Unlike many revered audio brands , quondam school Brooklyn outfit Grado Labs has n’t yet stoop to deploying rappers , jock , or style icons to commercialise its awesome headphones and phono cartridges . But before you dismiss its first raid into the world of branded products out of deal , you should know two things . The spouse is whiskey , and the earpiece are moderately amazing .
According to chief engineer ( and Grado Labs father ) John Grado , the company gets call from sports agent and vendor all the meter , and he ’s never care to bother with them . “ I do n’t need to give anyone to say my headphone are good , ” he separate me yesterday when he dropped off a fresh set of the Bushmills x Grado headphones . So why go with Bushmills ?
For entrant , Grado liked that he was working with an old troupe like his own — Grado Labs has been in the audio diligence for 60 years . Moreover , the project was an chance to tackle a number of challenges , not the least of which was seeing if his very serious audio party could actually play nicely with new ally .
On the airfoil , the Modern Bushmills x Grado earpiece could read as perfect gimmick . The caller ’s toilet have always been made of wood , and on this peculiar set , they happen to use the lily-white true pine barrels Bushmills uses to age its whiskey . When Bushmills approached John Grado about the undertaking , the first thing Grado did was make indisputable the boozy , brickle woodwind instrument was in reality something you could use to make a phone . “ We listened to the forest out of the barrels and we bonk it was something that could be done . ”
But producing the novel headphones was n’t as dim-witted as build an existing Grado design out of the new stuff and slapping a Bushmills logo on it . The requirements of the ware forced Grado to ramp up a closed - back headphone for the first metre . Many audio nerds prefer opened - back phone because they ’ve capture embrasure that allow aura — and therefore heavy wave — to flow back and onward , pay the phone a more undefendable , natural sound than pot that are sequester from the universe . But since a Bushmills collaboration necessitates a Bushmills logo somewhere these new cans are closed - back . They ’re open on the side , though , so there ’s still some flow of air .
In terms of design , Grado had to come up with a fashion to change state barrel into earcups that both sounded capital and could be reliably manufactured . other prototypes were prone to cracking and ruin in the edifice process . To make the earpiece sound right , Grado actually had to add mass in the form of a little tuning branching - corresponding wooden piece behind the equipment driver diaphragm to give the cups a lilliputian more heft and sturdiness .
Grado ’s son , Jonathan ( and Bushmills spokes - celebrity Elijah Wood , because certain ) spot - curb the sound to ensure that untested consultation would like the end merchandise . As did we ; they sound bully . “ It ’s nice to know that these old ears still got it , ” say Grado .
The sound you get from the Bushmills x Grado hind end is warm and readable , with a sweet - spot rightfield in the mid - mountain range , as Grado products are screw for . They ’re very lightweight , and compared to the industrial charge card and metal product out there , and the construction of the headband feels a little flimsy , which give the $ 400 price tag is going to put a lot of people off . We should probably point out that there arecheaper Grado offerings with corresponding intelligent calibre — not the reference - floor material , but skillful all the same .
Whether or not the Bushmills collaborations is a winner depends on your perspective . For all their sonic excellency , the Bushmills x Grado headphone are going to appeal primarily to aesthetes because the traditional audio residential district will never take something like this severely , no matter how incredible the cans vocalise .
But for the sleep of us , this is a bridge player - built product with a hand - built smell , and a adorable unsophisticated Natalie Wood finish . They ’re not kind of headphones that you ’re gon na throw in your backpack , but the people who corrupt them will probably want to . They ’re attractive , expensive , and fragile . They ’re refined like a fine whisky , and like a hunky-dory whiskey , whether it ’s worth the expense will stay a topic of argumentation .
The headphonesare available now make Turntable Lab .
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