Grado Statement Series GS1000i Headphones

This is my third GS1000 and this time I will keep it for a longer time.

I wanted a bigger soundstage when I had a SR325i so I sold the SR325i to fund the purchase of a headfi GS1000i and I like the soundstage much more.

The GS1000i does not need a powerful amp and the Meier Audio Swing succeeds to drive it without using the high-gain switch at medium volume level (but the Squeezebox volume is almost at full).

Lol, nice uh....review?

I only read about them. I never tried them on. I never heard them. That's not something one normally does when parting with several hundred dollars or more for headphones. But, what I had read had me convinced that the Grado Statement Series GS1000i Headphones were a must-have for my collection. Needless to say, I am pretty happy with my purchase.

You see, I picked these up gently used for nearly half the price of a new pair... that's a deal that can't be passed up for a can like this that has a real fan following. What's more, I have a friend that raves about Grado cans, and pairing his peer pressure with the raving reviews about the bass, soundstage and detail retrieval of the GS1000i, I had to go for it.

But, you probably want to know how they fit, feel and sound, right?

For starters, I'm not generally a fan of ear pads that actually touch my ears. On-ear cans? Forget it. I prefer a circumaural fit that engulfs the ear, providing a nice seal and no pressure on the ears at all. Despite the GS1000i having the largest ear cups in Grado's lineup, these pads do still touch the ears. Yes, they do surround them and seal nicely, but because of the tapered funnel-like design, you will have ear contact. So far, though, I haven't found this to be too much of an issue, but it is worth noting. Second, these pads are a bit scratchy. It's apparently a common occurrence among Grado pads. It's "just the way they are." I've heard that washing them with shampoo helps to alleviate it and soften them up a bit, but I haven't tried it yet.

As for the size and weight, these are big cans that will leave you looking like Princess Leia if her buns happened to be made from hand-matched and finely shaped mahogany wood. But that doesn't matter because you'll only want to use these in the privacy of your home listening room where you can truly submerse yourself in the stunning performance of the open-back design. The GS1000i, despite its size, is also surprisingly light. Likely the lightest large, full-size headphone I have ever tried.

And, finally, the sound. Well, it is truly amazing. Airy, three-dimensional and engaging are the first descriptors that come to mind. Grado headphones are known to have a unique and lively sound signature. The quality of their mid-range presentation is often raved about. I believe the GS1000i strays from the "typical" Grado sound, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The GS1000i, by far, has the best bass performance I have ever heard. It is nothing short of powerful. At first impact, you may find it overpowering actually, but as your ears adjust to the unique frequency response of this can, you will hear just how natural the sound reproduction is. I used to play percussion instruments; I've not heard kick drums reproduced so authentically before. In other words, the bass is phenomenal, natural, smooth and very engaging.

I'm going to skip over the mids for a minute and talk about the highs. The treble has a slight boost over the mids, similar to my Beyerdynamic T90, in my opinion, that adds a real sparkle to these headphones. I've heard people complain that the GS1000i can be sibilant and "screechy" or harsh.... That my friends is likely your recording, not the cans. The treble on the GS1000i, is again, by far, the most revealing I have experienced. The sheer amount of detail retrieval is truly impressive, but I believe it could be too much for those that don't anticipate that, don't want that out of their music, or, sorry to say, have crappy recordings and sources. You will hear the faintest noises: Music sheets shuffling, fingers sliding across strings, deep breaths before horn blasts, comments from the live crowd. All that said, having high-quality recordings playing from a clean source is paramount with the GS1000i, otherwise, you do stand to be disappointed.

Now, back to the mids. Their performance is no less impressive when it comes to clarity, instrument separation and authentic sound. However, the mids DO come off as being a bit recessed as both the powerful bass and stunning clarity of the highs takes over. In my experience, you need to give your ears some time to "break in" and adjust to the frequency response characteristics of this headphone before you write it off as being a slouch in mid-range performance. Once you are accustomed to the sound, everything comes together quite nicely.

I truly believe that the GS1000i gives you the most "live" sounding experience in headphones. When you put these on, you will feel like you are 10 rows back, center stage. And while the overall detail retrieval has hints of a live studio session, the sound signature of the Grado GS1000i is more authentic of a small venue live performance than that of what you'd hear sitting in an acoustically-treated studio. To me, you get the best of both worlds and a truly lively and engaging listening experience.

Check out more of the beautiful Grado Statement Series GS1000i below.

Please don't steal my photos.

I never thought the GS1000i were very nice headphones to look at.
But after seeing these pics...i really need to reconsider...

Good job with the photos and especially the lighting...beautiful wood texture..

Thanks for the photo compliments @ TheDreamthinker

Great cans! I enjoy them a lot! They have a alittle better lows but not so sweet highs compared to the first GS1000!

COMFORT:
Unlike the comfy pads, which people complain about itching, or ears getting hot and unlike the bowl pads, which cause pain on many people ears. The superbowl pads (or bagel pads) are supremely comfortable for one simple reason, they don't touch your ears at all, ok I lied...maybe they don't touch 98% of your ears (unless you have really big ears). So no itching, no sweating, no pain.
BASS:
Sooooo good, just right, no thump thump thump like my Audio Technica A700, I would venture to call the bass as crisp. It's deep, full, and very detailed. Please try a few tracks from Armin Van Buuren to find out how crispy the bass is.
MID:
thin & hollow sounding compared to a normal Grado (my normal Grado was an MS2). I guess this is the cost of creating a large soundstage. But I still find it acceptable and a welcome alternative for times when you get sick of the normal Grado midrange.
TREBLE: sizzling, screeching, piercing, every sssss, every cccchhhhhh, every ssshhhhh is multiplied ten fold. If you think normal Grado is harsh and bright, wait till you try the Statement hehe. Grado haters now have one more reason to hate Grado headphones

Many thanks for the treble warning!

I listened to these a week or two ago at my local audio dealer. I did not like them (and I own Grado SR-325i's). I very much agree with Nick01 about them sounding hollow. They have a LOT of bass, but I personally felt it was way too much and it didn't seem as "tight"(?) as on my 325i's - just bigger, more, and maybe deeper bass. The phones themselves are huge -they do cover the ears well but they felt "floppy" on my head. I personally didn't find them a step up from my SR-325i's. I guess I didn't notice the treble issue that Nick01 mentions. I couldn't wait to get them off my head because I hated the way they sound SO much!

now that a couple years have passed since this review i'd like to know if the burn in time reduced any of the treble/sibilance issues,and perhaps more importantly if you experimented with different pads.i found various pads in the SR series Grados make an IMMENSE difference in not only perceived volume levels but extreme differences in bass and treble response.I haven't ever owned the high end Grados but I do own the SR60i and the SR80i .when I purchased my SR80i earlier this year I was stunned when i first put them on at how weak and distant they sounded compared to my 3.5 year old SR60i and also the volume seemed a LOT lower.then I looked at my SR60i and realized how worn in and soft the pads were compared to the new much thicker much harder new pads on the SR80i so I quickly switched them out and suddenly my SR80i just sang! the volume was doubled (if not more) the bass and mids were gorgeous and detailed and clear as could be and the only thing I wasn't immediately happy with was the highs as they were a bit too bright on some music,but that changed after a hundred hours of burn in and now they sound gorgeous. so if you haven't tried some older softer comfy pads on your GS1000i please do,and if you don't own any comfies I would suggest ordering some but I wouldn't order the Grado ones as they don't tend to be as soft and are (for me at least) too thick.there are plenty of third party companies who sell pads which fit any of the Grado's though and I bet You would be surprised at the difference.I certainly was. I own a pair of the L Cush Bowl ear pads and hate them,even worn in they just make the music sound too distant and lack too much bass (not that the SR60i or SR80i are very bass prominent in the first place,but with my Sony F807's EQ adjusted they have just the right amount. anyway just a suggestion.Thanks for a great and honest review.

Grado Statement Series GS1000i Headphones

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alexdemaet

1000+ Head-Fier

SoundApprentice

100+ Head-Fier

Nick01

500+ Head-Fier