Whoever Said, "Happiness is an Understanding Wife?"

Oh yeah. I did. I have had my eye on (but not my ears in) a set of Grado SR60 headphones for a couple of weeks now. I caught a link of of www.ipodlounge.com that rated them as "pretty darn spiffy" [my characterization of their characterization] for full-size headphones that can be used with the iPod.

May I just say that the Grados are to cool and chic as military issue spectacles are to fashion. Aesthetically, with the iPod they are roughly equivalent to Porsche Boxter pulling a trailer made from the rusted leftover bed of a '72 Chevy pickup. Needless to say, the military issue spectacles serve a greater, more noble purpose than haute couture, and so do the Grados. They sound fine.

I was first attracted by the combination of their acceptance and their price. These are $70 "cans" in the lingo or technologically savvy, a clique to which I've had little access over the years. In those circles, the Grados compare quite favorably to headphones selling for 3 or 4 times as much. So I have called local audio shops hoping to avoid purchasing them over the Internet. Eureka! Audio Video Solutions, in Laurel, MD had them. I have known Michael Grabill since his shop occupied a corner of the Laurel Shopping Center. They have fine equipment, are served by knowledgeable staff, and charge fair prices for the quality of their wares.

I called ahead on Monday, asking if they had the SR60s in stock. They did. I appeared on their doorstep like a ravenous foundling on Monday evening and found that another discriminating client had called regarding those same headphones on Monday afternoon. When told that the sole pair in the store was still on their shelf, he prudently sent the little Mrs. on an abbreviated buying spree. Probably so he could gloat that he now had them and I did not. Lucky jerk.

The guys at the store came through. The fellow I had spoken with that morning said, "They are gone." "Do you have the SR80s?" I asked. Not missing a beat, he replied that they did and added those words that so warm a consumer's heart, "... and I can make you a deal on them." Thank you, Lord. Mercy survives. Charity is not dead. It ain't cheap, but it survives. The SR80s are $30 more, but the store 'split the difference' with me, charging but $15 more. The difference that was split is probably not a reflection of the difference between wholesale and retail. But it does represent the difference between immediate gratification and a nasty little pity party I was ready to throw if I'd gone home empty-handed.

Bottom-line it, you say? Alright. I like them. Plenty. And the more I wear them and listen to them, the better I like them. When I go to work tomorrow, so will they. We're headed to Florida soon and oddly enough the Grados are travelling south at the same time. If I didn't look ridiculous in a shower cap, ... well, you get the picture.

For those of you who, like me, eschew fashion for function, these headphones have my vote. If you're in the market and wondering about them, fear not. And if you live nearby, give Michael and his staff a shot at your business. They are near Chili's at the corner of Route 1 and Cherry Lane in Laurel. Nice folks.

The most beautiful thing about these headphones is not their dusky good looks. It's the raven-haired beauty in my kitchen who saw me sheepishly walking to the back door and greeted me with a smile saying, "I'm glad you got them and you like them." Ahh, love. Mrs. C's the best.