Was unterscheidet den Grado HP100 SE vom S950?

Das Gehäusematerial und die Abstimmung. Beide nutzen den 52-mm-S-Treiber, doch der HP100 SE sitzt in maschinell gefertigtem Aluminium und klingt entsprechend neutral und analytisch. Der S950 steckt in brasilianischem Walnussholz, klingt eine Spur wärmer und wiegt mit 395 Gramm etwas weniger. Welches Material dir mehr liegt, ist Geschmackssache und keine Frage der Qualität.

Welche Ohrpolster liegen dem HP100 SE bei?

Zwei Sätze: die grossen G-Polster und die kleineren F-Polster. Mit den G-Polstern spielt der HP100 SE luftig und weiträumig, weil der Treiber weiter vom Ohr weg sitzt. Die F-Polster rücken alles näher zusammen, das wirkt direkter und druckvoller. Du kannst also ohne Zusatzkosten zwei Abstimmungen ausprobieren.

Passt der HP100 SE an einen normalen Kopfhörerausgang?

Ja, elektrisch ist er unkritisch: 38 Ohm Impedanz und 117 dB pro Milliwatt bedeuten, dass er auch an einem soliden Kopfhörerausgang genügend Pegel bekommt. Das Kabel endet in einer 6,3-mm-Klinke, kleinere Quellen brauchen also einen passenden Adapter. An einem dedizierten Kopfhörerverstärker legt er hörbar an Ruhe und Bassdruck zu.

Warum den Grado Signature HP100 SE bei HD Zürisee kaufen?

Weil ein Kopfhörer dieser Klasse mehr braucht als einen Warenkorb. HD Zürisee in Wädenswil ist autorisierter Grado-Händler; wir besprechen mit dir, welcher Verstärker zum HP100 SE passt, welches Polster zu deinem Ohr und wie er sich zum S950 verhält. Ruf an, schreib uns oder nutze WhatsApp.

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Grado Signature HP100 SE Open-Back Headphones

CHF 2'789.00

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The Grado Signature HP100 SE is an open-back over-ear headphone with a 52 mm S driver in a machined aluminium housing, hand-built in Brooklyn.

It's a contemporary tribute to the legendary HP1, with which Joseph Grado helped found the high-end headphone market in the early 1990s. For his 100th birthday, Grado releases it as a Special Edition – and anniversary models are otherwise often just a new sticker on old metal. Here it's the opposite.

Why the HP100 SE?

The 52 mm S driver was developed from scratch for this model and has since formed the basis of the entire Signature line. The specially treated aluminium housing effectively damps resonances, and the stainless-steel headband with white-stitched leather holds everything together. And as the first Grado ever, the HP100 SE got a detachable cable – a path every new Signature model has followed since.

What you hear

Rich detail without harshness. The HP100 SE renders voices and strings very precisely, keeps transients short and builds a soundstage that extends well beyond your head. The 0.04 dB driver matching isn't a spec-sheet ornament, but the reason the centre of the stereo image stands so firmly in place. With the included G-cushions it plays airy and spacious, with the F-cushions everything moves closer and more direct.

Who is the HP100 SE for?

For discerning listeners at home who want a neutral reference sound and sometimes like to dissect their recordings. Plain talk: open means open – with no isolation at all, your surroundings hear along and you hear your surroundings. For the train, the office or an open-plan space it's simply the wrong headphone. And if you prefer warm and smooth over precise and neutral, you're better off with the walnut-wood S950.

Our verdict

The HP100 SE is Grado's modern reference: new driver, aluminium, detachable cable and two cushion sets in the box. A tribute to the HP1 that also points the way to where Grado is heading.

Technical specifications

Type: Open-back over-ear headphone (open-air, dynamic)
Series: Grado Signature (flagship, Special Edition)
Driver: 52 mm S driver, newly developed
Frequency response: 3.5 Hz – 51.5 kHz
Total harmonic distortion: < 0.1% at 100 dB
Sensitivity: 117 dB (1 mW)
Impedance: 38 ohms
Driver matching: 0.04 dB
Housing: Specially treated aluminium, machined
Headband: Stainless steel with white-stitched leather
Ear cushions: G-cushions (fitted) and F-cushions
Cable: 12-conductor, detachable, 1.8 m (6 ft)
Headphone connector: 4-pin mini-XLR
Source connector: 6.3 mm jack
Manufacturing: Hand-assembled in Brooklyn, NY
Included: Headphones, detachable 12-conductor cable (mini-XLR to 6.3 mm jack), G-cushions, F-cushions

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between the Grado HP100 SE and the S950?

The housing material and the tuning. Both use the 52 mm S driver, but the HP100 SE sits in machined aluminium and sounds correspondingly neutral and analytical. The S950 is housed in Brazilian walnut wood, sounds a touch warmer and, at 395 grams, weighs a little less. Which material suits you better is a matter of taste, not quality.

Which ear cushions come with the HP100 SE?

Two sets: the large G-cushions and the smaller F-cushions. With the G-cushions the HP100 SE plays airy and spacious because the driver sits further from your ear. The F-cushions bring everything closer together, which feels more direct and punchy. So you can try two tunings at no extra cost.

Does the HP100 SE work with a normal headphone output?

Yes, electrically it's uncritical: 38 ohms impedance and 117 dB per milliwatt mean it gets enough level even from a solid headphone output. The cable ends in a 6.3 mm jack, so smaller sources need a suitable adapter. On a dedicated headphone amplifier it audibly gains in composure and bass weight.

Why buy the Grado Signature HP100 SE at HD Zürisee?

Because a headphone of this class needs more than a shopping cart. HD Zürisee in Wädenswil is an authorised Grado dealer; we'll discuss with you which amplifier suits the HP100 SE, which cushion suits your ear and how it compares to the S950. Call us, write to us or use WhatsApp.