Not quite as common as the ubiquitous white iPod headphones, scores of hipster types have covered their androgynous locks with black plastic headphones from Grado. These ‘cans’, as they’re referred to by the Brits, offer better sound from the iPod for under $100 bucks.
When your faux-hawk grows in and you’re willing to step up your headphone game, consider Grado’s true high-end cans, the RS2. These are more substantial all around; genuine mahogany replaces the cheap plastic, along with larger chambers with a far better driver assembly (the actual speaker inside the headphone cup).
Soundwise, these are in a different league, as they should be for $495. Bass is both tighter and deeper, treble loses the grainy digititis, and dynamics are almost reference level. Your puny iPod’s internal amp can drive these acceptably for immediate use. When your ready to go one step further, system quality can once again be improved by purchasing Grado’s own battery powered headphone amp (cheekily finished in matching mahogany) for an iPod system that will set the price for portable fidelity.
Get the Grado RS2 Headphones at Amazon.com
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