Grado’s Statement X Series headphones evolve with fourth-gen drivers

Brooklyn-based headphone artisan Grado is literally making a statement with its latest range of hand-built headphones. The new Statement X Series land with the firm’s most powerful drivers to date, set inside the iconic wooden enclosures the company is famed for.

All-new drivers are a bigger deal for Grado than other headphone brands. The firm has released just four generations in three decades, and only when there’s a significant upgrade over what came before. The X drivers have now grown to 52mm, the biggest ever to leave the Grado factory. Each one gets a more powerful magnet, lighter voice coil and reconfigured diaphragm. They’ve been tuned specifically for the Statement X Series’ wooden enclosures.

The GS3000x is the firm’s new flagship, using cocobolo wood that varies in pattern and colour from pair to pair. The drivers are also reinforced by a metal enclosure. It gets a redesigned headband, finished in black leather with white stitched accents, and a new 12-conductor copper cable the firm says delivers a purer sound than previous efforts. It’s as premium as the range gets, with a price to match – but also the knowledge your capable cans were hand-built in New York.

Ipê and mahogany for GS1000x

The GS1000x, which uses a combination of mahogany and ipê wood for its enclosures, joins the range below the GS3000x. Grado reckons mahogany helps deliver warm tones, while ipê gives the drivers a solid base. The GS1000x uses 50mm versions of the Statement X drivers, with all the same improvements as the ones found in the top-end model but on a slightly smaller scale. It too gets a new headband and super annealed copper cable.

The Grado Statement X Series will go on sale from September, with prices starting at £1295/$1195 for the Statement GS1000x (£1495/$1365 if you want it with balanced XLR connectors). The Statement GS3000x will set you back £2195/$1995, or £2395/$2165 if you wan’t em with the XLR upgrade. All will be available directly from the Grado website.

• Related: The best wired headphones – in-ears, over-ears, open and closed-back

Tom Morgan-Freelander Deputy Editor

About

A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews.  When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.

Areas of expertise

Smartphones/tablets/computing, cameras, home cinema, automotive, virtual reality, gaming