Grado GW100x

The excellent GW100x feature voice control, aptX and massively improved battery life

If you are fortunate enough to get your hands on a pair of Grado’s open-back GW100x headphones, you will be greeted by a message on the box’s lid-interior informing you that the company has been “family run for six decades in Brooklyn, New York”.

There is something about Grado’s products that reflects this proud heritage from the heart of America’s most famous city. The headphones’ design especially, with their no-frills presentation, chunky circular grilles and smooth, black-leather headband, reflects a kind of idiosyncratic confidence consistent with the Brooklyn character. There are no gimmicks here, just a commitment to delivering really great sound.

These latest GW100x are the new improved version of the GW100 model, a five-star set of wireless headphones that, while incredibly leaky, wowed us with some of the best wireless sound we had heard at the price. Into that successful mix Grado has now added 44mm drivers, redesigned speaker housings and support for the aptX Adaptive codec, as well as a host of new tweaks and fixes.

Just as was the case with the GW100, the GW100x will occupy a very specific corner of the market, being a pair of leaky wireless headphones that offer little isolation from environmental noise but also feature no active noise cancellation (ANC) or convenient folding mechanism. Most wireless headphones, such as the class-leading Sony WH1000XM4, are designed for on-the-go use, but with such key features missing, these aren’t the cans you would use for a ride on a bus, let alone a long-haul trip to the Bahamas.

Still, the idea of an updated version of the original GW100 had us salivating at the prospect, especially considering Grado’s knack for delivering a quality listening experience.