Grado GR8 Earphone Gets UK Launch

Grado are well known for their mid to high end Hi-Fi headphones, with the top of the range Grado GS1000i being the benchmark that other high end headphones are measured against.  This last month has seen the surprise release of the first Grado in-ear earphone (In Ear Monitor or IEM) in the USA, with a UK launch set for any time now.

The new Grado IEM has been named the GR8 (or GREAT, in case you hadn’t noticed).  You’ve got to love American marketing departments for their often amusing choice of product names (the Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro always makes me smile!).

Grado’s new earphone is based on a balanced armature driver.  This type of driver is very efficient and often exhibits a very clear and smooth midrange, with less powerful bass response than a conventional dynamic driver.

An earphone based on a balanced armature driver generally results in a smaller earphone body (think Klipsch Image X10, Sleek Audio SA6 and Ultimate Ears 700), but in the case of the GR8 the earphone body looks larger (maybe it’s just the photos).  We’re wondering if Grado have been tuning the GR8’s chamber for better bass impact.

Our distributor has told us to expect more Grado earphones to be released over the coming months.  If the GR8 is anything to go by then this new range could be very interesting.

We’re expecting stock of this earphone in w/c 12 October and can’t wait to give them a listen.  Reviews of the Grado GR8 on forums in the USA have been very promising.

More Information

For the full range of Grado earphones and headphones, as well as many other IEM style earphones please visit the HiFi Headphones site.