Grado SR80e Prestige Series Headphones

An all around great pair of headphones, not much to say about it. Obviously this is subjective because everyone has different ears, some like Sennheiser sound, while other like flat sound for increased accuracy, while I like the warm and open sound of the Grado world. There are so many brands and styles and types of headphones, I couldn't even touch on them all, but these just work right for me.Thoughts:- Sound Sound Sound, they sound great, I mentioned in the beginning that this is subjective, but I love them. The mids are very present. the bass is punchy and crisp, not muddy. And the highs out of the box are great, but with my modifications they are even more to my liking now.- Head clamping strength is just right in my opinion, but if it is too tight it will wear out over time and become more comfortable (if you like them tighter, they also have a metal headband which can be bent back into place as well). To further prove my claim on the perfect head clamping I will share with you something I'm quite ashamed of, on more than one occasion I have taken these headphones out for my runs when I couldn't find my running headphones, they stayed on just fine, although I don't recommend this.- The cable is long and durable and has lasted me about two years now (I wear these daily as well as at my desk and I have had them ripped off my head a few times being caught on a desk or a railing, all solder connections have held up fine)- These can sound great on almost anything, they are very easy to drive, I use them with a Dac at my desk but they sound quite well when using my phone also, but this can differ depending one what phone you have (my phone is the ZTE Axon Pro for reference).Probably my favorite part of these headphones is when you own a pair, you are opened up into the classic Grado modification community.I did do a few modifications for increased comfort and (in my opinion) better sound. I'll list them below for those who are interested.- I replaced the ear cushions with these ear pads (http://www.amazon.com/EarZonk-Long-Life-Leatherette-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B00OM21W1I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453399895&sr=8-2&keywords=ear+zonk+grado+earpads) sorry for the huge link.^ With these ear cushions, people in their reviews were saying they are trash and they create a very muddy and muted sound, but I still picked them up because I had an idea on how to fix that issue. when I received them I agreed, they were terrible. But it was very easy to fix, all I did was use an xacto knife to remove the fabric inside the cushion to expose the driver, this kills two birds with one stone, the sound was not only improved back to its "stock" nature before the new ear-pads, but it was improved even more by exposing the drivers which gives clearer highs, that brings me to the next modification.- One of the easiest and oldest Grado mods is the "Ear-Pad quarter mod" I'm not using the stock ear-pads but I still was able to use them for this modification. This is when you cut out a quarter sized hole in the middle of the ear-pads to get clearer highs (achieved in the last bit) and take that small bit of foam you cut out and glue it to the back of the ear-cup behind the mesh, this absorbs up the leftover sound waves bouncing around in the ear-cup that haven't escaped through the mesh, creating a clearer sound.Out of those two mods the new ear-pads probably had the most impact, with my modification to them, they increased the quality of the highs, they create a better seal around my ears, and they are just super comfy, the leather is perforated so they stay cool as well, even in the summer.Most Grado mods are bashed and people say that it doesn't really improve sound. But once again it is subjective and those who do it don't really care. I will most likely continue with my modifications because I just plain enjoy tinkering and customizing my belongings. I have a few more ideas of mods that I will do when they get older:- I will sand down the outside of the ear-cups to remove the branding and make them flat black- I would like to replace the mesh on the back with a less dense, black metal mesh, this would open them up to the point where you wouldn't have to worry about absorbing those sound waves, plus it would look neat to be able to see into the drivers- I want to have a go at creating my own custom, removable cable, that way I can have a few, like a shorter one for on the go, or a longer one for at the desk. or an even longer one to reach my receiver from my couch- If I get around to it, I would love to recreate the driver housings with something along the lines of walnut or maple and give them a nice grain-popping stain. I already have them modeled, I just need to source the woods and get a hardwood bit for the CNC machine in the lab- Also I have some leather around and I would love to dye it black and make a thick, authentic leather headband-cover to replace the one that it comes withTL;DR These are a great pair of headphones that will stand the test of time, plus they are made in America, which I can be proud of. There is a large modding community if you're into that, but they sound just fine out of the box as well. I would buy these againThanks for taking the time to read my quick review and I hope it helps!

I don’t always write reviews, but when I do:Here is my “out the box” review of the Grado SR80e. I’ll get to the basics. My grammar sucks. You will see weird sentences. I’m providing my thoughts to the whole wild world free of charge for your mental anguish. They are not broken in yet. (So?) I’m not going to write a scientifically accurate dissertation of the fundamentals of a broken in ear cup thingy.Right now at the time of this typing, I’m listening to a recording of Snarky Puppy’s Sylva. Metropole Orkest + Snarky Puppy..incredible. Google it. (in fact just stop reading and Goole now and come back)…………….Hi. Welcome back! I’m listening to this recording through a first gen Fiio X1 in FLAC format. The FLAC was created with EAC (Exact Audio Copy) using default settings. And stuff.I am a musician. I play that keyboard piano synthesizer electric thing that you lug around in a suit case and set up on a table and sit at a chair like dinner. Thank goodness its only 61 keys and noise comes from a magic box that’s really loud and makes small children faint and lead guitarists sweat. None of that 88 key full scale garbage. Save that for Classical consumption. All silliness aside, I’m not claiming at all to be a functional audio expert, but I’m not some sort of brick of a tool that will listen to any garbage headphones and call myself satisfied. In addition that that, I’m not some sort of brick of a tool that will listen to popular top whatever of the most recent media induced pool of garbage and call it a technically, sonically, and superior accurate pinnacle of music. (I made your head hurt that’s awesome.)Wow. You are still reading this my ramblings of slightly offensive jibberish. Congrats! First off, as far as how these things SOUND, I’ll state the facts.The internet audio expert division was right. They sound like that they say they say. They are indeed “forward” and “in your face” and “up front” and “active”. Some say bright. I agree. BUT That doesn’t mean they don’t lack bottom..(this means bass, low end clarity, full spectrum). In fact the bass is so well controlled you can’t help but focus on the “harsh” mids and small sparkles of slight annoyance. So I’m going to leave the “bass” side of things alone for now.I listened to the first track of Sylva with no EQ, thinking about what the internet had told me and prepared me for. In fact all I could think about was how true self said audiophiles don’t even consider talking about equalization when they review their Mercedes super hand build oak infused ear things. Well fip diggity, I used my EQ. (gasp!!!). Why? Because these things are so good at sonic separation that its worth rolling off the top end to make it fit my own personal preferences. The Fiio X1 has an excellent EQ. It nudges the sound it doesn’t color or scoop or do any weird stuff that some lower end software phone pc, etc, EQ’s do. Attached is a picture of what I did to flatten out the upper midrange hype that is the Grado sound.If I didn’t have an EQ, I would be in a little trouble. Yes they are fatiguing without it. But ya know what? I spent my $100 and I’m not upset at all. I had the tools I needed to make the most of what I got. Final thoughts:PROs:Built well. Solid. Sound. They are not “dry” like monitor style headphones. They are not “boomy” like other brands that turn midbass and bass into an earthquake slag fest. Simply put, they don’t sound like total noise trash that so many companies get away with because some of the non informed public just has money to throw at things. I don’t know about sports but that’s ok. You probably do and you can tell me all about it if I ever want to know.CONs:THE INTERNET WAS RIGHT! But so what?..It didn’t stop me from buying them or writing this review. They talk about the sparkle the brightness the hype the in your face sound… ha I LIKE IT! I wear glasses so it’s like getting a new pair for my eye balls to adapt my brain to.The stock foam leaves something desired. I’m sure in time it will be as fluffy as a walmart throw rug but right now they did get a little mildly annoying. I couldn’t wait for it to grow with me and break in and stuff. Its like getting pants too small hoping your belly will shrink while you are wearing them. Right then. Instantly. I did what everyone else says do and I got those yellow Senneiser foam things. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002B4OEZ0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1FINAL THOUGHTs:Wow i’m really surprised you made this far at all...yall are either bored or mildly amused.I highly recommend using a good EQ to help roll off the high sparkly mids and shrill treble that may affect others. I don’t mind it. In fact I like it. I hear a lot of crazy good clarity I missed in all my recordings. I’m hearing harmonics and hidden noises I have never (ever) heard before. However, my baseline is just Koss Portapros and Sennheiser Px100 and Px100-II. These are my first expensive headphones that kinda hurt to buy. I don’t care. You only live once. I’m a happy customer and I’m officially a Grado fan!Buy American, blah something about economy. Make sound great again? Happy Eyeball adventures hearing me type with your eyes.