Tag Archives: Grain Audio

Deal: Save 25% on Grain Audio OEHP.01 Headphones

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I get to review lots of pairs of headphones, and one of my favorites from past last year are the Grain Audio OEHP.01 over-ear headphones. Not only do they look great, but they sound wonderful, with a warm and natural sound.

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Made from grain-matched solid walnut, and featuring a comfy cushioned headband and ear cups, you can wear them for hours in comfort. Sound is provided by a pair of powerful 40mm neodymium magnets, which offer big sound without that unnatural bass boom. They also have an inline mic and remote if you want to use them with your smartphone.

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The OEHP.01 Headphones normally sell for $199.99(USD), but we’ve got them in the Technabob Shop for a limited time for just $149. Better grab a pair before they’re all gone.

Review: Grain Audio OEHP.01 Solid Wood Headphones

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I’ve tested and reviewed numerous pieces of audio gear over the years, and one company I’ve been really excited about over the last year has been Grain Audio. The company’s headphones and speakers have thus far bucked the trend of style over substance, perfectly balancing sound quality, build quality and design. Perhaps the most anticipated product in the line are the OEHP.01 (over ear headphones), the biggest headphones in their lineup so far.

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For starters, the OEHP headphones look great. The enclosures are crafted from grain-matched solid walnut, cushioned with plush, form-fitting ear cushions and a cushioned headband, making them some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. While the band is made from plastic, it has a nice flex to it, and cuts down on weight. Plus it doesn’t feel like it would break unless put under extreme stress.

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Generous 40mm neodymium magnets provide a natural sound devoid of the exaggerated bass boom found in some of the bigger name brands out there. That said, the OEHPs offer clean sound at even the top of the volume range. I ran them through their paces with my go-to test tracks, which represent a diverse musical cross-section, including Donald Fagen’s New Frontier, Radiohead’s Paranoid Android, Journey’s Wheel in the Sky, Kanye West’s Graduation, ELO’s Showdown, Arcade Fire’s Ready to Start, and Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong’s They Can’t Take That Away from Me among others.

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I’m happy to report that the OEHPs handled the full catalog with aplomb – from the quietest passages to the biggest booms, and revealing subtleties missed by lesser headphones. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to achieve the volume you can with a pair of studio grade headphones and a headphone amp, but there’s more than enough volume unless you like to blow out your eardrums with sound.

The headphones ship with a detachable cable with an inline microphone and pause/play button – cleverly embossed with the words “PLAY LOUD” – as well as a nice nylon zippered carrying pouch.

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I can’t say enough good things about these headphones. They offer clean and ear-pleasing sound, comfort, style and substance in a single package that’s not overpriced or overdone in any way. I highly recommend them.

The OEHP headphones sell for $199.99(USD) over at Grain Audio.

Review: Grain PWS Wood Bluetooth Speaker: Big Boom, Small Box

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The Bluetooth speaker market is very crowded, so it’s quite difficult to decide what speaker to go with. Well, the portable speaker that has now jumped to the top of my list is the Grain PWS (Packable Wireless Speaker). This compact Bluetooth speaker measures just 7″(W) x 2 3/8″ (D) x 3 1/8″(H), but it packs a punch, and looks great doing it.

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The first thing you’ll notice about the PWS is just how substantial it looks and feels. Its case is made from solid walnut, so right there it’s got a big advantage over other portable speakers. Wood is just a much better material for speaker enclosures than plastic. There’s a reason that high end audiophile speakers are made of the stuff. Grain is quick to point out that the wood will change color with time, which just adds to its design panache. In addition to the wood enclosure, the speaker has metal grilles with a soft rubberized bezel which just looks sharp.

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Of course, a case does not a speaker make. Inside, you’ll find a pair of 2″ drivers and a passive radiator, backed by a stereo amp and Waves award-winning MaxxAudio sound processing. While the wattage of the amplification system isn’t specified, the speaker pushes out sufficient volume to fill my 15′ x 20′ living room. At full volume, distortion was inaudible to my reasonably well-trained ear, and at normal listening volumes, audio was well-rounded and warm, without the tinniness usually associated with small speakers.

Connecting your wireless device to the PWS is brilliantly simple too. Just press the power button for five seconds, and a voice will announce “pairing mode”. Then select the PWS with your mobile device’s Bluetooth settings and the voice will announce “pairing complete”.  The Other than play/pause, the speaker forgoes any sort of remote track control feature like some Bluetooth speakers, but this is okay by me. I use the controls on my mobile gadgets to choose tracks and playlists anyhow, and I’m pretty sure that most of you do too.

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Naturally, the PWS has a built-in rechargeable battery too, so you can take it wherever you go. Battery life for the PWS is rated at eight hours, and I had no problem achieving (and slightly exceeding) this in my testing at medium volume levels. A handy LED indicator inside the rubberized power switch changes color to indicate when the battery is at 25% remaining, and then again when it’s at 10%. When you plug it in to charge, a voice announcement says “charging” and then “charge complete” when it’s done. Charging an empty battery takes somewhere between two to three hours.

Not only does the Grain look and sound great, its packaging is top notch. Inside the box, you’ll find a soft carrying pouch, a matching dark grey Grain USB power adapter, a MicroUSB to USB cable and a 3.5mm stereo cable for directly connecting audio sources.

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To sum up, I’m impressed with this little speaker, and it’s currently my favorite Bluetooth travel speaker. While other speakers may be more rugged or waterproof, or offer more bells and whistles, I’m giving the Grain PWS the win on sheer sound quality and aesthetics.

The Grain PWS is available for order now, and sells for $249(USD).

Unraveling The Grain Audio Story

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You can’t fault Mitch Wenger and his team at Grain Audio for giving us one of the most compelling portable audio solutions in a long time. While stalwarts were fighting over adding unnecessary features like alarms and loud colors, Mitch and his team of passionate music and design enthusiasts started working on one of the most creative wireless audio solutions with the Packable Wireless System (PWS). Crafted from warm walnut wood and other essential elements, The Grain Audio products are a treat for the true music fan who appreciates audiophile sound quality.

The Packable Wireless System (PWS) is an empowering portable audio system for those who appreciate superior sound quality. With the core team compromising of audio engineers, an architect and music enthusiasts, its easy to see why the speaker is all about belting good sound quality with close attention paid to the smallest details. The striking design makes it very intuitive and easy to use.

This beautifully crafted, walnut wood-embraced sound machine creates a lasting bond between you and your music. If we look at it from the design aspect of things, then there is nothing cooler than using FSC certified wood for this speaker. Even the Bass Isolation system, which elevates the speaker so that it doesn’t move while playing, is a good addition. I have been using this metal-constructed speaker for a while now and my major complaint has been its vibrating crawl, inching it towards the edge of the table. As a solution for this problem, some folks offer a quick fix like a skid-proof mat, and this is a bad work-around.

Paying attention to details is on top-priority here; PWS’s design takes into account accidental falls and uses reinforced wood, saving itself from serious damages. Integration of the Grammy Winning Waves MaxxAudio® suite found in many famous mixing boards is another added advantage. In a nutshell, the role of a speaker is to play great sounding music and this is exactly what Grain Audio has focused upon. (Good Design is the added bonus!)

Specs for the PWS include: 7-inch-wide unit, a pair of 2-inch drivers, a custom designed racetrack shaped passive radiator, and rechargeable Lithium-ion battery with 8-hours playtime.

Elemental Beauty: IEHP – In Ear Headphones.

The IEHP – In Ear Headphones are a creative mesh of aluminum bezel, wood and silicon. They way these elements have been molded, create an incredible fit and are so comfortable, that it will be difficult for you to remove them. In-ear headphones are a very personal experience and getting buds that are a perfect match, are tough. Another thing going for the IEHP is the proprietary driver that features a Neodymium magnet and a CCAW voice coil, creating awesome sound! Simple, elegant sound and form!

To round up this story, kudos to The Grain Audio Team! Stepping out of the KickStarter shoes and now moving on to bigger dreams, I will be out there to back your next project, while I still enjoy the sound of wood for now!

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(Unraveling The Grain Audio Story was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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