Grado GR10 In-Ear Stereo Headphones

Comments about Grado GR10 In-Ear Stereo Headphones:

When I bought a pair of GR8s for my girlfriend's ipod as a birthday present and saw her eyes light up, I knew that Grado was onto something special with their line of japanese-made in-ear monitors (IEMs). The deep soundstage, the ability to detect on even 128kbps MP3s bass and high trebles without shrillness or dropout, and the definition of each instrument was incredible, and I figured could not be exceeded by Grado. I was wrong. The GR10s do just that.

Comparing the GR10s to the GR8s, there is no significant external difference beyond the fact the GR8s are a grey/black and the GR10s are a green color. However, the GR10s have a larger soundstage and are more sensitive to musical nuance, bringing up more low-end bass tonality, a quicker note attack, and even greater definition than the GR8s. Although by their nature Grado headphones and IEMs tend to be marketed towards more of a rock and metal-oriented listener, this ability to handle complex musical passages without a cloggy tonality allows for them to excel in jazz and classical situations as well. Listening to "Round About Midnight" brought out the timbres and the nuances of the clarinets, and notes that had slight sharpness could be detected for that instant before they went natural.

The earbud pieces come in 3 different sizes, small medium and large. Experiment with them until you find pads that fit your liking. Grado's tips are extremely comfortable, highly resistant to falling out, and they are very easy to remove. The same though cannot be said for the ring that keeps the wax filter in (this is a good thing). The filter does keep wax out of the monitor, and is sufficiently difficult to remove that its removal must be conscously done. I know this is a tiny point, but the details are key, particularly the little ones in a IEM of this caliber and price.

One piece of information I will pass on is that these are a MASSIVE upgrade from the stock iPod earbuds, and they do require anywhere from 10 to 50 hours of "break-in" before they fully bloom. Let them break-in slowly with low-volume. Not just for the lifespan of the IEM, but also for your ears. Those of you who are used to maxing out the ipod for "appreciable volume" will be left with ringing ears due to the ability to have a small package and incredible volume. I keep mine at 1/5 to 1/4 on my nano to allow for nuances to come through without causing ear damage.

And it is this nuanced mentality that also can be a weakspot for the Grados. They are so well-tuned, so sensitive to recording quality that it is not entirely unheard of to hear (a) new sounds and tonalities in songs you thought you knew, such as extra vocals an instruments... and (b) whether a recording was done properly or haphazardly. Simply remastering by adding gain will be exposed in these earphones, however those who seek out well-done recordings and well-made remasters will be rewarded with not only a very clear signal and recording (even from mp3 rips), but an INCREDIBLE listening experience that brings out the best of the player's internal driver, the recording's little properties, and the IEM's ability. Honesty in a recording... is it a good thing to hear the pops, clicks, etc., of an old analogue recording; or should an earphone only provide the music... the former will like the honesty of the Grados, the latter will find it obtrusive and detracting to music... I like the honesty of the Grados, particularly on older recordings where I desire the analogue presence a tape machine had.

I will go on record and say that to spend double the price of an iPod to increase one's mobile audio enjoyment can be considered as one of two things: either an unnecessary extravagance done without regards for the economic law of diminishing returns; or as an investment in aural enjoyment of all forms of music. Those who see the former will be more content with Skullcandies or even apple's stock earbud and consider no further... but for those whose home systems contain mahogany-capped earcups, headphone amps, valves and amplification, the GR10s allow you to bring much of that experience with you and your ipod... and leave the amps, tubes, and larger players at home. Highly recommend them, love them, and hope to enjoy them for years to come.

Oh, and they don't come with a case... so order one from any company to protect them. Small con, but with everything the GR10s pack... not worth demeriting.