In the long lineage of a company that has spent decades refining how music reaches the ear, Grado Labs has now offered its open-back Signature S150 at the lowest price the line has ever carried, $295. Built in Brooklyn around a newly developed 44mm driver whose paper-composite diaphragm borrows from the flagship models, it marks one more quiet step in a family that has been reshaping its cables, cushions, and headbands for two years. Preorders are open now, with shipping expected in early November 2026, and the true measure of its character will be left to listeners and reviewers who have yet
Grado Extends Signature Driver Technology to $295 S150 Open-Back Headphones
The Signature Line reaches down to $295
Mark
Why does a $295 model matter in a line that tops out near $1,000 and beyond?
Mimi
Because the S150 carries the Signature ideas down in price: paper-composite diaphragm, detachable cable, adjustable headband, swappable cushions.
Mark
It's a smaller driver, though, 44mm instead of 50 or 52.
Mimi
Right, and it's newly developed, not a cut-down copy. Grado calls it the S driver.
Luke
Worth saying that the tuning goal, detail plus enough bass for a full sound, is Grado's own description. Nobody independent has reported on how it sounds yet.
Mark
What about the specs?
Mimi
38Ω impedance, 104dB sensitivity, 16Hz to 34kHz, distortion under 0.3%, and 0.05dB driver matching.
Luke
Those are published manufacturer figures, not measurements from a third party. Treat them as claims until reviews or bench tests arrive.
Mark
The connectors changed too.
Mimi
Yes, dual 3.5mm at the housings instead of mini-XLR, which means cables from earlier Signature models differ.
Luke
And the source doesn't say how the ABS chamber compares acoustically with the wood or aluminum used higher up. That's still unknown.
Mimi
Shipping is expected in early November 2026, so answers should come soon.
Il Polso
- Grado has pushed its Signature Line down to $295, opening a path to the family for buyers who once found it out of reach.
- A new 44mm driver with a paper-composite diaphragm is being tested against a lineage of larger, costlier siblings.
- Dual 3.5mm connections replace the four-pin mini-XLR of earlier models, a visible break from the family's established format.
- Preorders are live now, with shipping slated for early November 2026, and independent reviews are poised to decide how it truly sounds.
In the long lineage of a company that has spent decades refining how music reaches the ear, Grado Labs has now offered its open-back Signature S150 at the lowest price the line has ever carried, $295. Built in Brooklyn around a newly developed 44mm driver whose paper-composite diaphragm borrows from the flagship models, it marks one more quiet step in a family that has been reshaping its cables, cushions, and headbands for two years. Preorders are open now, with shipping expected in early November 2026, and the true measure of its character will be left to listeners and reviewers who have yet to hear it.
Grado Labs has opened preorders for the Signature S150, a $295 open-back headphone that brings the Signature Line to its lowest price yet. Weighing 220 grams and hand-assembled in Brooklyn, it centers on a 44mm dynamic driver developed for this model, with a paper-composite diaphragm drawn from the company's flagship technology.
The S150 follows a steady series of changes across the family. The HP100 SE, released in October 2024 to mark founder Joseph Grado's centenary, introduced detachable cables and a revised headband. The S950 later housed a 52mm driver in Brazilian walnut, and the S750 brought a 50mm carbon-fiber driver and a new eight-slit B cushion. Each step reflected a search for a different acoustic presentation.
The S150 applies that paper-composite approach to a smaller driver. Grado describes its goal as balancing detail and clarity with enough low-frequency warmth to keep music full. Its single-piece ABS chamber, flexible steel headband, and new Signature Bronze cable are designed for lightness and adjustability, and the cable's 3.5mm connections mark a departure from the mini-XLR of earlier models.
Shipping is expected in early November 2026. The specifications come from Grado itself, so independent reviews will be the first real test of how the S150 compares with the rest of its family.
Grado Labs has put a new pair of open-back headphones up for preorder at $295: the Signature S150, which pushes the company's Signature Line down to its lowest price yet. The headphones weigh 220 grams, are designed and hand-assembled in Brooklyn, and are built around a driver Grado developed specifically for this model, a 44mm dynamic unit with a paper-composite diaphragm derived from the technology in its flagship headphones.
The S150 is the latest step in a run of changes across the line. The Signature HP100 SE, which launched in October 2024 to commemorate the centenary of founder Joseph Grado, introduced detachable cables and a revised headband alongside a 52mm driver. That model paired a paper-composite diaphragm with a high-flux magnetic circuit using rare-earth alloys and a lightweight copper-plated aluminum voice coil. Grado then adapted the 52mm driver for the Signature S950, housing it in Brazilian walnut instead of the flagship's machined aluminum. The company chose the wood for its density and dimensional stability, and aimed for a different acoustic presentation.
Another driver came with the Signature S750: the 50mm S2, which uses a carbon-fiber and paper-composite diaphragm and a copper-plated aluminum voice coil. It arrived with a new B cushion that changed the spacing between driver and ear and used eight slits to manage airflow, a part developed as an acoustic component as much as a comfort feature. The $995 Signature S550 followed, bringing a 50mm driver, B cushions, and a detachable Signature Silver cable into a lighter 335g package.
The S150 applies the paper-composite approach to the smaller 44mm S driver. Grado says its tuning goal is to combine detail and clarity with enough low-frequency presence to keep the music sounding full. The published specifications list a nominal impedance of 38Ω, sensitivity of 104dB SPL at 1mW, a frequency response of 16Hz to 34kHz, and total harmonic distortion below 0.3% at 100dB. Driver matching is specified at 0.05dB.
The enclosure is new as well. Grado uses a single-piece acoustic chamber molded from engineered ABS polymer, chosen for low weight and consistent dimensions. The matte-black housing sits on polymer gimbals, stainless-steel height rods, and reinforced junction blocks. Inside the padded leather headband, a flexible steel band lets the wearer adjust clamping tension, and controlled housing rotation limits unnecessary movement. Grado will also sell the new Signature headband assembly separately for compatible earlier headphones.
Connections change at this price. The S150 uses dual 3.5mm connections at the housings, where earlier Signature models use four-pin mini-XLR. Its new Signature Bronze cable is designed to be lighter and more flexible, ending in a 3.5mm plug with a supplied 6.3mm adapter, and other source terminations can be chosen when ordering. The supplied F cushions have internal acoustic slits, and the full range of Grado cushions is compatible, giving buyers room to adjust fit and sound.
Preorders are open now at $295, with shipping expected to begin in early November 2026. The specifications and the tuning description come from Grado, so independent reviews will be the first real test of how the S150 sounds against the rest of the family.
Citazioni salienti
Grado describes its tuning goal as combining detail and clarity with enough low-frequency presence to keep a full musical presentation.— Grado Labs (paraphrased)
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