Grado headphones

[admin_exported]

I've never owned a proper hi-fi set of headphones so have a couple of questions.

Although some of the listening will be via my marantz, i would like to be able to use my ipod/iphone with the headphones. How quickly would Grado SR60s/80s drain the battery of an iphone? Are they total overkill for ipods? I am thinking there may not be sufficient current to drive the headphones but don't really have any first hand experience.

Also, which Grados to pick SR60, SR80, SR60i or SR80i? Or Sennheiser 555 or 595?

Music is a mix of rock, indie and electronic.

 

[Anonymous]

as far as I'm aware different headphones do not affect battery life, the amplifier in the iPod determines the level of the voltage output, not the draw of the headphone. In terms of difficulty to drive look at the ohms rating of the headphones, some high end ones are notoriously hard to drive at 300 ohms, the impedance of the grados you are looking at is a very reasonable 32, which should be fine with an iPod

Good headphones are not overkill for an iPod, as long as you have decent quality music files, 256k AACs or 320 or ideally Apple lossless. the i versions of the Grado headphones are the newer improved ones.

Decent headphones are worth every penny in my opinion.

 

[idc]

Hi chainrock. My Grado SR80s sound rubbish with my ipod classic. There is not enough of an output from the ipod to properly drive them. All of the Grados you mention have the same impedance, so it will be the same with all of them. My little ear bud Sennheiser mx500s sound better than the Grados. You would be better with the likes of the iGrado or Porta Pro headphones to use directly with an ipod.

Or get a small portable headphone amp of which there are many on ebay. I have not used one but the likes of Blue Jelly, the C-moy on which it is based and further up the price range Graham Slee's portable amps come highly recommended.

As to which headphone to pick the SR80i would be top of my list. When I auditioned headphones the first to be ditched were the SR60s. I dont know what the fuss is about. The 80s are not much more and sound bigger and have better clarity. The Grados are more exciting and dynamic and the Sennheisers are warmer and have a fuller sound. I like rock, indie and electronic and I prefer the Grados. But a lot would come down to comfort and the different padding the Grados have to the Sennheisers. No point in getting the Grados if you find them uncomfortable. I prefer mine with the full ear pads as opposed to the standard ones, so if you want the same you have to budget in a bit more.

 

[Anonymous]

idc:
Hi chainrock. My Grado SR80s sound rubbish with my ipod classic. There is not enough of an output from the ipod to properly drive them. All of the Grados you mention have the same impedance, so it will be the same with all of them. My little ear bud Sennheiser mx500s sound better than the Grados. You would be better with the likes of the iGrado or Porta Pro headphones to use directly with an ipod.

Or get a small portable headphone amp of which there are many on ebay. I have not used one but the likes of Blue Jelly, the C-moy on which it is based and further up the price range Graham Slee's portable amps come highly recommended.

As to which headphone to pick the SR80i would be top of my list. When I auditioned headphones the first to be ditched were the SR60s. I dont know what the fuss is about. The 80s are not much more and sound bigger and have better clarity. The Grados are more exciting and dynamic and the Sennheisers are warmer and have a fuller sound. I like rock, indie and electronic and I prefer the Grados. But a lot would come down to comfort and the different padding the Grados have to the Sennheisers. No point in getting the Grados if you find them uncomfortable. I prefer mine with the full ear pads as opposed to the standard ones, so if you want the same you have to budget in a bit more.

I don't agree with this at all, apart from the last paragraph, and the second. Hang on. I only disagree with the first paragraph! LOL.

I have an iPhone and tried many different headphones with it. the only problem with the best ones (Sennheiser HD650) was that they were a bit quiet. You need a portable headphone amp, like my Headamp Pico, to drive them. That said, my Ultrasone HFI780 which are full sized, closed headphones sound great and my Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10 in-ear phones also sound great. There is a small but noticable improvement in using the Pico, but you can easily drive them with an iPhone and the difference in quality over the standard headphones and with respect the iGrado, are significant.

Go and get the best you can afford which you like the sound of. You can add a portable amp later if you need to.

 

[Anonymous]

Will Harris:
Go and get the best you can afford which you like the sound of. You can add a portable amp later if you need to.

Strongly agreeing with this, get some decent headphones then buy a dedicated portable headphone amp. I bought an iBasso D10 and I'm really enjoying music on my headphones. If you do get a headphone amp, make sure you also get a line out dock, so that you are getting the un-amplified signal from the iPhone / iPod

 

[idc]

Will Harris: I don't agree with this at all, apart from the last paragraph, and the second. Hang on. I only disagree with the first paragraph! LOL.

LOL to you to

Will Harris: I have an iPhone and tried many different headphones with it. the only problem with the best ones (Sennheiser HD650) was that they were a bit quiet. You need a portable headphone amp, like my Headamp Pico, to drive them. That said, my Ultrasone HFI780 which are full sized, closed headphones sound great and my Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10 in-ear phones also sound great. There is a small but noticable improvement in using the Pico, but you can easily drive them with an iPhone and the difference in quality over the standard headphones and with respect the iGrado, are significant. Go and get the best you can afford which you like the sound of. You can add a portable amp later if you need to.

Will, you do seem to be agreeing with some of what I said. The SR80s do work with the ipod classic, but sound quality is a big drop from headphone amp. I do think that the little Sennheisers work better. In your list of headphones you say some work better than others. I say the same. A portable amp is on my list of things to get. But it will be for going on holiday and we have no plans this year to go anywhere major. When I do, depending on budget it will be between the Blue Jelly and Graham Slee. So probably the Blue Jelly!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your replies.

Headphone amp is probably too much at this point. I don't listen to headphones at home that much as I have tolerant neighbors and bedroom that's like a bunker (that may change if I move soon).

I listen to sennheiser CX300s during my commute and I thought Grados may serve me well at work, but if they are not that great with ipod/iphones, maybe i should just stick to my CX300s or get another pair of smaller cans.

 

[SteveR750]

I use ,my 80's with my ipod all the time except when travelling as they are physically too big. Sound wise they are as ideal as anything else you could choose at the price, the only problem is they are open backed, and therefore leak sound in both directions.

Im not sure about the post earlier about impedance matching....a battery can only deliver so many mWhours - more volume = more watts = more energy consumed. A low impedance phone will draw more current for a given voltage and drain the battery faster, unless that the voltage required to attain a certain SPL is lower than that required by a high impedance headphone! Heck, you know what I mean....

 

[Anonymous]

Chainrock I use sr60's with my ipod and they sound great!!! But adding a headphone amp really improves the sound, more bass and a richer more detailed sound stage.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks , good to know you guys use them with ipods.

One reservation is also sound leak.. which can be disturbing to office mates as we all sit fairly close. What I love about Sennheiser CX300s is that they have no leakage at all whatsover. I guess I need to go to a store and test the sound leakage as well as the fit/comfort.ÿ

 

[idc]

I say the Grado SRs sound rubbish with an ipod, others say they sound great, but can sound better with a portable amp. If you want headphones for use at work that will not disturb your workmates then forget Grados and look to upgrade your CX300s to another in ear headphone.

 

[Anonymous]

I would say test, test, test. As with any headphones, you should try as many of the best ones as you can and buy what sounds right to you.

We all hear a little differently. I, for one, find Grado headphones sound much less excellent than everything I've ever read about them. I find they sound too thin, all of them. On the other hand Sennheisers can all sound so different from one another. Some models are very much to my liking (I've owned 6 pair over the years) and I think others sound horrible...

 

[Anonymous]

The Ultrasone are closed back. One of the main reasons I went for them. Run well off the iPhone. Minimal sound leakage. Better than the closed back Sennheisers I tried.

 

[Anonymous]

Just read in a few other sites that people think that SR60s don't need an amp but SR80s do. This doesn't make a whole lot of sense for me as they are similar designs apart from the idea that more expensive SR80 benefit slightly more from an amp as they are better cans.

Would certainly get SR60s if they were around £40 ($69 in the US!) here but unfortunately they are around £70. I may just wait until a friend makes a trip from the US...

 

[idc]

chainrock:

Would certainly get SR60s if they were around £40 ($69 in the US!) here but unfortunately they are around £70. I may just wait until a friend makes a trip from the US...

If that is your budget the Kos PortaPros are highly rated and are on Amazon for £18. If you have a friend who is going to the US there is a brand of headphone that are based on Grados, but tend to be cheaper. They are well respected and as soon as I can remember the name I will post it!

EDIT - Alessandro!

 

[Anonymous]

idc's thinking about the Alessandro MS1.

From what I've read they're based on the Grado SR80, but have a sound quality nearer to the Grado SR125.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

Have to say I bought the SR60i last week and was really disappointed with them. Pretty dull delivery, though well balanced and reasonably clear. Just rather boring, surely a five star should be more lively and exciting than these middle of the road performers....

 

[idc]

Hi Cidershed. I'm with you and don't understand what all the fuss is about with the SR60s. The SR80s sound far more alive, bigger soundstage and detailed. Are you in a position to return them and fork out the extra £20 or so for the 80i?

 

[Sizzers]

idc:
Hi chainrock. My Grado SR80s sound rubbish with my ipod classic. There is not enough of an output from the ipod to properly drive them. All of the Grados you mention have the same impedance, so it will be the same with all of them. My little ear bud Sennheiser mx500s sound better than the Grados. You would be better with the likes of the iGrado or Porta Pro headphones to use directly with an ipod.

Or get a small portable headphone amp of which there are many on ebay. I have not used one but the likes of Blue Jelly, the C-moy on which it is based and further up the price range Graham Slee's portable amps come highly recommended.

As to which headphone to pick the SR80i would be top of my list. When I auditioned headphones the first to be ditched were the SR60s. I dont know what the fuss is about. The 80s are not much more and sound bigger and have better clarity. The Grados are more exciting and dynamic and the Sennheisers are warmer and have a fuller sound. I like rock, indie and electronic and I prefer the Grados. But a lot would come down to comfort and the different padding the Grados have to the Sennheisers. No point in getting the Grados if you find them uncomfortable. I prefer mine with the full ear pads as opposed to the standard ones, so if you want the same you have to budget in a bit more.

Well not quite the same input source but my SR80i's sound pretty damned decent plugged in to my Nokia E52! (bought them a couple of days ago for my little Denon and find them rather AWESOME!) My phone's not exactly hifi but perfectly listenable with these and think I'll pick up some iGrado's tomorrow.

 

[PJPro]

Cidershed:
Hi all,

Have to say I bought the SR60i last week and was really disappointed with them. Pretty dull delivery, though well balanced and reasonably clear. Just rather boring, surely a five star should be more lively and exciting than these middle of the road performers....

Give them time to run in before you judge too harshly.

 

[PJPro]

idc:
Or get a small portable headphone amp of which there are many on ebay. I have not used one but the likes of Blue Jelly, the C-moy on which it is based and further up the price range Graham Slee's portable amps come highly recommended.

I often wonder if I should be trying to get an headamp together for sale. Think there would be a market?

 

[idc]

Do you mean selling one of your builds or becoming the next Graeme Slee?

 

[6th.replicant]

zzgavin:
Decent headphones are worth every penny in my opinion.

Very true. For example, I recently bought some Klipsch X10s - worth exploring www, price varies from £115-ish to £225 - & they've transformed my iPod 120GB (Apple Lossless) - really surprised that an iPod could sound so great.

 

[PJPro]

idc:Do you mean selling one of your builds or becoming the next Graeme Slee?
I mean producing a design and selling the completed amp....say based on the CMoy for starters.

 

[idc]

With a full photo build and competiton on the forum to name it?