Cocobolo and ipê – no, not the latest latin-fusion dance sensation, but two of the exotic woods featured in the new Statement headphone series from Grado. Using the company’s X drivers, the new models tune the balance to match the characteristics of the wood and metal used in each design, the flagship GS3000x – which sells for £2195 – also using Grado’s biggest-ever driver, a 52mm unit delivering a frequency range from 4Hz to 51kHz. The cocobolo wood combines with metal in this model to form a stable, inert platform for the drivers, which also feature features a more powerful magnetic circuit, a voice coil with decreased effective mass, and a
reconfigured diaphragm.
Mahogany has been used in past Grado designs, from headphones to phono cartridges, for the warmth it brings to the sound, but in the GS1000X it’s combined with ipê wood for greater structural integrity.
Selling for £1295, and like all Grado products hand-assembled in Brooklyn, New York, the GS1000x delivers a frequency range of 8Hz-25kHz. Both models are open-backed designs using the company’s on-ear G cushions, improved 12-conductor cables and improved headbands.
Balanced versions of the two models, using XLR connectors, are also available, at £1495 for the GS1000x and £2395 for the GS3000x.
Keep an eye on Sound Advice for a forthcoming review of the new Grado Statement headphones.
