Grado Upgrades Their Prestige Series Headphones

Originally founded in 1953 as a manufacturer of phono cartridges, Grado Labs has also been building headphones in Brooklyn for the last three decades. Visit the factory for a 2 minute film on their history.

The bread and butter part of the Grado headphone line up is called the Prestige series ($99-$295). In fact their very first headphone was the model SR80, still in production and now called SR80x ($125).  

The new X series of upgrades are only the 4th revisions to the Prestige Series since Grado entered the headphone business in 1991. 

The most important change is an upgrade to the drivers, each of which is specifically tuned for the headphone into which they are built. The "X Drivers" use more powerful magnets, a voice coil with decreased effective mass, and a reconfigured diaphragm to improve efficiency and reduce distortion.

In addition to the better drivers, all five models in the Prestige Series have more flexible and higher quality cables. The  SR60x, SR80x, SR125x, and SR225x also include a thicker faux-leather headband, while the SR325x has a new white-stitched leather headband. All together a nice refresh for a perennial favorite in their category.