Grado SR60i - first impressions

Bought these on a whim as I have long suspected that as good as my Goldring DR100s are they are no match for the rest of my system.

I only bought them yesterday so there are not run it yet but my impressions are:-

Bass is very good, it only dominates when it is supposed to be and when it does its very thick but also very punctual.

Vocals as you would expect from an open back designed are very open and natural. The rest of the midrange is also very good.

They are a bit coloured in that they make even Oasis sound good but that is a good thing if you listen to Rock like I do.

The treble is very very refinded and I can hear lots upper details I have never heared before.

Listening to the Stone Rose's Sally Cimamon (sp) the bass guitar domaninates the entire track which means I am trying to build a computer at the same time dancing around. The I can hear every bit of Ian Brown's voice (sadly) but some how it actually sounds good a credit to the record producer probably. It also sounds very very lively yet some how refinded at the same time, this is the first time I have experienced this from headphones.

With Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of Silence it is a very simple recording but these headphones project a very good sound stage image which portray air between the different muscians however they just seem to do everything a litte bit better than my Goldring there isn't much tonal difference. Everybit of Art's vocals has so much depth but I have had to listen to this song a few times to really appcreciate what these cans are doing.

With New Order's Bizzare Love Trinagle just brings the song alive and I haven't got that Hooky vibe since I last saw New Order in Hyde Park. It just wants to make me get on the dance floor and dance but sadly they reveal just how bad a singing voice Barny once had.

With the Clash's Should I stay or Should I go there is amazing clarity which is so rare in punk songs. They reveal a lot of backgroudn vocals which my previous Goldrings and Beyer DTX900s just muddeled up into a confusion mess.

The same is true with Bowie's Life on Mars some how it just brings everything to life and the music just flows with nothing that shouldn't be getting in the way.

The only flaw I can spot is on very busy tracks like Fools Gold things do get a bit busy but the bass is so fast and punchy that it draws your ears away from slightly messy mid range. The frequency repsonce is quite simply excellent.

First impressions for the £70 I paid for them they are extremely musical and force you do dance to the music but they do add some of their own flavour to the track so if you need studio monitors these may hide too much.

The looks are obviously a matter of taste but at 27 I am far too old to worry about image. These cans are also a lot more comforble than they look. I don't like the fact the cord is not attachable though.

Sources:-
Project Debut II Turntable
Marantz CD6000 OSE LE
M Audio 96/48 audio phile sound card

Amplification:
Cambridge Audio Azure 640A MK1
Rotel 870 Pre amp (for tt)

Conclusion - I bought them for £70 at Richersounds but everywhere else seems to be selling them for £100. At £100 I imagine there is some serious competition but at £70 I can't think of any phones that can match it. The Senhiesers at the same price all sound rather flat and lifeless. The Beyer DTX900's have a similar tonal quality but lacks the bass performance or the magic of the treble.

 

Your assessment mirrors mine in ways. The have the "old school JBL" type balance to me. If you have ever heard JBL L100 Century loudspeakers with a 70's "period" recording, this is my impression of their aural display. I tend to enjoy a little more laid back presentation which allows me to hear more of the lower level involvement, such as the Yamaha YH-1's.

All in all I do believe the Grado '60's to be an excellent value and you can do much, much worse at double the price.

 

Yeah I think it all depends on the music you listen to. Mine are the SR60is which are supposed to be improved from the original SR60s but its been too long since I heared a pair of a SR60s to comment on the difference.

The other issue is that the Grados cost twice as much in the UK as they do in the USA so they are poorer value for money here.

My plan is to use my Goldrings for TV use and my Grados for music.