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
Sounds great!
Sound over BT is better than most BT headphones that I own and have owned. To name a few, way better than Bose, slightly better than Jabra Elite Active. These differences are noticeable depending on the tracks you frequently listen to. For example, for classics, you may pickup certain instruments that were muted comes to life. Basses are slightly more pronounced via BT than wired. When plugged into the 3.5mm jack to the source, it sounds similar to Prestige series such as 325ix. I don't have lower end model that I can compare it against so I can't say for sure which one it matches nearly identically.
Battery life is excellent where it lasts for hours. I noticed that I don't charge as often as my other BT headsets.
Now the quips. BT pairing for multiple devices such as PC and phone is somewhat of a pain. For example, if I get a call on my phone and after hanging up, to get on a multimedia call on my PC, audio does not come through. I'd have to power off then power back on. Also, you can't just start the force pairing of additional BT source devices. I first have to disable / disconnect BT on any devices already paired and connected before I can start the pairing process for a new device.
Quality is another issue. Head band shape was not ideal and each over the ear cusion (Grado) that use does not give me the range I need to better cover over my ears. So I wound up reshaping the headband and while doing, the vinyl cover over the band meeting at each driver ripped and exposed the inner lining. It is made of very soft and easy-to-tear material -- the word "cheap" comes to mind. Material used could be better in my opinion for a $275 headphone.
Overall, 3 stars.
Sound / Depth / Fidelity - 5 stars
Battery life - 5 stars
Comfort out of the box using stock cushions - 2 stars
Ease of pairing with multiple devices - 1 star
Quality - 2 stars
Love grado headphones, but these were cheaply made and broke before I even got to turn them on for the first time.
I was looking for a pair of cordless on-ear headphones to replace my old Sennheiser 250s, and noticed some positive reviews of these GW100x ones. The Grado house sound of brash and shouty is definitely an acquired taste and I wasn't expecting a lot from them, but the experts' reviews turned out to be accurate, and within their limitations these bluetooth cans really are very good indeed. The sound is definitely Grado with a prominent upper midrange and sharp treble, but it isn't strident or overbearing, and the overall result is a clear and precise soundstage with well defined instruments and an element of space around them, as you would expect from open-backed headphones. What bass there is is controlled and tight, but there's no really deep bass at all, presumably so as not to thicken up the all important Grado mid-range, and I myself would have preferred a bit more oomph, but there you go. Within this limited bandwidth (and welcome ANC-free design) is a phenomenal bluetooth headphone which is actually ideal for male and female voice, such as on TV or in films. They're insightful and analytical with a huge dynamic range, but they could do with a bit more balance as the strong top-end eventually becomes a bit wearing. Perhaps they could learn from some of the more mature designs out there, but within their niche and with the right material they're absolutely superb.
Took me 2 weeks to get used to the sound. Now I can’t go back to any other headphone. The gw100x is the most accurate and articulate headphone I’ve ever heard. Simply just perfect for at home listening.