Grado GT220
We’re surprised Grado didn’t find a way to make its first pair of true wireless earbuds open-backed; even it has had to sacrifice a principle or two in order to join the ongoing true wireless earbuds land-grab. With the GT220, Grado has delivered a visually unremarkable and predictably configured pair of earbuds that go without some features, such as active noise-cancellation or a control app, and slapped a premium price tag on them. Can such a small, unassuming product really be worth big money?
The GT220 are small and light – just 5g per earbud – but their polycarbonate housing is unyielding to the touch and doesn’t make the Grados feel like a premium product. Despite following the established ‘twist and lock’ fit template, the GT220 are less than straightforward to get into position. There’s a choice of just three sizes of eartips, but even if one fits properly, getting the in-ears sitting comfortably and securely proves tricky.
Perseverance brings its rewards, though: once the GT220 are in position, they turn out to be nice and stable. The fit provides a little passive noiseblocking, too, which is welcome given the lack of active noise-cancellation.
Precise construction
Grado knows what it is doing when it comes to build quality. The material may not feel luxurious, but it is resilient, and everything is constructed with complete precision. Each earbud has a capacitive touch-surface, beneath the big, stylised ‘G’ logo that lights up. It’s responsive, reliable and covers every major function.
The Grados are compatible with both Siri and Google Assistant, and though there is only one mic in each earbud, there’s nothing wrong with call quality or voice assistant comprehension.
On the inside, the GT220 are fitted with a single 8mm full-range driver in each earbud. Bluetooth connectivity is via aptx, which is fine for getting hi-res audio files on board without fuss, but we wonder why the premium price tag doesn’t stretch to aptx Adaptive compatibility – is no-one likely to watch video content with their GT220? At least aptx Bluetooth assists in delivering impressive battery life numbers. Despite their compact dimensions, the earbuds can hold up to six hours of power – and the equally compact charging case holds another five full charges. So, a competitive 36 hours between case charges is achievable. The case can be charged using either a USB-C cable or any Qi-certified wireless charging pad, and from ‘flat’ to ‘full’ takes a couple of hours.
Get the GT220 satisfactorily positioned in your ears and it doesn’t take long for them to reveal what they’re all about. Like many a pair of Grado headphones, the GT220 are unequivocal.
Once through a song as familiar as Fleetwood Mac’s You Make Loving Fun (as an Mqa-powered Tidal Masters stream) is enough for the GT220 to give a full account of themselves. The overall sound is clear, detailed and direct. The bottom of the frequency range may not have quite the impact the best of their rivals can offer, but it’s filled with information concerning texture and timbre. There’s an immediacy to the way they serve up the tune that sets them apart from the majority of their rivals.
Higher up, the midrange is treated with similar attention. Detail levels remain high – even minor transient details are picked up on and described. Clarity is impressive too, and as the GT220 establish a reasonably broad and deep presentation, a vocalist has the whole of the midrange in which to stretch out and do their thing.
Listening to James Carr’s Pouring Water On A Drowning Man confirms the Grados are more adept at extracting the nuance from a singer than most rivals. But the GT220 overplay their hand a little when it comes to the top of the frequency range. At some point ‘assertive’ becomes ‘overconfident’, and the GT220 could do with backing off their attack just a touch.
An already trebly recording such as Saint Etienne’s Only Love Can Break Your Heart can eventually become a little tiring in the Grados’ hands, especially if you’re listening at significant volume.
Hanging together
This high-end exuberance contributes to their slightly disjointed way with timing. The overall sound of the GT220 hangs together pretty well – but they don’t render the momentum and drive of music with the same finesse as the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2. Both the broad and low-level harmonic dynamics of Telemachus’s Caroline What Is Wrong With You are described in full, with a kind of casual authority. The same tune allows the GT220 to showcase their out-and-out scale and insight.
The Grado GT220 don’t look or feel particularly premium, and they go without some of the specification you might reasonably expect at this price. They’re not the most accomplished listen where timing or top-end refinement is concerned; but if you enjoy your music upfront, detailed and immediate, you’ll find much to like here.