[Rob Babcock]

I realize tastes vary, etc etc- but the general concencus seems to be that these are exceptional 'phones for the money.  Is there anything that gives 'em a run for their money in the same general price range, ie under $75?  How about at $100?

[Tyson]

I really didn't like them when I heard them.  Same with the SR-80.  Thin and bright in the mids/highs, and bloated bass.

What application are you looking for - home use, portable use, office use?  Are you going to be using an amp?  and what source?

[jkelly]

http://www.headphone.com/layout.php?topicID=3&subTopicID=33&productID=0060090005

Jeff

[Figo]

grados(IMO) are horribly uncomfortable, but for budget, easy to drive phones the SR60s are hard(impossible?) to beat.

[Rob Babcock]

Mostly I'd use them for listening to music late at night while on the computer.  If it works well, my Griffin Pwave would be the amp run off my (right now, generic) soundcard.  Actually, the Pwave has a USB input, and I've been told the soundcard won't matter as the Griffin will be doing the D/A.

If they're uncomfortable, that would be a big strike against them.  My need for 'phones isn't really dire as I can play my speakers fairly loudly without bothering anyone, but not really at 'normal' listening levels.

[Figo]

You should definately try to audiotion a pair, if nothing else to get a feel for them.  Some people love them, some(myself) don't.

[mcrespo71]

If you bend them a little, which is easy/safe to do given their construction, they are pretty comfortable.  I drive them off a discman and they sound pretty good to me for $60.  Slightly dark perhaps, but certainly not "hard and thin."  YMMV

Michael

[Rob Babcock]

I imagine, too, that what a person finds comfortable is even more subjective that our opinions on what sounds good.  

What else is there under $100 that you guys would consider worth checking out?

[ooheadsoo]

For a slightly dark and bassy sound, try the Koss Porta Pro/ksc 35/ksc50/ksc55/Porta Pro 2 (new.)  Cheap and decent alternative if you like bass.

[Rob Babcock]

Yuck!     I'm no fan of the dark muddy sound.  I guess I'd rather they err on the "lively" side if err they must.  And at that price I reckon they must...  I can't stand the "dental-drill-in-the-head" bright, but I don't like a dull sound.

[BradJudy]

Wow - lots of odd descriptions of the Grados.  I would never call them dark or muddy, nor have I ever heard anyone else use those words aobut them.  

Definitely try them yourself.  The comfort level varies greatly with the size/shape of your ears and you should hear them for yourself.  I think the SR-80s are great (I also own HD-600s for reference).

[Rob Babcock]

I don't think anyone here described them that way.  That was the impression I got from the description of the Koss.  I wasn't trying to put words in anyones mouth, though!  

Like I said, I don't urgently need 'phones which is why I don't wanna spend over $100 on a pair.  Maybe if I catch "the bug" I'd get something nicer down the road.  But I'm blessed (if you'd call it that) by being single and not really having to worry much about noise.  And I can't listen to music at work.  Mainly I'd like something with solid, balanced sound that conveys enough detail to monitor with while making CD-Rs/DVD-Ms.

[ooheadsoo]

Hm, I wouldn't call them dull  

But if that's the sound you like, grados will do it for you :p

If you're going to stretch up to $100, try Alessandro MS-1.  It's a grado phone that's been tweaked to be more balanced.  It's supposed to be a great phone for the price, and if I were to buy a grado again at $100, that'd be it.  I ended up with the SR-80 because it was on sale at the time.  People can't decide whether it's a tweaked SR-80 or SR-125, but it's fully competetive with the 125 by all accounts.

[Rob Babcock]

Where do you buy such a critter?  I've never seen em nor heard of them before.  But, I do live in South Dakota!    

[ooheadsoo]

This took me a while to find  

http://www.alessandro-products.com/headphones.html

Supposedly, because they are intended for professional monitoring use, you can find these at Guitar Center and the like, but I've never seen them.

[Rob Babcock]

Thanks.  I'll check that site out tonight.

[BradJudy]

They appear to be tweaked 125s - the 'UHPLC copper voice coil wire' is the main difference between the 80s and the 125s on paper.  The Twos are obviously 325s and it looks like the Threes are RS-1s based on specs.

Maybe I'll see if the local Guitar Center has them - it's worth a listen to hear the difference.

[ooheadsoo]

Yes, they themselves claim it to be a tweaked 125 via email.  It's a real bargain considering retail for the 125 is usually considerably higher than $99.  If I could handle grado comfort, I'd probably be getting a pair some time, but they weren't for me in the end (I sold my SR-80's.)

[WerTicus]

I think the SR-80s are great (I also own HD-600s for reference).

Why would you even ever use the 80's again?

[Tonto Yoder]

This link might be interesting in this thread; it deals with the earpads offered by Grado
http://www.goodcans.com/HeadphoneReviews/gradopads.htm

Personally, I bought the Grado 60's because a local store "carried" the line; ended up ordering the better earpads for $10 or $15 from Good Cans, but the 'phones remain uncomfortable( though less so).  For the price of the SR 60's plus the earpads, I SHOULD have ordered the SR 80's from the get-go.