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Grado SR60e Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£90Form factor:on-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

Grado SR60e Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

Grado SR60e
5.5/10

Overall score

Score
5.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 86% of models
Score components

80%

4.9

Technical score

20%

8.1

User score

â–¼Worse than 86% of headphones
6.9

Value for money

Value for money
6.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components

70%

5.5

Overall score

30%

10

Price

â–¼Worse than 79%
4.9

Technical score

Technical score
4.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 95% of models
Score components

52%

4.9

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

7.7

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

â–¼Worse than 95%
8.1

User score

User score
8.1/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 72% of models
Score components

70%

8.6

User ratings

30%

7.1

Number of reviews

â–²Better than 72%
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Grado SR60e

Technical score
Technical score
4.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 95% of models
Score components:

52%

4.9

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

7.7

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

4.9
User score
User score
8.1/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 72% of models
Score components

70%

8.6

User ratings

30%

7.1

Number of reviews

8.1
Popularity
Popularity
7.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 65% of models
Popularity:
Grado SR60e has a popularity score of 7.1 points, which is higher than that of 65.4% of products in this category.
7.1
Value for money
Value for money
6.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components:

70%

5.5

Overall score

30%

10

Price

6.9
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
dynamic
Driver size
44 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 44 mm, larger driver size than 83% of headphones and equal to 0.7% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
20 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 20 Hz, higher lowest frequency than 50.8% of headphones and equal to 47.3% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
no
This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while 15.1% is. 84.9% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
0
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 0 microphones, fewer microphones than 73.2% of headphones and equal to 26.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
N/A
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Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
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Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
no
This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants. 60.9% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Grado
Form factor
on-ear
Weight
124.7 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 124.7 g, lighter than 75.2% of headphones.
Acoustic design
open-back
Clamp force
2.5
Market range: <2.5 – >6.1
This pair of headphones has a clamp force of 2.5, lower clamp force than 88.3% of headphones and equal to 3.7% of headphones.
Show more

Grado SR60e vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • 4 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (44 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    44 mm vs 40 mm
  • 42.8% lower weight
    This pair of headphones is lighter than the average pair of headphones (124.7 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    124.7 g vs 218 g
  • Direct 3.5 mm plug
    This pair of headphones includes a direct 3.5 mm plug, the average pair of headphones does not. 39.8% of headphones have a 3.5 mm male connector.
  • 1.8 lower clamp force
    This pair of headphones has a lower clamp force than the average pair of headphones (2.5 vs 4.3). The average headphones have a clamp force of 4.3.
    2.5 vs 4.3
  • 0.18 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.117 % vs 0.3 %
  • 0.9 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (2.1 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    2.1 m vs 1.2 m
  • Open-back design
    This pair of headphones uses an open-back design, while the average pair of headphones does not. 9.1% of headphones have an open-back design.
  • 20 dB higher max SPL
    This pair of headphones has a higher max SPL than the average pair of headphones (130 dB vs 110 dB). The average headphones reach a max SPL of 110 dB.
    130 dB vs 110 dB
  • 42.8% lower weight
    This pair of headphones is lighter than the average pair of headphones (124.7 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    124.7 g vs 218 g
  • 1.8 lower clamp force
    This pair of headphones has a lower clamp force than the average pair of headphones (2.5 vs 4.3). The average headphones have a clamp force of 4.3.
    2.5 vs 4.3
  • 0.9 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (2.1 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    2.1 m vs 1.2 m
  • Open-back design
    This pair of headphones uses an open-back design, while the average pair of headphones does not. 9.1% of headphones have an open-back design.
  • 4 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (44 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    44 mm vs 40 mm
  • 0.18 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.117 % vs 0.3 %
  • 20 dB higher max SPL
    This pair of headphones has a higher max SPL than the average pair of headphones (130 dB vs 110 dB). The average headphones reach a max SPL of 110 dB.
    130 dB vs 110 dB
  • Direct 3.5 mm plug
    This pair of headphones includes a direct 3.5 mm plug, the average pair of headphones does not. 39.8% of headphones have a 3.5 mm male connector.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • 2 Hz weaker bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (20 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    20 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 2.2 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (99.8 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    99.8 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • 5.8% worse value for money
    Grado SR60e has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (6.87 vs 7.3).
    6.87 vs 7.27
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • Tangle-prone cable
    This pair of headphones uses a tangle-prone cable, while the average pair of headphones is easier to manage. 64.2% of headphones use a tangle-free cable.
  • No travel bag
    This pair of headphones does not include a travel bag, the average pair of headphones does. 65.4% of headphones include a travel bag.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 2 Hz weaker bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (20 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    20 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 2.2 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (99.8 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    99.8 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

9.5
Aaron Good
≈ estimated
04/03/2021
Long-term use · daily listening impressions
Verdict
Grado SR60e is a comfortable, wide-sounding open-back pair worth recommending to almost anyone.
7.0
Roman DeHonney
✓ explicit
27/08/2018
Hands-on review · sound with DAC and amp, comfort tests
Verdict
The Grado SR60e sounds great with a DAC and amplifier, but is uncomfortable for long listening sessions.
9.0
Elite Sim
≈ estimated
19/03/2016
Hands-on review · sound, comfort and monitoring use
Verdict
Grado SR60e offers fantastic sound at the price, though its open back leaks and lets in noise, so it suits home listening.
9.0
Tekzilla
≈ estimated
19/08/2014
Hands-on review · sound tests across several devices
Verdict
The Grado SR60e has an open back that limits use in noisy places, but its sound is fantastic.
8.0
Andrew Woodford
≈ estimated
17/08/2015
Short comparison · impressions against the older SR60
Verdict
Grado SR60e is a good first semi-open or audiophile pair, but there is no reason to upgrade from the SR60.
Not graded
Not graded
Not graded
Not graded

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

soundguys.com
08/07/2014
Hands-on review · Open-back on-ear
Verdict
The Grado SR60e gives excellent sound for the money, with a wide soundstage and crisp detail, though its open back limits where you can wear it.
trustedreviews.com
04/08/2014
Hands-on review · Open-back on-ear
Verdict
The Grado SR60e sounds superb for the price, with open, detailed treble, but its leaky design rules out public or outdoor use.
R
rtings.com
13/05/2016
Summary of the review
Grado SR60e/SR60 Headphones Review - RTINGS.com
speakerprojects.wordpress.com
26/09/2019
Owner's review · Office listening
Verdict
The Grado SR60e is a bright, revealing pair that works well in a cubicle, and Apple Music's equalizer tames its brightness.
consumerreports.org
08/07/2014
Lab test · Open-air on-ear
Verdict
The Grado Prestige SR60e is a musical, easy-going pair with good impact, but its bass is slightly boomy and its treble rolls off.
homestudiobasics.com
16/01/2026
Hands-on review · Budget open-back
Verdict
The Grado SR60e has punchy bass and airy detail, but its cheap build and sharp 2kHz peak make it hard to recommend for long listening.
kopfhoerer.de
24/01/2018
Hands-on test · Open on-ear headphones
Verdict
The Grado SR60e is an open on-ear pair with a distinct sound that suits rock and metal, but it runs warm on the ears and has some treble harshness.
T
tweakers.net
25/07/2024
Summary of the review
Grado SR60e Black - Removed - Product reviews
(Translated)Show original

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Grado SR60e

  • Exceptional clarity and detail in the mid-range and treble for the price point
  • Open soundstage that provides a spacious and natural listening experience
  • Highly efficient and easy to drive from almost any source without an external amplifier
  • Extremely lightweight design that can feel 'barely there' once the fit is adjusted
  • Excellent value for budget audiophiles and critical listeners
  • Redesigned 'e' series drivers offer improved symmetry and reduced distortion compared to older models
  • Simple, classic 'retro' aesthetic that appeals to enthusiasts

What customers don't like about Grado SR60e

  • Significant sound leakage due to the open-back design, making them unsuitable for public or office use
  • Treble can be sharp or 'piercing,' with a notable 2kHz peak that some find fatiguing
  • Build quality feels somewhat cheap or 'plasticky' and may be fragile for travel
  • Non-detachable, thick, and chunky cable that is prone to kinking or tangling
  • Lack of deep sub-bass impact, which may disappoint fans of EDM or bass-heavy genres
  • On-ear 'S-cushion' foam pads can be scratchy or uncomfortable during long sessions without modification
  • Virtually zero passive noise isolation from environmental surroundings

Verdict

The Grado SR60e is an entry-level, open-back on-ear headphone featuring 44mm dynamic drivers, a frequency response of 20Hz–20kHz, 32 Ohm impedance, and a sensitivity of 99.8 dB. Known for its 'signature Grado sound,' it offers a world-renowned midrange, crisp treble detail, and a surprisingly wide soundstage for a budget model. Main pros include its lightweight, efficient design that is easy to drive from any source, exceptional clarity for rock and acoustic genres, and highly breathable open-air architecture. However, cons include significant sound leakage and lack of isolation due to the open design, a non-detachable thick cable that can be prone to kinking, and foam ear pads that some users find scratchy or uncomfortable during long sessions.

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