Grado HP 100SE Signature Headphones

A New Design Direction, Built From the Ground Up

The Grado Signature HP100 SE is a contemporary homage to the trailblazing high-end HP1 model, honoring Joseph Grado's legacy while ushering in a genuinely new design direction for the company.

A completely new 52mm driver combines a paper composite cone, a high-flux magnetic circuit using rare earth alloys, and a lightweight copper-plated aluminum voice coil for genuinely musically correct voicing throughout.

The HP100 SE won an Audio Award from Popular Science in 2025, recognition for excellent high-frequency resolution, midrange smoothness, and bass energy delivered with genuinely low distortion throughout every recording.

Where the New Driver Design Earns Its Keep

Machined Aluminum, Finished in Space Grey

Each housing is individually machined from specially treated aluminum with the product name engraved on the face, honoring the original Signature HP1 design with a genuinely modern, updated feel throughout the entire build.

This magnetic circuit and voice coil combination produces excellent dynamics and transient response, along with a highly refined sense of space, soundstage, and imaging that reviewers consistently single out for praise.

The First Grado With Detachable Cables

The HP100 SE is the first Grado model to ever feature detachable cables, connecting via 4-pin mini XLR at each housing and terminating in a standard, genuinely widely compatible 6.3mm plug design.

A redesigned headband includes 50% more padding than earlier Grado models, with a stainless steel band and adjustable height rods that genuinely minimize listening fatigue over long listening sessions at a desk each day.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Popular Science's Tom Ware found it "shimmery, not shouty, vivid without being oversaturated, and scales sweetly," praising how "no one does it like Grado" with guitar reproduction.

Headphone.guru's Gary Alan Barker called it "a true audiophile reference headphone," adding it's "my favorite dynamic headphone I have heard to date" across every genre tested.

Who Is the HP100 SE Best For?

• You want Grado's most detailed, revealing reference sound: reviewers consistently describe this as their favorite dynamic headphone tested
• You want cable flexibility for the first time in Grado's lineup: the detachable system lets you swap or upgrade cables as needed
• You want tuning options built into the box: both G and F cushions ship included for direct comparison
• You appreciate precision-machined modern materials: the individually engraved aluminum housing is a genuine design departure for Grado
• You want an analytical, revealing Grado — the HP100 SE is the precise one

How Does It Connect to Your System?

The detachable cable connects via 4-pin mini XLR at each housing and terminates in a standard 6.3mm plug, ready for desktop headphone amplifiers right out of the box.

Additional cable options, including 4-pin XLR and 4.4mm balanced terminations at various lengths, are planned for the future to match different amplifier setups.

Pairs Well With

What finishes the system around a Signature HP100 SE:

• Headphone amplifiers — a genuinely revealing driver rewards a quality dedicated amplifier
• Digital-to-analog converters — a clean digital source feeding your amp matters as much as the amp itself
• Headphone cables — the detachable system opens the door to aftermarket and balanced options
• Headphone stands — a proper resting spot for the engraved Space Grey housing

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a headphone amplifier for the HP100 SE?

Not strictly, but it's genuinely recommended. As a true reference headphone, it isn't forgiving of weak sources — a dedicated amplifier reveals what this driver can really do.

Is the cable really detachable?

Yes. The HP100 SE was the first Grado model to offer this, connecting via 4-pin mini XLR so a damaged cable is a simple swap rather than a repair.

Which cushions should I use, G or F?

Both ship in the box specifically so you can compare them yourself. F cushions were standard on the original HP1, HP2, and HP3 models.

What does open-back mean for everyday use?

Sound leaks freely in both directions — people nearby hear your music, and outside noise comes in. Reserve these for quiet home listening, not a commute.

How is this different from the Signature S950?

The S950 uses a walnut wood housing for a warmer, more relaxed presentation. The HP100 SE's aluminum housing delivers a more detailed, analytical character instead.

Where is the HP100 SE made?

By hand, in Brooklyn, New York, where Grado has assembled headphones since a kitchen table in 1953, one workbench at a time.

See It in Action

Grado Labs presents Grado HP100 SE presentation.

Skeeb23 presents Grado HP100 SE review.

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Learn More

Want to learn more about open-back headphones, headphone amplifiers, or getting the most from a dynamic-driver design? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.