Osnat Amzaleg - October 18, 2016

Bose vs Grado – How Bose Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars

Trying to get the most value for your money is the eternal struggle of the consumer. And the task doesn’t get any easier when it comes to headphones. In fact, you’re going to have to sift through a lot of false promises and cheap design before you find the perfect pair of headphones that actual deliver on what they promise.

Two of the brands that you’ll probably encounter a lot as you search for the right pair of headphones are Bose and Grado. Which one offers the most quality for the price? Take a look at our comparison below and decide for yourself.

Bose

Bose has achieved success by continuing to put out high quality headphones packed with the latest in innovative tech and features. Here are some pros and cons to consider as you shop:

Full Size Bose Headphones on Table

Pros

  • Sound quality - Bose uses the best materials and techs to help deliver the best sound. They tend to specialize in headphones designed to deliver great highs and mids but they do offer some exceptional bass headphones as well.
  • Comfort - Most of Bose’s headphones come with quality headphone cushions that provide maximum comfort. And to make things even better, when these headphone cushions wear out, you can easily replace them with a fresh pair to maintain that same high level of comfort.
  • Innovative features - Bose puts out a lot of great headphones with cool innovative features like noise cancellation, wireless design, built in mics, and more. If you’re looking for something with all the bells and whistles, check out the selection from Bose.
Man Listening to Music with Bose Headphones

Cons

  • Price. The quality and benefits of Bose do not come cheap. You are going to have to invest in that quality. But this is going to be true of every high end model of headphones. And when you compare Bose to other high end brands, they usually have the more reasonable prices.
  • Low end models are not great. This sounds obvious at first. Lower end products are usually lower quality. But the gap between low end and high end models in the Bose line is pretty dramatic. If you’re going to buy Bose, you definitely need to buy a high end set of Bose headphones in order to get the best value for your money. If you want low end headphones, Grado would be better for you.

Verdict

Bose offers some of the highest quality headphones that you’ll find on the market today. They are constantly developing innovative new technology and designs to build into their headphones. So if you’re looking for quality, go to Bose.

Grado

Grado is one of the leading brands in affordable headphones. They offer decent quality and functionality at an affordable price. Here are some pros and cons to keep in mind as your browse through your options:

Grado Heritage Series Headphones

Pros

Affordable - The key benefit of going with Grado is lower prices. The quality is lower as well but for some, price is more important than quality and in that case, Grado is the way to go.

Better low end selection - If you absolutely can’t afford to invest in a pair of high end Bose headphones and you need to buy a lower end model, Grado will have you better covered than Bose.

Modifiable - Most of the parts are easily replaceable so if you want to build your own custom headphones, Grado is a good option to use as a base to build on top of. This is also a convenient perk if you can’t afford to invest in high quality like Bose up front. You can replace parts as you go to gradually raise the quality of your headphones.

Holding Grado Headphones in Hands

Cons

Less comfortable - Grado is definitely not as comfortable as Bose and this holds true whether you’re looking at low end or high end Bose headphones. However, you can replace the headphone cushions on Grado headphones to help compensate for the lack of comfort.

Lower quality - Overall, a pair of Grado headphones is simply not going to sound as good or last as long as a pair of high end Bose headphones. So even if price is a major factor for you, you’re going to end up spending more money in the long run because you will have to replace your headphones more often. This is a key reason why it’s better to just pay a little more up front to get a pair of high quality headphones that will actually last you a long time.

Verdict

Overall, Grado headphones are lower quality than Bose. While you do get a cheaper price, you are sacrificing quality in order to save a few bucks. And if you choose to modify Grado headphones with new parts, you’ll end up spending more in the end than you would if you were to just buy a high end set of Bose headphones.

Final Word

Bose has a definite lead in this race. They are devoted to high quality, high functionality, and durability. They also invest in adding innovative new features like wireless, mics, and noise cancellation technology. So Bose is definitely going to give you the best quality when you invest in their high end models.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones

However, if price is one of your top concerns, Grados will probably win the race at the lower end models. But for the price, you’ll have to be ready to sacrifice in quality. If you can, it’s better to invest in high quality that will last because that will save you money in the long run.

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