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GT220
Company ProductName Specs




Edition XS
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

The Grado GT220 earbuds offer great overall sound quality and are more portable than the HifiMan Edition XS headphones, also working well for calls and meetings and being suitable for use during exercise thanks to their sweatproof design. In contrast, the HifiMan Edition XS provide a superior immersive music and TV/video experience with top-notch sound quality and soundstage but are less portable, not sweatproof, and lack features for calls. Grado GT220 is fully wireless and includes a built-in microphone and controls, useful for on-the-go listening and communications, whereas the HifiMan requires a cable and lacks a microphone, targeting audiophiles who prioritize sound over convenience. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Grado GT220
  • Good for air travel
  • Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the HifiMan Edition XS
  • Very good for music
  • Good for gaming
  • Best in class for TV and video

Key differences

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Music

6.3
GT220
Edition XS
8.8
The HifiMan Edition XS is very good for music, while the Grado GT220 is only fair.

Gaming

5.1
GT220
Edition XS
7.4
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for gaming, while the Grado GT220 is poor.

Phone Calls

6.9
GT220
Edition XS
5.0
The Grado GT220 is only fair for phone calls, while the HifiMan Edition XS is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

8.8
GT220
Edition XS
7.9
The Grado GT220 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the HifiMan Edition XS is good.

TV and Video

5.5
GT220
Edition XS
9.5
The HifiMan Edition XS is best in class for TV and video, while the Grado GT220 is poor.

Noise Reduction

5.3
GT220
Edition XS
2.5
The Grado GT220 and HifiMan Edition XS are both poor for noise reduction, though the Grado GT220 is somewhat better.

Battery

5.5 Hours
GT220
Edition XS
N/A
The Grado GT220 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The HifiMan Edition XS does not have a battery.
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Key similarities

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Cost

$259
GT220
Edition XS
$269
Product imageProduct image

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

$400

The Grado GT220 has a price of $259 and the HifiMan Edition XS costs $269.

Build Quality

8.8
GT220
Edition XS
8.5
The Grado GT220 and HifiMan Edition XS both have very good build quality.

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How the Grado GT220 and the HifiMan Edition XS compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Grado GT220HifiMan Edition XS
Grado GT220HifiMan Edition XS

GENERAL

Price
$259
$269
Brand
GradoHifiMan
Release Date
September 1, 2020December 1, 2021
Form Factor
EarbudsHeadphones
Connectivity
WirelessWired

SOUND

Music Score
6.4/108.9/10
Phone Calls Score
7/105.1/10
Gaming Score
5.2/107.5/10
TV and Video Score
5.5/109.5/10
Exercise Score
6.2/104.4/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
5.5 HoursN/A
Wireless charging
YesN/A
Charging time
2 HoursN/A
Bluetooth version
5N/A
Case Battery Life
36N/A

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
NoNo
Noise Reduction Score
5.3/102.5/10
Virtual Surround
NoNo
Android App
NoN/A
iOS App
NoN/A
Mic Quality
6/10N/A

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8.8/108.5/10
Comfort score
7.6/107.6/10
Size
SmallN/A
Weight (headset or single earbud)
5 Grams421 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedN/A

Shopping

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Grado GT220

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Dig into reviews and images

Major HiFi

Alex Schiffer | October 2020
"With its superb and functional interface and its highly satisfying imaging, Grado has shown a new talent for delivering a solid true wireless system, and with future improvements, has the potential to really be one of the best."

HifiMan Edition XS

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Headphonesty

Eric D Hieger | January 2023
"The Edition XS easily compete with headphones in their price range with a very high price-to-performance ratio. The XS are an amazing value and offer performance not far off from headphones more than twice their cost. These will be a mind-blowing revelation for enthusiasts and music lovers who have only heard standard big-brand mainstream headphones."

Get a great deal on the Grado GT220 or the HifiMan Edition XS

About Grado

Grado Labs is a small, family-owned, business based in Brooklyn New York that specializes in high-end, boutique, dynamic headphones and turntable cartridges. They boast a particular house sound, that is to say their products have a particular sound signature unique to Grado, that some audiophiles seem to really like and are unable to find anywhere else. Their high-end headphones are all hand made, completely in house, from a variety of exotic woods and materials going so far as to making one of their most popular products out of hemp.

About HifiMan

HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.

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Why trust us

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.

By the numbers

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
110,600
Recommendations made
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Consumer hours saved

About the Earbuds or Headphones team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Luis Torres

Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.

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