The Grado SR-80i's are a set of high-fi headphones that can be used for a variety of purposes. These headphones are an improvement on the SR-60's, which I have not used. I've only tried out these headphones on a single occasion when a client brought them into the studio. While they aren't necessarily studio headphones in a traditional sense, they definitely do the job in the studio for all applications. They are suitable for listening during recording, but I wouldn't recommend them since they don't have fully closed ears and sound can leak out somewhat easily. Beyond this, they're perfect for checking mixes and checking levels in the studio, or just for simple listening purposes. Upon listening to what we were recording in the studio, I was immediately impressed by the low end presence on these bad boys. Man can these headphones pump out some bass! Of course it is pretty rare that you'll find a set of headphones with such a nice and round low end response, but this is what you've got with the SR-80i's. The headphones are pretty comfortable to wear as well, as the fit snug around my head but not too tight, and it's adjustable anyway. For the price, the Grado SR-80i's are definitely some of the best overall headphones available. While not the best for monitoring during recording due to the nature of their make up, for all other purposes they are some of the best out there. I still wouldn't recommend doing any mixing on them, as headphones are just not the way to mix, but they are certainly okay for checking mixes on to get a different perspective. In fact, it's more than a good idea to have a great set of headphones like these to do so with. If you want a great set of headphones for simply listening to music on, these are awesome!!