here's their strengths and weaknesses-

The Sennheisers are an excellent sounding bargain headphone, and competes well with the Grados. Design is a "cupped" earcup, and they fit over my ears, not on them. My ears are small- (god blessed me elsewhere:ph34r: ) so you may experience a different fit. They let in a bit of the outside noise- enough to warn you if a car is honking a horn at you if you're out for a walk while wearing them, but not too much, to overpower the music. The cord is very long- 20ft or so- and can be a bit much to keep under control, as that's a long length. It is a thin cord, like your typical headphone cord, so not as inspiring as the pencil-thick Grado cord. I also find the cord to get stiff with colder weather- say 45 degrees or so. The cord is removeable from the cups, if you need to replace it. The headband is made of plastic, with a nice comfy pad in the band. The plastic band is durable, and good for wearing outside- overall, the headphones are a bit better for use outside, especially if the weather gets a bit inclimate. The looks- a bit on the "spacey" side, some may say even a bit cheap, but they aren't offensive.

The Grado 60s are the better sounding, by a slight margin. More open of a design, however, so they let in more outside noise- a distraction at times. The cord is thicker- nice and beefy- but not removeable, as are the sennheisers, therefore not as easily replaceable. The headband is made of vinyl, and sharp edges of the vinyl can actually cut you- I've got a "paper" cut from them a few days ago. Some people claim that they are an uncomfortable headphone. I've got small ears- (we already went over that- I've got big elbows )- and i find them to be very comfortable. as it's a common complaint, keep it in mind they may not be as comfortable to you. The looks- you either love them or hate them. They have a 60's/early 80's retro look to them. I personally love the look.

So, to re-cap-

The Sennheisers sound great. Removeable cord, durable plastic frame, coated ear pads make it a great outdoor pair of 'phones. So does the covered foam earpads, and the fact they block out more noise than the Grados, but not enough to let you get run over, as you can hear approaching traffic. Sound is wonderful, price is wonderful. Drawback? The long cord can get unruly, and kinda defeats the useability bonuses of them.

The Grados sound a fractionally bit better. The design is a nice retro-chick. Beefy cord is a sign of quality. Sound is wonderful, price is wonderful. I'd hate to get caught in the rain with them, however, as those foam ear cups would absorb the water like a sponge. Also, they let in more noise, so you either avoid noisy city streets, or turn up the volume a bit. Occasionally there are complaints about them being uncomfortable, although I'll say that hasn't been the case for me.

Either one you choose, they are both winners.