Grado Hemp Hi-Fi Headphones

Grado Hemp — Open-Back Headphones with a Hemp and Maple Wood Housing

The Grado Hemp is an on-ear headphone that uses a compressed hemp and maple wood blend for its driver housings. The open-back design lets air move freely around the dynamic driver, producing a wide, speaker-like stage where vocals and lead instruments sit directly in front of the listener. At 38 ohms impedance, the Hemp is easy to drive from a phone, laptop, or dedicated headphone amp without extra power.

What Makes the Hemp Stand Out

Hemp fibers in the cup walls give this model a fuller low end and a more textured midrange than Grado's all-maple or all-aluminum designs. Flat pads place the driver directly against the ear, sharpening transient response and bringing micro-details forward.

Technical Specifications

These specs come from Grado's published figures for the Hemp.

• Driver Type: Dynamic — single moving-coil driver per side, tuned for a monitor-style presentation.
• Operating Principle: Open-back (open air) — vents the rear of the driver for a spacious soundstage.
• Housing: 90/10 hemp/maple wood blend — compressed hemp adds body and warmth, maple keeps the balance even.
• Frequency Response: 13 Hz – 28 kHz — extends well past the audible range for Hi-Res Audio sources.
• Impedance: 38 ohms — easy to drive from portable sources and most headphone outputs.
• SPL (1 mW): 98 dB — efficient enough for low-gain amplifier settings.
• Driver Matching: 0.05 dB — tightly matched left/right drivers for accurate stereo imaging.
• Cable: 180 cm 8-conductor, 3.5 mm jack with 1/4" adapter — long enough for desktop rigs.

Who the Grado Hemp Is For

This model is the right choice for listeners who want a forward, energetic, in-room sound from an open-back headphone and who already enjoy Grado's house sound. It rewards people who sit down to focus on full albums rather than background listening, since the open design leaks sound in both directions and offers no noise isolation. Jazz, classic rock, acoustic, and vocal-heavy pop benefit most from the fuller bass and centered vocal presentation.