And that’s partly because there aren’t any true clunkers to point out. GRADO SR80e – Infographic Comparison: If you can spare another $20, we strongly recommend the SR80e. Extras in the Grado SR80e box are slim, with no carry case included. So let’s start with Grado SR80e Prestige Series Headphones. Open-back on-ear headphones are a rarity and this pair show unwavering confidence in their unusual approach. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices. Their presentation is up-front, music seeming to ‘start’ close to your ears; the open, well-separated sound doesn’t cling to your eardrums in the way lesser up-front headphones might make it. My favorite thing about this headphone, before taking sound into account, is how comfortable it is. Rock On - Grado SR80e On-Ear Headphones Review Grado SR80e is one of the finest headphones for those who enjoy a colorful, dynamic midrange, and a really sparkly treble, but don't require a lot of bass. Grado SR80 review Sound quality isn't a new thing By tech.co.uk staff 06 June 2005. The outside is open, while the inside is foam padded for comfort. Bowl Comfy G-Pad Flat The pad mods and many, many more headphones can be found here. The Grado SR80i model is a great pair of budget headphones that offer sparkling sound with tight bass and are best suited to home use. If you're using an ad-blocker you might miss out on seeing the deals. Grado SR80e Prestige Series: Conclusion And Rating. We never, ever accept money to review a product. Internally, the specs all read out the same except for cable. Grado SR80e. The SR80e has a 4-conductor cable while the SR125e has an 8-conductor cable. The Grado SR80es are exceptional and exceptionally odd headphones; very similar to the SR80is they replace. Excellent dynamics and the sheer speed and razor-cut tautness of the sound makes a lot of sub-£100 headphones sound quite lazy and basic. Their dynamics, detail and clarity are all-but-unmatched at the price. Headphones have changed plenty in that time, but the SR80e are much like the SR80i, but with a slightly tweaked build and redesigned drivers. Thank you for signing up to What Hi-Fi?. Unfortunately, they don't fold up into a more … Those worried about this should also take a look at the Sennheiser HD 598s, which sound larger and smoother, if not as lively. But at least there's foam padding inside to keep the headphones safe, and a 3.5-to-6.3mm adapter. Do these headphones hold up to the high standards placed by their predecessors? However, they won’t be for everyone. SR80e headphones are better than SR60e. As there’s no fat to the sound, nothing to clog up the separation between parts of an arrangement, the SR80es can jump between genres without any obvious flaws highlighted. Thay are far better. The result is a sound that is more natural and has little to no alteration from the original audio. They are round slabs of foam, less soft and more scratchy than just about any alternative we could mention. Our Verdict. The Grado SR80e are on-ear headphones, the new version of the SR80i released back in 2010. The SR80es come in a thin cardboard box that may be damaged by the time you open it if you buy online. However, I’ve been able to wear them for a few hours at a time without any serious discomfort. Unlike other sites, we thoroughly test every product we review. Luckily, they come across as “cool” rather than “out of date”. We enjoy the style, but when the upper-mids are also un-smoothed – not quite raw or hard but without quite the level of refinement heard in Grado’s more expensive pairs – some may find them slightly tiring for long periods at higher volumes. As a result, aggressive guitar lines and searing vocals will wow you with their clarity and definition while also challenging your ears with their non-smooth texture. Both are great to listen to a variety of genres. Sign up below to get the latest from What Hi-Fi?, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! Grado SR80e review: Design and features Grado’s Prestige series has been around for more than twenty-five years and that’s immediately evident in … The SR80e aren’t particularly relaxing headphones either, with their less than luxurious foam pads and borderline aggressive presentation of music. If you want to save a little money, consider the Grado SR60e, which I reviewed a few years ago. Learn More, If you're after a set of headphones to use on your commute to and at work, the Grado SR80e won't be for you. Do take it a with a pinch of salt. Shares. And then I saw that Consumer Reports ranked the Grado SR80e very high. What Hi-Fi? Grado SR80e Headphone Review . Open back vs closed. All rights reserved. Grado’s website says that the 8 conductor design will impro… Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, The SR80e comes with a double ended (non-removable) cable terminated in a 1/8 inch plug and containing a ¼ inch adaptor. Now you know why they are so popular! Shares. But more on this later when we discuss the sound perform… While Grado merely states that it’s an upgrade, they did not officially state the tech improvement. As such, the Grado SR80e are best used in a quiet environment, where sound leakage won’t prove to be an annoyance. Listening to the two side-by-side; the SR80e have tighter bass, but their sound styles are otherwise similar. They put the Grado Prestige Series SR325e Headphones as the highest with a score of 91, then comes the Grado Prestige Series SR225e Headphones with a score of 88. The world may change, but Grado headphones stay pretty much the same. Grado SR80e design and comfort — retro and open-backed At first glance, the Grado SR80e sport a retro flavour. The very design is built to best suit any music lover. At first glance, the Grado SR80e sport a retro flavour. Slide 1 of 7 . Sadly with the way the audiophile headphone market has gone in recent years its becoming harder and harder to find something in the on-head category that can produce a high-end sound without breaking your bank. Once you get used to the unusual feel, they’re fine, and they don’t make your ears hot like some leather pads. There is a review that mentions the SR80e is more laidback and have better bass. Grado SR80e is one of the finest headphones for those who enjoy a colorful, dynamic midrange, and a really sparkly treble, but don't require a lot of bass. The Grado SR-80e is extremely lightweight and easy to adjust for a nice fit.The extra large foam earpads make them a hit with our larger-eared reviewers, and the fully adjustable headband can be perfectly fine-tuned to your head for maximum comfort. Open-back on-ear headphones are a rarity and this pair show unwavering confidence in their unusual approach. Overall, these headphones rank high for comfort, especially when considering their value. In this review we’re focusing on one of these lower-priced options, the Grado Prestige Series SR60e. If you’re on a tight budget, the Grado SR80e is the better choice by default. We may earn a commission if you click a deal and buy an item. The bits that need to be metal are metal, but the rest is plastic. If you’re wondering how the SR80es stack up next to the SR60es, they’re similar but the SR80es have slightly tighter bass and better-defined treble. Bass is clean and punchy and there’s zero sense of one frequency band bleeding into or encroaching upon another. Updated December 24, 2015 Meet the SR 80, open-backed on-ear headphones by Grado. The best Cyber Monday iPad deal is back but stock is limited. But they are among the best headphones you can buy for the money. MORE… Grado's SR80e open-backed headphones are one of the best products I've tested all year, but they're only good for at-home use because they leak tons of sound and they're difficult to transport. They’re vital and energetic, and get their results without employing a boost in any particular frequency range. We’ll always tell you what we find. As a result, they don’t offer a luxury-like fit; they’re not as comfortable as other sets at the price. With those caveats out of the way, the Grado SR80e are among the best headphones you can buy for the money, offering superb definition and energy. They’re not the most relaxing listen and some won’t like the uncompromising nature of the midrange they present, but clarity relative to the price is excellent. Tell us what you think - send your emails to the Editor. The Grado Sr80e open-backs ship with a massive six … Neither is wrong, but the Grado style gives music plenty of energy, while sacrificing a little sound scale/size. These drivers give them a better sense of clarity to the music, compared to the SR60e. There’s no fat or bloat here at all; a lot of headphones at this price introduce some extra bulk in the bass or mids to make the sound more accessible, but it can gum together parts of a mix. There’s no carry case, and the cable does not have an in-line remote for phones. Comfort is also aided by those metal rods that protrude from the headband. Please refresh the page and try again. Part of Grado’s newly launched e series, this pair of headphones is the successor to the well-regarded SR60i. Everything from the fonts used … But if you can afford the Beyerdynamic headphones, they are worth every penny. The Grado SE80e also put music up-close to your ears, rather than taking a more laid-back approach. And if you compare their difference in numbers, SR80e’s headphones are 10% to 15% ahead than SR60e’s. The leather-effect headband is synthetic too. They're decently comfortable and have a well-balanced mid-range and a good bass for an open-back design. Overview – Grado SR80e vs Sennheiser HD 559 Comparison Review. The Grado SR60e has a pretty nifty sound signature, aside from the kind of unnecessary 2k spike, which causes some issues, but in no way as bad as a Grado headphone with an L-cushion. ... Grado Labs Prestige SR80i review: Grado Labs Prestige SR80i The wire that you get with the appliances is … Grado is one of the most unusual headphones makers. Grado has taken one of the world's most legendary headphones and made it even better. Mid-range detail and the integration of mids and treble are quite exceptional, giving the Grado SR80e a high-end flavour for which you’d normally pay a premium. Of them, IMO the comfy has the best balance between treble and bass, but retains Grado's aggressive 2 kHz mid-range peak. The cups swivel freely around these, letting the headphones fit to your head instantly. They're not particularly relaxing headphones either, and the presentation is borderline aggressive. Bass punch is great for a pair of on-ear headphones, all the more impressive when you consider that the SR80e use grilles on the rear of each cup that open the driver cavity to the outside world. The Grado SR80e aren’t suitable for all occasions. For the price of a few cups of coffee, you get matched drivers that are within .1db of each other. The others above are all $200 or more. Joe's nephew John explained to me that the Grado Mojo can basically be boiled down to one essential goal: the elimination of resonance. The SR80e can sound slightly raw in parts, making for a challenging listen at higher volumes. These are uncompromising headphones – in a great way. is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. They are priced at 100 USD, and they will be compared with Brainwavz HM100, 1More Triple Driver, and AIWA ARC-1. Twice as many conductors! England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Visit our corporate site. You will receive a verification email shortly. I've been reading the experts. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? They leak sound and provide almost no isolation, so if you want something to wear on the train, look elsewhere. Of course, open-back headphones do come with shortfalls mainly being lack of sound isolation, leakage, and bass presence. The SR80e and SR125e look identical when sitting next to each other save for the model number and cable thickness. © Sorry for the list, but the point is that these SR80e headphones are a top recommendation from Consumer Reports for right at $100. Typical of a fairly affordable pair of ‘audiophile’ headphones, not too much of the budget has been syphoned into flashy surface-level flourishes. These are unusual headphones in that they’re on-ear but have open backs. The Grado SR80e are on-ear headphones, the new form of the SR80i discharged the more significant part 10 years prior. There is a 3.5mm-to-6.3mm adapter, though. Their fit is unusual. Quality really matters when it comes to headphones. Reviews. They block out almost no noise. The Grados look retro, and not in a superficial way designed simply to look good on a shelf. Grado SR60e review - £80 headphones that will be totally impractical in most situations, but they don't half sound good. Read on for our impressions. If you’re after a set of headphones to use on your commute to and from work, or for an office in which you’re in close vicinity to colleagues, then the Grado SR80e won’t be for you. The Grado SR80e are decent open-back critical listening headphones, but a below-average choice for everything else. However, they do offer great sound for the price. We use industry standard tests in order to compare features properly. To reiterate: unless you live out in the country, these are not really portable headphones in the traditional sense. The open-backed design helps make these headphones sound fast and nimble. Here he test and reviews some of newest mobile, audio and camera d…. Despite their old-fashioned look these are anything but pipe-and-slippers’ headphones. They are priced at 100 USD, and they will be compared with Brainwavz HM100, 1More Triple Driver, and AIWA ARC-1. Like the SR80e, They will easily fit in a backpack and the ear cups that lay flat to take up less space. Grado SR60 The new $69 SR60 is the cheapest model in Grado's new Prestige series of affordable headphones based on the same technology featured in the $595 HP 1 and the $495 HP 2 Signature Series. The SR80e breaks the mold with its classy stylish old school look. It is extremely light. Open-back on-ear headphones are a rarity, but Grado has knocked this one out of the park. MORE: Best headphone deals: in-ear, over-ear, wireless and more. The Audio Technica ATH-M50xs are a solid alternative. Bath Receive news and offers from our other brands? We have real affection for the design, though. Same black polycarbonate cans and vinyl strap, same feeling as they sit atop my head. They’re entirely out of step with the way modern on-ear headphones operate, too. Grado Labs SR 80 Review These popular on-ears from Grado Labs have some eccentricities that consumers need be wary of. Headphones have changed bounty in that time, yet the SR80e is a lot of like the SR80i, however, with a … They have nearly the same build and comfort quality you will see in the above table. We’re not going to complain when the company’s cans sound as good as the Grado SR80es, though. These are lively headphones with excellent midrange and treble detail, as well as swift, deep bass for a pair of this size and style. The Grado SR60i have a traditional open back design to … In our opinion, these are the best headphones out there under $100. These are lively headphones with excellent midrange and treble detail, as well as swift, deep bass for a pair of this size and style. It ships pairs costing thousands in thin cardboard boxes and must be the only major player that actively tries to sell itself like a small family-run cobblers. They have very different sound signatures from each other, but both benefit from a great sounding soundstage. Next on the list isn't Grado, it's Hifiman HE400S Full-Size Planar … Let your budget decide. Written and Tested by Chris Thomas. Not everyone is going to fall in love with the Grado SR80es, though. The Grado SR80es are exceptional and exceptionally odd headphones; very similar to the SR80is they replace. Everything from the fonts used to the chunky shapes of these headphones could have been beamed from the 1950s. Forums. The pairings will include FiiO M6, iBasso DX160, and Shanling M2X. There was a problem. Like all larger Grado headphones, the SR80e’s pad foam is fairly firm, and doesn’t feel as soft as leather padding. Cyber Monday deals: see all the best offers right now! The ear cups have metal protrusions on which they spin around on, giving a studio feel. Tyll Hertsens at InnerFidelity made some very useful graphs of a Grado SR225i with the various stock pads and some popular pad mods. GRADO SR325e might feel quite heavy as its weight is 355 g, which is a lot compared to GRADO SR80e that weighs only 230 g. These headphones have an adjustable headband but they are not good for traveling because none of them can be folded. The SR80es are much like the SR80is, which we reviewed years ago. Grado SR60i review Some new features are incorporated into an old favourite By Richard Black 25 June 2009. I’m not sure what better compliment I can pay than the fact I can easily forget that I have them on. Open headphones tend to have more diffused bass. Although the SR80e prove poor for listening on buses, trains, or out and about in cities, in terms of the audio quality you get for the price, they’re hard to beat for just £89. Both the Grado SR80e and the Sennheiser HD 559 are solid sets of headphones, especially for just $99. Among £90-100 headphones, these Grados are a bit of a weird kid, but the sound is fantastic. Throughout the Grado SR225e review, there has been one thing sticking out in my mind and that's the price. But that’s it. Chunky plastic earcups inlaid with grilles and the metal prongs that attach cup to headband create the look of radio-operator cans. The other issue is of build, and comfort to a lesser degree. SR80E. It’s a small trade-off given the SR80es’ strengths, though, made all the more minor when you consider the practical sacrifices involved in owning an open-back pair of headphones. The foam pads tend to warm up after a couple of hours, but that is to be expected with most on-ear designs. Best headphone deals: in-ear, over-ear, wireless and more, Cyber Monday 2020 Australia: best deals on headphones, hi-fi-, AV and more, The 9 best Cyber Monday wireless earbuds deals live right now, 7 of the best Cyber Monday AV receiver deals still on sale, Cyber Monday home theater deal: $100 off top-rated Sony STR-DN1080 AV receiver, Quick! The Grado SR80e ties the Bowers and Wilkins headphones! SR 80 E Here - https://amzn.to/2X9mL7n Best Audio Gear - https://www.amazon.com/shop/joshuavalour?listId=1ECIXBEWE151K&ref=idea_share_inf My Video Gear … And that pair were similar to the ancient SR80s. The Grado SR80E headphones are open back in nature, which means they feel, fit and sound very different from the traditional closed back. Andrew Williams is a technology writer, who has contributed to Stuff, WIRED, TechRadar, T3, Wareable and, of course, Trusted Reviews. This borderline hardness tends to sit right in the area in which the Grado SR80e impress most: the mid-range. They’re not the most relaxing listen and some won’t like the uncompromising nature of the midrange they present, but clarity relative to the price is excellent. Open-back headphones allow air to pass through the headphone ear cup to the speaker. SR80e is the third generation model of the SR80 while SR80i is the 2nd generation model. The SR80e has a new driver design, a new polymer to damp resonant distortion in the plastic housing, and a new cable from plug to driver connection. The headband has a leather feel and can easily fit and adjust on your head.They also come equipped with a 3.5 to 6.3 mm adapter, 40mm dynamic drivers and 1.8m cable. BA1 1UA. Great headphones for those who don't mind sacrificing practicality for sound quality. https://www.cnet.com/reviews/grado-prestige-series-sr80e-review The Grado SR80e have been among the world's most highly rated and best selling headphones for years because they are the most accurate headphones you can get for under $200 — not bad since they sell for $99. The earpad style is unorthodox too. Learn more in our in-depth Beyerdynamic DT 990 review. Grado SR60e Review Why did I place this sixth? The Grado SR80e are open-back headphones with foam pads that are permeable.