GRADO GW100x Wireless Open-Back Headphones – Bluetooth 5.2, 40-Hour Battery, 44mm Drivers – Audiophile Over-Ear Headphones with Mic – Lightweight, Retro Design – for Home, Studio & Travel

Over the years I have built up a collection of headphones from the likes of Sennheiser, Bose, Koss, Parrot, Philips, Apple, and Sony. I've been aware of Grado headphones for a while, but this is the first pair I've owned. These have quickly become one of my favorites, but they are best for specific use cases. If you are going to use headphones in a noisy environment, in close proximity (i.e. within 6 ft) of another person who would be disturbed by sound leakage, or while exercising, these are not the headphones you want. They do not have noise cancellation and are open back, meaning sound leaks both in and out. They are a larger on-ear, rather than over-ear, design. The clamping force is not too strong, but can get a bit uncomfortable after a few hours, especially for glasses wearers. They support Bluetooth 5.2 and the latest AAC/AptX codecs so the sound quality is the best available over Bluetooth. The open-back design and the efficient 44mm drivers provide a truly wonderful soundstage for a wide variety of music. Compared to most closed-back noise canceling headphones these sound like someone turned on spatial audio -- voices and instruments are clearly distinguishable, almost directional. The mids are clearly defined, revealing details that are muddy in other headphones. The highs sparkle, but are never harsh or sibilant. The bass is quite good for an open-back design, but it's a controlled rumble rather than a rattling thump. They play loud without need to crank the volume up and the sound is less processed and fatiguing than many of my other headphones. I'm not aware of any other open-back, wireless headphones on the market. The batteries last forever, USB-C charging is fast, and the physical buttons work exactly as you'd expect. The plastic-y construction and light weight mean these definitely don't have the high quality feel you'd like at this price point. They don't even come with a case. But if you are willing to pay up for sound quality and can handle all the other limitations, these are great headphones with nothing else quite like them out there. However, I would not recommend them as your only pair.

These are incredible headphones. Pros: - They sound great. Like really great. I've owned a lot of headphones that cost significantly more than these, and I'm not sure they sounded any better (or even as good). If you have good listening conditions, open backed is really the way. - The battery lasts forever on a charge. Cons: - Comfort isn't the best for my head, I can go an hour to two and then they start to pinch a bit. - I wish they could pair to more than two bluetooth sources. - If you have loud people in your home, vacuuming, dishwashers, competing music/tv, open-backed will become annoying For the price, if you like music on headphones that's a little warm (but not discolored) with some detail (but not analytical, bright, sterile, etc) these are a no brainer.

When it's good it's great. 5 stars for sure. The sound is very specific so I am writing this assuming people have not heard the Grado house sound. To me I love it but it is basically the polar opposite of most bluetooth headphones. VERY detailed and immediate. I understand that is not for everyone but it is for me, but NOT always. This to me is a great headphone to have along with a good bland ANC headphone. This would not be my one and only bit I am super SUPER happy I got them. One thing I very much want to recommend. I read that these were very good in bluetooth and even better plugged in with the 3.5mm cable. The included 3.5mm cable is garbage and cheap. Yes it works but it's probably cost $.03 to make and it sure looks like it. I ordered the WBC-PRO-Quad-MINI 3.5mm aux cable and it actually made a difference. I want to be VERY CLEAR, I almost never ever hear a difference in cables and I think most people that do are insane yet here I am. Getting that cable is my HIGHEST recommendation for this headphone if and only if you want to use it plugged in. That said, most people would buy one of Grado's other headphones to plug is so this doesn't really really matter. I never write reviews and I was so shocked by how much better this headphone sounds with the new cable I felt like I had to.

It's been a decade or more since my last pair of Grados when I had the SR-80 and I absolutely loved those headphones (they've since been stolen). Between then and now I mostly used earbuds for the convenience but decided to get back into more intentional listening and so I went down a gear rabbit hole again and saw Grado is now on gen 2 of their wireless headphones and got these headphones. I listen to this headphone in two ways: 1) Wired Setup- Apple Lossless files ran through a Fiio KA1 DAC AMP and wired into these headphones (as pictured). This is the best way for me to listen and appreciate the sound of these headphones and the sound of the music. I can't get into the audiophile jargons to describe it, but It sounds spacious and I hear instruments and vocals distinctly with good separation. For me, this is the ideal setup in cost, weight, and sound quality. 2) Wireless Setup- I have a Fluance RT80 turntable connected to a Fiio BTA30 Pro Bluetooth transmitter, which takes advantage of the AptX HD codecs. I know the sound quality isn't as good as if it were wired, but it still punches well above what Spotify can output in their highest setting. Still, I enjoy the wireless sound quality and the immersion of vinyl paired with it. What I'd love to see in the future in the third generation of these headphones is support for the new AptX Lossless and for Fiio to release a BTA30 Bluetooth transmitter that also supports AptX Lossless as well. But today, I can't complain, I absolutely love re-listening to albums in their entirety on these. I still use my Sony WF-1000XM4 headphones for travel and workouts, but for intentional listening at home or walking around outside, these Grados fit those use cases well.

First I will say I had the GW100 V1 for years. Reviewing these headphones is a little bit difficult, so I will divide it in a couple areas: Built quality 1/5: I knew what to expect, but I can’t stress enough how cheap these feel, they are closer to $10 headphones than $275, they rattle and squeak everywhere, but at least not when in use. I had to return the first pair because the lower volume button didn’t click. Sad to see that Grado learnt nothing from previous versions. Just a note, as of March 2026, Amazon is shipping January/February 2025 built headphones, so they have been stored for a while. Wireless functions 3/5: Bluetooth works much better than previous versions, connection is very stable. Buttons are flimsy and commands are weird but they work, you can pause, play, skip and rewind songs. A simple application with EQ and connection management would be a massive improvement. Sound 5/5: Now the good news, the sound is impressive, it is much closer to my Hifiman Edition XS (wired + DAC) than to my Bose Ultra Headphones. The detail and soundstage is better than any other wireless headphones I have tried, they are worth the price just for how good they sound. As many others have said, these have the Grado sound, which is not for everyone, in two words, they sound like a razor edge, can be very sharp and hurt at medium volumes. Regardless, you get used to it and stops hurting. Things you can do to improve these headphones: Buy the extra large pads, even the ones from Geekria are really good, this will improve comfort a lot, increase soundstage and raise low frequencies a little bit, like a physical EQ for bass. Also a padded headband is a good idea as the leatherette will peel off after some time. EDIT: I have received my second pair after returning the first one. All was ok until I wanted to charge them, the port is very recessed (the pair I returned was fine), so it is very difficult to get them to charge, some of my cables just don’t fit, even the port cap is loose because of this. I am also worried that instead of the blue light indicating full charge they just turn off, not sure if this is a risk in the long run. At least the battery last so long (or so they claim) that I will only have to charge them like once a month or less. Reducing my review from 4 to 3 stars, Grado should sell these awesome drivers to a company that actually knows how to make wireless headphones, I would gladly pay $400 for top sound and top build quality.

My set of Grado GW100xs saw very light use over about 2 months. I'd wear them at work for 1-2 hour periods a few times a week. Otherwise, the headphones would rest on my desk untouched. I never dropped them, I didn't hang them in a strange way, my head isn't incredibly large. The cheap plastic parts that hold the left and right drivers on your head snapped off on the right side, making them very difficult to wear without damaging them further. At this price point that's completely unacceptable, and I'd definitely be willing to pay an extra $25 or something if they'd just go for all-aluminum construction with the frame of the headphones.

If you like airy Grado sound signature, go for these. These are the best open-back wireless headphones in the market. Period. Of course, they are not perfect. The build is plastic and feels a bit fragile, so need to be careful. But these are not meant for travel or outdoor use, therefore not a big deal there. Though, they sound just perfect, as expected from Grado.

"The new super fast 5.2 will astonish you!" Just don't get scammed my friends, they have a huge delay even on a stupid youtube video. An official GRADO reseller said to me that these headphones are also great for gaming (which was also one of my many purposes to buy them), but other than that cringe delay there is also a continuous and constant background static noise that will not even let you ear the enemies footsteps (and btw they are also on-ear so they are just not suiteable for gaming anyway...) The sounds btw seems great but they are really too small (then so poory confortable) and have so many issues to really enjoy them....

+ Le casque Grado GW100x est vraiment une réussite, le son est vraiment proche du Grado SR325 que j'écoute avec satisfaction depuis des années et en plus il est utilisable sans fil en Bluetooth ! A ce prix les matériaux sont plus basique mais rien ne laisse penser que le GW100x soit plus fragile. + L'essentiel des qualités habituelles chez Grado est là, présence des instruments, transparence, matière, timbres et toujours cette vie ! On pourrait dire qu'on s'éloigne du son en conserve pour se rapprocher du produit frais ;-) - Les coussinets des écouteurs sont en mousse non recouverte et je trouve toujours incompréhensible que Grado fasse l'impasse sur cet aspect que beaucoup d'audiophiles reprochent depuis des lustres. Grado ne propose rien de plus confortable même en option, quelques solutions existent mais il faut chercher sur internet. NB : le GW100x est un casque ouvert, par conséquent le son s'entend à l'extérieur, si vous écoutez votre musique à coté de quelqu'un vous le dérangerez, il n'est pas adapté pour les transports en commun par exemple.

After initially having the Gradio SR-80s about ten years ago I have some background to the Grado sound, build and general outlook on prioritising audio quality over anything else. I always hated the long (albeit well-built and rugged) cable… it was far too long to not be removable (2m) and it would just get tangled and annoy me. Getting the GW-1000x was an interesting choice for me and it took a decent amount of reviews to convince me. When it comes to Bluetooth headphones I’ve only ever previously gone for over-ear closed-back or true wireless headphones and to be honest there’s usually something missing or lost. I also hate that encapsulating tunnel-like sound from a seal. The same cannot be said for these headphones which in my opinion are 5-star cans and the best-sounding Bluetooth headphones I’ve ever heard by quite some distance…. but only for the right person and under the right circumstances. Grado initially released the first version of these a few years ago and I was interested in them, but the micro-USB, wireless codec and the battery life put me off. The second version answered some things such as upgrading the input to USB-C and updating the battery life significantly. These are the third generation and they go one step further. They add a host of different features (such as better DSP processing; making the Bluetooth output sound better than the wired output, paradoxically) that are typically hidden away in the Grado direct and to-the-point unboxing experience. You would struggle to tell the three versions of these apart simply from looking at them. These headphones are loud and leak a lot of noise; they are suited to people who don’t need to maintain a quiet space with other people around them. They’re also suited to people such as myself who want a passive audio sound for games or to listen to background music. They also work when you need a good awareness around you such as looking after children or something similar. What I can say from the start is the sound will impress you straight out of the box. It’s not a myth to say that Grado products also benefit heavily from a decent burn-in session of 40 hours or so. I’m looking forward to how these cans sound in 6 months as my SR-80s just got better and better. The highs are detailed and slightly more subdued than the typical wired Grado, the mids are still prominent and most surprisingly of all the bass is full and present; a very well-rounded, great-sounding set of cans. These headphones sound like you’re sitting directly in front of a circa-£4000 analogue music system built in the 70s and it really can’t be compared to any other wireless offering out there; they truly are brilliant. On-ear will put a lot of people off, but I think that you can benefit from this type of design if it is executed as well as it is on these Grados. It’s a non-invasive introduction of sound and it’s genius. The Bluetooth stays connected. The battery life is quoted as over 40 hours and that is absolutely spot on. Highly recommended if you can look past the cheap-feeling build quality; the sound, comfort and lightness will thank you for it.

Ich bin kein Profi -aber diese offenen! Kopfhörer haben einen fantastischen Klang . Tiefe Bässe , hervorragender Raumklang . Immer im Vordergrund ,die Nebengeräusche vergesse bzw höre ich nur wenn ich will.Reichweite bei mir sogar im Keller. Das Verbinden ist völlig ohne Probleme. Es gibt nur wenig offene Kopfhörer ohne Kabel-leider für mich sehr wichtig. Diese kann ich nur empfehlen-bisher die absolut besten👍

After several months of use I can surely highly praise this headset. Best wireless headphone I tried for the fantastic super pleasant sound signature. Truly a Grado! As reference the Grado Hemp is a bit better..but no BT. When I need NR I use a Sehnnaiser Momentum.Highly recommend if you know what you are buying.

Firstly, this is an open back wireless headphone; so, it will not suit you if you want a headphone for listening in a noisy environment or if you simply want to keep your music to yourself and not be intruding upon others who share the same space as you. Secondly, these aren’t active noise canceling headphones so they wont shut you off from the world around you. Those two points made so that you can readily determine whether these Grado GW100X headphones are for you or not, these headphones sound absolutely fantastic. If you find the sound of Sony wireless headphones to be a little muddy and occluded in the midrange then you are going to love these…as long as you dont need the isolation from your environment provided by passive closed back wireless headphones like the Edifier Stax Spirit 3 or the active noose cancelling of Sony’s Wh-100XM4/5. Battery life is very good, I charged them when they arrived and have been listening for 9 days and I have not had to recharge them. Grado claim 45 hours at half volume and that seems more than reasonable to me as I work from home and have been listening during the Christmas holidays. Most wireless headphones that I use get set at half volume for pop, rock and jazz, and 3/4 or higher for large scale classical works such as symphonies and opera but with the GW100X I find that 1/4 volume is more than exciting with pop, rock, metal and half volume for most classical recordings, so that battery life of 45 hours use on one charge should be easily achievable for most people. Being open back headphones you will hear sounds in your proximity clearly; this can be a positive, such as wanting to hear someone telling you they are going to collect the children or reminding you to pick up the shopping. The sound benefit of the headphones being open back is that you get a better soundstage than with most closed back headphones, although the DSP correction used by Bluetooth headphones does skew this slightly. The GW100X are a very light headphone and very comfortable. Grado are a well established audiophile brand based in Brooklyn and their headphones share a very distinctive design language which will either speak to you soothingly in terms of nostalgic endearment, or make you think that they look odd and old fashioned. I am of the former opinion, but prepare yourself for the fact that the GW100X sit on your ear with a foam ear pad in the way that anyone not old enough to have grown up in the 80’s with a Sony Walkman and a pair of Koss’ Porta-Pro may be unfamiliar with. My ears project outward at a 90 degree angle and I only need to adjust these headphones after many hours use; those of you who have neat little ears that follow the contours of your skull will find these even more comfortable as the clamping force is as light as the headphones themselves while remaining entirely secure on your head. There is no travel case with these (its a Grado thing, spend £2K on their top of the range wired headphones and you still only get the cardboard pizzabox packaging with a foam cutout) but they aren’t a portable headphone but rather one that lets you enjoy your music in a highly entertaining way in the privacy of your own home. Compared to another brilliant sounding wireless headphone of a comparable price, the Edifier Stax Spirit 3 has a more detailed and resolving midrange compared to this Grado. However, the Grado while being a generally balanced and neutral sounding headphone (certainly in comparison to many bass heavy ANC wireless headphones) has more bass energy and a greater vim and vigour to it than the Edifier Stax Spirit 3 and I think that the Grado will satisfy more listeners. If you mainly listen to acoustic music such as Jazz and Classical then the Edifier headphone might be the better one for you (which isn’t to say that it is anything less than wonderful with other genres, rather it is splitting hairs in a comparison between to enormously satisfying and enjoyable wireless headphones) and to everyone else who doe not need to be isolated from their listening environment these Grado GW100X will supply you with endless hours of musical enjoyment. For those of us who grew up in the 80’s and have spent small fortunes on high end hifi equipment and headphones, it is amazing to discover how much musical satisfaction is to be had from a £250 pair of wireless headphones and a Tidal or Applemusic subscription.