Grado Hemp review: classic sound, eco twist

I just tried the Grado Hemp Headphones, and I have to say that their hemp and maple style makes them stand out. Even though they were made of nice materials, I wasn’t too happy with the foam earpads because they felt cheap. I also found the fit of the on-ear headphones not very comfortable. These headphones are supposed to have neutral sound, but since they have an open back, they let in a lot of outside noise and also lose a lot of sound.

They may not be the best choice if you need to be alone or are in a noisy place. It should be noted that they only work with a cable and do not come with a microphone or app, which could be a problem for some users. But if you just want to listen to your favorite songs or collect unique items, they might still be worth it. I thought they had good sound quality in the mid-range, which made the singing and lead instruments sound very clear.

However, I didn’t really like the bass, and the highs sounded slightly dull. These headphones might work well for you if you like neutral sound and a clear midrange. You should know what they can’t do and make sure they fit your needs before you buy them.

Grado Hemp Specifications

The Grado Reference Series Hemp headphones might not meet the most recent headphone standards. Also, because they have an open back, people nearby can hear a lot of what you’re listening to. But from my own experience, I can say that the Grado Reference Series Hemp is the best at what it does.

Grado Hemp review: What’s in the Box

Less is more and basic colours have been big trends in home, fashion, and package design over the last five years. Both are used by Grado to package their hemp headphones. The headphones made of hemp come in a stylish white box. Within the headphones is a dark grey foam insert that keeps them safe. The headphones come with a cord that has a 3.5 mm adapter and a ¼ inch connector that can be taken off. I couldn’t wait to get these headphones in my hands and look at all of their parts for myself.

Design and Build Quality

Grado is always coming up with new ideas and pushing the limits of what their technology can do. My respect is fully on board for Grado right now. Why? It was because the GW100 was beautiful and one of the best Bluetooth headphones on the market. The Grado White was a brave and fair animal. There was a time when the PS500 was one of my favourite headphones ever. I can’t say much about the Hemp material itself because this is the first time I’ve ever seen it mixed with Maple. Grado says it has great dampening effects and makes a full-bodied sound.

In the future, please add hemp to everything you do with wood. These headphones sound great. It sounds like the original PS500, but better. For the past few years, the PS500 has been my main pair of headphones. It’s so familiar to me. I can say for sure that the Hemp sounds better and cleaner everywhere. The sound quality and depth of these headphones are affected by hemp. If that’s the case, please use hemp again sometime in the future. I will fight anyone who says they don’t love Woodies as much as I do. I get weak when I listen to woody headphones.

Sometimes in the morning or late at night, when that sunshine hits something wooden on my desk, it looks almost royal. I don’t know why. And that’s what dreams are made of for me. The style of my headphones should be beautiful, bold, and sound good. In this case, the mix of Hemp and Maple looks a bit like Zebrawood, which is my favourite way for a woodie headphone to look. This is a great job by Grado. If I really had a problem, I’d want it to be shiny and polished. Besides that, I don’t see any other problems with the wood parts of this headphone.

Grado Hemp review: Features

You don’t need a lot of fancy functions on passive headphones, do you? From what I’ve heard, the Grado headphones do a good job with the basics. They have 44mm dynamic drivers that are well-suspended and successfully isolated, and they claim to have a frequency response of 13Hz to 28kHz.

Grado’s well-known eight-conductor cable is used to wire each earcup. As always, this cable seems to have a mind of its own and will not stay straight. But at least Grado now includes a 3.5mm termination with a 6.33mm adapter. This is a nice change from the past when they only included a huge 6.3mm/3.5mm adapter and a 6.3mm jack. There has been improvement in that area, which is good to see.

Grado Hemp review: Sound Quality

If you buy open-backed, hard-wired headphones like the Grado Reference Series Hemp, it means you really care about sound quality. When I connected these $480 headphones to a good headphone amplifier, they were even better than I thought they would be. The Hemp has a large and well-organized field, whether you’re listening to a symphony or a recording of just guitar and voice. It stands out because it can keep its clarity across all frequency ranges, from the deep bass to the clear middle and highs. The headphones are great at picking up small details while still keeping a strong musicality and interest.

The Hemp’s ability to control the low end makes it easy to play rhythms, which adds to their overall lively and energetic sound. These headphones easily handle changes in both high- and low-level dynamics, which makes them useful for a wide range of audio styles. To sum up, the Grado Hemp headphones offer an interesting listening experience by combining accuracy, energy, and sound.

Pricing and Release Date

It’s now possible to buy the Grado Reference Series Hemp wired over-ear headphones with an open back. They were first released in 2020 as a limited number, but now they’re always available. These headphones are fun to look at and sound great.

They cost $420 in the US, £479 in the UK, and AU$799 in Australia. There are a lot of choices for alternatives in this price range, but it’s hard to find direct, hard-wired, open-backed competitors. The FiiO FT3 stands out as one option, but there aren’t many headphones that are partly made from a plant species that is partially banned.

Grado Hemp review: Final Words

It was a pleasant surprise to experience the Grado Hemp headphones. Adding hemp surprisingly improved vocal skills and bass lines, which put an end to my initial doubts about using hemp in headphones. The sound is just the right balance of a forward, analytical tone and a neutral, straight tone. The sound is very clear without being annoying, and the warm, well-organized bass doesn’t need too much volume.

Grado Hemp review: The Good and The Bad

The identity, which sounds like an in-studio monitor, is strong without being too much. Hemp and maple wood work well together to make a unique sound that doesn’t let any one instrument or part of a song get lost in the mix. With Grado’s Hemp headphones, you can enjoy a high-quality, realistic experience that brings out new details and delivers amazing bass. Great for people who want to try high-end headphones for the first time, get a clear, full sound, or want more audio information.

Questions and Answers