[Todd]

Hi All,

We are going to loan our GS3000X to the first 5 respondents to email me. The headphones will ship out early next week to the first participant.

Please read the rules and follow them. We are looking for people who are interested in purchasing these new Grado headphones.

The pair we have has 2 different (unmatched) ear cups so you can see some of the wood variations that are being used to manufacture these at Grado Labs.

Loaner Program Rules:

Our loaner programs are for those who would like to try the available demo item before purchasing from TTVJAudio. These products are purchased by us and belong to TTVJAudio.com. It is our hope that through hearing these products in your own environment, in your own system, you can make a decision on whether or not to add it to your system. And if you decide to purchase, TTVJAudio.com will be your destination for your acquisition.

How to sign up! Pay attention and make sure you supply all the info in your email

Send your name and address, telephone number and your Head-Fi user name to me (Todd) at todd@ttvjaudio.com. Do NOT PM me as you will not be included in the program without an email.

You will get the loaner for 1 week to use in your home with your system. After your one week is up, you must send it to the next loaner participant. Email me (todd@ttvjaudio.com) the tracking info so I can pass it on to the recipient.

You MUST write a review and post it in this loaner thread. It must be posted in the same thread as this announcement for the loaner program. Please post the review here first and feel free to post it somewhere else if you like!

Once you have received the loaner, email me to let me know you have it and I will send the address for the next person.

Our loaner programs are USA only. We are restricted from shipping/selling outside the USA on most products.



Have fun - I look forward to hearing from you via email and reading your impressions of these cans in this thread!

Todd

 

[jamato8]

I look forward to reading the impressions!

 

[Todd]

Hi All,

Here is the list... The GS3000X will ship out on Wednesday to Chefguru. Have fun!

Grado GS3000X Loaner Program Participants:

1 Chefguru

2 Olumm

3 inmytaxi

4 main character

5 Oteil

6 dump

 

[Chefguru]

Received the Gs3000x today. Should be able to provide some impressions this weekend.

Can someone confirm for me that the gs3000e has a wood bottom cup.

I’m surprised to find the driver is in a metal bottom shell. I believe this is the only John Grado headphone with a metal bottom cup outside of the vintage ps-1?

 

[Chefguru]

First off I want to thank TTVJ for giving me the opportunity to listen to these headphones. This is such a treat and hope to be apart of more of these types of loans in the future.

I've had enough time now to understand the GS3000x and thought I would pen a bit. For those who are receiving the GS3000x next, please note if you notice any rattle or imbalance between drivers. Initially, I thought I might be hearing a little bit in the left side - so I opted to borrow a different amp and cables from a local friend - I haven't heard any rattling since. I've let Todd know in case it invalidates my review.

The GS3000x is the first Grado I've seen since the Ps-1 (and before that hp-1000) where Grado has used a bottom metal cup. Interesting that Grado opted to call this the "x" instead of a completely new number, given how different the construction is. I've been critical of Grado over build quality, but this is a pretty clean build overall. The foam cutouts are a little off, but the overall construction of the headphone is solid and doesn't have globs of glue, among the other QC issues seen over the years. The cable is fine (people were complaining about the nylon) and has a stiffness factor that I liked for resting on the table - should it be detachable? Yes, but this isn't a bad one to live with. The comfort is as expected from this style Grado. If I owned this pair, I would have attempted to un-bend the headband a bit.

When I first got the headphone, I tried running them directly out of a few portable sources. Surprisingly, this headphone needs a lot of gain/ impedance is a bit higher with these larger drivers. Needed to move to my main rig... For my main setup, I run a Pure Bipolar (Kevin Gilmore balanced amp), but I borrowed a GS-X MK2 since the GS3000x is not terminated XLR. I have never been a big amp and DAC believer (despite owning some high-quality stuff), but the scale that the GS3000x changed with proper amping was night and day. A Grado Rs-2e I had for a moment did not exhibit the same changes. Dac I'm using, for anyone interested, is the R2R Pontus 2 from Denafrips.

Sonically, before I begin things. In my opinion, the Joseph Grado hp-2i IS the best dynamic headphone ever made. I place it above many flagships even in the estat category. I have longed for the day that Grado returns to this "cool and accurate" sound signature - but also understand why they haven't.
Because of that, I'm splitting impressions into two initial thoughts.

How does the GS3000x do as a $2,000 headphone: On its own, I found the GS3000x to be an "airy" open-sounding headphone with less midrange presence than I'm used to for the Grado house sound. It can be a bit bright, but the low-end does hit pretty well. Detail is good, especially in the high frequencies. The presentation on certain types of tracks has a scooped-out feeling that I'm unsure of at first. Using the Gs3000x pads on the hp-2i, did not re-create this, so this is a function of the driver tuning. If I had to categorize this headphone as good for a specific genre, I would say perhaps big orchestra/big-band rock/or anything else that you want to try to mimic distance. I wouldn't precisely categorize it as a big soundstage, but conceivably some might. It's been a minute since I've heard the similarly priced Audeze LCD-3, but this feels about on par with what the LCD does but in a distinctly different presentation.

On a few tracks, I could point out some woodwind instruments more clearly than I could on my HP-2i, because of the higher emphasis on upper frequencies. That said, the GS3000x did not have pronounced sibilance. I tried the GS3000x with flat pads and found it became lacking separation and bass bloated; it has been tuned to work specifically with the larger pad. (Similar experience happened when I put the big bowls on the hp-2i, awful). This actually made things easier for me. No pad rolling required.

Does the GS3000x dethrone the hp-1000 as the best grado ever? Despite their similarities visually, Grado has gone many steps away from the OG sound. The original Rs-1/Ps-1- may have been a few steps to the left of the OG house sound, and the GS3000x is a total departure. For me, I love the Hp-2i because of how full-sounding, big midrange, and timber accurate it is. It does not compete with new TOTL headphones in detail, separation or soundstage, but it doesn't need to. Instead, the GS3000x is airy, has recessed mids, and colored tuning. It may come closer to directly competing with new TOTL. I can see how in a vacuum, Grado can suggest that the Gs3000x is improving from its previous models, yet when you dial it back to the hp-1000 series, you can see how far the initial paths of bifurcation of changes have expanded. These are no longer apple-to-apple products and not a replacement for my hp-2i.

If anyone has any questions feel, I will do my best to answer.

 

[Olumm]

Echoing the thanks from @Chefguru I would also like to thank TTVJ for this most excellent opportunity with the Grado GS3000x.

I have to first say that I did not notice any issues with the headphones while I had them, but I was also only running them off of a few sources for the time... again, no issues for me.

Here is the gear that was used during my auditioning/impressions time with the GS3000x:

Source(s):

- Geshelli Labs J2
- MHDT Orchird
- Apple Dongle

Headphone Amplifiers:

- ALO Audio Studio Six
- Geshelli Labs E2
- Apple Dongle


My experience with Grado is somewhat hit and miss... the hits have been the SR225e (which I own with mods) and now the GS3000x. The misses... well, there have been a few... the GS1000e, the GR8 and the most spectacular disaster for my ears... and I know this will get some hate, but the PS500e. I guess maybe I am just not a massive fan of what the Grado 'hose-sound' is or has become. Maybe i just need to try more of them... which is where this loaner tour starts.

Let me first start off by saying that the GS3000x are some of the most efficient headphones that I have had the pleasure of trying out. I had initially started them off on the Studio Six, but noticed that even with the SS I was having to turn down the J2 output to make sure that I had enough volume pot to use. That is why I figured it would be a laugh to pull out the trusty old Apple dongle... and it worked quite well.

The design of the GS3000x is still very much Grado. I held them side-by-side with my aging pair of 225e and just laughed at the similarities of the two headphones. Yes, the headband is more comfortable on the GS3000x, and the cups/pads are bigger/nicer, but basically everything else is exactly the same. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Grado just used the same cables and wrapped them in some kind of fabric material. I won't spend a lot of time talking about the design/build, but just know that it is a Grado headphone.

Where I believe the GS3000x excels is in the air/separation/soundstage and imaging areas of sound reproduction. If you are a lover of complicated orchestral or jazz pieces, then certainly give the GS300x a listen. The reproduction of strings and jazz instrumentals reminded me a lot of my HD800, and the extra bass tone that has been added over the GS1000 line certainly helped with the timbre. This trick, or tuning of the GS3000x also helped with live recordings... specifically, with the live recordings from Woodstock. I cannot explain to you the pure musical joy I had while listening to that album with the GS3000x running through the SS connected to the MHDT Orchid. My belief is that the Grado 'sound' is likely best suited for live recordings, as this was my best scenario when listening to my playlists/tracks. I also attempted to connect my SS to my turntable, but my current setup introduced far too much noise to make that a really great experience... we have a lot of dry air currently and it's just a battle to keep the static away.

If you have an SET style tube amp... just all the yes when it comes to the GS3000x and live recordings. I could happily see myself using this exact setup in the future when I am just done with trying new gear. I would be incredibly happy with these and probably only 2 other headphones. HD800 vs GS3000x for live recordings? For me... I would easily take the GS3000x

The GS3000x is also incredibly lightweight... which allows someone to wear it for considerably longer than you may think. Yes, the pads are made out of foam, but because of the light clamp, AND the fact that they weigh basically nothing means that you never really notice them... which is a huge plus for someone like me.

Now for the areas that weren't that fantastic on the GS3000x... basically any music that has our favorite guilty pleasure... the brick wall. I tried... I really did try to make these work on more 'modern' music genres, but I just kept being disappointed in distortion (no fault of the headphones) and sub-bass reproduction. Billie Eilish for instance... not great. Her voice seemed far too close and the backing tracks would frequently just cut out because the GS3000x either couldn't get that far down, or it was just too quiet for me to hear it whilst she was singing. Other more modern artists like Lorna Shore were also a no-go. That's quite a shame because my trusy old 225e can somewhat hang in that respect, but the GS3000x just wasn't up to the task. The quickness of the bass drums, mixed with the fast-paced guitars and growling from lead singer Will Ramos just overloaded the GS300x and presented the music with basically a ?. I don't blame them... Lorna Shore isn't what someone would typically throw on these types of headphones, but I do listen to it from time to time.

Look, at $2000 USD these are not a buy before you try type scenario for a lot of people, and I get that. What I can say is that if you're looking for an even more live-recording oriented headphone, at that price point, then I feel that you may have a winner in the GS3000x. What I can say is that the GS3000x has given me hope in the higher-end line from Grado... hell, I might even look at picking up a PS1000 on the used market just to see if it's anything close to these (metal/wood combo).

Thanks again to TTVJ for this opportunity!

 

[trollchu]

weren't that fantastic on the GS3000x... basically any music that has our favorite guilty pleasure... the brick wall.

Were modern genres what you were expressing as a brick wall or something more specific?

 

[Olumm]

Were modern genres what you were expressing as a brick wall or something more specific?

It's basically overly compressed mastering that leaves little dynamic range. Anything from modern R&B to Rock.

 

[mortcola]

Echoing the thanks from @Chefguru I would also like to thank TTVJ for this most excellent opportunity with the Grado GS3000x.

I have to first say that I did not notice any issues with the headphones while I had them, but I was also only running them off of a few sources for the time... again, no issues for me.

Here is the gear that was used during my auditioning/impressions time with the GS3000x:

Source(s):

- Geshelli Labs J2
- MHDT Orchird
- Apple Dongle

Headphone Amplifiers:

- ALO Audio Studio Six
- Geshelli Labs E2
- Apple Dongle


My experience with Grado is somewhat hit and miss... the hits have been the SR225e (which I own with mods) and now the GS3000x. The misses... well, there have been a few... the GS1000e, the GR8 and the most spectacular disaster for my ears... and I know this will get some hate, but the PS500e. I guess maybe I am just not a massive fan of what the Grado 'hose-sound' is or has become. Maybe i just need to try more of them... which is where this loaner tour starts.

Let me first start off by saying that the GS3000x are some of the most efficient headphones that I have had the pleasure of trying out. I had initially started them off on the Studio Six, but noticed that even with the SS I was having to turn down the J2 output to make sure that I had enough volume pot to use. That is why I figured it would be a laugh to pull out the trusty old Apple dongle... and it worked quite well.

The design of the GS3000x is still very much Grado. I held them side-by-side with my aging pair of 225e and just laughed at the similarities of the two headphones. Yes, the headband is more comfortable on the GS3000x, and the cups/pads are bigger/nicer, but basically everything else is exactly the same. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Grado just used the same cables and wrapped them in some kind of fabric material. I won't spend a lot of time talking about the design/build, but just know that it is a Grado headphone.

Where I believe the GS3000x excels is in the air/separation/soundstage and imaging areas of sound reproduction. If you are a lover of complicated orchestral or jazz pieces, then certainly give the GS300x a listen. The reproduction of strings and jazz instrumentals reminded me a lot of my HD800, and the extra bass tone that has been added over the GS1000 line certainly helped with the timbre. This trick, or tuning of the GS3000x also helped with live recordings... specifically, with the live recordings from Woodstock. I cannot explain to you the pure musical joy I had while listening to that album with the GS3000x running through the SS connected to the MHDT Orchid. My belief is that the Grado 'sound' is likely best suited for live recordings, as this was my best scenario when listening to my playlists/tracks. I also attempted to connect my SS to my turntable, but my current setup introduced far too much noise to make that a really great experience... we have a lot of dry air currently and it's just a battle to keep the static away.

If you have an SET style tube amp... just all the yes when it comes to the GS3000x and live recordings. I could happily see myself using this exact setup in the future when I am just done with trying new gear. I would be incredibly happy with these and probably only 2 other headphones. HD800 vs GS3000x for live recordings? For me... I would easily take the GS3000x

The GS3000x is also incredibly lightweight... which allows someone to wear it for considerably longer than you may think. Yes, the pads are made out of foam, but because of the light clamp, AND the fact that they weigh basically nothing means that you never really notice them... which is a huge plus for someone like me.

Now for the areas that weren't that fantastic on the GS3000x... basically any music that has our favorite guilty pleasure... the brick wall. I tried... I really did try to make these work on more 'modern' music genres, but I just kept being disappointed in distortion (no fault of the headphones) and sub-bass reproduction. Billie Eilish for instance... not great. Her voice seemed far too close and the backing tracks would frequently just cut out because the GS3000x either couldn't get that far down, or it was just too quiet for me to hear it whilst she was singing. Other more modern artists like Lorna Shore were also a no-go. That's quite a shame because my trusy old 225e can somewhat hang in that respect, but the GS3000x just wasn't up to the task. The quickness of the bass drums, mixed with the fast-paced guitars and growling from lead singer Will Ramos just overloaded the GS300x and presented the music with basically a ?. I don't blame them... Lorna Shore isn't what someone would typically throw on these types of headphones, but I do listen to it from time to time.

Look, at $2000 USD these are not a buy before you try type scenario for a lot of people, and I get that. What I can say is that if you're looking for an even more live-recording oriented headphone, at that price point, then I feel that you may have a winner in the GS3000x. What I can say is that the GS3000x has given me hope in the higher-end line from Grado... hell, I might even look at picking up a PS1000 on the used market just to see if it's anything close to these (metal/wood combo).

Thanks again to TTVJ for this opportunity!

We all get different impressions. I've been a Grado fan for years, and I have the 3000x alongside Utopia, Susvara... Holo May KTE dac, Woo WA5-LE, and Bryston BHA-1 amps.

I've been really happy and impressed with the 3000x after the 3000e, which was my favorite Grado.

I'm Billie Eilishin-ing it now, and tossing in a lot of the percussion ensembles I love, like on CHesky, with Lenny White and Jamie Haddad; complex heavily layered prog like The Flower Kings. There ain't no drop-outs; nothing disappearing, nothing overloaded. Going loud, going moderate...while the deepest sub-bass is a little shy, which is typical, the mix continues to respond in classic Grado QUICK and PRESENT fashion on everything I'm throwing at it.

Recordings on which I know the mix completely are handled admirably, not at Utopia levels, but then, there's a 150% price difference... and the Grado don't give up air, space, or presence to much of anything on the market.

System synergy? Something else? I will never tell another hi-fi person that there's something wrong with their set-up. I ain't that special. But I can say confidently that these are more authoritative, handle more, more consistent across the spectrum and dynamic range, than the 3000e; perhaps equal to the PS2000e in that regard, but with greater openness.

This is one helluva 2K headphone, to me.... and I'm hearing all the music, except a little below 40hz

 

[Olumm]

We all get different impressions. I've been a Grado fan for years, and I have the 3000x alongside Utopia, Susvara... Holo May KTE dac, Woo WA5-LE, and Bryston BHA-1 amps.

I've been really happy and impressed with the 3000x after the 3000e, which was my favorite Grado.

I'm Billie Eilishin-ing it now, and tossing in a lot of the percussion ensembles I love, like on CHesky, with Lenny White and Jamie Haddad; complex heavily layered prog like The Flower Kings. There ain't no drop-outs; nothing disappearing, nothing overloaded. Going loud, going moderate...while the deepest sub-bass is a little shy, which is typical, the mix continues to respond in classic Grado QUICK and PRESENT fashion on everything I'm throwing at it.

Recordings on which I know the mix completely are handled admirably, not at Utopia levels, but then, there's a 150% price difference... and the Grado don't give up air, space, or presence to much of anything on the market.

System synergy? Something else? I will never tell another hi-fi person that there's something wrong with their set-up. I ain't that special. But I can say confidently that these are more authoritative, handle more, more consistent across the spectrum and dynamic range, than the 3000e; perhaps equal to the PS2000e in that regard, but with greater openness.

This is one helluva 2K headphone, to me.... and I'm hearing all the music, except a little below 40hz

Solid points!

I never stated I disliked the 3000x, I actually gave it quite a bit of praise and it’s sent me shopping for a used PS1000, as the GS1000e I had a few years back left something to be desired for me.

 

[RHMMMM]

Any comparisons with the PS2000e?

 

[Oteil]

Here are some impressions of the short time I got with the GS3000x....

First I want to thank Todd for doing this program, it is incredibly nice of him to do this and I am grateful that I got to participate in this program.

So first off I guess you could say that I am somewhat of a Grado lover. I have owned many models over the years and I currently have the PS1000(chrome) not "e", The original GS1000 not "i", GH2, a custom made 325e, RS1e and HF2 and lastly the Hemp. I have recently owned the PS2000e, and GS3000e but they were sold.

IMO, the Grado sound has always been a love or hate sound. I know they can be divisive but I have always thought they provide the closest sound to live instruments that I have heard from a headphone. There is just something about the way they present the music that just keeps me coming back for more. They either click for you or they don't. I am not surprised that many musicians that I like..... use Grado headphones.

I was excited to try out the GS3000x because I did really like the GS3000e but I felt like it could do some things better especially for the price. The GS3000e was a beautiful headphone and it may have had possibly some of the best midrange I have ever heard in a headphone. It could be magical but I felt the bass was always kind of lacking. You could hear that it could go low but there no impact at all. So i was very interested in hearing the combination of the wood &.metal cups combined in the new GS3000x.

The new GS3000x is a beautiful headphone. It looks great and I really dig the Cocobolo wood. These are a little bit heavier than the original GS3000 but I don't think it is a huge problem, definitely not as heavy as the PS2000e. The fit and cable are pretty standard Grado. The new cable is fine, I'm probably neutral on it. The "sound" is what we all want to know(at least I do) and I think these sound excellent. They fix some problems I had with the original GS3000e. These headphones sound smooth as butter. Nothing sounded harsh or sibilant and I think these would be great headphones for all genres of music. The highs are incredibly smooth and have a nice decay with cymbals that are very addicting. The mids are spot on like the last model. The bass impact is still not there for me....they do go low but there is not much impact at all. I do think the bass is better than the original model and is on par with the PS2000 bass output. I know Grado's have never been and never will be bass monsters but I have to say since they introduced the new line of drivers starting with the "e" there has been something a little off for me. The soundstage is quite good and the imaging is excellent but when comparing to my original PS & GS, I have to say the newer model sounds a little congested compared to the older models, it may improve some with more run-in time, who knows? I do think if you have never heard an older Grado series you are probably not going to be missing anything but I do have to admit these newer drivers are missing some of the Grado magic for me. They just don't tickle the eardrum in the same way the older models did and continue to do so. It's just a preference thing,

I do know that I will not be selling my original GS and PS, I just prefer the older Grado sound. I do think Grado have tailored the new drivers to have less treble energy. Things change and lots of people seem to be digging them which is very cool. They haven't changed the sound too much over the years but I do prefer the older drivers in a lot of ways.

With that being said, this is a great sounding headphone. It gets a lot of things right. You could listen to these things all night long and not be fatigued which is a huge plus. I'm so glad I got to hear these things sing and I'm very grateful to Todd for allowing such an opportunity.

 

[Jimmy Gazelle]

Any more/new impressions regarding the 3000x?
Best