Selection Guide
Grado SR 60i
Widely regarded as the best sub-$99 headphone for decades, the Grado SR60i is a superb headphone for anyone looking for high-performance sound at a great price. Its hard to imagine any listener would be disappointed hearing these impressive cans. The headphones may look retro, but the performance of these little open-back cans is right up to date if seeking cheerful, balanced sound on both portable and home gear.
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Product Features:
- A classic among audiophiles for very good sound at a budget price.
- Excellent efficiency and sound quality; well suited for portable players.
- Good build quality and replaceable ear-pads for long use life.
- Biggest seller in the entire Grado line.
- Proudly made in the USA.
What's In The Box:
- screw-on 1/4" (6.3 mm) adapter
Applications:
Long considered the headphone to beat in the 'Under-$99' category, stiff competition has recently put the SR60i back into a good race for "Best Sounding Inexpensive Headphones". These mid-sized, open-earcup supra-aural cans will deliver a liquid-sounding midrange, present bright detail resolution in the upper mids/highs, and a cleanly focused bass response. The only possible detraction is a mild discontinuity in the treble ranges which gives it a somewhat "sparkly" sound rather than the ultra-smooth top end of extremely well-extended (and MUCH pricier!) headphones. Some customers express that the supra-aural foam mesh earpad comfort can be a fit issue, but gently bending the headband to conform more closely to the top of the head can help alleviate that problem for most wearers. The style thing is another matter altogether; use an SR-60i with an uber-hipster iPhone and you may be busted by the vigilant Fashionista Police. All kidding aside, this is a really enjoyable headphone that almost every listener could appreciate and the price sure is right.
Like all Grado Labs headphones, the SR-60i is an 'open' earcup design offering little or no isolation from outside noise. Also, others nearby might hear "leakage" from open-back cans when listening in quiet places or when someone's sitting nearby (i.e, libraries, workplace cubicles, bed etc,.).
A study in effective minimalist design, the Grado SR-60i has a very basic flexible vinyl headband with simple metal height adjusters that connect the earpieces to the headband, thus allowing for up and down adjustment plus complete 360 degree earpiece rotation. This feature is ideal for laying the headphones down flat--perfect for packing them in a briefcase. The SR-60i are very efficient & well-driven by most portable players or even inexpensive home equipment. The straight-type headphone connection cable measures roughly 7.5ft from the earcups to the plug tip and is attached to both earcups in a "Y" design. It comes terminated to a 1/8" (3.5mm) mini-plug and a snap-on 1/4" adapter handily comes provided on the SR-60i cord. 1-year SR-60 product warranty is handled by Grado Labs, the manufacturer, located in Brooklyn, NY USA.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer Warranty: 1 Year
- Sensitivity: 98 dB/mV
- Coupler Size: Medium
- Weight: 4.4
- Cord Type: Straight Y
- Cord Length: 7 ft. (2 m)
- Microphone: No
- 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: 6 Months
- Acoustic Seal: Open
Additional Resources:
- Manufacturer's Website
- http://www.gradolabs.com/
- Product Reviews
- PC World geek tech Tom Mainelli, November 2006
- Army Times Rob Colenso
- Cool Tech Zone Gundeep Hora Sept. 2005
- Playlist Review
- pcrules.com Adam Faight
- Terry Kok February 2001
- Soundtage! Greg Smith April 1997
- GoodSound! January 2003
- IGN September 2001
- Stereophile Corey Greenburg June 1994
- Cnet, Steve Guttenberg
Average Rating
Posted by ganjaman from wonderland on 2010-05-20
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Very good sound for the price
Cons: not comfortable at all..
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Posted by Kodack from Texas on 2010-04-30
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Punchy and dynamic, pulls the cotton out of your ears with it's detailed delivery
Cons: Sound image is not precise, bright upper midrange, cheap construction, comfort,
Negative:
They are overly bright in the upper midrange. This colors the music and can be harsh on the ears.
The soundstage image isn't as precise, instruments are not locked in to a position in space.
Neutral
The bass has an extended response down to 30hz and is clear and open if somewhat less pronounced. IE It's not boomy. This is more accurate but less pleasing to some
Positive
The clarity is shocking. I listened to music I had heard many times before and I could hear details like the inner workings of the piano keys, or the sound of the pick on an acoustic guitar. It's like clearing your ears out and hearing clearly for the first time. This is helped by the bright character of the upper midrange and while being clear it is a little too pronounced.
The upper bass and lower midrange frequencies are very balanced and rich in sound. These would be good for jazz or classical music.
The upper range is crystal clear beyond 16khz
In summary
I have not broken my headphones in and I am really hoping the upper midrange harshness will mellow out with use. Compared to the HD201's the Grado's are not as musical and transparent, they color the sound a little.
Compared to in ear headphones and especially earbuds or normal consumer headphones like Sony mega bass etc, these are definately a cut above.
These headphones have all of the best qualities of a Studio Monitor for audio production and with a little EQ correction to remove it's rough edges they really shine.
4 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Posted by Garrett B. from Tempe, AZ on 2010-03-01
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Comfortable, brilliant sound, cheap, durable, with a long cord.
Cons: Comfortable until you hit the 2-3 hour mark, although the band conforms to your head eventually.
I don't know why nobody else likes the look of these, I'm drawn in by how fantastic they look. On campus I get complements about them all the time. Although I do keep my iPod in a pelican case, so I guess that might say a bit about my preferences on aesthetics and durability.
The headphones look a little rough, which I like, and everything feels very sturdy. I don't baby these like I did those BOSE headphones, and they have taken quite a beating, mostly from me tripping over the monstrously thick and long 15 foot cord. These have been flung at the ground from six feet up at speed and even dragged around a bit afterward, but you can't tell save for a few scratches.
My library was already made up of fairly high quality mp3's and lossless. I don't have an amp, but the low impedance of all Grado headphones (32 Ohms across the whole line!) ensures that you'll be fine without one. The treble is crisp, the mids are great, and the bass is punchy, but not overwhelmingly so. I've plugged these into my amp while practicing bass guitar and it sounds great, the large drivers imitate the reverberation incredibly accurately. These headphones are no louder than most other headphones, but everyone else in the room would say otherwise. The incredibly open design means just as much sound leaks out as is directed towards your ears. Your friends will lecture you about hearing damage.
These headphones are great, if you're not incredibly familiar with the world of audiophile sound, these headphones will shake you by the shoulders and demand you get acquainted. I'm looking forward to bigger and better headphones and audio equipment in my future, and it's all thanks to these guys. Believe it when they say they're the best headphones you can get for under $100.
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Did you?
