Grado has announced that it is renewing its range of Prestige entry-level headphones, to bring them to the new generation. This update mounts a 38 ohm driver that achieves an even more rounded sound as it has been custom designed for the Prestige X models. In addition, it has optimized the design of its casing, cable and headband.
The X Series’ improved speaker design features a new magnetic circuit which has been optimized to improve its overall efficiency. Attached to a new design of its voice coil and diaphragm, distortion is reduced to a minimum while its harmonic integrity is enhanced. As a result, the new Prestige Series is easier to move by portable devices and offers the best possible audio quality.
As usual with Grado headphones, these maintain their vintage 60s aesthetic open design. The casing, with a classic design and aesthetic signature of the brand, is maintained throughout the range, being made of metal in the flagship SR325X model. In this new generation, it has a casing of powder-coated aluminum which gives weight to the headphones. With this improvement, the transitions from the lowest to the highest frequencies are smoother.
In addition, Grado has improved the cable that changes its classic coating for a woven coating. In this way, the cable is more resistant and flexible, allowing it to be used more comfortably anywhere. The cable, in an 8-conductor model (SR125X, SR225X, SR325X) and 4 conductors (SR60X, SR80X), has a copper conductor that offers greater purity in the audio signal.
Finally, this new generation of Grado 2021 headphones is completed with a most comfortable headband which allows them to be used without problem during longer listening sessions. Its coating is vegan proteinexcept for the SR325X model, which is still leather. In both cases, the material of the headband is so resistant that it will not be affected by constant use or contact with hair products such as waxes or hair gels.
“Grado is and has been for decades the entry point for many audiophiles to good quality sound, precisely with the Prestige Series. With this update, they demonstrate once again how much they take care of even their most affordable headphones,” they acknowledge, noting that the SRe, the previous generation to the SRx, “continues to have spectacular sound for its price” so “Grado has decided to improve them, before that they become obsolete.”
This range is the best way to experience Grado sound for the first time, since its careful reproduction and the origin of its design make the Prestige range so special that it continues to evolve, now with the X Series. All headphones have been assembled by hand in Grado’s factory in Brooklyn.