Stax SR-L300 vs Grado Hemp

Short answer: the Stax SR-L300. It ranks #20 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.3/5, at $455; the Grado Hemp ranks #53, rated 4.1/5, and costs $495, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.

What the Stax SR-L300 does well: An excellent preference score of 89 in crinacle’s measurement, among the closest tunings to the Harman target in its class. The catch: As an electrostatic headphone it needs a dedicated Stax-compatible energizer to run at all, which adds real cost and a box on the desk.

What the Grado Hemp does well: A preference score of 83 with mids within about 1 dB of target (upper mids 1.1 dB above, low mids 0.2 dB above) gives vocals and instruments a natural presence. The catch: Sub-bass is about 10 dB below target under 60 Hz, a large loss that removes most deep rumble.

Buy the Stax SR-L300. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Grado Hemp and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.

Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

More worthwhile head-to-heads for Stax SR-L300:

• Edifier Stax Spirit S3 vs Stax SR-L300
• Stax SR-L300 vs Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa
• Grado Hemp vs Moondrop Para 2
• Edifier Stax Spirit S3 vs Grado Hemp
• Grado Hemp vs HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet Version

Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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The Two Headphones In Full

Stax SR-L300: $455.00 Audio46 eBay

Pros: An excellent preference score of 89 in crinacle’s measurement, among the closest tunings to the Harman target in its class. The open back push-pull electrostatic driver gives a wide, airy presentation, and at 323 g it is light for a full size headphone.

Cons: As an electrostatic headphone it needs a dedicated Stax-compatible energizer to run at all, which adds real cost and a box on the desk. The open back leaks sound and blocks no outside noise. The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X shares the same rating for less money and plugs into ordinary gear.

Full Stax SR-L300 review and specifications →

Released	2016 (10 years ago)
Back	Open
Built-in Microphone	No
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	1.94 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Electrostatic
Drivers	1 x oval push-pull electrostatic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	7Hz - 41kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	89 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ)
Sensitivity	101 dB/100V rms
Tonal Tilt	-0.03 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.7 lbs (323 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.7 dB	0.70
Peak	1,213 Hz	-2.9 dB	1.92
Peak	82 Hz	-4.1 dB	1.03
Peak	4,035 Hz	+3.7 dB	5.20
Peak	2,474 Hz	+2.5 dB	3.36
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-2.3 dB	0.70
Peak	5,544 Hz	-3.1 dB	5.36
Peak	225 Hz	-0.7 dB	2.42
Peak	413 Hz	+0.2 dB	1.37
Peak	42 Hz	+0.7 dB	4.57

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Stax SR-L300 (crinacle measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Stax SR-L300 vs Edifier Stax Spirit S3
  • Stax SR-L300 vs Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa

Grado Hemp: $495.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: A preference score of 83 with mids within about 1 dB of target (upper mids 1.1 dB above, low mids 0.2 dB above) gives vocals and instruments a natural presence. Bass from 60 to 200 Hz is within 1 dB of target, and the neutral tilt of 0.09 fits listeners who want a balanced tonality. At 38 ohms and 99.8 dB sensitivity it is easy to drive from a phone or laptop.

Cons: Sub-bass is about 10 dB below target under 60 Hz, a large loss that removes most deep rumble. A 5 dB peak near 2.2 kHz can add forwardness to voices, and a 6 dB dip near 5.3 kHz takes some bite from cymbals and consonants. The open back leaks sound and gives no isolation.

Full Grado Hemp review and specifications →

Back	Open
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.41 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	13Hz - 28kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	83 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	38 ohms
Sensitivity	99.8 dB SPL
Sub-bass Extension	Falls 6 dB below target at 47 Hz (-11.6 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	+0.09 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.7 dB	0.70
Peak	5,779 Hz	+5.8 dB	3.08
Peak	103 Hz	-3.0 dB	0.63
Peak	2,201 Hz	-5.7 dB	3.90
Peak	3,309 Hz	+4.0 dB	4.69
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+0.5 dB	0.70
Peak	627 Hz	+0.5 dB	1.53
Peak	276 Hz	-1.0 dB	4.28
Peak	4,235 Hz	-1.5 dB	6.00
Peak	45 Hz	+0.7 dB	4.16

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Grado Hemp (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Grado Hemp vs HIFIMAN Arya Stealth
  • Grado Hemp vs HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet Version
  • Grado Hemp vs Edifier Stax Spirit S3
  • Grado Hemp vs Moondrop Para 2