"We weren't sure how these hemphones would turn out, but to everyone’s surprise it quickly became a favorite passed around Grado," reads Grado's introduction to its latest open-back headphones.
Regardless of your feelings towards the word 'hemphones', the Brooklyn-based headphones brand looks to have created a unique and appealing pair in The Hemp Headphone Limited Editions.
In fact, the company claims they are one of the best-sounding limited-edition models it has ever built. As the name suggests, the headphones' housings are made from hemp, a material Grado hasn't worked with before now.
In addition to granting the headphones a strikingly attractive appearance, the highly compressed hemp supposedly creates a damping effect between the fibers that helps produce a fuller sound with a prominent low-end and a smooth treble. Grado built maple into the housing to help balance out the sound, too.
Grado's previous experience using maple gave the team a starting point when it came to specifically tuning the drivers to the hemp housings. However, it was only through trial-and-error that the company could get the presentation in line with the signature Grado sound that has proved so popular over the brand's seven-decade history.
"Hemp and maple work together for the first time to bring a new level of vibrancy to our Limited Editions," Grado promises.
Grado's The Hemp Headphone Limited Edition are available to pre-order in the US now for $420, or AU$699 via BusiSoft AV. In the UK, they are priced £479.95.
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