In the experiment, Emotiva Airmotiv GR1 Graphene Reference: Emotiva's new breakthrough

Emotiva's first headphones impress with both their looks and their sound.

Text: Joni Nikkola PhotosManufacturer

Emotiva from Nashville, which has been in operation since 2003, is perhaps best known for itsCompared to its specifications, the company offers budget-friendly high-end home theater amplifiers and processors. There are also two-channel devices available, from amplifiers to CD players to DACs. Now the company has expanded its range to include headphones, and in a rather interesting way. The price for the Emotiva Airmotiv GR1 Graphene Reference headphones is 370 euros, which is quite a standard asking price for basic-quality headphones. What do the headphones offer in return?

Hi-tech and personal details
The Airmotiv GR1 Graphene Reference headphones are semi-open and surround the ear canal. The back of the headphones features honeycomb patterns with small holes to allow air to flow through in a controlled manner. They isolate some noise, but they cannot be called true travel headphones. The earcups are made of hornwood, which has been treated to a dark finish. The ear pads are covered with vegan leather that is not necessarily the softest or most durable material, but looks neat and feels comfortable. comfortable. Inside they have memory foam. The padding is removable and replaceable. The headband is made of metal and the adjustment is done with a surprisingly sturdy ear pad. You really have to use some force to adjust it.

The back of the headphones is decorated with water-jet-cut patterns as a delicious detail – and the design is open on both sides. The cables are standard and detachable.

Comes with a two-meter braided The cable has two gold-plated 2.5 mm connectors on one end for attaching to headphones and a 3.5 mm mini plug on the other end. It also comes with an adapter for a 6.35 mm headphone jack. If desired, the Airmotiv GR1 headphones can be used with a balanced cable in addition to the unbalanced one.

The elements’ films are used as reinforcement in the graphene layers on both sides of the thin polycarbonate film. The graphene is extremely strong but also an almost weightless hi-tech material that makes it possible to stiffen the structure. It consists of a thin, fine layer of carbon atoms. The elements are made of copper-coated aluminum foil, and with this combination the playback is promised to be extremely clear, distortion-free and linear.

The impedance is quite moderate at 32 ohms, and the sensitivity is a pleasant 106 decibels. The headphones therefore do not need a powerful headphone amplifier to work.

Included is a rare tan leather carry bag, which is however a slightly awkward shape to carry on a trip.It's a common practice. The headphones cannot be folded or turned into a smaller size, so the bag cannot be made completely flat either.

Easy and agile
On the bass side, the headphones reach the low frequencies with flexibility, and even the low frequencies are reproduced accurately and clearly. Especially on material with a lot of low frequencies, the bass sounds a bit muffled and muddy, but in a more moderate setting the sound is uniformly clear. The dynamics changes are well-present, but not exaggerated. For example, the harpsichord crescendo at the beginning of Massive Attack’s Teardrop leads comfortably into the song’s atmosphere. Paco de Lucía’s flamenco guitar playing is repeated in a melodic way and remains present even in the fastest runs. The treble is exceptionally pleasant and delicate in tone.

A sturdy case comes included. The headphones cannot be folded together, so you can't even get a completely flat case.

Headphones are an easy load, and just the headphone output from a laptop and phone is enough to drive them hard and clean. However, they perform best when there isn’t an overabundance of game tracks on the mixing desk, especially at low frequencies. On the other hand, with no single track in particular, they didn’t really create any wow moments either. That, however, is also a sign that the headphones aren’t trying to steal the show.