Best On-Ear Headphones 2024 - Rolling Stone
New Model with Bluetooth 5.2, Upgraded Battery, and X-Series Drivers
Grado Lab's first-ever wireless headphone, the GW100, becomes even better with the new GW100x model. It features Bluetooth 5.2, a battery with longer listening time, and Grado's new X Drivers. Nothing is lost except the wires. And who needs wires?
Grado has perfected the art of sonic reproduction over the past seven decades. Every experience since the first day at the workbench in 1953 has led to the GW100x and its desired sonic capabilities. Offering signature Grado sound in wireless form, the GW100x brings an honest texture to your music.
"An Audio Experience Like We’ve Never Heard Before"
"The first (and only!) open-back Bluetooth headphones out there, the GW100x are Grado's 3rd edition of the award-winning headset, and delivers an audio experience like we’ve never heard before," reports Rolling Stone magazine, which honored the GW100x as Best On-ear Headphones 2024. "The perfect blend of old-school cool with new-school tech, the industrial-style headphones are packed with brand new 44mm X Series drivers that provide better performance and a refreshingly spacious soundstage for an open-back design. Sweet acoustic advantages and less sound leakage? That's music to our ears."
"Unsurprisingly, the GW100x presents the most spacious soundstage you’ll hear from a wireless headphone in this price range," reports Gabby Bloch at majorhifi.com, December 7, 2022. "I have to say, the imaging is gorgeous for a Bluetooth set of cans."
Two Days to Tune Out the World
With a more efficient battery and Bluetooth 5.2, the GW100x can now play music for nearly two days straight – letting you tune out the outside world and enjoy the inner space of your favorite music, up close and blissfully.
Matching Grado's GT220, a 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.
Milestone After Milestone
The GW100 are the world's first open-back Bluetooth headphones. Their speaker housings and internals have been designed from the ground up, now working in tandem to notably diminish escaping sound by up to 60%.
Grado headphones have all shared a common design language that’s seen throughout the entire line since Grado released its first headphone in 1991. The GW100x continues this, looking like it’s part of the family simply at a glance. These wireless Grado headphones are a milestone in Grado's seven-decade history.
X Series Drivers Onboard
The new 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 Grado's 44mm (1.7") drivers improves efficiency, reduces distortion, and preserves the harmonic integrity of your music.
Leave Your Phone in your Pocket
Ignore that one person you’re avoiding and leave your phone in your pocket. The GW100x is capable of letting you control your volume and music playback right at your ear. If your device allows, you can activate your voice assistant and also answers calls. Or ignore them from that one person or more!
