Real owners lean toward the Grado SR80x: 60% of 55 owners recommend it, vs 35% of 571 for the Sony WH-1000XM6.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
“SR80x (120€ new) was my first audiophile headphone over two years ago. They were so good that within a week I returned them to upgrade to SR225x”— Hunter-97-G on Reddit
“Grado SR80s were my first decent pair of headphones too, and I still love them - still have them and listen to them something like 15 years later.”— srmd22 on Reddit
“Using chinese components. And a lot of glue... You'd think with all that American Engineering, we could not use Glue, and instead use... maybe screws?”— KaosC57 on Reddit
“I then connected them to my android phone and everything was much crisper and detailed because it used LDAC. I then also played around with the equalizer and now they sound much better.”— Alanwake28 on Reddit
“Using XM3 daily since before covid, only headphone I own and do everything you say we shouldn't. Through pouring rain, snowstorms, at the gym, at my factory, stuffed into bags.”— electro_lytes on Reddit
“The issue I have with the Sony XM6 headphones is that they tend to cause my ears to become warm and sweaty, especially during extended use. This discomfort can be quite distracting”— No-Seaworthiness7880 on Reddit