Grado Reference RS2x Open-Back Headphones

The Grado Reference RS2x is an open-back over-ear headphone with a fourth-generation 44mm X-driver in a housing made of maple and hemp.

Sleeve and ring are made of maple, a hemp core holds both together. Grado completely reworked the model for the x-generation to get more out of this wood pairing – the RS2x is assembled by hand in Brooklyn like all Reference models.

Why the RS2x?

The 44mm X-driver runs with a stronger magnetic drive, lighter voice coil and newly tuned diaphragm, matched to 0.05 dB. It was specifically tuned for this wood housing: driver and wood dampen together instead of working against each other. The result is the warm, colorful Grado tone – a class above the aluminum and plastic models of the Prestige series.

What you hear

A wide soundstage, precise bass down to 14 Hz and articulate treble up to 28,000 Hz. Plus the famous Grado midrange that makes vocals and guitars instantly tangible. Anyone who's only known closed-back headphones will wonder on the first track where the walls suddenly went.

Who is the RS2x for?

For anyone who wants the Grado wood sound without jumping straight to the RS1x – the ideal entry into the Reference series. Straight talk: the RS2x doesn't isolate anything. In a shared office or on public transport it's the wrong choice, at your desk at home exactly the right one.

Our verdict

The RS2x is the family favorite of the Reference series: warmer and more natural than the Prestige models, with a clear character of its own and a price tag that doesn't eat up half your system. If you want wood sound but not necessarily the RS1x peak, this is spot on.

Technical Data

• Type: Open-back over-ear headphones (open-back, dynamic)
• Series: Grado Reference
• Operating principle: Open air
• Driver: 44 mm, Grado X-driver (4th generation)
• Driver matching: 0.05 dB
• Housing: Maple (sleeve and ring) with hemp core
• Frequency response: 14–28,000 Hz
• Sound pressure (1 mW): 99.8 dB
• Nominal impedance: 38 Ω
• Cushions: L-cushion
• Cable: 8-conductor, super-annealed copper, fixed
• Headband: Leather with white stitching
• Connector: 3.5 mm jack, 6.3 mm adapter included
• Manufacturing: Hand-assembled in Brooklyn, NY
• Included: Headphones, 6.3 mm jack adapter

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Grado RS2x differ from the RS1x?

The RS2x uses the 44mm X-driver and a housing of maple with a hemp core, frequency response 14 to 28,000 Hz. The RS1x gets the 50mm driver, plus cocobolo, and 12 to 30,000 Hz. Impedance and sensitivity are the same for both: 38 Ω and 99.8 dB.

Is a smartphone adapter enough for the Grado RS2x?

To start with, yes: 38 Ω and 99.8 dB per milliwatt are modest, and a decent USB-C dongle drives the RS2x without trouble. If you want to open up the soundstage further and tighten the bass, give it a proper headphone amp or DAC. The difference isn't a marketing fairy tale.

Is the Grado RS2x suitable for commuting?

Not really. The open-back design lets sound through in both directions: you hear your surroundings, your surroundings hear you. At home that's exactly its strength, on the train or in an open-plan office its biggest drawback. For on the go, closed-back models are the better choice.

Why buy the Grado RS2x from HD Zürisee?

Because advice is more than a line in a spec sheet. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil sits a well-practiced team that explains the gap between the RS2x and RS1x in plain language and thinks about the right amp along with it. A call, an email or WhatsApp is enough.

Goes well with

A clean headphone amp suits the RS2x well. More open-back and closed-back models are in Headphones, replacement L-cushions and adapters in Headphone Accessories.