Audiophilepure

The Grado Labs Signature HP100 SE Headphones, newly constructed and advanced in every way, are now the true flagship of the Grado line. I do not know of another more neutral, more transparent, and dynamic headphone on the market that challenges their performance. There are many new features to read about in this review, but most notable is the ability to detach the cables. A first for Grado, ever! Power them from a DAP or a fancy head amp, and enjoy a you-are-there level of reality that will cause you to rethink dynamic headphone capability. 

I am not surprised that the folks at Grado Labs took this new direction in headphone development. I am surprised at how big a leap forward in transparency and dynamic range was achieved with the HP100 SE. 

Comfort wise we of course can’t ignore the 515g this headphone weighs, but I do have to say I find the Magna to be quite comfortable. For comparison, the Immanis weighs 610g .Yes, there are lighter and more comfy reference headphones, but I do find the headband (cushioned with suede and stitched in a stylish diamond pattern) to do an excellent job distributing the weight. The side pressure for my head is good (making it safe to move around), but I can see how it would be too tight for some of you. Of course there are ways to stretch out the headband. The fancy silver-like adjusters on the yokes make it easy to perfectly adjust the headband and earpads

Inside the box is dominated by the hard case that houses the folded-down DCA Noire X headphones with both the single-ended and balanced cables sitting in their zip-lock bags under it and paperwork hidden in the very bottom. In terms of papers, we get a quick user guide that explains the basics of using the DCA Noire X and a slightly comically old-timey-looking authenticity certificate complete with gothic lettering. 

The included hard case seems quite sturdy and will protect the headphones inside from bumps and scratches when traveling. My only gripes about it are that while it houses the folded headphones nicely, there’s no room for the cable. And the fully folded DCA Noire X headphones seem to squish the earpads’ upper portion, which didn’t feel right to me for long-term storage.

The headphones can be set to different sized heads by a gliding mechanism, which keeps the cups steadily in place. The headband-design is rather normal sized, but there is no real weight-dispersion in place. And with the 490 grams weight, this becomes an issue. After roughly 20 minutes I can feel the pressure build up on my scalp to a point where I have to move the headphones around or take them off entirely in order to avoid discomfort.

The fullness of the bass is partially contributed by the pure copper stock cable. When swapping it out for other materials such as silver-plated copper, you can notice the bass being more tamed and a cleaner, faster response is observed.

Testing with R&B and pop, the HW600 exhibits well-layered bass with a notable punch, which sounds clean and quite expressive with fast guitar licks and fast drumming tracks.

The bass intensity isn’t very strong but is sufficient, and it sounds well textured. When paired with more powerful sources or amps, the treble becomes more aggressive and firmer, enhancing overall dynamics.

The HW600 gives a slightly warmish impression across the various gear setups tested and the design seems to dampen it to mimic the punchiness on dynamic drivers.