GRADO - SR80x - Prestige Series - Open Wired Stereo Headphones

Product Information

The one thing you’ll notice about the PS2000e’s sound reproduction is its ability to go deep into bass registers and high into upper echelon’s of frequency range without any kind of discernible impact to detail and definition. Nothing gets hot or distorted and their ability to scale with volume while maintaining their quality of reproduction is a feat of engineering. In fact, the discerning listener might even find the limits of their own headphone amplifiers. Same song and source, the same EQ set to +dB of bass via realbassexciter (a Foobar2000 DSP), and attempting to parallel the volume levels of each headphone, results in the Hemp retaining control much better than the PS500. Bass Fidelity and Tonality Grado is renowned for its wired headphones, which are favored by audiophiles due to their superior sound quality. However, the company has made strides in the wireless market with models like the GW100, offering the signature Grado sound without the constraints of a cable. Grado Labs’ 14-ounce brown-colored headset is perfect for listening to all forms of media with high sound clarity. It includes prominent ear chambers that suit your earlobes nicely for a private listening experience. Air flows with the music you’re listening to with this design, imitating enhanced clarity and range.

The White Headphone comes in a special swanky box. It holds the headphones, a 1/4 inch stereo adapter, and a sheet of paper that tells the story of the Grado family. It is Grado. So, don’t expect massive staging elements and properties. However, do expect very enjoyable imaging overall. The overall height and width factor is average at best. However, the depth of field is heavily improved from some of the other older Grado models. With a driver that small, I would never expect anything huge and neither should consumers.

Heritage Matters

These Grados once again prove that evolution is arguably a more reliable way of making things better than a headline-grabbing design revolution. The best just got that bit better. As mentioned, the fidelity of the bass experience is excellent for this price. I think this is the best Grado has offered in terms of price to performance. Don’t let the pot jokes fool you, or the branding. Every pair of SR125e headphones are still made in Brooklyn, New York, where the John Grado family have been making award-winning audio gear for over 60 years. Like all Grado headphones, the SR125e uses an “open-air” ventilated headphone design with large, non-resonant air chambers for a powerful and extended low-frequency response and a more open, spacious sound to your ear tips. The diaphragm of each speaker has been subjected to a special “de-stressing” process which allows it to provide more musical detail for an even greater soundstage during your listening sessions. A sturdy eight-conductor patch cable and ultra-high-purity copper voice coils give these phones a refined high-end, ultra-smooth and dynamic, yet tightly controlled bass.

During our fortnight with the SR80x, we plug them into a Samsung Galaxy S21 phone (via a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter), the iFi Zen DAC connected to an Apple MacBook Pro laptop, an Astell & Kern A&norma SR15 music player and Naim’s Uniti Atom streaming system, and the Grados never feel poorly driven or out of their depth with the more sophisticated electronics in that list. The SR80x might be considered budget headphones, but their class-leading transparency means they can satisfyingly participate in a more sophisticated set-up. Grado hasn’t torn up its own rulebook and revolutionised its legendary headphones, because it hasn’t needed to. But the tweaks made to the SR80x have certainly added value in the right direction. At this money, the SR80 model remains the finest in the market, and such is their dominance in this niche that we wouldn’t be surprised if this were true for as long as wired headphones have their place in this world. Where you pay is practicality. The Grado SR60e are useless for the outdoors unless you live in the middle of nowhere thanks to severe sound leakage. Verdict Disclaimer: The Grado The Hemp Headphones were sent to us in exchange for our honest opinion. Thank you to Gradoand 4ourears USAfor giving us this opportunity.Bass solidity and treble density felt pretty much the same between the Cowon and the Feliks Audio amp. Of course, fidelity was noticeably improved, which means the Cowon Plenue M sound quality is not tapping the limits of the headphone’s fidelity potential. The Feliks Audio ANV amp does though. No doubt. Grado offers a wide range of headphones across various price points. The Prestige Series, including models like the SR60e or SR80e, offers excellent value for beginners stepping into the high-quality audio ecosystem. For audiophiles seeking unparalleled audio performance, the Professional and Reference series, with models like the PS500e or RS2e, represent a significant but worthy investment.

That is not to say it requires a lot of power to sound great, it doesn’t. The Plenue M, or really any solid portable music player, sounds very good with this player. Usually, I find that low end or treble is improved with a lot more power than what a portable source can offer. I didn’t find that to be the case here with the Hemp. The Grado SR60e cable is another design that these are intended for at-home use. It’s chunky and too long to be used to comfortably plug into a phone without leaving some of it dangling around your knees. Owners of previous SR60 headphones have complained about cable quality, but it certainly seems a cut above the usual super-thin portable type, even if the length before the Y-splitter is quite prone to kinks. Its not exactly easy to compare this headphone to other options out there. For one thing, the Grado White Headphone does an admirable job of sounding unique. But Grado’s own offerings around this price seem to pale in comparison, as well. Grado’s signature sound is characterized by vibrant, detailed midrange frequencies, precise bass, and sparkling treble. If you prefer a different sound profile, such as emphasized bass, you may want to explore other brands. But, if you’re looking for a balanced, detailed sound, Grado headphones might be your perfect match.

Major HiFi Newsletter

Look, nobody loves woodies more than me and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. Woody headphones make me weak. I don’t know why, but, as I always say, when that sunlight in the morning or late evening hits anything wooden on my desk, it glows almost majestic-like. And that is the stuff of dreams for me. As I type this, Paul’s guitar sounds so nice, just a good amount of brightness and impact, without ever being harsh or annoying. Combine that with a dense sounding tonality overall from top to bottom and you get something like a mini Sennheiser HD6xx family tonal presentation. And damn…that is something we all want in a smaller headphone. Imaging Open-air design with tube-shaped earpieces—or as Grado would call them, “air chambers”—hand crafted from solid mahogany.

We listen to a wide range of music during our time with these Grados and they always please, if fed with a good enough signal. Regardless of whether it's the soul of Gladys Knight, the hard-edged tunes of Nirvana or the hip-hop of Eminem, these headphones sound right at home. Verdict Top of the line headphones do not always have to be neutral or clinical icicle canons, ear piercing, or specialists in only a few or even one genre of music for usage. The Hemp is a generalist. It is small, light, and comfortable. It scales very nicely and looks fantastic, at least, in my opinion. Grado, you are on fire lately! Give us more like this, please, this instant! Grado The Hemp Headphone Specifications These headphones leak sound in both directions like almost no other on-ear pair. If a car passes you’ll hear it more than your music, and you’ll become a public menace by wearing them on the bus – anyone nearby will be able to hear what you’re listening to. Especially as you’d need to crank up the volume to deal with the ambient noise. We find the SR80 lightweight enough to get away with the SR80e’s non-padded headband, but that’s not to say the SR80x’s padding isn’t welcome; it certainly helps maintain a less burdensome listening experience, especially during those multi-hour sessions. And while the headband slider is pretty basic, it’s fit for purpose to allow for a reasonable degree of head adjustment. Once you pull these babies from their cardboard prison, you’ll find a headphone that looks stereotypically Grado, but with a flourish. Two white earcups dominate the sides of the headphone, crafted from maple and painted a gorgeous, immaculate white.Grado did a great thing here. If I had a vividly subjective gripe, I’d want it to be shiny and lacquered. Beyond that, I don’t see any faults with the wood elements of this headphone. Everything we like about their predecessors – their nimble-footedness, expressive, rolling dynamics, and insight across well-defined frequencies – has been inherited, and the punch and panache that have made the Prestige models such born entertainers are very much also part of the SR80x’s sonic signature. These are far from rich or even warm in tone, but an extra generous sprinkling of refinement this time round has made their forward, clinical presentation all the more palpable. So what about the harshness issue complained about in the Grado SR60 and SR60i? Is it gone? Not entirely. After a first listen we decided to run the SR60e in for a couple of days as there was clear mid-range harshness. We’re not big believers in ‘burning in’ suddenly radically changing the character of a headphone, but it can alter dynamic drivers somewhat.