Grado Labs | Headphone Reviews. Stereophile - Grado SR6. Headphones/Headphone Accessories. By Jim Austin - May, 2. Here's a question for a Stereophile. What's the best hi- fi value of the last 1. I'd bet that, 1. 6 years after its introduction, Grado Laboratories' SR6. When introduced, in 1. Grado SR6. 0 was cheap by hi- fi standardsjust $6. The early '9. 0s were a great era for personal soundie, headphones. Grado Labs is a family run manufacturer of audio headphones, phono cartridges, amps and accessories. Proudly made in Brooklyn NY for more than 60 years. Top VIdeos. Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /srv/users/serverpilot/apps/jujaitaly/public/index.php on line 447. Search or upload videos. Popular on YouTube: Music, Sports, Gaming, Movies, TV Shows, News, Spotlight. Browse Channels. · 웹 해킹 - 웹 페이지 관련 구성 파일 이름목록 웹 해킹 / Security_Study. It was a time when, for the first time in my memory, it became possible to buy really good headphones for under $1. Corey Greenberg, in his June 1. ![]() Grado SR6. 0s (Vol. No. 6), noted that, after auditioning many of the affordable headphones then available, "I just wanted to lower myself into a tub of Noxzema and be left alone for a couple of months." I'm not exactly sure what he meant by the Noxzema bitI've never been afflicted with that particular temptationbut I figure it can't be good. Fortunately for Corey, the SR6. The SR6. 0s' subsequent success is easy to understand. It sounded goodhonest, musical, warmand it was cheap. Regular people who hadn't grown accustomed to the absurd prices of high- end gear could buy a pair with no loss of self- respect. Those virtues of value and musical honesty were the ones that attracted me a few years later, when I bought my own pair of SR6. ![]() ![]() Like Corey, I sought affordable 'phones that would sound good when driven by the feeble output stage of whatever portable device I was using at the time. No other 'phones I auditioned anywhere near the Grados' price seriously challenged them. The sound of the day was fuzzy and electronic, with boomy bass; either the designers weren't listening to the headphones they designed, or they were aiming for the big, wide middle of the sonic bell curve. The SR6. 0s lacked the combination of negative sound qualities I was hearing from their locally available competitors, and which always reminded me of a hip- hopplaying low- rider pulling up next to me at a stoplight. Fifteen years later, I still own those SR6. TV, the sound channeled through my Benchmark DAC1 D/A converter). They've given me just two tiny problems: The original earpads were uncomfortable, and I lost the tiny rubber endcaps that secure the earpieces to the headband. A new puppy solved the first problem by eating one earpad, which prompted me to order the far comfier Large Grado Pads, called the S- cushion and widely available online for $1. The second problem never really was one; every six months or so, I spend 1. When they read this review, the folks at Grado will send me a replacement endcapor maybe I'll steal one from the review sample.)Here's the most remarkable thing about the SR6. The 2. 00. 9 Stereophile Buyer's Guide listed their price at $6. If the SR6. 0s were a great deal for $6. Updating a Budget Classic. But what about this year? The 2. 01. 0 Buyer's Guide lists a new model, the SR6. The price is higher, but only a little: $7. Is the new version worth the extra $1. Well, even the old version was worth the extra $1. Grado's John Chen tells me that your extra $1. I speculate that the SR6. How else to explain such a small price increase? But, whateverso long as they haven't messed up the sound. Sound. The outstanding qualities of the SR6. These have been retained in the SR6. The SR6. 0s were free of obvious colorations and unfortunate resonances; so were the SR6. The new edition seems to go a bit deeper in the bass, though I didn't find this subjectively important. The one difference that I did find important enough to affect my experience of the music was that the midrange sounded a touch more vivid. I found most music a little more involving through the SR6. I recall especially "MDM," track 1 of Charles Mingus's Mingus The Candid Recordings (LP, Barnaby, KZ 3. Eric Dolphy's alto saxophone and bass clarinet seemed a bit richer through the SR6. Keep in mind, though, that I'm comparing the new Grados with a pair at least 1. The older 'phones may just be tired. Grado says that the SR6. I agreebut only in a quiet place. Their sensitivity was a bit low for my i. Phone (used without a headphone amp). In a reasonably quiet home setting, the volume levels achievable were perfectly adequate, but if you plan to listen on airplanes or in other noisy places, you'll want more volumeor, better, more isolation. Try in- ear 'phones, many of which have been reviewed in Stereophile's pages. They're a better solution than electronic noise reduction. The Verdict. John Grado took over from his uncle Joe Grado, the company's famous founder, some 2. He's revised one of high- end audio's great bargains, and without messing it up by raising its price too much or by compromising its performance. In fact, in my opinion, the SR6. The ultimate high- end headphones for those without deep pockets. You may never let them out of your sight. Very few products survive the test of time. They are replaced with the next new thing even before the consumer can sit and open the box. The thrill is gone before you get the product to work. We live in the era of "pump and dump"seduced by the dark forces of not- to- clever advertising sound bites, which are only effective because we are bombarded with them and we acquiesce just to make it go away. A real exception to the rule are the Grado SR6. Truly. For the better part of ten years, they have been consistently great. For the money, there is nothing better under $1. Combined with a decent portable headphone amplifier such as the Headroom Total Bithead, and the i. Pod (lossless only please), orgasmic audio is possible. Grado Labs has been building headphones a very specific way for many years, and just like Di Fara Pizza (another Brooklyn institution), it is all about getting the basics right. The SR6. 0s do not use the most expensive parts available, something Grado chooses to implement in its more expensive RS1, RS2, and GS 1. SR6. 0s that has always made it one of the most satisfying purchases in audio la- la- land. My first pair lasted almost eight years before the ex- wife used it as a doorstop. I should preface that with "angrily" as I was still wearing them at the time. And I thought nothing could break the headband.. All of the Grado models have a vented diaphragm that uses a large air chamber. As a result, the diaphragm is not plagued by an excessive level of distortion, leaving the listener with a clean and detailed presentation. Another benefit of the design is that Grado headphones reproduce punchy bass that is clean sounding, taut, and resolute considering the size of the driver. The influence of Grado's fine line of moving coil and moving magnet phono cartridges can be heard in the midrange, where vocals are incredibly coherent and full of body. There is some excess warmth, but I would rather have that than a totally neutral and analytical sounding presentation. Soul over razor sharp accuracy any day of the week. The SR6. 0s also use a copper voice coil wire and copper connecting cord terminated for use with a 3. Grado supplies a mini plug with a 1/4" adaptor for listeners who want to plug their headphones into the larger sockets found on receivers, integrated amplifiers, and dedicated headphone amplifiers. The black retro look has not deviated from its inception, including the thin steel spring strap covered with quasi- leather (it is plastic) that makes up the headband. The headphones slide up and down and swivel on a very simple post, which makes them easy to position on your head. The SR6. 0s are also easy to fold and place inside a notebook bag or duffel. The foam pads that sit on top of the outer ear will eventually require replacement, but they work. The most recent pair that I tried seemed to be more comfortable than the older model that I owned, which is a step in the right direction. Prolonged listening sessions with the SR6. One of the obvious benefits of the i. Pod revolution is that people are buying headphones in tremendous quantities. A recent walk through the Rutgers campus, which surrounds our corporate offices here in New Brunswick, was very educational to say the least. Three out of every 1. Not surprisingly, a majority were wearing the Apple ear buds. Needless to say, we did not see too many people walking around with a pair of full- sized open headphones like the SR6. We let a few people try the SR6. Everyone preferred them to the ear buds, especially when we mentioned that they were only $6. One comedian asked if he could "borrow" it for the night. Portishead's "Glory Box" from their Dummy release is a personal favorite of onheadphones.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2017
Categories |