Grado Reference series RS1x - RS1/XLR

RS1x Headphones

The Sound of Wood
For the first time three different wood species are working together in a Grado headphone. The housing is made of a maple sleeve hemp core and cocobolo outer ring. We build with wood for its warm and embracing tonal abilities but finding the right balance of three separate woods is no simple task. The reward though is an RS1x that opens Grado to a new level of sound.

Signature Sound
Pulling everything we can from the new 50mm X Driver our signature sound is brought to new heights when combined with maple hemp and cocobolo. Maple takes care of most of the work hemp smooths out top and low ends while cocobolo adds that extra punch. Together the sound the woods produce when combined with our special processes are full-bodied dynamic and truly defined.

X Series Drivers
The RS1x is the first headphone to be built with the larger 50mm X Drivers. Specifically tuned for the tri-wood RS1x this new speaker design features a more powerful magnetic circuit a voice coil with decreased effective mass and a reconfigured diaphragm. Reengineering these components for our 50mm drivers improve efficiency reduces distortion and preserves the harmonic integrity of your music.

New Cable & Headbands
Along with the speakers the cables and headband have been redesigned for the RS1x. Housed in a more durable exterior the now super annealed copper 8-conductor cable reveals even more of your music with improved purity. The new black leather headband features a white-stitched accent.

Hand-Built in Brooklyn
Our first wooden headphones were built in the middle of the night back in 1994 by John Grado. Wood has been a staple on our workbench ever since. Each RS1x headphone is hand-built by our team in Brooklyn - these headphones go from workbench to workbench until they’re ready for your ears. We started building on a kitchen table in 1953 and every experience since then has led to the RS1x.

January 2023

"What results is still very much a Grado but one that combines effortless space and three dimensionality with a newfound level of drive and attack all encased in a more compact and comfortable design. The RS1x might look like more of the same but the result is a startlingly capable home headphone that will win many new converts to the brand."

Hi-Fi Choice 5 Stars Recommended Award

August 2022

"...the RS1x are very much up there with the most compelling pairs around at this price...Four generations in the top Reference Series model is more entertaining (and exotic) than ever before"

What Hi-Fi? 5 Stars

June 2022

"The reason why Grado persists in doing what it does is that the result is two drivers in free space utterly free of mechanical transfer. It is a listening experience unlike almost anything else at the price and if you fall for it very little else will do."

AVForums Highly Recommended Award

IN THE BOX

• Headphones
• Warranty
• Grado story-sheet