Grado Signature HP100 SE Introduced
Grado's new flagship HP100 headphones pay homage to the HP1 while boasting contemporary engineering.
The Signature HP100 SE is Grado's new flagship headphones and slides in above the Grado GS3000. It combines a reverential nod to the high-end HP1 from the early 1990s with a new design and tech to mark the 100th birthday of Joseph Grado, the brand's original founder.
The new Grados feature an updated design throughout - new drivers, a new headband assembly, and detachable cables for the first time. Moreover, they are, of course, hand-assembled in the brand's Brooklyn-based headquarters.
The Signature HP100 SE follows its HP1 heritage and maintains an open-back design. However, it is loaded with freshly engineered 52mm dynamic drivers that benefit from a paper composite cone, a high-flux magnetic circuit, a copper-plated aluminium voice coil, and a stated 38 ohms impedance.
According to Grado, the drivers shoot for "excellent high-frequency resolution" alongside a smooth midrange, energetic bass, and low sonic distortion. The brand adds that we should expect a "highly refined sense of space, soundstage, and image."
The housings are constructed using treated aluminium, while the headband features 50 percent more padding than "previous Grado designs." Additionally, the removable G-cushion earpads are said to utilise a foam variant chosen for its acoustic properties, which we are told offer greater airflow and a more open soundstage across the claimed 3.5 Hz–51.5 kHz frequency range.
The Signature HP1000 SE is bundled with detachable cables and a 6.3mm headphone jack. If you prefer 4-pin XLR and/or 4.4mm balanced cable options or a different length of cable, you're in luck, as these should be available later.
The Grado Signature HP100 SE will become available in November, priced at £2,795, in Grados' space grey finish.
Visit Grado for more information
Jay Garrett
StereoNET’s resident rock star, bass player, and gadget junkie. Jay heads up StereoNET as Editor for the United Kingdom and Europe regions. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.
Posted in: Headphones
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