Grain Audio IEHP Review

The first thing you notice about the Grain Audio IEHP is the wooden housing for the drivers. While it may seem like an odd choice of material, wood actually contains very unique acoustic properties. Because of the low density of wood, sound waves resonate differently and therefore creates a different timbre than if the housing material was something like metal or plastic. This wooden housing produces a very natural sounding timbre, so the sound signature can only be described as unique.

Design/Build Quality

The IEHP features gray cabling along with the wooden housing on the drivers. The included silicon eartips are gray as well. So in the end, it’s not the most flattering design but it’s not terrible, plus you can’t forget about the awesome acoustics that come with the wooden accents. Overall there is very little strain relief on the cables, so that could be a problem for the longevity of the IEHP. However, the cables do feel well made and are quite supple.

Comfort/Noise Isolation

Comfort on the IEHP is very good for an in-ear headphone. Because the cable is very light and the headphones use wood, it significantly reduced the weight of the headphone which adds to the comfort and reduces of falling out of your ear. The sound isolation is about average as there is a bass port on the wooden housing that lets in a small degree of sound.

Accessories/Features

Out of the box, you get a nice carrying pouch for the headphones, as well as 4 pairs of silicon eartips that match the headphone. The apple-certified remote cable enables you to pause/play your music as well as control the volume on your apple device. If you use this with an android device, only the pause/play function will work. For a headphone in this price range, the accessories are good, but it would have been nice to maybe include a pair of foam eartips, as not everyone works well with silicon eartips.

Sound Quality

The bass on the IEHP is well extended, slightly boomy but it’s not too bad. If you’re listening to modern music this won’t be a problem at all. String instruments sound very clear and that’s probably due to the unique wooden design of the headphone. The highs are very forward which makes the headphone a very lively listen, but can get fatiguing when listening for long periods.

Conclusion

For 99 dollars, you get a nice carrying pouch and some nice eartips, but what are you really paying for? The wooden driver housing was chosen for it’s acoustic properties, so it all comes down to one thing – do you like the sound? Many people nowadays listen to modern music, and this headphone was made just for that. If you want a unique wooden design with a sound signature tuned for modern music but don’t want to break the bank, then the IEHP is the right headphone for you.