GRADO - SR80x - Prestige Series - Open Wired Stereo Headphones

Product Information

Grado hasn’t torn up its own rulebook and revolutionised its legendary headphones, because it hasn’t needed to. But the tweaks made to the SR80x have certainly added value in the right direction. At this money, the SR80 model remains the finest in the market, and such is their dominance in this niche that we wouldn’t be surprised if this were true for as long as wired headphones have their place in this world.

Thanks for the detailed response! Sounds like you are very well versed in Grado modding. From what you’ve written, I think you and I feel similar about most things. I feel that the driver is fundamental for the sound and everything else is impacting that sound to a lesser degree (for better or worse). Of course some of the reasons we modify is for aesthetics and not solely for sound – those wooden cups just look so nice. Fully adjustable earpieces and soft foam pads have always made the Prestige headphones one of the most comfortable in their class. Now featuring a padded headband, the latest version are even more comfy, making longer listening sessions fly by. From a comfort perspective, both headphones are easy to wear for long listening sessions; the Grado’s improved headband and weight made the competition much closer than I expected. I’m purposely overlooking cables as they fall outside the purview of this article and all testing was done with standardized high-quality copper Mogami cables. 1. Driver replacement PA20, PA21, PA22, PA23, PA24, PA25, PA26, PA27, PA28, PA29, PA30, PA31, PA32, PA33, PA34, PA35, PA36, PA37, PA38, PA39, PA40, PA41, PA42, PA43, PA44, PA45, PA46, PA47, PA48, PA49, PA50, PA51, PA52, PA53, PA54, PA55, PA56, PA57, PA58, PA59, PA60, PA61, PA62, PA63, PA64, PA65, PA66, PA67, PA68, PA69, PA70, PA71, PA72, PA73, PA74, PA75, PA76, PA77, PA78, PA79, PA80For full extension, you need the G Cush salad bowls, but they distance the ear from the driver to such a degree that bass is lost, probably because of the porous side rims. What you end up with is too shrill for everything below a GS-1000. That’s where venting the drivers helps balance things out. With fully vented drivers, you can pop a pair of salad bowls on and get a very nice combo of airy treble-happy Grados with great thump. IV1, IV2, IV3, IV4, IV5, IV6, IV7, IV8, IV9, IV10, IV11, IV12, IV13, IV14, IV15, IV16, IV17, IV18, IV19, IV20, IV21, IV22, IV23, IV24, IV25, IV26, IV27, IV28, IV29, IV30, IV31, IV32, IV33, IV34, IV35, IV36, IV37, IV38, IV39, IV40, IV41, IV42, IV43, IV44, IV45, IV46, IV47, IV48, IV49, IV50, IV51, IV52, IV53, IV54, IV55, IV56, IV57, IV58, IV59, IV60, IV61, IV62, IV63, IV64, IV65, IV66, IV67, IV68, IV69, IV70, IV71, IV72, IV73, IV74, IV75, IV76, IV77, IV78, IV79, IV80, IV81, IV82, IV83, IV84, IV85, IV86, IV87, IV88, IV89, IV90, IV91, IV92, IV93, IV94, IV95, IV96, IV97, IV98, IV99 Common cup materials include cherry, cocobolo, ebony, limba, mahogany, maple, oak, padauk, rosewood, and walnut. Users report anything from improved bass, midrange or treble. Some report changes in soundstage and imaging. Typically reports are positive, although some feel that there are perceptible decreases in the treble with particular woods.

The SR80x is warmer sounding than its predecessor but not overly so; the presentation is still slightly clinical but without that hardness on top that was definitely irritating on my original pair with bad recordings.

How do you connect the Grado SR80x?

Along with the speakers, the cables and headband have been redesigned for the SR80x. Now housed in a more durable exterior, the 4-conductor cable features a super annealed copper wire for improved purity of the audio signal. The new headband features more cushion for a comfier experience. Neben dem Grado SR80x haben wir viele weitere Hifi-Kopfhörer getestet, die wir dir in unserer Bestenliste zusammengetragen haben. There’s a sweet spot in there but it’s hard to resist the temptation to perforate all the holes. The added airflow makes it easier to get good bass without having to use an amp. The downside is Grados don’t extend that low, so grumble is a pipe dream, you only get so much bass – even with an amp – and if you crank too loud, the copper ring will pop out and you’ll have a dead driver. But even with vented drivers, the G Cush pads have flaws. Unlike the Beyerdynamic pads, which get their strength from the outer rim, which is not porous, the salad bowls are a big sponge. They’re far easier to put on and take off, and they allow a clearer top end, but the architecture of styrofoam requires the aperture to be v-shaped, like the gradual depth of a swimming pool rather than the sudden depth of a cup. This gives them better durability but it also means that instead of creating a cave for your earlobe, it creates a v-shaped cushion that touches your ear. This creates weird microphonics when you move your head around. It also makes the presentation more shrill.