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Home / Hot Stuff / Grado’s GW100x open-back cans can be worn (almost) anywhere

Grado’s GW100x open-back cans can be worn (almost) anywhere

60% less sound leakage than last Bluetooth effort

Grado Labs GW100x wireless headphones hot stuff

New York audio expert Grado is renowned for its extensive range of hand-built, open-back headphones – but open-back headphones are renowned for leaking sound. That meant you wore the firm’s last-gen Bluetooth cans at your peril, with everyone around you able to hear your tunes almost as well as you could. The new Grado GW100x promise to better keep leakage under control, while also stepping up quality thanks to fourth-gen drivers and Bluetooth 5.2.

They follow the recently announced Statement X Series on-ears, and opt for a 44mm version of Grado’s fourth generation X Drivers. More powerful magnets, a redesigned voice coil and reconfigured diaphragm all help cut distortion, while “preserving the harmonic integrity of your music”. More importantly for on-the-go listening, they also reduce the amount of escaping sound by as much as 60% compared to the firm’s wired headphones.

Grado Labs GW100x wireless headphones lifestyle

Naturally the GW100x keeps Grado’s trademark design, with metal grilles, foam ear cups and a leather headband. It also finds room for playback controls, a built-in microphone for making voice calls, and a USB-C port. Battery life should be enough for up to 46 hours of listening, or almost two days straight. Two hours on mains power should be enough for a complete top-up.

It supports the high quality aptX adaptive audio codec, as well as the more widely supported AAC and SBC, with Bluetooth 5.2 helping to use less power than the outgoing model. Switching between multiple devices should be less of a headache now than it was on the previous-gen pair. There’s also a 3.5mm cable included for plugging into older analogue kit, or gadgets that lack built-in Bluetooth.

The Grado GW100x is available to order right now, directly from the Grado website, with prices starting at £249/$275.

Profile image of Tom Morgan-Freelander Tom Morgan-Freelander Deputy Editor

About

A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews.  When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.

Areas of expertise

Smartphones/tablets/computing, cameras, home cinema, automotive, virtual reality, gaming

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