Grado "The Reference 1 Wood Body" Moving Iron cartridge

I'm really interested in this cartridge and was wondering if there are any SHF members using one in their setup. If there are, what do you think about it? Does it deliver to your satisfaction or are there some weak points I should be aware of.

I've owned several Grados in the past, going back 25 years, and have always been impressed by their mid-range performance. Since I'm a huge fan of vocals and acoustic music the right delivery of mid-range is extremely important to me.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

 

I have an earlier version when it was just called The Reference. Midrange heaven.

 

How do these Grado wood body carts go with stuff like rock and metal?

 

Well, for example, Black Sabbath and Mountain sound awesome; I feel like I'm hearing the mix the way it was meant to be heard (which I'm just guessing of course ) The sound is fat.

 

That's what I keep hearing/reading as well and it's nice to hear from an actual user.

 

Hi Johnny,

I recently purchased a VPI Classic 3 w/ a Grado Reference 1 from a forum member. It was purchased in 2011 so it's the MM version. The seller indicated there was less than 10 hours of use, and from the looks of things I have no reason to doubt him. First impressions for me are that it's a tad "soft" and "dark" sounding on some classic hard rock (think Led Zeppelin, UFO, etc.), feels like I'm missing of the highs. But it sounded beautiful on the debut Puss N Boots album featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper. I should note that I don't have a lot experience w/ cartridges, other than an entry-mid-level Benz Micro cartridge on the first TT I owned. Also, I did not have the tonearm damping fluid (which the manual recommends for Grado and Clear Audio cartridges) but I just got it in, so I'm going to see if that makes much of a difference. I had a very helpful forum member - an analog junkie and VPI expert - help me with the initial set up. I'll provide an update after I get the tonearm dampening fluid in.

 

Thanks Alan for your input!

I have a pair of Genesis G7.1 speakers, which are very revealing, so a little softness on top is not an unwelcome thing. And if that is its only weakness or drawback I can easily live with that.
I have yet to decide on my next table, but I will make a decision before the year is out. A VPI Classic 2 is one of the tables under consideration.
My power and processing is coming from a Marantz PM-KI-Pearl Integrated Amplifier.

 

I have the Master 1 - absolutely love it - I do not recall any issues with rock - including Tool, Zep, Sabbath nor anything else I played.

 

As promised, here is a quick update on my experiences with the Grado Reference 1. From talking to several others with experience with Grado cartridges, they all have mentioned that they can emphasize sweetness/richness with certain material and highs rolled off somewhat. Also, I was at a TT seminar at Brooks Berdan in So. Cal. last weekend (great shop that carries VPI and Grado), and their TT guru also indicated that Grado's tend to have a "laid back" character that may or may not work for some (his pick in that price range with a VPI unipivot arm is the Soundsmith Zephyr, also an MI cart). Like you said, this may not be an issue for you given your setup and/or musical preferences.

Anyway, turns out whatever issue I had is that the Grado might just not be the best match for my phono stage (Liberty Audio B2B-1, designed and sold direct by Peter Noerbaek and very well reviewed). My friend, and forum member, shaizada,brought by his Nighthawk F-117, and boy was it a good match with the Grado Reference 1. Everything just seemed to open up with much greater treble extension and instruments sounding more clearly defined. Interestingly, this was the exact same findings from the 6moons review of the F-117: that it was almost the perfect phono stage match with the Grado Reference Sonata 1. In fact, the reviewer indicated that the F-117 was the first phono stage out of 7 other reviews where he preferred his Grado Sonata Refrence 1 to his DL-103. He also mentioned that the Grado sounded better with the F-117 phono stage compared to two other phono stages that were three to four times its price. So there definitely seems to be some synergies there. If you’re interested, here’s the review – http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/raysamuels/f117_3.html - interesting reading.

 

Thanks again Alan for your input. I just read the 6moons review and saw it was written by Frederic Beudot. Well, I happen to know Frederic from being members at a private web page for Genesis owners, plus we've met and he lives about 10 minutes from my house. He is a super guy btw...really laid back and very familiar with my speakers (obviously) plus the Marantz PM-KI-Pearl. I'll be sure to touch base with him regarding the Nighthawk F-117.

 

Synergy is everything.

I firmly believe that it's not much value to talk of a cartridge alone without including the phono stage it's being used with. This is based on my swapping the cartridges I own among the five preamps I own.

The single most important thing when you buy a new cartridge is how well it will match with your phono stage. It's the phono stage that will really allow your cartridge to shine (if they are a good match) or not. My "The Reference" works well with my Aragon 47K and with the phono stage in my Conrad Johnson PV-12. Not so good with my Graham Slee Reflex. Go figure!

 

Wow, small world, isn't it. Definitely let us know your impressions if you get a chance to play w/ the Nighthawk.

 

After business school, I never wanted to use or read the word, "synergy", again. I never experienced a word so overused. But yes, looks like it's pretty hard to avoid when considering cartridge/phone stage combinations (and probably other component combinations in high-end audio).

 

OT, sorry. But my most hated corp-speak term is "reach out," as in "I will reach out to him later" as opposed to "I will call him later." And where I worked, all the middle-upper management used it. Hate it.