Some gear earns your respect the moment you open the box. Not because it’s flashy or expensive, but because it feels like it was made with care. That’s what happened when I got my hands on the Grado Hemp Headphones, a limited-edition, hand-assembled pair made from compressed hemp and maple wood in Brooklyn, New York.
At first glance, it sounds like a novelty. Headphones made out of weed? Cute. But then you plug them in. And suddenly, the whole thing makes sense.
These are not gimmick headphones. They’re refined, warm, and weird in the best way. They have soul.
The Build: Analog Energy, Old-School Soul
The Grado Hemp Headphones feel like they were built by people who actually care about what they’re making. You can see it in the texture of the wood, the sturdiness of the cable, the clean minimalism of the design. There’s nothing showy here. No Bluetooth, no active noise-canceling, no lights, no app. Just a big analog plug and the option to use the included mini-jack adapter (or an iPhone dongle, which you can find easily online).
They’re meant to be plugged in. Meant to be listened to. Like a record.
I’m not one to romanticize cables, but even the cord here feels right. Thick, durable, and long enough to give you space to move without feeling like you’re tethered to a desk.
The Sound: Warm, Balanced, No Bullshit
Plugged into a MacBook or headphone amp, the sound surprised me.
I expected something quirky. Instead, I got depth. The bass is round and natural. The highs sparkle without getting sharp. Vocals sit right in the mix, and the overall tuning feels balanced. Not clinical, not artificially hyped, just real.
They’re not loud in the way some modern cans are. But they invite you to stay. To keep listening. That’s rare.
I tested them with Thundercat, Milo J, Bizarrap, Gang Starr, Guru, Samara Cyn, Young Mico, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan… At home, on a plane, during a cab ride. Every track opened up. Not in a dramatic, cinematic way, but in a subtle, satisfying way that made me smile.
They’re slow burners. The kind of headphones that make you want to re-listen to everything you thought you knew.
A Word From the Source
When I reached out to John Grado, the man behind the brand, he shared this:
“We are a U.S. manufacturer of headphones and this is our 72nd year in business.
Myself, being a product of the 1960s, when I heard that hemp wood was available for commercial use I was intrigued. I thought: we’ve made headphones out of various species of wood, why not try hemp.
To my surprise and pleasure, we were impressed on how they sounded and decided to put them into the mix of products we offered. And when we introduced them we felt the appropriate price was $420.
I’m told they enhance the entire experience, my feelings also.”
Hard to argue with that.
The Fit: Good for Me, Might Not Be for You
They come stock with F-cushions, the standard flat Grado earpads. I found them comfortable enough, even after a few hours. Even as my ears heated up. But some people with sensitive skin might want to swap them for upgraded pads.
They’re open-back, so they leak sound and don’t block out noise. Still, they worked perfectly on the plane. But, ideally, you’d wear them in a quiet room with the lights low, a playlist queued up, and maybe a little something-something lit up.
The Vibe: Functional Luxury
The Grado Hemp Headphones aren’t trendy. They’re not trying to win over TikTok or gamers. They’re made for people who still care about fidelity. People who listen closely. Who collect things not because they’re expensive, but because they’re meaningful.
They remind me of studio monitors or vintage turntables. Tools, not toys.
They also look cool as hell.
The Price: A Stoner’s Easter Egg
The original price was set at $420. Which tells you everything you need to know about Grado’s sense of humor.
These days, you’ll find them online for around $469, if you can find them at all. They’re a limited edition, and like most (fine) things made in small batches by hand, once they’re gone, they’re gone.
That said, I genuinely believe they’re worth it. The sound is great, the build is solid, and the vibe is all class.
Final Take
Grado’s Hemp Headphones are strange, subtle, and soulful. They don’t chase trends. They don’t scream for attention. They just are — and in an age of algorithmically tuned everything, that’s refreshing.
They’re for people who get high and want to listen to music the way it was meant to be heard. People who miss physicality. Who want to touch what they use and feel connected to the sound.
If that’s you, plug in. Sit back. Let the hemp do the talking.
