[Adamay]

I have asked this on other forums, so please forgive the duplicate postings, but nobody elsewhere has chimed in. I see this forum has lots of dedicated Grado users, so I am hoping you will bless me with your wisdom and experience. I am a longtime Sonata user and want to upgrade. My key question: is the Statement1 a huge jump up from the Reference1, or more of a smaller increment that is noticeable only with the best equipment?  Does the Statement1 track significantly better than the Reference1? Is the bass and treble extension significantly better? More detail? Etc. Thank you in advance; I will be very grateful for any thoughts. Music preferences: just about everything, but esp. small combo jazz and 60s-70s rock and folk & Americana.

My system is decent but not completely deep into the high end: Townshend Rock III table (with damping trough), Rega RB300 arm, Walker SDS speed controller, Heed Quasar phono stage, Don Allen tube linestage, Don Allen 807 SET amp, GR-Research Paradox 3 floorstanders. Vh-Audio cabling. Various power conditioners and tweeks. All critical equipment on air bladders and granite blocks. You know, all of the usual audiophile neuroses.

[DaveyW]

Afraid my experience goes up to the Reference Sonata 1, not the Statement.
Bamorin should catch this and chip in.
I seem to recall that Bas (Bastlnut) has some of the loftier Grado's - Haven't seen him for a while - We need to tempt him out of hiding 

[Wayner]

First, lets call them the right things, because their names are confusing. The "Reference Statement1" sells for $1500 and is a low output (0.5mv) woody. The Statement1 sells for $3000 and is also a 0.5mv output. The Statement1 is the top of the line Grado woody cartridge.

I inherited a Master Reference cartridge from a customer that upgraded to a new Grado Gold1 Longhorn (he is very satisfied). Unfortunately, the cartridge was never really properly aligned and has an uneven asymmetrical wear pattern and the only fix is a re-tip at $500.

What I did like was that it seems to have a nice air in the midrange band, and there definitely a nice bass end. However, the wear issue prevents me from making a quality comparison as it had some odd "sssssssssing" things going on.
on.

I'd expect the more expensive woodies to compare, and be a wee bit more open. I do think they sound slightly dark.

Wayner   

[mhconley]

Not meaning to hijack your thread but your question made me remember something I was thinking a while back.

I use a Reference Sonata 5mv cartridge because when I purchased my turntable I was using the phono section of a Parasound Halo P3 that worked with high-output cartridges only.  I now have a PS Audio GCPH that will handle any cartridge.

So my question to add or run in parallel to yours is what, if any, is the sonic difference between similar level Grado MM and MC cartridges?

Thanks,

Martin

[Wayner]

The woodies are not really MMs, but rather MI (moving iron), not that thats a big deal, but the lower output cartridge has less windings, so less resistance, inductance and so on. Unfortunately, you then need to bring a SUT (step up transformer) into the picture and then add all the bad things you took out going with an MC (IMHO) anyway.

W

[BaMorin]

Not meaning to hijack your thread but your question made me remember something I was thinking a while back.

I use a Reference Sonata 5mv cartridge because when I purchased my turntable I was using the phono section of a Parasound Halo P3 that worked with high-output cartridges only.  I now have a PS Audio GCPH that will handle any cartridge.

So my question to add or run in parallel to yours is what, if any, is the sonic difference between similar level Grado MM and MC cartridges?

Thanks,

Martin

The low output bodies have the same electrical footprint as low output MC carts. That is the only electrical advantage to a MC over a high output MM or MI cart.  Impedence rises with frequency as a function of inductance. Grado carts in the high output still have a very low inductance comparitive to similar output MM carts. A lowout moving coil cart produces current, not voltage. That current has to be converted to a usable voltage through a SUT (normally) . The low output Grado doesn't produce the high current of a MC. To step it up to a usable voltage is through amplification, or simply gain in the preamp.

[Adamay]

As I recall, the reviews say the low-output Grados are a bit more open and have a bit more air than the comparable high-output cartridges (thus, the Statement Sonata1 is a bit more open than the Reference Sonata1).  I asked the helpful sales guy at Needledoctor what was the difference, and that's basically what he said as well.  I still am wondering how big a jump up the Statement1 is over the Statement Reference1, the next down in the line.  My local Grado dealer couldn't tell me. Anybody here know?  Thanks much.

[TONEPUB]

The Statement 1 is much more refined than the Reference and is a better tracker.  I had the earlier Statement and it had the typical lush, Grado sound, yet with more resolution than the other carts in the line.

With the Statement 1, there is more HF extension, more LF extension, yet the Grado magic has been retained.  In short, a totally different animal that what you might think of if you've used Grados in the past.

here's a link to the full review:

http://www.tonepublications.com/analogaholic/grado-statement-1/

[Adamay]

Thank you--very helpful.