Credit (All Images): HeadRoom

Although Grado is not as well known as Sony or others for its headphones, it’s one of the highly respected companies with superb quality headphones for audiophiles. We are not talking about people who listen to music occasionally; we are talking about listeners who breathe music, literally. With Grado’s two high-end headphones that cost $500 and $700 respectively, there’s no doubt that the company is very selective of its customers, and instead of following the "sell as many as you can" motto, it designs and manufactures the near perfect models. Even though we’ve been thoroughly impressed with its RS1 and RS2 models, today we have a pair that’s far more affordable than the aforementioned models. Welcome the Grado SR80…

Following a mature color scheme, the SR80 comes in an all black exterior that will fit quite well with the majority of the music players in the market. The SR80 is actually an improvement over Grado’s SR60, so you’ll see quite a few similarities between the two pairs in terms of features and specifications. This particular model uses an open earcup design with a foaming material that surrounds the earpieces quite well. Once you wear the headphones, what you’ll notice is that the drivers are placed on your ears instead of a foam cushion. Majority of us are used to an all around comfortable fit where we don’t usually feel the actual drivers, but in this case, you will. While the audio becomes clearer (due to the lack of a thick covering over the drivers), they are uncomfortable at the same time. You’ll surely feel the headphones on your ears after a mere use of two hours, or so. Of course the amount of discomfort will vary depending on the sensitivity of your ears as well. In addition to the earcup design, Grado offers a supportive and adjustable headband for stability and comfort.

In terms of features, the Grado SR80 is based on a vented diaphragm, non-resonant air chamber design for a more fulfilling sound experience. Grado also polishes the headphones with standard copper coils and wires. Even though the SR80 initially has a 1/8" connector, Grado does include a convertible adapter with the 1/4" option. The interesting thing to note is that Grado includes a 1/4" adapter with its economic class of headphones, but not with its high-end editions. The presentation of the product thus far is quite impressive, but the discomfort factor isn’t all that exciting.

Now that we are done with the product outlook, let’s see how the SR80 holds up in performance tests.

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