One hundred years ago Joseph Grado, founder of Grado Labs, was born. In 1953, he established the iconic Grado Labs producing extraordinary phono cartridges and dynamic headphones in Brooklyn, New York. The skilled manufacturing continues there today with even stronger creative energy from John Grado providing the leading Epoch 3 Phono Cartridge and the very musical and detailed GS 3000x Headphones, both my personal references.
Now with a dramatic change of direction for high-end headphones comes the Signature HP100 SE Headphones, celebrating the birthday of the founder. They look and perform quite differently from the previously top models. I already let the genie out of the bottle by awarding the new cans the Writers Choice Award for 2024 based on a two-week listen of an early production model.
Compared to the less expensive GS 3000x Headphones at $1995, the HP100 SE Headphones cost $2495. In audiophile terms, this is a very reasonable cost upgrade for a definite step upwards in performance.
Changes to the HP100 SE Headphones versus other Grado Statement Models include:
- All aluminum hand-machined housing with improved steel gimbaled ear cup supports
- A new 52mm paper and carbon fiber driver and a new powerful magnet assembly
- 50% more leather in the headband with the best comfort and stable fit to date
- All wood is eliminated, dramatically reducing colorations at all frequencies
- The first headphones from Grado with detachable compatible 4 pin XLR balanced cables (supplied with a 6.5mm phono plug)
- Improved interconnect cables in a tight flexible bundle of 12 solid-core copper wires
- Drivers matched to .04dB
- Improved frequency response: 3.5 Hz – 51.5kHz
- THD <0.1% @100 dB SPL
- Sensitivity (1mW) 117dB
- Nominal Impedance 38 ohms
- Both circumaural and on-ear earpads supplied
- The height rod assembly is more stable and more easily adjustable than previous models
- Headphone weight is not shown but the comfort level is superior and weight was not an issue
Associated reference equipment for this review
- Grado Statement GS 3000x Headphones
- EAR HP4 Headphone Amplifier with 2 GE 6SL7 tubes and 2 RCA 6SL7 tubes
- Interconnects: UITaudio.com PMP Interconnects
- Micro ZOTL MK.2 Linear Tube Audio Amplifier
- Interconnects: Kubala-Sosna Emotion
- Manley Absolute Headphone Amplifier
- Interconnects: Kubala-Sosna Emotion
- A&K 380 Digital Audio Player, recently updated by Astell & Kern
Impressions
The HP100 SE Headphones are the most neutral, uncolored, and music producer-tuned headphones ever produced by Grado Labs. With see-through high-definition, all of my efforts to detect colorations of any nature were in vain. Images were precise and clearly expressed. The smallest back of the stage instruments were marvelously clear and bathed in air. Spacial cues were endlessly surprising. Whether delicate or dramatic, you would truly hear instruments or vocals with their stage positions fully defined with hall cues.
Now you would think with three out of four sources being all-tube, I would not hear the pristine clarity I am describing. Actually, the solid-state A&K 380 playing DSD256 native sources had less see-through definition than my tube head-amps playing 24/192 Qobuz sources through the HP100 SE. Tube gear in my reference systems was clearer, more open, and 3-D than any solid-state DAP, including borrowed models.
Dynamic range appears unlimited at all frequencies. Within my hearing tolerances, I heard no distortion with the HP100 SE at bombastic volume. The bass is extraordinarily deep and as well rendered as I have ever heard with any headphones. The mid-band will handle the most dramatic and powerful jazz maintaining extreme clarity. The high-band is unfettered by any previous wood damping and extends beyond your hearing.
It must be noted that the HP100 SE is a garbage in garbage out transducer. If the recording or performance is etched or steely, the headphones will be, too. If your recording or DAP is neutral or warm sounding, so will these headphones, too. I noticed this more in the high-band with digital recordings not well produced than at any lower frequencies. I played a SACD like Franz Schubert, String Quartets, Mandelring Quartett, Audite 92507, that was wonderfully alive and natural. I felt like I was sitting in a folding chair with the quartet. On Qobuz I particularly enjoyed classical and jazz analog recordings now available at 24/96 and 24/192. Fantastic.
The speed of the HP100 SE driver is shocking. One forgets the dynamic capabilities of a carefully engineered pistonic driver operating in just 3 or 4 cubic inches of air. You cannot make the HP100 SE distort. If you are recording, watch your meters. You will overload your recording medium (and your ears) well before the headphones!
I still recommend the GS3000x as my personal kick back and enjoy headphones. Their warm flavor may not be as neutral as the HP100 SE, but the GS3000x are really superb. I did not fully understand the sweet temperament of the GS3000x until I compared them to the HP100 SE. First law of high fidelity: you never know what you are missing until you hear better.
Quibbles
Run the HP100 SE for at least 100 hours from a solid-state tuner or source with jazz or rock before critical listening. More is better than less. I tried a few alternative cables to the Grado cables supplied with no improvement. Other brands sacrificed continuousness for low to high-band integration. Only the Grado cables offered the most open, integrated soundstage.
Summary
The Grado Labs Signature HP100 SE Headphones, newly constructed and advanced in every way, are now the true flagship of the Grado line. I do not know of another more neutral, more transparent, and dynamic headphone on the market that challenges their performance. There are many new features to read about in this review, but most notable is the ability to detach the cables. A first for Grado, ever! Power them from a DAP or a fancy head amp, and enjoy a you-are-there level of reality that will cause you to rethink dynamic headphone capability.
I am not surprised that the folks at Grado Labs took this new direction in headphone development. I am surprised at how big a leap forward in transparency and dynamic range was achieved with the HP100 SE.
My congratulations to Grado Labs for developing and producing these killer cans, the Grado Labs Signature HP100 SE Headphones. They receive my highest recommendation.
Grado Labs Signature HP100 SE Headphones
Retail: $2495
Grado Labs
718.435.5340
All photographs courtesy of Grado Labs.
