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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Grado SR60e/SR60 Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Reviewed May 13, 2016 at 11:19 am
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:23 am
Grado SR60e/SR60 Picture
5.2
Mixed Usage
7.6
Neutral Sound
4.2
Commute/Travel
5.3
Sports/Fitness
4.7
Office
4.5
Wireless Gaming
6.3
Wired Gaming
1.6
Phone Call

The Grado SR60e are subpar headphones for everyday, casual use. They have an above-average but sharp sound quality and an open design that gives them a wide soundstage compared to most on-ears. However, they leak a lot of audio and don't block any noise. They're not stable enough to use while doing sports, and they're not ideal for loud environments, commuting, or office use.

Our Verdict

5.2 Mixed Usage

The Grado SR60e are designed for critical listening. They're not versatile enough to be good everyday headphones.

Pros
  • Above-average, open sound reproduction.
  • Lightweight, comfortable on-ear design.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation, by design.
  • Flimsy, plasticky build.
  • Easily falls off your head.
7.6 Neutral Sound

The Grado SR60 are decent low budget headphones for neutral listening. They have a spacious soundstage and a good reproduction of instruments and vocals. They lack a little bit of bass and may be slightly sharp at times, but they reproduce the detail in high-res audio with above-average fidelity.

4.2 Commute/Travel

The Grado SR60e aren't made for commuting. The ambient noise of a train ride or bus ride will ruin your listening experience.

5.3 Sports/Fitness

The Grado SR60 aren't intended for sports. They're unstable and the thick cable is bothersome. They're also a little uncomfortable.

4.7 Office

The Grado SR60 aren't for office use. They don't any office chatter, and they leak a lot which will be audible even at lower volumes.

4.5 Wireless Gaming

The Grado SR60 are below average for gaming. They're decently comfortable, sound great, and have a low latency and wired design. However, they don't have a microphone for voice chat when gaming, and no customization options which are typical for most gaming headsets. Also, they don't have the convenience of wireless design or multiple connection options for an optimized experience on Xbox One or PS4.

6.3 Wired Gaming
  • 5.2 Mixed Usage
  • 7.6 Neutral Sound
  • 4.2 Commute/Travel
  • 5.3 Sports/Fitness
  • 4.7 Office
  • 4.5 Wireless Gaming
  • 6.3 Wired Gaming
  • 1.6 Phone Call
  1. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  3. Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  4. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  5. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  6. Updated May 13, 2016: Review published.
  7. Updated May 11, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Apr 28, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Compared To Other Headphones

Grado SR80e/SR80

The Grado SR80e/SR80 have no significant differences when compared to the Grado SR60e/SR60. They sound about the same, although the SR80 have slightly better imaging and treble mostly due to better consistency in the treble range. However, like the SR60e, they sound sharp. This won't be for everyone, especially on already bright tracks. On the other hand, SR60e are a slightly better value for your money since they have the same performance and overall build quality as the SR80e.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type On-ear
Enclosure Open-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic

The Grado SR60e have a very retro aesthetic. They have an all-black color scheme and a simplistic design that will work well for some. Their open-back ear cups are larger than most on-ear headphones but unfortunately, the plastic used for their design looks a little cheap.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.37 lbs
Clamping Force
0.55 lbs

The Grado SR60e are moderately comfortable headphones. They have a lightweight design that doesn't put much pressure on your head. Unfortunately, they're not well-padded. There's no padding on the headband, but because of their lightweight design, it's not as noticeable. However, the ear cup padding is a cushion-like fabric that doesn't feel good on the skin and will easily rip or wear.

0
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use N/A
Feedback N/A
Call/Music Control No
Volume Control No
Microphone Control N/A
Channel Mixing
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control N/A
Talk-Through
N/A
Additional Buttons N/A

These headphones don't have any in-line controls.

8.2
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 2 °C

These are very breathable headphones. They have small on-ear cups that are open-back, so they don't obstruct a lot of airflow. They also have slightly more breathable pads than typical on-ear designs, with pleather padding which makes them even more breathable. Since they still rest on your ears, they won't be as breathable as in-ears over long listening sessions, but they're a lot more breathable than over-ear headphones and most on-ear designs aside from the Koss Porta Pro Wireless.

6.1
Design
Portability
L 7.09"
W 6.69"
H 1.97"
Volume 93.31 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

These are moderately portable headphones and have a thin headband that's not too bulky. The ear cups lay flat to take up less space, and they will easily fit in a backpack. Sadly, they don't fold up into a more compact format, and the thick cable is a bit bothersome.

0
Design
Case
Type No case
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A

These headphones don't come with a case.

5.5
Design
Build Quality

The Grado SR60e have poor build quality. They're sufficiently lightweight and have few moving parts. They can handle a few drops without damage. Sadly, the plastic used for the ear cups and joints feels cheap. The joints, especially, look poorly glued together and very susceptible to moderate physical stress. They don't feel as durable as some other on-ear headphones and the cushion-like padding on the ear cups is prone to wear and tear. On the upside, they have a thick audio cable that won't get damaged easily.

5.0
Design
Stability

These headphones aren't designed for sports. They have a thick, heavy cable that isn't detachable and can't be easily stored in gym gear. It also will pull them off your head if it gets hooked on something. They slip a little when you tilt your head while casually listening and will easily fall during any physical activity.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Grado SR60e headphones
  • 1/8" to 1/4" adapter

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
-5.16 dB
Treble Amount
0.75 dB
8.0
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.39 dB
Sound
Raw Frequency Response
7.9
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.78 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
46.21 Hz
Low-Bass
-5.77 dB
Mid-Bass
-0.27 dB
High-Bass
0.75 dB
8.7
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.76 dB
Low-Mid
0.76 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.1 dB
High-Mid
1.25 dB
6.2
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.94 dB
Low-Treble
3.53 dB
Mid-Treble
5.36 dB
High-Treble
-3.24 dB
6.8
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.3 dB
Dips
1.24 dB
8.7
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.25
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.9
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.07
Weighted Phase Mismatch
4.41
6.7
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
2.51 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
1.17 dB
PRTF Distance
7.62 dB
Openness
9.8
Acoustic Space Excitation
9.0
7.8
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.117
WHD @ 100
0.283
Isolation
0.8
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-1.17 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
0.09 dB
Mid
0.66 dB
Treble
-4.13 dB

Poor isolation. Since these are open-back headphones, their noise isolation capability is poor by design. They barely isolate any external sound and are quite transparent, except for the small build-up at 1kHz that could color external sounds.

1.0
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
65.77 dB

Poor leakage. Being open-back headphones, it's natural for these headphones to be loud and leak a lot of sound. A significant portion of leakage happens between 200Hz and 20kHz which is a very broad range. The leakage on these headphones sounds loud, full and present, and therefore could bother the people around you, even at low/moderate listening levels.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
N/A
In-line
N/A
Boom
N/A
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic No
0
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
N/A
LFE
N/A
FR Std. Dev.
N/A
HFE
N/A
Weighted THD
N/A
Gain
N/A
0
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise N/A
Speech + Subway Noise N/A
SpNR
N/A
Active Features
not tested
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
N/A
Continuous Battery Life
N/A
Additional Charges
N/A
Total Battery Life
N/A
Charge Time
N/A
Power Saving Feature
N/A
Audio While Charging
N/A
Passive Playback
N/A
Charging Port N/A

These headphones don't have any active components and don't require a battery.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name N/A
iOS N/A
Android N/A
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
N/A
ANC Control
N/A
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
N/A
Playback Control
N/A
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A

These headphones don't come with an app or software for added customization options.

Connectivity
0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
N/A
Multi-Device Pairing
N/A
NFC Pairing
N/A
Line of Sight Range
N/A
Default Latency
N/A
aptX Latency
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A

These headphones are wired and don't have a Bluetooth connection. If you want a similar design in a wireless format, consider the Grado GW100.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
9.0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length 5.6 ft
Connection 1/8" TRS
Wired Latency
0 ms

The Grado SR60e have a simple 1/8TRS audio cable with no in-line remote/microphone, so they'll only provide audio when connected to your PS4, Xbox One, or PC.

Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio Only
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
N/A
USB Input
N/A
Line In
N/A
Line Out
N/A
Optical Input
N/A
RCA Input
N/A
Dock Charging
N/A
Power Supply
N/A

The Grado SR60e don't have a dock. If you need a headset with a dock that also has a wired connection for gaming or watching movies, consider the SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless.