The Grado GW100 are decent critical listening wireless open-back on-ear headphones. They're the first wireless option from Grado, making them a bit more convenient for everyday use. They pack a bit more bass compared to the other Grado headphones. They also have decent 15-hour battery life and a fairly simple and responsive control scheme, but the voice prompt is too loud and irritating, which might be a deal breaker for some. Also, since they're open-back, they won't be the best option for outdoors and commuting. On the upside, they have a decent audio reproduction, and they're fairly versatile for a variety of music genres. You can also use the headphones passively, even if the battery is dead.
Our Verdict
The Grado GW100 are average for mixed usage. By design, these open-back headphones aren’t the best for multi-purpose listening. They have decent audio reproduction for critical listeners, and their open-back design will help create a more open sound. However, it'll also leak a lot and won’t isolate much ambient noise, meaning they aren’t a good choice for commuting or at the office. They're decently breathable for sports but aren't very stable. When using them wirelessly, if you don’t have an aptX-LL dongle, they'll have too much latency to watch video content or for gaming.
- Lightweight, comfortable on-ear design.
- More bass than wired Grado models.
- Very high leakage, by design.
- No isolation from ambient noise, by design.
The Grado GW100 are decent neutral listening headphones. They have a decent audio reproduction and have more bass than the wired Grado models. Unfortunately, they might sound too muddy and sibilant for some. They're decent for a variety of music genres, but unfortunately, they don’t have a companion app that lets you EQ the sound to your liking.
The Grado GW100 are bad for commuting. By design, these open-backs don’t isolate any engine rumbles or ambient chatter, making them unsuitable for a daily commute.
The Grado GW100 are average for sports. Even if they're decently comfortable, breathable, and their bass can keep you going during your workouts, they aren’t very stable and would slip off your head during physical activities.
The Grado GW100 are sub-par for office use. Even if their battery life should last you all day, they have really loud leakage by design, and colleagues can clearly hear everything you’re listening to, making them a bad choice for an office.
The Grado GW100 are sub-par for gaming. Even if they're decently comfortable for long gaming sessions and have decent audio reproduction, you'd need an aptX-LL dongle to use the headphones with minimal latency. Also, they don't have a great integrated microphone for online voice chat with friends and teammates, and the included cable doesn't come with an in-line mic.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Dec 11, 2018: Review published.
- Updated Dec 09, 2018: Early access published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Grado GW100 are decent critical listening on-ear headphones. Their sound quality is decent and is helped by their open design. They pack more bass than the similar wired Grado headphones, but unfortunately, their build quality still doesn't feel very durable. They have decent battery life and should last you a full day without a problem, but without the aptX-LL codec, they have too much latency for videos and gaming. They also have an annoying and irritating voice prompt, which can be a deal-breaker for some. On the upside, they are lightweight headphones with decent comfort for on-ears. See our recommendations for the best on-ear headphones, the best wireless headphones, and the best headphones for music.
The Marshall MID ANC Wireless are better headphones than the Grado GW100 Wireless. The Marshall are significantly better-built headphones and have an amazing audio reproduction. They also have a decent ANC feature to isolate background noise. On the other hand, they don’t have the openness of the Grado because of their closed-back design. The Marshall offer a much better value and are more versatile thanks to their design. They're noise cancelling and sound more neutral.
The Grado GW100 Wireless are better headphones than the Grado SR325e/SR325. They are wireless and offer more freedom to move, and are slightly more comfortable and more stable. They also have a microphone and pack a bit more bass. On the other hand, the SR325e are a bit more breathable and have a flatter mid-range, which is great for vocal-centric music. They also don’t have any latency, but the GW100 are compatible with aptX-LL for minimal latency issues and can also be used wired to completely get rid of it, even if the battery is dead.
The Bose SoundLink On-Ear are better headphones than the Grado GW100 Wireless. They are more neutral sounding and don’t feel as flimsy as the Grado. The Bose closed-back design isolates more noise and leaks less, but you won’t get the openness of the Grado. Also, the Bose have bass delivery inconsistencies, especially if you wear glasses, which you shouldn’t get with the Grado. The Grado have better wireless range and also support aptX-LL for low latency.
The Koss Porta Pro Wireless are better headphones than the Grado GW100 Wireless. They are more portable since they can fold into a more compact format, are very lightweight, are more comfortable, and leak less. However, the Grado can be used wired too, which is very convenient if the battery is dead. They support aptX-LL and are better-built headphones.
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