Grell OAE2

This innovative open‑back design aims to bridge the gap between headphone and speaker listening.

A new manufacturer founded by veteran German designer Axel Grell, the Grell headphone company have arrived on the scene with a model named the OAE2. And, although their marketing efforts are directed at the hi‑fi arena, they say a lot of things that should interest studio users. For example, they claim that the OAE2 “delivers stable imaging and natural spatial perception rather than exaggerated width, mimicking nearfield studio monitors”, and that it is “tuned to deliver music exactly as it would be heard in the studio where it was created, prioritising accuracy over preference.” To achieve this, the OAE2 incorporates an interesting and novel design concept.

Front Or Centre

The Grell OAE2 is an open‑back, passive, circumaural headphone that is outwardly conventional. It employs moving‑coil transducers housed in large, circular, perforated earcups, with equally impressive velour‑covered cushions on the inside. These are mounted on metal yokes with a dual hinge arrangement that allows them to pivot freely in both the up/down and the front/back planes. The adjustable headband sports another thick velour cushion to protect the top of the head, and despite weighing in at 378g (13oz) and clamping the ears a little harder than some models, the OAE2 remains comfortable for long wearing periods.

At the base of each earcup you’ll find a 2.5mm TRRS mini‑jack socket, giving users the choice as to which side to connect the cable. Two cloth‑covered, silver‑plated cables are included, both 1.8m in length. One terminates in a standard TRS mini‑jack with screw‑on 6.5mm adaptor, while the other is a ‘balanced’ cable that ends in a 4.4mm TRRRS plug. These, along with the headphones themselves, fit neatly inside a broad but thin padded carry case.

Grell supply an unusually full range of specifications for the OAE2, which is laudable. I can therefore inform you that the aforementioned clamping force is measured at 2.5N, the nominal impedance is 38Ω and that the OAE2 will produce 100dB SPL from a 1kHz...