Drop + Grell OAE1

Measured

Every rig shows a large shelf: normalised at 400–600 Hz, the OAE1 measures 6–15 dB above the HD 600 on the same rig at 20–40 Hz and 3–7 dB above it at 50–150 Hz; RTINGS rates the bass 'Emphasized (3 dB)', and oratory1990's EQ starts with a broad −7.7 dB cut around 50 Hz.

vs. listeners — A few owners report thin sub-bass, which no rig shows. The likely cause is seal: unheardlab measured about 5 dB less below 40 Hz with one earpad mounting clip loose, and ish about 2 dB, so a pad not fully clipped in or a poor fit can undo the shelf.

Measured

On every rig the 1–2.5 kHz band sits 2–3 dB below the HD 600 while 2.5–5 kHz is roughly level with it, followed by the treble notch; oratory1990's EQ calls for a −11.7 dB cut at 4.65 kHz. Pragmatic Audio measured the 2–3 kHz region moving markedly as the cups shift forward or back.

vs. listeners — The 'shouty' and 'masked' camps describe the same graph: a presence peak just before a deep notch, under a big bass shelf. Which one a listener hears depends partly on seating, which moves the 2–3 kHz region.

Measured

Every rig shows a deep notch from about 5.5 to 8 kHz — at 6 kHz between 10 and 21 dB below the HD 600 on the same rig (elrics −10, aden −15, unheardlab −16, Super* Review −21). ASR's impedance curve shows a passive filter acting there; oratory1990's EQ adds +8 dB at 6.3 kHz.

vs. listeners — Nobody disputes the notch; the dispute is whether it is right. Resolve shows the response above 1 kHz resembles what an ear receives from a speaker well off to the front, which is Grell's stated intent — but he and most critics conclude it sounds wrong on a headphone, while its defenders say it sounds natural once the ear adjusts.

Measured

oratory1990's GRAS measurement predicts a preference rating of 26/100 against the Harman target (94 after EQ). ASR's member poll: 79.6 % 'poor' of 157 votes. Amazon owners mention sound quality 41 times positively and 10 times negatively.

vs. listeners — The targets that score it badly assume sound arriving from all around the head, which the OAE1 sets out not to do. Owners repeatedly say it works for some ears and not others — one called it "the equivalent of gambling" — and that it needs days of listening and careful seating before it settles.

Measured

RTINGS notes its PRTF test 'struggles to accurately convey' the OAE1's presentation of space, so there is no objective anchor here beyond the frequency response.

Measured

ASR measured about 0.5 % distortion above 500 Hz at 94 dB SPL on its sample. RTINGS found no audible harmonic distortion even at higher volumes, and Pragmatic Audio's rig showed under 1 % even in the sub-bass.

vs. listeners — The distortion results disagree between units. One ASR member who bought three pairs heard large differences in detail and distortion between them, and another who owns both editions found the Signature distorts later than the regular one — so some of the 'smeared' verdicts may be pair-specific.

Measured

Drop and Ichos give the clamping force as 3.5 N on the Signature edition, reduced to 3 N on the black standard edition. Several reviewers needed the headband at full extension, and it weighs 375 g.

vs. listeners — Head size looks like the dividing line: the comfortable camp includes smaller-headed reviewers, while the headband's short extension pushes larger heads into the clamp. The black edition's lighter clamp helped some but not all.

Measured

Amazon owners mention build quality eight times, all positively.

Measured

Price history: $349 (Signature, 2024), $299 list and $199–$249 street (standard), $99 at Drop's closing sale, $39.99 on Woot in May 2026, $48–$69 on Amazon since. Amazon owners mention value 27 times, all positively; Drop's own buyers, who paid more, rated it 3.94/5 against Amazon's 4.2.