Grado SR60 Headphone Reviews

Manufacturer Grado Model SR60
Headphone Type Open Supraaural Headband Type Single
Weight (g) 124 Driver Type Dynamic
Enclosure Material Plastic Isolation (dB) 0
Impedance (ohms) 32 Cable Length (cm) 200
Frequency Response (Hz) 30 - 16000  
Connector 3.5mm Street Price US$70
Buy from Amazon.com  
Average reviewer scores
Bass Extension 5.1 Bass Impact 5.8
Bass Quality 5.4 Mids Quality 6.0
Highs Quality 5.2 Soundstage 4.1
Detail 5.9 Portability 4.8
Isolation 0.0 Comfort 4.4
Durability 4.8 Improvement With Amplification 4.5
Value for Money 6.9    
Overall Score 5.3 Total Reviews 13

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Reviews by our members

Review by Senior Member Welly Wu on 14 Nov 15  15:00
Individual review
Bass Extension5
Bass Impact6
Bass Quality6
Mids Quality7
Highs Quality6
Detail7
Comfort2
Durability4
Value9

For the money, I can only think of the Sennheiser PX100 cans as being a better value, but that does not necessarily mean they sound better than the Grado SR-60. I like the clarity, detail, and full-bodied warmth of these cans. They are not the last word in resolution or neutrality, but I don't give a rat's ass anyway. I am happy with mine and I won't sell them. That's 'nuff of a review.

Review by Senior Member ijan on 08 Jan 07  16:03
Individual review
Bass Extension4
Bass Impact5
Bass Quality3
Mids Quality5
Highs Quality5
Detail4
Comfort5
Durability4
Value8

SR60 is made to be my portable because I cannot use IEM in my line of work, and other non-IEM phone jus plain..bad. The raved KSC75 is far by standard compared to the SR60. Plus, SR60 can be rotated flat (and thin too, compared to RS1 which is almost thrice the thickness with bowls pad).

Sound quality wise, if compared with other full sized headphones, they are not up to par yet. However, credit is given where credit is due and they are just plain good and exciting for the price. Quality wise, its plastic and they are quite a number of minor production defects found on my unit. Its flimsy and looks very much cheap compared to RS1, the epitome of Grado's workmanship.

Details are considerably lost and highs are just not high enough. I had to increase my MD treble to get the normal highs i used to get with my 595, K701 and RS1 (un-equalized). Bass is not bloated, nor boomy, just no details. Amazingly, the SR60 doesnt sound abit like the RS1 and im starting to wonder what is the Grado sound, the RS1 or the SR60 becaus the SR60 is airy and has a nice ambience of fullness to it compared to RS1 thin presence.

For the price, its a nice pair of headphones, very good portabilty, comfort (with modified HD414 pads) and sound (for the price point). Its my throw and forget good sounding headphones. Highly recommended!

Review by Senior Member gunnar on 28 Dec 06  15:13
Individual review
Bass Extension3
Bass Impact5
Bass Quality4
Mids Quality5
Highs Quality3
Detail5
Comfort4
Durability5
Value8

A cheap headphone and likely the best "audiophile" entry point. Other headphones in this price bracket provide more sound in the thrills and excitement category but these are really the only ones that give you a taste of the high end. The bass, mid and highs are all competent with good balance and insight and the sound is not fatiguing as so many closed designs by mass market manufacturers at this price. Good for a whole range of music, although soundly beaten by the SR80s which cost not much more.

Review by Senior Member logogogue on 11 Apr 06  18:52
Individual review
Bass Extension5
Bass Impact5
Bass Quality6
Mids Quality6
Highs Quality7
Detail6
Comfort6
Durability5
Value8

Obviously, there are many higher priced rigs out there that can blow the SR60's out of the water. But then you'd be missing the point. What one can eck out of these cans for the price is disproportionate to the performance you get out of a four figure rig. Don't get me wrong, some are extremely beautiful sounding and if you can afford it, you're lucky. Still I can't help to think the return on your buck is far less when you compare what you get for something under a Benjamin. To be able to kick back and enjoy high fidelity sound and have a bunch of cash leftover to buy more music or gear is quite appealing. Having been able to pick up BlueNote cd's for shows that I have attended, the SR60's sounds a lot like the performance I saw. Also having played the drums for 20 years and worked at a drum shop, I have played a lot of cymbals so I know what they should sound like. The SR60's don't do much wrong and reproduce textures and naunces of music and drums very well. Can't ask for more than that.

Review by Senior Member fewtch on 11 Dec 05  09:20
Individual review
Bass Extension5
Bass Impact6
Bass Quality4
Mids Quality4
Highs Quality3
Detail4
Comfort4
Durability4
Value5

I owned a pair of SR-60 for over a year, and frankly I was glad to get rid of them. They added very little over the Denon AH-D550s I owned at the time. Very forgiving of poor sources (not much detail) and a nice open sound, but lacking severely in soundstage. These cans may "screetch" at you with the wrong recordings, and suffer from all sorts of potential issues like "grattle," discomfort, sweaty ears and tangled cords. I remain puzzled as to why these are considered an audiophile entry point, since to my ears they simply have a better-than-average consumer grade sound, with poor comfort, middling build quality, and a tendency toward quick ear fatigue due to the piercing highs.

Review by Senior Member amartignano on 26 Dec 04  23:00
Individual review
Bass Extension7
Bass Impact8
Bass Quality8
Mids Quality8
Highs Quality7
Detail7
Comfort5
Durability7
Value9

Very warm and musical sound. In my opinion they need the flat pads to express all the quality. But also the comfies are good. Grado mids, i.e. absolutely astonishing, voices whispers and shout near you in a magic way. Good, warm and bodied bass; good, a little veiled highs. Not very comfortable, but sufficient. A real value for money, especially in USA.

Review by Senior Member TrevorNetwork on 17 Dec 04  10:47
Individual review
Bass Extension4
Bass Impact5
Bass Quality4
Mids Quality5
Highs Quality4
Detail5
Comfort3
Durability5
Value7

A reasonably entry level headphone. It is not particularly special in its sonics. The comfort leaves much to be desired. The soundstage is lacking. The bass is not particularly extended, and lacks impact.

Review by Member mtd on 14 Nov 15  15:05
Individual review
Bass Extension5
Bass Impact5
Bass Quality5
Mids Quality6
Highs Quality5
Detail7
Comfort3
Durability3
Value7

If you listen to music that isn't bass heavy, these can be shiney. These can make rock and roll become alive, and add a nice crisp airy sound. Good for the price, unless you like rap, techno, and/or bass heavy music.

Review by Member MarvinSwordenski on 27 Feb 10  08:32
Individual review
Bass Extension8
Bass Impact8
Bass Quality8
Mids Quality8
Highs Quality7
Detail8
Comfort8
Durability2
Value2

Good, Bad, and Ugly
The Good: Open Cans with a very wide performance stage. The SR60 is a high end sound for a low end budget. The instrument separation is clear and lifelike. Comfort wise I have worn these during a project for several hours with not much problem. Of course that length of time you would expect the slight discomfort I experienced.

The Bad: After only several months of use the drivers failed and had to be replaced by the retailer. Afterward, the next set had driver failure and was sent to Grado. One month later, driver failure. Grado is willing to working with repairs but does one really need to continue?

The Ugly: Put in a drawer with other inexpensive headphones. I can’t justify throwing them away just yet.

Review by Member baka1969 on 05 Oct 08  14:47
Individual review
Bass Extension6
Bass Impact6
Bass Quality7
Mids Quality8
Highs Quality7
Detail8
Comfort7
Durability7
Value9

At under $100, the Grado SR-80 has to be one of the best values for audiophile-quality sound. For any component. Not just for headphones. It is easily worth the small premium over the Grado SR-60.

The detail is more than merely impressive. Clarity is broad from top to bottom. These have an airy quality about them. The soundstage puts you in the music and is one of Grado's best strengths.

I believe the fact that these 'phones are lighter in bass accentuates the forward upper mids. I found them to be slightly sibilant.

Amping these cans fills out the Grado SR-80s and makes a great headphone exceptional. The sibilant behavior all but disappears. Bass extends.

This is the perfect place to start your audiophile quest.

Review by Member CanCan on 08 Nov 07  21:16
Individual review
Bass Extension5
Bass Impact6
Bass Quality5
Mids Quality5
Highs Quality4
Detail5
Comfort4
Durability5
Value8

At one time, I would have rated these cans quite a bit higher, but things have changed. I bought my SR60 about a decade ago. New competition is showing up all the time now. I can buy a new AKG K301 XTRA on eBay for $69 to $79 delivered now that they are discontinued, and they will be much more comfortable and have as good sound overall. I used Grado SR200 cans since early 1993, then gave them away after I bought the more comfortable SR60. The SR60 bass is actually more extended, but not as tight as the SR200. SR60 treble is a bit rougher, but of no problem on most Rock music. The SR60 is very good for Rock, but suffers on Classical in comparison to the SR200. The SR200 is also great for Rock, but those earpads and that hard leather headband would really hurt within an hour, so I got to where I didn't use them much. I owned a couple of Sennheiser models in the $90 to $120 range, but feel they are a bit too veiled and laid back for my taste. I liked the more immediate SR60. Sennheiser sound is good for background listening or office use. The SR60 is better for serious listening when you want to get down and ROCK.

My SR60 has since been replaced by an AKG K601, and there is really no comparison between the two. The K601 is also noticeably better than the SR200 in about every way imaginable. If I had less than $100 to spend, something better can be bought on eBay for the same price as a new SR60 if you are patient. Therefore, my SR60 listening days are over and mine will lay around as an emergency spare. If you are not a bass freak, a used K501 will blow away an SR60 in every other way, as it is about the same as a K601 without as much bass extension. That is actually a plus if you mainly listen to vocals, which is why I'm looking to pick up the K501 if I can spot a good deal. One way the SR60 is better than the Sennheisers I have owned is that the cable never broke. I have a box of old Sennheiser cables with one side inoperative because I was buying a new cable every one to two years. Sennheiser cans below $100 will not compare to cheap AKG and Grado cans in my opinion. If you can find an old HD 414 at a dirt cheap price, that will do you about as well as the new cheap Sennheiser models. It's a colored sound by todays standard, but a more enjoyable sound that most cheap cans and the old HD 414 didn't have the break-o-matic cable problem in my experience. You might like it better than an SR60 for some things and it is more comfortable, and it would give you an additional sonic flavor when you didn't want the SR60 bloated bass.

The bottom line is that the SR60 is just barely an entry model now into audiophile territory. They do have a low impedance that is easy to drive if you must use a low voltage power source. If you have a dedicated headphone amp, try to hold out for something better if you can. $50 more can get you some fabulous new cans with more comfort. If you MUST spend under $100, a used set of cans is probably your best bet. I have generally preferred high impedance cans, and they drive better out of many receivers and preamps that have headphone jacks.

A hot tip is an old B&K Pro-10MC preamp. It's very good at driving high impedance headphones up to 600 ohms with an incredibly clean output. The switchable MM/MC phono stage is also extremely good for the price. You'll save enough money from not buying lesser quality new preamp gear that you can afford any set of cans your heart desires. From 32 ohm Grado to 600 ohm Sennheiser, it has driven any headphone I ever plugged in very well, and without any problems at all since 1991 and going as strong as ever.

Review by Member Enigmatx on 29 Oct 07  18:29
Individual review
Bass Extension5
Bass Impact5
Bass Quality6
Mids Quality6
Highs Quality6
Detail6
Comfort5
Durability5
Value7

These are my grado entry pair of cans. The first thing i noticed about these cans is that they sound different from anything I've heard before. I suppose thats the grado sound i hear so much about. Since its an entry level can though, I know I shouldnt be too critical of it. I have to admit one thing though, these cans are very musical. It has a fun factor to it. At least more than my HD-555. I'm using these amped (corda headsix) and there is a noticeable difference. The bass and soundstage have definately improved no doubt. The mids have also improved but not considerably as the bass and soundstage. I like how I'm able to distinguish sounds and can actually hear the artist's lips smacking. That is amazing! My wife (she payed the cello in an orchestra) who btw has no idea about headphones or electronics says she feels the presense of the music and can hear fingers sliding across guitar strings. I was impressed! For the price, these cant be beat. I've already recommended these to a few friends on campus and have gotten positive reactions.

I somewhat regret buying these now because i wish i had bought the SR225 or SR325i. I'm positive they would have sounded phenomenal if the SR60 sounds this good. Ah well, I guess I'll have to make due for now and stick with this. SR325i u just wait!!

Review by Member 1UP on 26 Dec 04  23:00
Individual review
Bass Extension4
Bass Impact6
Bass Quality4
Mids Quality5
Highs Quality3
Detail5
Comfort1
Durability7
Value3

These headphones have a pronounced mid-bass hump, which makes pop and rock music exciting to listen to. However, this is just awful for virtually all other kinds of music, where the tonal colouration and overly-forward presentation ruin the sound. Personally, I also found them intolerably uncomfortable / painful to wear after more than an hour or so.

Grado SR60