The second camp is the “ tone wood” supporter. Much like a musical instrument, a particular material is selected for its interaction with the driver, in an effort to find a positive synergy, where the final sound produced is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Resonance and reflection of materials are believed to affect the timbre of the music reproduction. After changing to wooden cups, the users often report a more woody, earthy, warmer tone. Aluminum or metal cups are often described as bright, tinny, cold or sibilant. Notice anything about those descriptive terms for the sound? They seem to be descriptions of the material itself; perhaps the eyes of the user are impacting what they hear? I digress. Conclusion

Generation Grado drivers are here. Specifically tuned for the SR80x, this new speaker design features a more powerful magnetic circuit, a voice coil with decreased effective mass, and a reconfigured diaphragm. Reengineering these components for our 44mm drivers improve efficiency, reduces distortion, and preserves the harmonic integrity of your music. 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.Fully adjustable earpieces and soft foam pads have always made the Prestige headphones one of the most comfortable in their class. Now featuring a padded headband, the latest version are even more comfy, making longer listening sessions fly by. I have compared shell types and I’m pretty sure none of it matters except in a bad way. While you can sabotage an open chamber by making it less open, like gluing a plastic button to the center of the rear grill, the unvented Grados were doing far more to undermine the open chamber. Unfortunately, our Installation Service excludes all gas appliances. It is the customer’s responsibility to find a gas safe engineer to connect the appliance. Any work conducted by a third part gas safe engineer will be at the customer’s expense and we will not accept any liability for their work. Along with the speakers, the cables and headband have been redesigned for the SR80x. Now housed in a more durable exterior, the 4-conductor cable features a super annealed copper wire for improved purity of the audio signal. The new headband features more cushion for a comfier experience. This is the type of headphones experience that forces us to listen to whole albums during our testing, and before we know it we’re emotionally engrossed in Eilish’s Your Power and stomping along carefree to Therefore I Am. Verdict

Neither headphone is difficult to drive but they do benefit from a Dongle DAC or dedicated desktop headphone amplifier like the Schiit Audio Magni 3+ or iFi Zen CAN Signature.

The story of the SR80x holds a special place in not only our ears, but the ears of hundreds of thousands of listeners. The first pair was built in 1991 and we wouldn’t be here today without it. With its soundstage, world renowned mid-range, and speed, the SR80x is worthy of being the longest running Grado headphone.

We do provide installation options for built-in appliances providing it is simply a case of fitting the appliance and furniture doors. Any additional work to the kitchen units or carpentry work required will need to be completed at the customer’s expense. Please note: TV and larger floorstanding speaker deliveries are not available to Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Scottish Islands, and Channel Islands. Common cup materials include cherry, cocobolo, ebony, limba, mahogany, maple, oak, padauk, rosewood, and walnut. Users report anything from improved bass, midrange or treble. Some report changes in soundstage and imaging. Typically reports are positive, although some feel that there are perceptible decreases in the treble with particular woods. We reserve the right to refuse installation should our engineers think that the existing electrical or plumbing points are unsafe and in need of maintenance or if they are unable to install to existing furniture.At Peter Tyson we pride ourselves on prompt, efficient delivery. Please note that the daily cut off time for all next day delivery services is 3pm. The story of the SR80x holds a special place in not only our ears, but the ears of hundreds of thousands of listeners. The first pair was built in 1991 and we wouldn’t be here today without it. With its soundstage, world renowned mid-range, and speed, the SR80x is worthy of being the longest running Grado headphone. Signature Sound A great DIY headphone build is not simply about function and utility. It should combine style, performance, and luxury. The products pictured in this article make beauty a priority and have infused art into supremely functional objects. With Shipibo Audio’s creations married to the superb sounding Symphones V8 drivers, you have a wearable work of art, with a refined sound quality to rival or better any of Grado’s best. Grado likes to vent four holes, an idea it hit upon after watching innovations and excitement over at Headfi. You can go too far with the holes but it balances out when you mod out the cushions. None of Grado’s cushions are perfect. TTVJ’s flats are the best for capturing thump from an open air headphone but they minimize treble and shrink soundstage. The S pads are comfy and efficient bass catchers, but you still lose treble and soundstage. An easy way to open things up is to use the dime mod and cut a hole in the pad’s center. I also liked to remove the front grill screens. I don’t know if doing so made much of a difference but it eliminated a barrier between my ears and the drivers.