I have be listen with Grado for many year . I currently have a pair of sr80 and sr325 headphone and be please with both , so when I see that Grado have in-ear phone they be a natural first choice for I . unfortunately the sound of the iGi set be shrill and harsh . after more than a 100 hour burn-in they be not quite so harsh but they be still shrill . -lrb- unfortunately that burn-in time take they past they returnable date . -rrb- the shrillness can be offset somewhat with the equalizer in my Cowan i9 but when plug into a portable CD player or a mini-disc player they sound worse than the cheap head set that come with the player . yes they have good `` clarity , '' definition and separation but the shrillness remind I of one of those old cheap plastic radio from the early day of transistor . the lesson be a simple one : if you be consider the Grado iGi you would do well to actually listen to they before you shell out this kind of money . most of the other review here be positive so they appeal to some ear , but certainly not to mine .