SR80x Prestige Series Open-Back Wired Headphones – Enhanced X Drivers, Lightweight Design, Assembled in Brooklyn, NY USA

***Edit*** Full disclosure. I returned the SR80X and decided to upgrade to the 125X. The 125X has an immediate bump in girth or meatyness for lack of better words. There's a layer of heft behind things like guitars and painos that is noticeable to me, it's warmer and more instrument separation. All these are bumped by about 15%. I also had some disposable income to make the jump, and I'm sure the 225X, 325X, Hemp, etc outperform the previous similarly. That in no way takes away from my review. The SR80X is an absolute game changer for the price and for a lot of people this price is exactly what they're willing to spend on Grado. I love Grado, so I felt comfortable with the additional bump. Original Review: TL/DR: Grado knocked these out the park. They improved on every single category, from build to sound signature, while retaining what makes their cans some of the best on the market. These are game changers. **Let me start by assuming you know what you're getting with these: open back, audiophile sound where you're going to plug these into an AMP and DAC and have no problem owning multiple cans. Not sitting on a bus wondering why you can't hear anything. These are not for planes, they're not for work, if you play these in bed next to your spouse at night, you're gonna get smacked*...anyhow I love my Grado SR60e and have owned them for some time now. I have owned or heard many headphones, including the SHP9500, X2HR, 4XX, M1060C, KHP30i, Focals, HD600, HD6XX among others, and there was just something about even the cheapest SR60e that I absolutely found enchanting despite its flaws. Tonality and energy was class leading. There were certain genres that no matter how good the headphone was, my base model Grado could either compete or outperform it. Guitars, acoustic, violins, jazz just sounds so accurate, energetic and detailed. You put even the cheapest Grado on a good tube amp and play the right music and you would swear you were listening to $1500 headphones. But they're Grado. They had all the design and comfort flaws everyone knows of (though tbh I find them near indestructible and also comfortable in their own weird way). More notoriously, Grados are severely colored with a 2K spike that would make your ears bleed if you turned the volume up or played the wrong song. They also had no bass to speak of. They were really only usable at lower volumes and with certain genres. With other genres they were painful. Massive amounts of people would pick the Hifiman 4XX (or now the 400se) or the Sennheiser 6XX and get a more easygoing, warm sound signature that would play well with all genres. And such was the life of owning a Grado. The gift and the curse. Enter the X Series. The build improvements are subtle but substantial. The headband has been upgraded to be much more padded and comfortable. It feels great. The notorious vacuum cord has been replaced by a much nicer braided cable. The cable is stiff with kinks, but overall, it's a nice upgrade. A lot of people are raging that it is still attached, and while I sympathize with that, I also know from IEMs that cables matter a lot, and if Grado believes their copper cord attached gives them a bump in clarity, so be it. That was never a deal breaker for me. Now for the important part. The sound upgrades. Rumors were floating around that this X Series was going to use either the Hemp Drivers or something similar. That was very exciting because the Hemp was really the only Grado with low end and less sizzle, and as such, the Hemp is one of the best, if not the best sub $500 headphone on the planet. Now while I cannot confirm these are the same drivers as the Hemp, and obviously the premium wood and leather aren't here, I can 100% confirm, the Grado House Sound has undergone a very tasteful remodel. I don't have any measurements to verify this, but the SR80x are nowhere near as spicy as the 60e. It's like Grado lopped off that 2k spike. But not entirely. It still has some top end energy, but it's WAAAAY more relaxed and mainstream. That alone is a game changer worthy of celebration. But it doesn't end there. These new drivers add a very nice dose of much needed low end. After listening to these for a few days, I can 100% say there is no genre these cannot play well with. I can FINALLY listen to hip hop, pop and EDM in these, and they sound quite good. The ear bleed is dramatically reduced, you can turn up the volume and they even play well with clean solid state amps (though they still sound a little better with warmer amps). I'm in love with the Grado SR80x. It has all the magic of Grado, all the energy, all the detail, all the width and airiness. But just in a much more consumer friendly presentation. It's like the old Grado finally got a haircut and a shave and put a nice tie on and payed some child support. Grado was already the most detailed headphones for the price. And now they're just beasts. These destroy the SHP9500, X2HR, 4XX, all those. The sound quality you get for the price is ridiculous. **I should also mention a few tricks I notice with Grado. 1) I like the bigger G Pads the best: they add width, soundstage but maintain detail. Theyre a great upgrade. And 2) tinker around with your amp gain switch. I know it shouldn't matter, but I swear that volume matching on the highest gain produces consistently meatier sound for my Grados. Grado seems to be VERY amp dependent (which makes sense cause theyre so accurate) and I would go so far as to say theyre also gain dependent. So if your Grados sound thin or shouty or piercing, try to up the gain and volume down. It works a charm for me on several amps.

So I've bought two of these, the first one presented issues within the first three months. The issue was mainly a connection issue, the right speaker wouldn't work unless positioned correctly. No problem, probably just needs to be resoldered. I emailed them to see if I could get a repair, which they did at only the cost of shipping towards them. Sounds great, I ended up ordering a second pair for the few days I was going to be without them. The headphones themselves? You'll probably want more bass if you're looking specifically for that in headphones. I played bass and most of the music I listen to (The Omnific specially) sound fine to me through them. My only two real criticisms are the lack of detachable cables and the material used feels flimsy. For the first, you can do that mod yourself if you're so inclined, but I feel like the sound more than makes up for not having detachable cables. I would like to have a shorter cable in public and a longer cable at home, though. And for the second, I've dropped this thing a whole bunch of times and despite feeling flimsy, it seems to do fine not breaking so I'm going to give it a pass in terms of build quality since apparently it's a lot less prone to breaking than it would lead you to believe. Great headphones, 5/5, you've got a customer for life.

Let me start by saying I really considered giving these 5 stars. They sound great and they are just about everything I like in a pair of headphones. They are super lightweight and the clamping pressure is very easy to adjust. This means I can make it so I barely notice I'm wearing them. Some complain about the "cheap" foam ear pads, but have no problem with them at all. With the clamping pressure light, they just gently rest against the ears and are completely comfortable for hours. And being simple foam means they are easy to clean and cheap to replace. They are very sensitive, so they have PLENTY of volume for me from any source. The tone is a bit light on bass, but I like the sound they give, particularly when used for things like watching movies/shows. So why didn't I give them 5 stars? Well, because I preferred the old SR80e. It's very possible these made tiny improvements to sound quality, and the addition of a soft pad on the headband may please some (though I'd just as soon have the wider, flat band of the previous version since they are so light anyway). But arguably, the main change in this version is the cord. It has a woven outer sleeve that makes it feel very sturdy. Hopefully that translates to actual durability and longevity, but it also makes the cable very stiff and a bit awkward at times. The rough, hard texture of the woven sleeve makes noise as it rubs against clothes or against the edge of a surface. Also, while this isn't an issue that will effect everyone, the weave occasionally catches and pulls my facial hair. Not a big deal, but I could do without it, haha. I love the SR80e, and when I saw the "improved" version I was excited to have a second pair. I really like the SR80x, but I do prefer the old "e" model. I rated these 5 for noise cancellation, but I fully understand they do nothing at all to cancel out noise. That is what I expected and even wanted. It seems silly to give them anything less than 5 stars for a category in which they perform exactly how I would expect and want. But just be aware that these headphones are as "open" as you can get. They do absolutely nothing to keep noise out and they also "let out" whatever you are listening to. Just FYI.

These are amazing and punch well above their price range. Listening to Clapton’s Balcony lockdown sessions is an incredible experience with these cans. So is any acoustic and jazz music. The attack, accuracy and clarity, stunning midrange, tight bass and airy dynamic highs and a huge soundstage. If you know what you’re getting and what you’re not getting here, it’s a safe buy.

Vorneweg, dies sind offene Kopfhörer und die fehlende Isolation von Außengeräuschen, sowie das entweichen von der gespielten Musik, ist 100% beabsichtigt in diesem Produkt. Anscheinend ist dieser Umstand einer ganzen Menge an Käufern nicht bewusst. Falls sie Kopfhörer suchen welche man auch in lauten Umgebungen ohne Probleme nutzen kann schließen sie diese Produktseite und suchen sie stattdessen nach geschlossenen Kopfhörern, oder sogar welchen mit Active Noise Cancelling. Diese Kopfhörer hier sind alle für leise Umgebungen gedacht wo das stören von Mitbewohnern, Kollegen, Busfreunden, Ehepartnern, Haustieren, oder ihrem Bewährungshelfer kein Problem darstellt. Ohne viele Worte zu vergeuden: Die Kopfhörer klingen sehr gut, sind komfortabel, schauen hübsch aus, und können praktisch gesehen an jedem passenden Klinkenstecker laut bespielt werden. Egal ob Handy, GameBoy, Nintendo Switch, oder ihrem 40 Jahre altem Walkman. Sind sie sehr gut balanciert mit ausdrucksvollen, tiefen Bässen und klaren, hohen Frequenzen. Sehr ähnlich zu den BeyerDynamic DT990 aber etwas sanfter. Alle Musikinstrumente sind sehr klar aufgeschlüsselt, Stimmen klingen perfekt, und das zuhören macht allgemein Spaß. EDM, Metal sämtlicher Gesinnungen, Chiptunes, Gothrock, Industrial wird alles bestens bewältigt, Videos aller Art werden ohne Probleme gemeistert. Videospiele sind ebenfalls sehr angenehm, und speziell mit einer Retrokonsole wie einem GameBoy sind sie extrem nostalgisch da sie sich auf den Ohren anfühlen wie die billigen Kopfhörer der 90er, allerdings komfortabler und weit besser klingend. Die Kopfhörer funktionieren tatsächlich an jedem Gerät wo man den (ziemlich dicken) 3,5mm Klinkenstecker einstecken kann und werden dort laut genug um auch Schwerhörigen zu laut zu werden. Alles von dem originalen grauen GameBoy hin zur modernen Switch hat keinerlei Probleme den Kopfhörer zu bedienen, und klingt dabei immer bombastisch. Es gibt allerdings ein paar kleinere Mängel: 1.) Der Stecker ist sehr dick, und wenn man es am Handy betreiben möchte und eine Hülle verwendet kann die Aussparung in der Hülle durchaus zu klein sein. Das ist ein Problem mit meinem Handy, was ich aber mit meinem externen Bluetooth DAC oder einem kurzen Adapterkabel beheben kann. 2.) Dazu kommt dass der Kopfhörer zwar in Handarbeit in Brooklyn gefertigt wurde, aber dennoch hier und da ein paar kleinere Überreste des Plastikguss noch herausragten. Ich hab sie einfach abgebrochen mit dem Finger und 2 Stellen am Kabel mit einem Flachschneider geebnet. Für den Preis bietet da BeyerDynamic eine bessere Qualitätskontrolle. 3.) Persönlich finde ich die großen Kopfhörer von BeyerDynamic alle generell etwas komfortabler da der Anpressdruck der Kopfhörer um die Ohren herum erfolgt, und nicht auf den Ohrmuscheln selbst. Nach ein paar Stunden können die Grado SR-80x dann doch langsam ungemütlich werden. Mit meinem DT880 oder selbst den DT990 aus den 80ern passiert das nochmal deutlich langsamer. Für mich persönlich sind diese Kopfhörer genau richtig. Ich wollte ein paar welches ich ohne Probleme an allen meinen Konsolen und Handy nutzen kann, welche ähnlich zu meinen DT990 klingen aber anders genug sind dass ich mich nicht schlecht fühlen muss 2 offene Kopfhörer zu besitzen, und bevorzugt etwas kleiner als meine BeyerDynamic Kopfhörer sind. Die Grado erfüllen all das mit Bravour und ich bin sehr froh diese nun in meiner Kollektion zu haben. Hoffentlich halten sie so lange mit wie meine anderen Kopfhörer. Sollten sie den Sound dieser Kopfhörer haben wollen aber dafür Over-Ear dann empfehle ich mal bei BeyerDynamic vorstellig zu werden und die DT990 (oder auch DT990 Pro) anzuschauen. Falls ein wenig mehr Isolation gewünscht ist wären die halb-offenen DT880 (und auch Pro) einen Blick wert, diese haben es noch etwas einfacher mit leichtem Hintergrundrauschen von Wind, Lüfter, oder Heizungen. Falls mehr Bass gewünscht wird es mit offenen Kopfhörern nicht viel werden, dann müssen es geschlossene sein, falls sie schon einen Trend erahnen können liegen sie richtig, die DT770 (sowie Pro) sind meine empfohlenen Bassmonster.

These headphones promised high fidelity sound, and they truly deliver. Everyone from my extended family on Christmas absolutely loved the quality of these headphones and the sound they delivered. Keep in mind, though, that to use these headphones for most modern devices, you will need to purchase an adapter that converts a larger jack to an auxiliary jack. These headphones are also designed for stationary usage that also allows you to still be aware of your environment. So unfortunately, if you need headphones you can easily take on the go or need some noise-cancelling potential, these won’t do. But if you’re just looking for a pair of headphones you can use for stationary listening, you honestly can’t do any better than these.

Son audífonos abiertos, el sonido no se aísla para nada, necesitas estar en un entorno tranquilo, no esperes demasiados bajos ni un cable desmontable. Sin embargo, si tienes el espacio adecuado, aprecias los detalles, un buen tuning y la naturalidad en las voces. Son unos audífonos magníficos.

TL;DR, if you've heard anything about these, you're going to go in with some trepidation. Give them a chance and they'll 100% win you over. A little disclaimer before I begin; I'm a relative newcomer to the world of audiophile gear. I'm perfectly happy with my Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, my Sony WH-CH700Ns, and the AKG earphones that come packaged with Samsung phones these days, but there's no time like the present to start actually caring about the music I listen to. BUILD: The good - As the second cheapest set of cans in Grado's arsenal, you're not exactly going to get something that will stand up to cannon-fire. That being said, there's very little on them that can break. No notched adjustment to wear out over time, a thick cable that'll put up with some punishment, and the earpads (although foam) can be replaced quite cheaply if you don't mind buying third-party. I wouldn't throw them haphazardly into my backpack, but I'm not too worried about them biting the dust through normal usage. The bad - The cable. I praise its ruggedness, but at the same time, it has its drawbacks. The thickness (coupled with the fact that the cups can rotate 360°) means that you're inevitably going to find yourself needing to untwist it with some regularity. The nylon braid around the cable is also a bit of a drawback; if it rubs against your clothes or - god forbid - against itself if it gets twisted, you're going to hear it. COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE: The good - These things are light! Properly adjusted, you'll be able to wear them for hours. I was worried about the foam getting a bit abrasive after a while, but I was pleasantly surprised on that front. The padded headband is a lovely touch, and the cable is just the right length for me; easy enough to thread through my hoodie to plug into my phone without too much length left over to flop around, but long enough to plug into my PC and recline for a listening session. If you wear glasses like I do, don't worry about it; they fit over those just fine without pressing them into the sides of your head. The bad - You're going to feel a bit icky about how you adjust these to fit your head. For the best fit, you're going to need to straighten the headband out almost fully, then bend the sides down so they fit /over/ your head rather than around. If you don't do it that way, the cups press almost painfully into your ears after a while. If you do, they're wonderfully comfortable. That might not sound like too much of an issue, but if you're a budget-minded buyer spending just under £100 on a set of cans, you're going to feel like you need to treat them with kid-gloves. Don't worry about it, I'm serious, they can handle it. Though there is a drawback; you can't look down without feeling like they're going to fall straight off. SOUND: The good - With the vast majority of my music library, these things sound absolutely spectacular. I'm hearing things I have never heard before in tracks I've listened to a thousand times. With big band jazz, acoustic, classical, a-capella, and even dubstep, EDM, and drum and bass, these things will blow you away. Get yourself in a quiet room, sit yourself down, and listen to your favourite song; I can guarantee you'll be pleasantly surprised by something. I went into this having heard a lot about 'the Grado sound', and thinking I'd be left wanting more low-end as I'm a sucker for some silly bass, but... these handle it. Sure, they're not exactly going to rattle the fillings out of your teeth, but the low end on these is -wonderful-. And the high ends? Well, they're what the Grado sound is known for. Cymbals in metal, the timbre of violins and flutes, the fingering sounds of guitars, the reverb of live recordings... They're detailed. The bad - Mouth noises, I guess? You can hear what the vocalist had for lunch in any acoustic/a-capela track you listen to. Any other bad things I have to say about the sound of these is purely down to them being open-backs. They bleed, you can hear everything around you, but you're buying open-backs; what do you expect? You're trading isolation for soundscape. CONCLUSION: Buy these. If you don't like them, the likelihood is that someone you know will love them. Also, listen to Ain't That a Kick in the Head by Dean Martin; that's the song that made me realise how good these were.

Amazing headphones with a wide soundstage, lots of details. Maybe not the best for pop music since it lacks some speed but its very good for vocals. I got the feeling it’s slightly brighter than the SR80. The comfort could be better but the sound quality is amazing. Only the Audeze LCd-X? are a lot better. But those are €1000 more expensive. I didnt hear a difference in sound quality between the SR80 and de SR325.