Grado SR60 Classic Series Open-Back Headphones

The Grado SR60 is the least expensive headphone in Grado's Classic Series and the cheapest way into the 44mm X2 driver platform that runs through the entire range, including models costing sixteen times as much. It is an open-back, on-ear design assembled in Brooklyn, tuned toward balance and musicality rather than emphasis, with S cushions that hold the driver slightly off the ear for a smoother presentation.

Key Features of the Grado SR60

• 44mm X2 Dynamic Driver: The same driver platform Grado fits across the Classic Series, built from a Mylar diaphragm, copper voice coil and rare earth magnet system.
• Tuned for Balance: Grado voices this one for clear midrange, natural detail and an inviting presentation aimed at long listening sessions.
• S Cushions: Hold the driver a little further from the ear than the SR80's F cushions, contributing to a smooth and relaxed presentation.
• Die-Injection Molded Housing: Lightweight and durable, which is a large part of why the SR60 is comfortable for hours.
• Standard Headband Assembly: Padded synthetic headstrap over a steel spring band you bend by hand to set clamping pressure.
• Bronze Cable: Grado's fixed-configuration cable, balancing durability with dependable signal performance.
• Open-Back Architecture: Music breathes rather than being sealed in, producing a spacious presentation rare at this price.
• 20Hz to 20kHz Response: 38 ohms nominal and 98 dB at 1mW, so a phone or a laptop headphone jack will drive it properly.
• Assembled in Brooklyn, New York: Built in the same building the Grado family has owned since 1918.

The X2 Driver Behind the Classic Series

At the center of the SR60 is Grado's 44mm X2 dynamic driver, built around a Mylar diaphragm, a copper voice coil and a rare earth magnetic system engineered for efficiency and control. This is the same driver platform Grado fits to every Classic Series model. What changes as you move up the range is the housing it sits in, the cushion in front of it and how tightly the two channels are matched, not the driver itself.

Grado tunes the SR60 toward balance and musicality, which it describes as clear midrange, natural detail and an inviting presentation designed for long listening sessions. Drivers are matched channel to channel within 0.1 dB.

S Cushions and What They Do

The SR60 ships with Grado S cushions, which hold the driver slightly further from the ear than the flatter F cushions used on the SR80 and SR325. That extra distance is what produces the SR60's smoother, more relaxed presentation, and it is the single difference between the SR60 and the SR80, which are otherwise the same headphone.

Grado sells cushions separately and treats them as a tuning element. Swapping to F cushions moves an SR60 toward the SR80's more forward voice for the price of a pair of pads, which is a genuinely useful thing to know before deciding between the two.

Molded Housing and the Open Back

The SR60 uses a lightweight die-injection molded housing that provides durability while keeping the headphone comfortable and easy to wear. At 38 ohms and 98 dB at 1mW it is an easy load, so it will play properly from a phone, a laptop or the headphone output on an integrated amplifier without needing a separate headphone amp.

The cups are open at the back, so air moves freely behind the driver instead of being trapped. That is what produces the spacious presentation, and it also means sound passes both ways: people near you will hear what you are playing, and you will hear them. These belong in a room of your own rather than an open-plan office.

Headband, Cable and Fit

The SR60 uses Grado's standard headband assembly with a padded synthetic headstrap. At its core is a steel spring band that you bend by hand, which is how clamping pressure is adjusted on a Grado: you set it once for your head rather than working through click-stops. The cable is Grado's Bronze design in a fixed configuration, balancing durability with dependable signal performance.

The cable is hard-wired and cannot be removed. That holds across the whole Classic Series, and Grado keeps detachable cables to its Signature Line.

What the Classic Series Changed

Grado introduced the Classic Series, bringing the SR60 together with the SR80, SR325, Hemp, RS1, GS1000 and GS3000 under one banner on the X2 driver platform. Grado's stated aim was improved consistency, control and refinement, with greater clarity, extension and balance, while preserving the lively presentation the range has always had.

The cable and headband changed alongside the driver. Grado's newly developed Signature cable design is lighter, softer and more flexible while keeping the traditional hard-wired construction, and the headbands were refined for comfort and long-term durability without altering the familiar look. Every Classic Series headphone continues to be assembled in Brooklyn.

Grado Labs, Three Generations In

Grado Labs has been a family-owned American company since 1953, founded by Audio Hall of Fame member Joseph Grado, who invented the moving coil stereo cartridge and developed the first true high-end dynamic headphone. The company still works out of the Brooklyn building that Pasquale Grado bought in 1918, which started life as the family fruit store.

John Grado took over from his uncles in the early 1990s, having swept the floors of that building as a boy in the 1960s. He handed leadership to his brother Richard in 2023, with Jonathan and Matthew Grado, the third generation, coming up behind them.

Where the Grado SR60 fits in the Grado Classic Series

The Listening Room Difference

We're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.

Grado SR60 Specifications