The Absolute Sound "Best Headphones" 2008/2009PC Magazine "Editors' Choice""The Greatest-Sounding Headphones Ever Made"A few short years ago, when Grado showed its new Statement Series GS1000 headphone at the National Head-Fi Convention in New York City, the response was way over the top. But these premium 'phones are way over the top, too. The Statement GS1000 had been on the drawing board for quite a while, and John Grado admits that the finished product is without a doubt his finest effort to date. That's saying quite a lot, considering the number of highly acclaimed headphones that the company has designed over the decades. And the new GS1000e upgrade version is even better! Enhanced with an 'e'The new e-Series version of the Grado GS1000 Statement Series headphone continues the evolution from the original model GS1000 through the award-winning GS1000i to the latest enhanced version, the GS1000e. The hand-crafted mahogany earpieces utilize an intricate curing process that optimizes the tonal quality while giving them a new look. The GS1000e uses 2" dynamic transducers and the new twelve-conductor cable design. The wood, driver, and cable designs, result in tight control and stability of the upper and lower range of the frequency spectrum to support the GS1000e's world renowned midrange. Grado's GS1000e cushion design actually creates a 'room' for the ears to sit, with a larger soundstage and greater spatial experience for the listener. It was most important to design the correct balance between the driver and our wooden driver housing to deliver the pure sound audiophiles crave, and the GS100e is one of the most comfortable headphones you'll ever audition. The GS1000e retains a sound that is pure Grado, with warm harmonic colors, rich full bodied vocals, excellent dynamics, and an ultra-smooth top end. The presentation is very detailed, the bass is deep, and the music is very tight while non-fatiguing. All with stunning separation and layering of the music. "Mind-Expanding Soundstage"The Absolute Sound magazine rated the Grado GS1000 as the "Best Headphones" in the Winter 08 / Spring 09 issue. "They're terrific for low-level listening with an unforgettably mind-expanding soundstage." "The Grado GS1000 headphones are very likely the greatest-sounding headphones ever mad," raves Tim Gideon in PC Magazine for March 30, 2007. The magazine award the GS1000 its top rating of Five Stars and also gave it a coveted "Editors' Choice" designation. PC Magazine praises the Grados for "the best audio performance in headphones available. Rich, unexaggerated bass. Mid and high frequencies are precise and crisp. Beautiful, unique design." "Unmatched Level of Musical Revelation"The GS1000i's offer a level of musical revelation unmatched, in our experience, by almost any replay, or, indeed, live performance," raves Richard Black in the December 2006 issue of England's Hi-Fi Choice magazine. "Musically, these new flagship 'phones can handle whatever the music demands of them," marvels Max Dudious in his review for The Audiophile Edition. "They can be delicate with a classical string quartet, able to retrieve the precise moment of attack, the smallest nuance of performance; or they can bowl you over with The Great Wall Of Grado sound from a great blues band, yet still capture the smallest details within the stonework of that wall." "We're in Audiophile Territory Here!" proclaims Bill Kaiser on the GoodCans.com website. "But, if you've got to have the best Grado... this is now it!" "And it's not hype. It's not flavor of the month. It is, however, my new reference headphone," reports Jude in the February 2006 issue of South Africa's High-End Audio magazine. "The GS1000 will -- I have no doubt whatsoever -- elevate itself into the pantheon of the highest-end headphones…" Closely Matched Premium DriversThe GS1000i uses advanced drivers that are carefully matched to a 0.05 tolerance. This larger advanced driver has never been used in a Grado headphone before, and the results are extraordinary. The top to bottom sound of the Statement is extremely balanced, and the soundstage, in the words of John Grado is "simply unbelievable." The sound of these open air headphones is very detailed, the bass is deep, and the music is very tight and not fatiguing at all. The larger air chamber is less affected by transient distortions than previous designs. The frequency response is an impressive 8 Hz to 35 kHz, making the Statement ideal for any type of music that you throw at it! Premium UHPLC copper wire is used in the voice coil and internal wiring. A mini-adapter is included for using your Grados with portable music sources, while the extension cable gives you plenty of room to stretch out with your favorite music.
"Perhaps the most telling moment in a long auditioning period spent with these cans came when a passing professional musician raised both eyebrows on being told the price of a pair of GS1000's, only to nod and concede the point completely within about five seconds of hearing them. That really sums up the achievement of these headphones; the can make the most seasoned of critical listeners realize sound reproduction can be that good. The GS1000's offer a level of musical revelation unmatched, in our experience, by almost any replay or, indeed live performance." "Grado can't compensate for the 'being there' chemistry of live music, but the level of detail and insight the GS1000's bring to the party considerably exceeds what we've heard in all but a few concerts." "In hi-fi terms, the tonal balance redefines the concept of neutral. Dynamics are so effortlessly wide that they take some getting use to; but they make most other cans and practically all speakers sound seriously congested. Imaging is precise and extended in a way that most reproducers on dream of. We've heard other hi-fi components that have pointed up new details in familiar recordings, but these quite literally make those discs sound completely new, such is the extra insight they convey." - Richard Black, Hi-Fi Choice magazine, December 2006 "Don’t be fooled by the retro aesthetic; this pair of phones features incredibly detailed sound and exquisite construction light-years beyond whatever came with your iPod. The flagship model from Brooklyn-based Grado Labs, these headphones are among the finest ever produced." - Anthony Cross, City magazine "We’ve rarely heard American Trilogy convey both the pathos and bombast of late-era Elvis in such a moving way – even replayed through speakers costing many times the price of these Grados." - Tech Specs magazine "Pardon me while I gush over the way GS-1000 clarifies live recordings. The sound seemed to surround me, with a rare ability to resolve depth, just as you would in a concert hall. Ditto for the way this headphone reveals rhythmic underpinnings in rock and jazz CDs. Grados have always been exciting, classical music now sounds more refined. Bass is deep, yet more controlled and precise than ever before." "The sonic result is of the highest quality, the spectral balance is an amazing achievement. This headphone is a tool that will highlight the shortcomings of many “famous loudspeakers. Have a listen, compare, you shall not be disappointed. - Steve Guttenberg, Audiophiliac, CNET News "The Grado GS1000 is a luxury headphone built for comfort and long listening sessions…sinking into a favorite chair and enjoying a visit with a beloved symphony, headphones don't sound or feel much better than this. The GS1000s are utterly habit-forming, so audition at your own risk." - Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound magazine "Right off the bat, you enter a universe of subtlety and emotion: the bandwidth toward the bottom as well as toward the top seems unlimited. The best, however, is the fact that the GS1000 does it without 'bragging' or exaggeration." - Henri-Pierre Penel, Prestige Audio Video magazine (France) "The GS1000 exceeds all limits of advances in headphone design... The GS1000 sounds breathtakingly open and transparent. Compared to most other top class headphones, the Grado draws a superior spatial reproduction and makes it easy to feel like being in a concert hall." - Martin Freund, Home Electronic magazine (Switzerland) Editors Choice Award "THE GOLD STANDARD: Very likely the best sounding headphones ever made – and they’re priced accordingly." - Tim Gideon, PC magazine "It’s not often a product I review elicits in me an emotional response…The Grado is like no other headphone I have ever tried… I’ve hook them up to quite ordinary hi-fi, to iPods and even my laptop and still been bowled over by the sheer beauty, clarity and spaciness…They have improved my life to such an extent that I have bought a pair for my own selfish use…A sound investment." - Jonathan Margolis, Financial Times magazine (UK) "The latest offering from Grado Labs represents decades of educated trial and error experimentation, the slow and painful development of mastery, and I feel the GS-1000s are a masterpiece… Good enough for Accessory Of The Year? Undoubtedly." - Max Dudious, Positive Feedback "The first thing that struck me about the GS 1000 was the comfort level. The GS1000 is one of the most comfortable headphones I have ever tried." "The Grado's bring excitement and an engaging musical quality to the table. I urge you to audition the GS1000 and to appreciate the new qualities which John Grado has brought to the table. The new GS 1000's are a statement option which now belong on the top of the short list up there on the top." - Ryan Clarin, sixmoons.com "The GS1000 was the only headphone selected and recommended by Fortune magazine for their Holiday Gift guide." - Fortune magazine "The GS1000s were superb and did a fantastic job of putting a three dimensional space inside my head, almost fooling me that I was listening to a pair of speakers." - Jeff Dorgay, Tone magazine "Each and every instrument has body and the vocals come across without any doubt or question. When you hear the sound of a voice, you can actually hear and feel the sound as it would be coming from a real human flesh and blood. These qualities, along with the immediate proximity of the headphone, allow the music to actually get right under your skin." - Dr. Reinhold Martin, Hi-Fi & Records magazine (Germany) "The GS1000 was named one of the six great indulgences in the world." - Details magazine "But there’s more to the GS1000 than just soundstage. The overall sense of neutrality and transparency. The effortless and liquid midband. And the bass – strong yet perfectly controlled and detailed. The GS1000 may be as close to a perfect headphone as I’ve so far heard." - Jude Mansilla, founder of Head-Fi.org "Tell Mr. Grado that those new (GS-1000) headphones are probably the best / finest dynamic headphones that I have ever heard in the world...in my life." - Wayne Schuurman, Audio Advisor magazine "The GS1000 is a fantastic headphone for every musical taste. It is my headphone of choice and for good reason. Its soundstage is huge, the highs are detailed, the mids are sweet and the bass is deep and rich. Oh, and it's comfortable to boot! Way to go John!!!" - Todd Green, Todd The Vinyl & Headphone Junkie |
Grado GS1000e Statement Series Headphones Product Reviews | ||
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