... although their cheapness shows that first time you hold them. I was always curious about Grado because they look like they would be uncomfortable but I've heard people swear by them. And, because he's saying that he's biased towards anything NY (which seems a bit dumb considering it's one of the worst places in the US... but whatever. To each his own.) and he's saying he's not a big fan of them..... that's basically saying that he thinks they're shit. Which means they are shit..... So now I know not to waste my money. Thanks Z.

I consider the Grado SR 80 to be one of the best audio values of all time. They are easily worth the additional $20 over the SR 60. I am a Grado fan but I would agree that Grado does best with very cheap and very expensive. This is true of their cartridges as well. The SR 225 is also a great value for 200 bucks. They are a like a more refined SR 80. But I would stop there until you get to the expensive stuff.

I have SR125e and they are the best headphones I ever heard in reasonable price range. HiFiMan Sundara was better, but they are 3x more expensive... BTW, I use them with Dragonfly Red.

Good luck finding many of those larger pads. I put together this same setup a few months ago with my 80es and it was pretty hard to find a legitimate seller of the large pads. I’d order the larger ones and receive the small pads. It took 3 sellers before I actually got a pair of larger ones. If anyone finds a seller that reliably sells the larger ones, please let me know. The ones I bought were the Vever replacement pads.

Ahh I see your a man of culture as well

At AXPONA, the HiFIman Sundara were sold direct at $280. Nice to compare the Phillips mentioned here to them and compared to the Grado's including the 125e at $150.

At my work we have some ex-display RS1s at about half their retail price. At that price they're tempting but 1) I'd have to give them a proper audition because I got the impression they wanted better amplification than the equipment I briefly tested them with (phone and one of the micro hi-fis we have downstairs). 2) That's money I could be spending on something else and there are other things I'm more interested in (I still don't have a set of full size planars and there are some IEMs with various driver configurations that I want to try).

Some people actually dislike Yaxi pads and recommend HD414 pads or the Grado Comfies for the PortaPro. (both with or without the hole-coin pad mod)

I've never understood the hatred for the pads. I've had my 80s for a few years and I am still rocking the stock pads, they are fine. The headphones are very comfortable; I don't even notice I am wearing them after a few minutes because the weight distribution is so good. The attached wires aren't a deal breaker, still better than the Audio Technica entry-level headphones.

I have the SR125e. It's basically a binned version of these because they're driver matched to .1 db. They have a super specific signature but once you hear them they keep drawing you back because there's really nothing else that sounds like a matched pair of Grados.

i had the sr60e before i broke up with my ex and i left them at her house lmao but i miss them... they sound the most open out of all of the headphones ive ever had. in general i just loved them for being unique.

I couldn't help but notice your pyrrha nikos art in the background haha ❤️

I've had the sr80e for a couple years now and I love them. I was thinking about getting the SHP9500 but now it seems like that's not worth doing now.

Holy. Shit. I got the sr80’s a year ago and just let them sit cause they fucking HURT. HURT! Then I watched z stretch the band straight. Theyre now my most comfortable headphone and they sound stellar. So yea, thanks lol.

what about the grado sr225e ...are they better? he says that the 325 are garbagger but too mucho peaple say that the sr225e are the upgrade of the 80e. I'm in the right way or not :/ I'm plannig to buy one of them....the sr80e or the sr225e. I need help T_T

I just got the SR60 for free and some new foam pads on eBay for $11 / they sound great!!!!!!

Sennheiser HD414 pads are where its at for cheap Grados. Much more comfortable foam than the scratchy stuff Grado uses, last FAR longer, and sound better.

The SR225 are the sweet spot value-wise. I plan to get SR325 with G-Cushions next.

Love both the 80 and the 60 though I think I may go back to the 60s. And yes the replacement cushion for me anyway is key because as much as I love Grado headphones the pad the 60s and 80s come with I find so uncomfortable.

SHP9500 (original ones with the bag) are still being sold in China on Taobao. Got them few weeks ago.

What would you pick if you could only have one headphone?

your setup is really intruiging and unique, do you plan on doing a video on it?

I have had a pair of SR60s about 20 years. My main complaint is the cording, just hate the twisting from ear pieces rotating. Great for the price though

November Rain sounds INCREDIBLE on Grados

I just got my SR325s yesterday and they sound fantastic

Like a happy owner of SR 80, I can say they deserve attention - Light, amazing sound, good bass but not annoying like I`m goona break your head - everything is compose!

I just picked sr80 for $65 incredible!

They've got some white pair I've seen somewhere that might be a limited edition. I'd have to find it again. I remember some celebrity a few years back did a closed back model with Grado with a maple can I think it was, but I never saw them anywhere for sale that I can recall. So that is almost kind of a change.

I have the sr225 headphones and I love them. For over 20 years I used Sennheisers. It took a little time to get used to the Grado's. The Sennheisers have a laid back sound. The Grado's are more powerful and in your face. It's hard to explain. The only negative thing is they make my ears sore. It has to do with the pads. Even new pads seems a little thin. I rather put up with the sore ears in order to have good sound.

if you made a side to side comparison with the sr125e you would be amazed by how much better it got for just 50$ and it is the living proof that a better cable can make a huge difference.

I've been curious about Grado for years now and finally bought a pair of SR325e. I thought about getting the SR80e to start but I thought why not try the best of the Prestige Series. Now I just need to figure out if it's worth getting the G-Cush over-ear pads or not. I'm not a huge fan of on-ear pads but I think I'll wait and see how the L cushion feels before spending $45 on a pair of G-Cush pads which seems quite high for a simple foam pad with no leather or anything.

Crazy guy, hahaha, but I like your original way of coming up with your findings and reviews. Greetings from Madrid ;-)

I bought these and my chief complaint was the strap... so i looked for one... what have you done to me... there are endless mods for these

Love my original SR60, actually prefer them over my SR325e! But please upgrade to open foam pads in your 60, 80 and 125, it makes a HUGE difference!!! (I think mostly because it’s increasing the distance to your ears). Chinese replacements cost nothing and are great

Agreed on the pad change on the Sr 60s. Geekria cupped pads open up the soundstage and let's the details through. $17cdn

you brought up an interesting questions. if you could only have 1 headphone, what would it be?

Finally you tried grado, not a fan of them though. Looks classy

Yaxi should make Grado pads, they would sell a ton. Their foam is the most comfortable, and blue, red, orange or yellow would look great on the cheaper (black plastic) Grados.

the grados sound fantastic but i always had trouble wearing them, they hurt my ears after a while. i’ve been using my audio technica ath m50x just because they’re so comfortable to me but am looking to step it up to something around $200-250 that i can use without an amp. if anyone has any suggestions let me know!

I use my Grado for recording my music they are just so damn good. Going to use your lay and stretch technique thank you

How do they compare to the KOSS KPH30i?

Grado SR80s were my gateway into this expensive mess

The PS500e are my favorite beating out my LCD2 and HD800. No issues with treble sibilance and or too low treble. Bass hits hard. Only issue with Grados is comfort. I really hate the feel of open foam.

You should try to get a hold of the new ATH G1 and G1WL.

The SR 60's must have really improved, because I bought a pair a few years ago and it was a screechy pile of garbage. Nothing but treble turned up to 11.

My very first good headphone was the sr80i then moved on to the hd650s and finally getting the lcd2c. So low middle and high and done.

Hi, what would you recommend me to pick between Phillips shp9500 and the Sennheiser hd58x jubilee ? Use it for the vibe and also for studio Cause now, the 9500 are $70 and hd58x are at $170 So what do you can say ? Thanks

7:03 "The fact that its a weirder shape and bigger doesn't mean it touches you any less" ...If anything I'd think it touches you more and not in a good way

might i ask if compared these 2 to koss porta pro, which one is better? i know the price are way different but you said yourself in this video that expensive cans don't make good cans ;)

Put Sennheiser HD414 pads on them. Feels much better.

6:12 Yaxi now has pads for these! The only reason I'm here is cuz I'm deliberating getting another SR80 (mine broke 9 years ago) or 60 just for the Yaxi pads.

The foams pads hurt/irritate my ears for some reason. Replaced em with the Sennheiser HD414 pads and it's been much better.