When you snag your pair of Grado’s open-back GW100x headphones, you’ll discover a message on the box interior proudly proclaiming the company’s six-decade legacy as a family-run business in Brooklyn. The design of these headphones echoes our heritage, boasting a no-frills aesthetic with circular grills, a smooth black-leather headband, and a commitment to delivering exceptional sound.
Grado has introduced 44mm drivers, redesigned speaker housings, and support for the aptX Adaptive codec, enhancing the overall performance. However, the design philosophy for the GW100x prioritizes functionality over flamboyance, and we've maintained a stripped-back aesthetic that exudes an industrial, hard-edged feel. The lightweight design offers practical features like an in-built microphone for voice calls and robust up-and-down slider mechanism for easy adjustments, a choice between wired and wireless connections, and an impressive 46-hour battery life at 50% volume.
Perfect for at home listening, the GW100x delivers as expected from Grado, offering a rich and detailed audio experience. Whether used wirelessly or with the 3.5mm jack-equipped cable, the headphones excel in reproducing diverse musical genres with clarity and precision. If you prioritize top-notch audio in a quiet environment, the GW100x is worth considering, despite its unconventional design and features.
With a more efficient battery and Bluetooth 5.2, the GW100x can now play music for nearly two days straight. Matching our GT220, USB-C is now included, bringing the GW100x in line with global charging standards. The upgraded chipset allows more information to flow from your device to the GW100x, all while maintaining a strong connection.
Features
- Wireless Bluetooth 5.2
- Mic and voice control
- 46 hour battery
- Drivers matched .1db
- Touch controls
- Voice assistant
- De-stressed drivers
- WS cushions
4th Generation Grado drivers are here. Specifically tuned for the wireless GW100x, this new speaker design features a more powerful magnetic circuit, a voice coil with decreased effective mass, and a reconfigured diaphragm. Reengineering these components for our 44mm drivers improve efficiency, reduces distortion, and preserves the harmonic integrity of your music.
Customer Reviews
GW100x
As is stated throughout Grado's marketing, I have genuinely heard things in various compositions that I have not heard before. The sound stage has been good for aggressive/loud music like metal and punk; and has been absolutely fantastic for live performance recordings.
The microphone is good, and the headset has been comfortable for 4+ hour listening sessions while working around the house. The "power on" and "connected" messages are absolutely adorable, love the headset overall!
A few caveats here to go with the fact that these are wireless Grados:
1. They were never meant to be noise-cancelling.
2. Open-back phones are not for keeping your noise away from others.
3. Until some magic happens in wireless technology and software engineering, you can pay as much as you like and you still won't get high-end hi-fi sound quality out of wireless.
With expectations suitably tempered: I found that for symphonic music, these phones best approximate the quality of the SR80x -- slightly better some ways, slightly worse others. In other words, not really good enough. Soundstage unexpectedly cramped, too much muddiness where I wanted to hear the music as a whole of parts. They're lovely for jazz, and they're probably overkill for most other things, especially since they won't give you noise-cancelling etc.
On the plus side, it's a big step up from the Grado earbuds I tried some years ago, which not only fell short on the sound I'd hoped for but missed on ergonomic design, which meant they might've been fine for big-head (big-earhole?) men but were so painful for small-woman-ears use that I just stopped using them. I can wear these, no problem.
Like I said, I get that there's a limit to what you can do with wireless at this point. But given that plus the cheap build, and the fact that like all Grado phones I've ever worn they're serious ear-mashers and not something you'll have on for hours and hours, the only reason I can see for the nearly $300 price point is that Grado figured they couldn't manufacture them otherwise. From the consumer side, if you're there for the sound, it's just not justifiable. Either upgrade your home audio system or accept wires and get the SR325s.
I bought these about 8 years ago and loved the authenticity of the sound. The old ones have travelled with me to many countries around the world and now I needed a new pair. The sound is even better and I look forward to my next tour, since I am a musician and perform in many places.
Great, sounding wireless headphones. had an issue with the original headphones that were shipped, however Grado did a quick exchange very impressive. Great customer communication thank you.