GRADO, our favorite brooklyn-based headphone manufacturer, has blown us away, yet again. The RS-1is are the top of the line of the Reference series models from Grado, and to say they sound phenomenal is an understatement. They are a long-standing item from Grado’s product line, but we just got them in our store for the first time today, and its very exciting!!
Here, Grado has really gotten into the details, unpacking music into discreet events that are at once isolated and autonomous while being tightly focused and blended to perfection. The high register on these cans soar like you’ve never heard, activating voices and melodies with an amount of ‘liveness’ that is absolutely transcendent… bright and full of body, punchy and accurate, crisp and oh-so-detailed.
Inside, Grado has come a long way from their Prestige series, featuring handcrafted Mahogany earpieces, upgraded dynamic transducers and their new 8 conductor cable design. Like the Prestige series, they feature an all in an open-air configuration, the cups being open-backed. The result is a smooth, controlled and coherent sound. Frequency response ranges from 12-30 kHz and the drivers are matched to 0.05dB. Weighing 9oz, the headphones are an example of the wonder of Mother Nature with a gorgeous, light-colored Mahogany finish.
Don’t take my word for it, read online reviews and see that everywhere, audiophiles and design enthusiasts alike agree, it doesn’t get better than this.
