GRADO GW100x Bluetooth Open-Back Wireless On-Ear Headphones

After initially having the Gradio SR-80s about ten years ago I have some background to the Grado sound, build and general outlook on prioritising audio quality over anything else. I always hated the long (albeit well-built and rugged) cable… it was far too long to not be removable (2m) and it would just get tangled and annoy me. Getting the GW-1000x was an interesting choice for me and it took a decent amount of reviews to convince me. When it comes to Bluetooth headphones I’ve only ever previously gone for over-ear closed-back or true wireless headphones and to be honest there’s usually something missing or lost. I also hate that encapsulating tunnel-like sound from a seal. The same cannot be said for these headphones which in my opinion are 5-star cans and the best-sounding Bluetooth headphones I’ve ever heard by quite some distance…. but only for the right person and under the right circumstances. Grado initially released the first version of these a few years ago and I was interested in them, but the micro-USB, wireless codec and the battery life put me off. The second version answered some things such as upgrading the input to USB-C and updating the battery life significantly. These are the third generation and they go one step further. They add a host of different features (such as better DSP processing; making the Bluetooth output sound better than the wired output, paradoxically) that are typically hidden away in the Grado direct and to-the-point unboxing experience. You would struggle to tell the three versions of these apart simply from looking at them. These headphones are loud and leak a lot of noise; they are suited to people who don’t need to maintain a quiet space with other people around them. They’re also suited to people such as myself who want a passive audio sound for games or to listen to background music. They also work when you need a good awareness around you such as looking after children or something similar. What I can say from the start is the sound will impress you straight out of the box. It’s not a myth to say that Grado products also benefit heavily from a decent burn-in session of 40 hours or so. I’m looking forward to how these cans sound in 6 months as my SR-80s just got better and better. The highs are detailed and slightly more subdued than the typical wired Grado, the mids are still prominent and most surprisingly of all the bass is full and present; a very well-rounded, great-sounding set of cans. These headphones sound like you’re sitting directly in front of a circa-£4000 analogue music system built in the 70s and it really can’t be compared to any other wireless offering out there; they truly are brilliant. On-ear will put a lot of people off, but I think that you can benefit from this type of design if it is executed as well as it is on these Grados. It’s a non-invasive introduction of sound and it’s genius. The Bluetooth stays connected. The battery life is quoted as over 40 hours and that is absolutely spot on. Highly recommended if you can look past the cheap-feeling build quality; the sound, comfort and lightness will thank you for it.

Firstly, this is an open back wireless headphone; so, it will not suit you if you want a headphone for listening in a noisy environment or if you simply want to keep your music to yourself and not be intruding upon others who share the same space as you. Secondly, these aren’t active noise canceling headphones so they wont shut you off from the world around you. Those two points made so that you can readily determine whether these Grado GW100X headphones are for you or not, these headphones sound absolutely fantastic. If you find the sound of Sony wireless headphones to be a little muddy and occluded in the midrange then you are going to love these…as long as you dont need the isolation from your environment provided by passive closed back wireless headphones like the Edifier Stax Spirit 3 or the active noose cancelling of Sony’s Wh-100XM4/5. Battery life is very good, I charged them when they arrived and have been listening for 9 days and I have not had to recharge them. Grado claim 45 hours at half volume and that seems more than reasonable to me as I work from home and have been listening during the Christmas holidays. Most wireless headphones that I use get set at half volume for pop, rock and jazz, and 3/4 or higher for large scale classical works such as symphonies and opera but with the GW100X I find that 1/4 volume is more than exciting with pop, rock, metal and half volume for most classical recordings, so that battery life of 45 hours use on one charge should be easily achievable for most people. Being open back headphones you will hear sounds in your proximity clearly; this can be a positive, such as wanting to hear someone telling you they are going to collect the children or reminding you to pick up the shopping. The sound benefit of the headphones being open back is that you get a better soundstage than with most closed back headphones, although the DSP correction used by Bluetooth headphones does skew this slightly. The GW100X are a very light headphone and very comfortable. Grado are a well established audiophile brand based in Brooklyn and their headphones share a very distinctive design language which will either speak to you soothingly in terms of nostalgic endearment, or make you think that they look odd and old fashioned. I am of the former opinion, but prepare yourself for the fact that the GW100X sit on your ear with a foam ear pad in the way that anyone not old enough to have grown up in the 80’s with a Sony Walkman and a pair of Koss’ Porta-Pro may be unfamiliar with. My ears project outward at a 90 degree angle and I only need to adjust these headphones after many hours use; those of you who have neat little ears that follow the contours of your skull will find these even more comfortable as the clamping force is as light as the headphones themselves while remaining entirely secure on your head. There is no travel case with these (its a Grado thing, spend £2K on their top of the range wired headphones and you still only get the cardboard pizzabox packaging with a foam cutout) but they aren’t a portable headphone but rather one that lets you enjoy your music in a highly entertaining way in the privacy of your own home. Compared to another brilliant sounding wireless headphone of a comparable price, the Edifier Stax Spirit 3 has a more detailed and resolving midrange compared to this Grado. However, the Grado while being a generally balanced and neutral sounding headphone (certainly in comparison to many bass heavy ANC wireless headphones) has more bass energy and a greater vim and vigour to it than the Edifier Stax Spirit 3 and I think that the Grado will satisfy more listeners. If you mainly listen to acoustic music such as Jazz and Classical then the Edifier headphone might be the better one for you (which isn’t to say that it is anything less than wonderful with other genres, rather it is splitting hairs in a comparison between to enormously satisfying and enjoyable wireless headphones) and to everyone else who doe not need to be isolated from their listening environment these Grado GW100X will supply you with endless hours of musical enjoyment. For those of us who grew up in the 80’s and have spent small fortunes on high end hifi equipment and headphones, it is amazing to discover how much musical satisfaction is to be had from a £250 pair of wireless headphones and a Tidal or Applemusic subscription.

Overall a good pair of headphones, they are what you usually can expect from Grado. They have good battery life and great sound but be prepared to buy third party ear pads if you don't want your ears to melt and fall down after the first 20 minutes of listening. The build feels a bit cheap and buttons are wobbly, definitely not what you'd expect from £200+ headphones. I really want to like this pair of headphones but the price point and cheap vibe doesn't cut it for me

It sounds great, both wired and wireless. I can tell the DSP used inside is very effective. Soundwise, almost perfect, though you may want a littel bit of more bass for some songs. Unfortunately, the volume down button is rattling upon unboxing, and it failed after a few days --either it refused to work totally, or it INCREASED the volume instead of decreasing! A couple of times I need to put off my headphones and stop the music immediately to avoid damaging my hears and the headphones. It left me no choice but to return it. Great sound, but poor QC. Wish it worked perfectly so that I could keep it.

The Grado GW100x headphones look great, are reasonably comfortable and the sound is superb. The plus /minus (+ -) toggle switch (which doesn't toggle) and the on/off switch are flawed. I payed £235 for these Bluetooth headphones but the switches would be unacceptable on a child's toy. There is no excuse for making a potentially excellent product this badly. The only way to show companies that they cannot foist their poorly designed, substandard products on customers is to boycott them.

+ Le casque Grado GW100x est vraiment une réussite, le son est vraiment proche du Grado SR325 que j'écoute avec satisfaction depuis des années et en plus il est utilisable sans fil en Bluetooth ! A ce prix les matériaux sont plus basique mais rien ne laisse penser que le GW100x soit plus fragile. + L'essentiel des qualités habituelles chez Grado est là, présence des instruments, transparence, matière, timbres et toujours cette vie ! On pourrait dire qu'on s'éloigne du son en conserve pour se rapprocher du produit frais ;-) - Les coussinets des écouteurs sont en mousse non recouverte et je trouve toujours incompréhensible que Grado fasse l'impasse sur cet aspect que beaucoup d'audiophiles reprochent depuis des lustres. Grado ne propose rien de plus confortable même en option, quelques solutions existent mais il faut chercher sur internet. NB : le GW100x est un casque ouvert, par conséquent le son s'entend à l'extérieur, si vous écoutez votre musique à coté de quelqu'un vous le dérangerez, il n'est pas adapté pour les transports en commun par exemple.

Ich bin kein Profi -aber diese offenen! Kopfhörer haben einen fantastischen Klang . Tiefe Bässe , hervorragender Raumklang . Immer im Vordergrund ,die Nebengeräusche vergesse bzw höre ich nur wenn ich will.Reichweite bei mir sogar im Keller. Das Verbinden ist völlig ohne Probleme. Es gibt nur wenig offene Kopfhörer ohne Kabel-leider für mich sehr wichtig. Diese kann ich nur empfehlen-bisher die absolut besten👍

After several months of use I can surely highly praise this headset. Best wireless headphone I tried for the fantastic super pleasant sound signature. Truly a Grado! As reference the Grado Hemp is a bit better..but no BT. When I need NR I use a Sehnnaiser Momentum.Highly recommend if you know what you are buying.

Over the years I have built up a collection of headphones from the likes of Sennheiser, Bose, Koss, Parrot, Philips, Apple, and Sony. I've been aware of Grado headphones for a while, but this is the first pair I've owned. These have quickly become one of my favorites, but they are best for specific use cases. If you are going to use headphones in a noisy environment, in close proximity (i.e. within 6 ft) of another person who would be disturbed by sound leakage, or while exercising, these are not the headphones you want. They do not have noise cancellation and are open back, meaning sound leaks both in and out. They are a larger on-ear, rather than over-ear, design. The clamping force is not too strong, but can get a bit uncomfortable after a few hours, especially for glasses wearers. They support Bluetooth 5.2 and the latest AAC/AptX codecs so the sound quality is the best available over Bluetooth. The open-back design and the efficient 44mm drivers provide a truly wonderful soundstage for a wide variety of music. Compared to most closed-back noise canceling headphones these sound like someone turned on spatial audio -- voices and instruments are clearly distinguishable, almost directional. The mids are clearly defined, revealing details that are muddy in other headphones. The highs sparkle, but are never harsh or sibilant. The bass is quite good for an open-back design, but it's a controlled rumble rather than a rattling thump. They play loud without need to crank the volume up and the sound is less processed and fatiguing than many of my other headphones. I'm not aware of any other open-back, wireless headphones on the market. The batteries last forever, USB-C charging is fast, and the physical buttons work exactly as you'd expect. The plastic-y construction and light weight mean these definitely don't have the high quality feel you'd like at this price point. They don't even come with a case. But if you are willing to pay up for sound quality and can handle all the other limitations, these are great headphones with nothing else quite like them out there. However, I would not recommend them as your only pair.

Kurz nach dem Auspacken ist ein Bügel der beiden aus allzu billigen Plastik hergestellten halbkreisförmigen Halterungen für die Lautsprecher bei moderater Belastung abgebrochen. Schade eigentlich, denn an sich hat der Kopfhörer einen guten Klang und sieht sehr schön aus. Offensichtlich wurde bei der Materialwahl an der falschen Stelle gespart.