The latest pair of headphones to grace Chez Humphries are the Grado GS1000. These are the just superseded model, rather than the newer GS1000i. At least they were burned in, if you believe that sort of stuff (no hate mail please).

In & Out Of The Box
What of the ownership / un-boxing experience? Initially underwhelming, given Grado's preference for shipping high end audio jewellery in cardboard pizza boxes, albeit securely packed. Once you lift the lid, all disappointment disappears. Resolutely packed in foam are a 1/4 to 1/8" adapter, a 10' extension cable (sorry for the imperial measurements but it is an American company) and the best looking pair of 'phones I have ever seen, or touched!

From the leather headband to the mahogany driver outer / ear cups, they look and feel the business. But that is not all. Even before you play the music, slip them over your ears and they are the absolute most comfortable cans ever to grace my head. The AKG701s are OK, my Senn 600s are terrible (IMHO), the Grado SR-60s are just OK, and with similar comfort to my Jecklins Floats but more secure. I think it is due to the circumaural design of the bowl ear pads which sit over and around your ears, not on top. While warmish, they are definitely cooler than most others I have tried for extended listening.

The Sound
OK, so much for the cosmetic / wardrobe appeal, how do they sound?

First, I should set the scene with the associated equipment. My system comprises an Apple 160GB iPod using Apple LossLess CODEC, Wadia 170 iTransport, Cambridge DacMagic and Yamamoto HA-02 amplifier hung together with mid-fi cables and no power treatment. Most of the comparative references are against my Senn 600s and Grado SR-60s with this hardware / software mix.

Either in 2 channel mode or in my headphone system I run a pretty standard set of tracks which I know intimately to monitor changes or new pieces of kit. The GS1000s initially impress with a combination of detail and smoothness which immediately engages you, while enabling the listener to hone in on various instruments or musical passages if that is where your interests lie. Using these test tracks I can confidently report that the Grado combo delivers a realism to the timbre of voices and acoustic instruments and small ensembles which is most splendid. I have had the pleasure of hearing Phil Manning and Paul Kelly play live and their voices and guitars on 'Two Roads' and 'Foggy Highway' respectively are rendered with absolute clarity and accuracy by the Grados with a degree of air and spaciousness which previously I may have thought impossible for a headphone to reproduce. Johnny Winter And 'Live' is a fantastic blues guitar album from the early 70s and Johnny's lead and Rick Derringer's rhythm guitar really shine. For a bit more depth, Yello's 'Rubber Band Man', Harry Connick Jnr 'Follow the Music' (yes really) and Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band 'Sing Sang Sung' are believably reproduced with at least a sense of what would be available with infinite watts, open space and sub woofers. Old favourites become 'new again' Patricia Barber 'Ode to Billie Jo' and Sarah McLachlan 'Angel' just make you want to melt into the melody & the lyric. The MFSL CD version of 'Gaucho' Steely Dan can be a bit sharp and harsh (a little too 'crisp') and this impression carries through on the Grados.

So detailed, engaging and non-fatiguing would be keywords that I would used in describing their sound. And the size of the bowl ear pads I suspect contribute significantly to the huge soundstage that these headphones manage to throw by positioning the drivers well out and away from the ear allowing the sound to 'swirl' or project into a bigger space than usual.

Any Negatives?
So, what is not to like? Of course, we all know that no audio product is perfect. The Yamamoto / Grado GS1000 combination is not overly extended at the frequency extremes, so those wishing to summon the dogs with the high frequencies or have your chest cave in with the bass might wish to look elsewhere. Interestingly, the GS1000s have been voiced with the frequency extremes tipped up slightly to deliver a more coherent presentation at moderate listening volumes. Therefore, probably not strikingly accurate, so perhaps not a perfect monitoring tool. Although the slightly reduced extension that I hear might be more due to the performance of the Yamamoto amplifier.

Grado GS1000 Test Results (Source: Headroom)

I did swap out the Yamamoto and inserted a Headroom Cosmic solid state headphone amplifier to discern any changes. In a brief listening session, I would say there was the predictable (but modest) increase in speed and punch in the bass but the highs were not as sweet and barely if at all 'higher'. Interesting and engaging in a different way, but overall, I would not say 'better'. Perhaps a matching switching power supply might drive the 'Class A' electronics module a little harder than the battery pack. I would however like to hear the Grados with a top flight solid state amp for comparison. Also, just for fun, I would like to swap out the iPod front end and insert the full-blown Wadia 861SE transport/DAC. That might be a real step up.

Summary
The GS1000s are sensationally comfortable by usual headphone standards, are really engaging and draw me easily into the music. While we all know music is built on the bass, most of the music actually 'lives' in the mid range and it is here that the Grados excel. They do enough with the highs and lows to satisfy but it is the tunefulness of the mids and the air around notes / performers that make the result really sing. The comfort and musical presentation just make the headphone disappear and let you focus on the music, not fall into analysing the 'sound'. The look and feel of the mahogany and leather ooze quality and inspire a real pride of ownership every time you pick them up. The real proof and the highest praise I can bestow is that I have been listening to more music, through my headphone system and the Grado GS1000s than any other system combo in recent months. I am delighted to own them!

If you haven't already guessed, I am a Grado guy and YMMV but the GS1000 really do make a Grado Statement!

A couple of GS1000 links & reviews, including Grado, 6Moons.