WIRED HEADPHONES

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BEST WIRED ON-EAR HEADPHONES £200-£400

Grado SR325x £329

The Prestige range of headphones has been at the core of Grado’s output since it was first introduced three decades ago. While the series has developed over the years, Grado has always done it in small evolutionary steps. The story remains the same for this new ‘x’ generation, with most of the important work going unseen.

The 44mm drive unit has been changed considerably with a revised motor system, new diaphragm and upgraded coil. The aim is to improve efficiency and reduce distortion. Similarly, that new eight conductor cable uses ‘super’ annealed copper and is claimed to deliver a purer sound than that used before.

These still remind us of the headphones air traffic control operators used in the 1940s. The open-backed design means that they leak sound, but also provide almost nothing in the way of noise isolation from the environment. If you’re listening in a room with others, be prepared for your listening experience to be disturbed if they make any noise at all.

Those changes to the drive unit are obvious too. We listen to Massive Attack’s and the SR325x sound notably cleaner and clearer than their predecessor, the SR325e. These headphones have always been detailed and articulate performers, and that hasn’t changed, but the ‘x’ generation sounds that bit more precise and insightful. We can follow