iGrado: worth your money or not?
We’ve presented the iGrados back in July. Grado’s low-budget, open-design, street-style cans, targeted to the iPod crowd house the same drivers as the company’s favorite SR-60s but cost $20 less ($49).
It’s been a few weeks since they were released—after reading more than half a dozen threads on Head-Fi from people who bought them (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), here’s what the general consensus seems to be:
Black iGrados with black iPod nano. They don’t look as good in stock pictures.
Picture © of Flickr user escobar702. More pictures from that set.
Of course, they’re not as refined as the higher-end Grados, but that’s to be expected from a $50 pair of phones. First of all, no amp is needed to drive the iGrados—they sound perfectly fine straight out of the headphone jack. The bass is plentiful and punchy, though comments of mid-bass bloat have surfaced here and there. The thick pads contribute to a muffled sound signature—i.e. the highs are veiled. You may want to look into quarter-modding them, or use the thinner Sennheiser PX100 pads to open up the treble. Their midrange ...ranges (pun not intended) from “detailed but nasal” to “great, detailed and forward”.
Construction-wise, they’re sturdy and durable. (Also, that thing you see—it’s not a hinge.) They’re not very heavy, and provide a secure fit. The band in the back gets in the way though when you’re resting your head back. “If you angle your head slightly upward, your neck or shirt collar pushes the speakers off your ears. If you lay down it once again pushes the speaker off your ears.” Also: their cable is thin and still, which makes up for easy tangling.
You can get the iGrados for $50 from TTVJ.
Other cans you may want to look into:
- Koss KSC-75: you simply cannot get a better value/price ratio. These are clip-on phones. $14.
- Sennheiser PX-100: always a wise choice. $50.
- Grado SR60: a favorite for the budget-minded, esp. those who like rock music. These are the elder brothers of the iGrados—if you’re looking for a more portable solution though, this is not the way to go since they’re bulkier and also have a longer cord. $70.
- AKG K81 DJ: though it’s a closed design and it shouldn’t be compared to the open iGrados, word has it they outperform the iGrados in the sound department. $70.
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I just can’t see myself attaching any of those clip-on or otherwise positively huge cans to an MP3 player that is about as small as a cigarette lighter. It seems odd somehow.
I’ve seen people on the subway and elsewhere wearing standard-sized headphones attached to their players, looking like dorks, and I don’t care how much better the sound is.
What I’m waiting for are plugs that offer excellent sound.
I mean, what’s the point in getting a slim player that’s virtually invisible if you have to lug huge phones around?
;)
...added by Volkher Hofmann /// October 29th, 2006 at 06:47 AM
I do agree that walking around with full-sized cans is a bit odd, that’s why I’m keeping my pair of BeyerDynamic cans for in-house sessions. Respect is due to those who are courageous enough to wear them outside, though
“What I’m waiting for are plugs that offer excellent sound.”
The closest thing we’ve got to these are in-ear monitors from the likes of Etymotics, Shure, etc.—but, besides the subway, I would be wary of wearing these when walking out on the street because sometimes you don’t see danger coming, you hear it.
Now, if you’re talking about regular ear-plugs that are excellent performers, you’re right—I’ve yet to find a pair that fits that bill. I was checking some offerings from Audio-Technica but each had its drawbacks.
...added by Konstantinos Christidis /// October 30th, 2006 at 18:36 PM
Danger? I actually don’t want to hear that approaching.
I’ve got some old Sonys that actually don’t fall out all the time ( a problem of many of those new clunky plugs). They came with a Discman I bought in 1997 or so and suit me fine (better than many new plugs I’ve checked out). I’m always afraid of those breaking because I simply would not know what to replace them with.
The Etymotics I’ve had a look at a few times and they sound like what I might be looking for when the time comes.
...added by Volkher Hofmann /// October 30th, 2006 at 22:05 PM
I have listened to a pair of these and wasn’t too impressed. It apparently uses the same drivers as the SR60 but the sound quality is sub par in my opinion. Also that thing that looks like a hinge but doesn’t move looks pretty bad.
I like Grado – they make great products, but this one misses the mark.
If you are looking for something similar to this try the Sennheiser PX-100 which is a big improvement.
...added by David /// November 21st, 2006 at 19:45 PM
i was expecting so much from the baby grado’s having owned the SR60’s and 125’s.
the neckband design alone was enough to put me off, as i’ve yet to find a comfortable pair of neckband headphones.
so near yet so far.
...added by matthew /// March 31st, 2007 at 13:28 PM
Volkher Hofmann are you silly? You say you don’t care how they sound but you are waiting on earbuds with superior sound quality? Check out the companies “Shure” and also “Etymotic” in-ear headphones but expect to pay over $200 for audiophile quality.
...added by dr /// February 7th, 2008 at 22:27 PM
I just recently upgraded from some Sennheiser CX300’s to a pair of iGrado’s.
All I can say is… wow! Obviously they are quite different headphones and are in no way comparable, but I was blown away by the clarity right across the frequency range.
Got mine for a decent price from HiFi Headphones here in the UK (link)
...added by Sam Mills /// May 2nd, 2008 at 19:36 PM
i want one. i heard after modifying, it will be great..
...added by Pat /// May 19th, 2008 at 16:16 PM
I really like my white iGrados but the V part of the cord quickly became all twisted up so now it’s irreparably bumpy and tangled. Much worse, the sound now (after a couple months of use) cuts out in the left ear and requires a wiggle to bring it back in. As such I’d like to modify them (i.e. replace the cordage as well as replace the pads with thinner ones as yes the highs are veiled). Anyone know if this is cheaply and easily done?
...added by AndoDoug /// July 12th, 2008 at 00:30 AM