Grado GT220 Wireless Earbuds
Big sounds from the Big Apple
$259 From Grado, gradolabs.com
Features Bluetooth 5.0, aptX, AAC & SBC codecs, 36 hours playback
Designing and manufacturing headphones out of Brooklyn, New York, since 1953, Grado’s GT220 earbuds are its first venture into the wireless market. And judging by the sound these buds produce, it’s like Grado’s been bossing the scene from the start.
Inside the GT220 earbuds are 8mm drivers that have been specifically tuned for their miniature polycarbonate housings to deliver Grado’s signature sound. They link together and become discoverable to your Mac or iOS device as soon as you remove them from the charge case and, when in use, deliver levels of detail that are missed by many other wireless earbuds. We heard new texture in songs we thought we knew inside out. The level of clarity that the GT220s provide is spine–tingling.
The buds come with a choice of silicon eartips and are inserted into your ears via an
innovative “twist to lock” movement. Though this sounds alarming in theory, when they slot into that sweet spot they feel secure and very comfortable, with each bud weighing just 0.2oz. The outer casing is touch–sensitive to playback commands and activating the compatible Siri and Google Assistant voice services.
You can get a decent six hours of playtime from the buds and five more complete charges from the case. They can be topped up to full power in two hours using the supplied USB–C cable and also support wireless Qi charging. They certainly check all the right boxes.
THE BOTTOM LINE. Grado’s GT220 earbuds rank up there with the very best in terms of sound quality. The finely tuned drivers do an amazing job of showcasing new detail in your most treasured tracks. RYAN BUTT