Grado Signature HP100 SE Introduced

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