Grado HP100 SE Review: The Most Capable Grado Ever?

Give me a bit for the following:

1. distortion
2. big pad measurements

 

Getting these out as soon as I can. Caveats are noisy environment and temporary coupler. I just wanted to establish I what I hearing, low distortion.

UPDATE, better results here: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...t-capable-grado-ever.14988/page-2#post-443264

Distortion (absolute)
99db SPL


96db SPL


92db SPL


88db SPL


-84db SPL

 

Was on a temporarily coupler while I was away. Back in Corpus now. Will make distortion surfaces.

However we can see the distortion is already much better than any other Grado. Confirms what I am hearing.

 

These are new. I ran successive sweeps at different SPLs.

Grado HP100E
Dynamic Compression
YEL 99db SPL, GRY 96db, BLU 92db, ORA 88db, VIO 86db


There is a bit of dynamic compression as we get louder in the bass, but the effect is minimal, less than 0.5db from 86db to 99db. It will be interesting to see how other headphones fare.

 

Just ignore the blue trace. Basically occasional noise in the measurement process. I'm more time limited these days so didn't want to redo them. The idea is that we can get the gist of it.

Anyway, distortion surfaces. I will say that for a dynamic headphone, the results are astounding. Even compared to planars, the results are amazeballs.

The distortion increases as we go up in volume in the lows, this is expected. There is some D2 in the upper mids and a few localized spikes in D4. However, the levels are relatively low. For a dynamic, we will typically see colors hitting up in the YELLOW color. Here, everything is green or blue. If anything the distortion skews toward third order slightly, but again levels are low.

Grado HP100SE
Second Harmonic


Grado HP100SE
Third Harmonic


Grado HP100SE
Fourth Harmonic

 

MORE IMPRESSIONS AND IN A NUTSHELL:

I finally had a opportunity to run it through my Eddie Current custom 45 tube amp using the Gungnir 2 DAC / Mercury 3 Streamer as the source and the technicalities were on par with the best dynamics around. I did this to see if the HP100SE could scale up with better equipment, and it sure did, while still requiring minimal requires to get good sound (Grados have never really needed a fancy amp other than a regular headphone phone dongle output, and the HP100SE is no different). Anyway, the HP100SE resolves on a scale better than any prior Grado and on par with the best dynamics.

The tonal signature with the F pads lies somewhere between the old Joe Grado HP1000 (neutral-dark) and the John Grado (upper mid-crunch) sound. However, a welcome surprise is that this now comes with bass extension into the lows that matches the open TOTL dynamics. The distortion is low and arguably bests the revered HD800 (which sounds a bit grey in comparison), and this comes with the trademark Grado "fast" transients. The large salad bowl G pads gives us a tonal signature like the GS3000X. I can still see the tonal signature not to some people's liking, but keep in mind that we haven't even explored the use of different pads to tune the response. I am curious what we can arrive for personal tuning though different pads.

Despite the use of the flat F pads, the headstage was expansive with better than expected depth. I wonder if the deeper cups contribute to this feel. At no point did I feel claustrophobic or having a three-blob effects as with many $2k planars.

The Grado HP100 SE is, in my opinion, the brand's finest headphone to date, outshining models like the RS1X and GS3000X in terms of clarity, resolution, and bass extension. It comes with two ear pad options — large G pads and flat F pads — with the F pads favored for achieving a balanced tonal signature that blends elements of the classic John Grado sound with the Joe Grado characteristics, while also enhancing overall technical performance. These headphones provide improved bass response and reduced distortion levels, featuring a resonant frequency of 51Hz and a nominal impedance of 43 ohms, making them compatible with a wide range of amplifiers. The build quality stands out, featuring large drivers and robust metal components. Overall, the HP100 SE performs exceptionally well in both basic and high-end setups, offering an expansive soundstage along with the ability for customized tuning through different pad options. The HP100SE, which invokes the HP1000 moniker, truly embodies the spirit of the Joe Grado HP1000, living up to that legacy.