Headphones
Grado SR 80i
Product Features:
- Immediacy and eye-blinking impact make these a great rock 'n roll headphone.
- Good build quality and replaceable ear-pads for long use life.
- Made in the USA
What's In The Box:
- screw-on 1/4" (6.3 mm) adapter
If you happen to be using a dedicated/portable headphone amp and would like to take a slight step up in Grado sound quality performance from the 'entry-level' SR60i model, try the SR80i. They have good dynamic extension with quite fairly punchy bass response and extremely clean-sounding mids & highs so expect lots of detail across all frequency ranges. Like some small-sized earpad-type headphones, these can be a bit uncomfortable for some listeners due to the earpad texture, but are usually okay for most wearers if you (very!) gently bend the headband slightly to better conform to the top of the head. That move usually will help to take some pressure directly off the earlobes. The SR80i can usually be very handsomely driven by most portable audio players like iPods, MP3 players, or laptop/PCs but, as indicated above, any dedicated high-quality headphone amp remains an excellent add-on partner to the SR80i for maximized musical clarity, improved soundstage image depth, and full dynamic range extension and detail resolution.
The Grado SR80i now utilize the 'soft' style of mesh-covered earpad that completely covers the earlobe--NOT the donut-type bowl "Large" earpad variety (found in earlier SR80 editions), which has the cut-out center in the middle. All Grado Labs earpads can be purchased separately on our HeadRoom 'HeadPhone Accessories' webpage and all Grado earpad types are interchangeable with all Grado Labs SR / RS series headphones. The SR80i maintain the standard Grado Labs flexible vinyl-covered headband design and basic metal height adjusters that connect the earcups to the headband, thus allowing up and down adjustment plus 360 degree rotation. This feature becomes handy for laying the headphones down flat for storage or transit. The straight 8ft (roughly) headphone cord attaches to both earcups in a "Y" connection and comes terminated to a 1/8" (3.5mm) inch 'mini-plug' jack. 1-year warranty is serviced exclusively by Grado Labs located in Brooklyn, NY USA.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 98 dB/mV
- Cord Type: Straight Y
- Coupler Size: Medium
- Cord Length: 7 ft. (2 m)
- Weight: 4.6
- Microphone: No
- Manufacturer Warranty: 1 Year
- Detachable Cable: No
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Isolation: 0
- Connector Type: 1/8" with 1/4" adaptor
- Ear Coupler Type: Earpad
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 32
- Wireless: No
- Noise Cancelling: No
- Headphone Type: Earpad
- Warranty: 1 Year
- Acoustic Seal: Open
Additional Resources:
- Manufacturer's Website
- http://www.gradolabs.com/
- Product Reviews
- Soundstage! Greg Smith April 1997
- Playlist Review
- Cool Tech Zone Gundeep Hora Sept. 2005
Average Customer Rating: by Jax from CA on 2010-01-30
Pros: Works well with the bithead. Comfy, sounds great
Cons: Doesn't work as well directly with an iPod. Needs bithead.
Would you recommend this product: Yes
My husband has become a Grado headphones bore! He talks about how the music sounds ALL the time since I gave him these for Christmas :-) BTW- the comments above are his not mine.
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by mylo from olympia,wa on 2010-01-29
Pros: audiophile sound quality
Cons: none
Would you recommend this product: Yes
these headphones simply sound awesome.
coupled with a send station and the total airhead....you really cant go wrong,just awesome.
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by adofito from NY on 2010-01-27
Pros: Really cheap and great great sound
Cons: Needs an amp for it to really shine
Would you recommend this product: Yes
This is is just beautiful in the inside. It is quite ugly but it sounds wonderfully when connected to a good amp.
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by Hifitim from College Station, TX on 2010-01-11
Pros: Great sound, solid build, fantastic value
Cons: Moderately uncomfortable, interesting looks
Would you recommend this product: Yes
These are, like the blurb says, great rock and roll headphones. They're pretty good for classical or jazz music, but loud guitars and angry vocals tend to suit these. The quality of the build seems to be great. I've lugged them around campus in a crowded messenger bag for two semesters and they've held up so far. As for downsides, the looks are definitely striking, to say the least. I've had a few questions about my wireless headphones - the metal rods used to adjust the height of the drivers look very much like antennae. The two cord design can also be problematic. It's easier to manage a set of headphones with the cable only going to one side, but it's certainly not a dealbreaker. Finally, after four or five episodes of 30 Rock on my laptop, they can become a little uncomfortable. I need to take them off for a few minutes and let my ears breathe. Once again, not a dealbreaker, but it's irritating when I'm studying for several hours at a time listening to music or watching a movie for a while. Overall, a great headphone that I really recommend for anyone on a budget who wants great sound.
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