New Grado Headphones

Send to Kindle

I was in the market for new headphones, and after doing some research on the web, landed on Grado. I decided that the best value was the Grado SR80. Most of the reviews that I read were on Amazon.com. After placing an order with one site, I ended up canceling the order when they wanted me to jump through hoops to have it delivered to Zope Corporation, which wasn’t listed on my credit card as a verified address.

I ended up ordering them from HCM Audio for the same price, plus HCM threw in a 12′ extension cord (which I don’t need, but hey, it’s still a nice touch). During the shopping process, I discovered the iGrado model as well, a street-style headset meant for iPod listening. So, I snagged one of those as well.

They both showed up yesterday. Wow, the reviews were very accurate. Great sound, but not really comfortable to begin with. Everyone says that they eventually stretch just the right amount, and you end up loving the fit. It’s been one day, and I can already believe that, but man, it’s definitely uncomfortable at the moment…

What’s funny is that for the past two weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to the new iPods with the included ear buds. They are wildly comfortable, but what a joke they are from a fidelity standpoint (a surprise given Apple’s usual attention to detail). I’m no audiophile, so I wasn’t all that unhappy with them, until I put on the Grados. What a difference. That said, even my ancient Sony ear buds (low end model!) kick the iPod buds’ behind. They really are a complete joke.

Now, here’s a real first for me! I wrote a post on this topic that reached 790 words and was barely 1/3 of the way toward making the points I intended to make. Highly uncharacteristic of my style, I just tossed it all and wrote this short version instead. Good for you, but bad for my normal intention of using this blog to capture my thoughts (including tons of silly details) for my own posterity when I can’t recall the details like I can now. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into a trend! 😉

(not including this paragraph, but including the silly disclaimer above, this post is 373 words. What a difference!)