GRADO GS1000E WHITE EDITION

from R21 200 / audicoonline.co.za

Are oversized Polo mints a headphone trend these days?

Not that we’re aware of, but these Grado cans look so fresh we’d have no hesitation wearing them. Every pair from the Brooklyn brand’s Prestige Series is hand-built and this edition – also going by the moniker of The White Headphone – is available in “very limited quantities”. They’re made in the main from brushed aluminium, which according to Grado helps to dampen distortion – every audiophile’s kryptonite – while an eight-conductor cable exerts control in the upper and lower ranges of the frequency spectrum. Yes, all that from a cable.

I take it there’s some sort of link to the Beatles?

Boom Shankar! Yes, there is. As you might have guessed from the nickname, they’re inspired by , which big boss manby East 17, or cosplaying as Gandalf. The accenting on the earcups also pops strongly against that black leather headband.