Grado Labs GW100 Wireless Headphones

If you haven’t heard of Grado Labs before, just trust us when we say they make pretty excellent audio gear. Its latest, the GW100, is particularly exciting because it’s the company’s first pair of wireless cans to date.

Billed as the “world’s first open-back Bluetooth headphones,” the GW100 boasts the traditional over-ear form factor and is coated in a classic black sheen, complete with splashes of silver to give the headphones a kick design-wise. In effect, you get a crossover between luxurious and utilitarian. The pair is very stylish and sophisticated, but not overtly so that you’re going to be embarrassed wearing them around. They’re also detailed with the label’s new branding on the exterior of the ear cups. That means you can strut your cans around the city block and show Grado Labs’ latest piece of tech to everyone.

The only downside is that you’re not getting the more recent and more capable Bluetooth 5.0 technology. Grado Labs opted for just Bluetooth 4.2 for some reason, but that’s not entirely bad all things considered. You still have a working distance of 30 feet, to be sure. On top of that, you can squeeze as much as 15 hours on a single charge.

The GW100 itself is very light and comfortable to wear thanks to the padded headband. And if you’re not much a fan of wireless listening, there’s also a traditional 3.5mm audio cable included in the box, which is also great if you want to save battery. Or if you just want to play it old-school.