I’m sure they do, but they would also cost me $190 CAD not including taxes/duties. That’s getting too close to the price of a new pair of 125x. If I had a higher end model, I’d look into it, but it doesn’t make sense for what I have
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Got my first set of Grados. A beautiful used set of Rs1e’s and noticed this is the same model you’ve got @pennstac !
Haven’t even had the chance to try them yet. This weekend though it’s Folkvangr meets Grado time!! Supposed to be a sweet pairing.
I see you’re using the Beautiful Audio hybrids but are they the large or small…and have you tried both? I’m definitely going to get a set but haven’t yet decided on size….or color for that matter. I really like the blue (my favorite color)but that blue and brown combo?? Ehhh, might be kinda weird and for almost $200. Im not really shooting weird. 
I’ll probably settle on plain ole black but I am curious about the sizes if you’ve got any suggestions. Tia
I have the large brown. They make the headphone an over ear - depending. I suppose on your ear size. I don’t have inadequacy problems regarding my ear size…
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They’re here!!!
Won’t have time to listen to them till next week. Plus, my extension cable I ordered so I can reach my listening seat came today too but with the wrong terminations 
The build, materials, fit (on your head and how it all fits the headphone itself)…everything is just fantastic.
Not to mention the communication with Silvian and how helpful and informative he was …couldn’t be better.
Can’t wait to hear if they sound as “beautiful “ as they look !!! I know already the comfort is greatly improved. Look forward to spending some time with them asap.
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It’s like getting your first tailor-made suit - but for headphones. Can’t wait to hear your impressions. Yes, Silvian was very good to work with - overall A+ experience. He knows he’s making the best pads in the world for Grado. @Lothar_Wolf take note - I think you showed some Dekoni Customs - you need to order a set of these and do a shoot-out. Not having tried Dekoni Custom, I can’t be definitive, but I know which way I’d place my bets.
I have recently become Grado curious after almost eight years when I stumbled on this thread and discovered the Beautiful Audio pads which look pretty awesome and might just be the thing that makes Grados work for me (besides the cable).
A couple questions for experienced Grado owners here:
Is it worth it to upgrade the pads on an old SR225e to the beautiful audio pads? I like their sound but have largely tossed them aside because of the discomfort and the cable. Or better to move to RS1 or higher?
Also how much does the pad upgrade affect the sound signature in your experience? Is their one pad size or type people typically prefer?
Does anyone have experience with the new cable? Is it any lighter/supple/comfortable than the older one?
Jim Alvarado who owns HART Audio Cables has some Grados and did a cable mod to be able to use his Hart system. I really like them for basic modular cables. I’m trying to sweet talk him into doing the same mod on mine and maybe offering it as a service.
As far as I know the new models have the same dang 1970. Era telephone like cord as the old ones.
I have the new series 325x which is my main headphone.
Based on playing around with foam pads which have a clear impact on the sound I have to believe the large BA pads will change the sound significantly. Can’t say exactly how since I havent heard them.
The new cable is different but just a different flavor of wtf. I find I don’t notice it after finding a routing that works while I’m at my desk. But if the old cable doesn’t work for you the new one won’t help.
The gotcha with Grados is the sound signature changes with different lines and even within the Prestige line. So a heaphone that is “higher” in the lineup may be a very different presentation rather than a “better” version of a previous model.
You’ve read it a zillion times but if you are considering a Grado purchase you really have to listen to the exact model you’re looking at.
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Can you talk a little about the 325x and your pad changes? Have you tried the tape mod with both foam pads?
Thanks @NickZ and @pennstac for the feedback.
Didn’t realize the lines were so different, Audio46 seems to have most Grados models in stock so I’ll try to demo some soon.
I was fiddling with the pads mostly to find the best comfort with glasses but found the sound changed also.
The 325x comes with the new F pad (the one that has slots, used on the Hemp). It didn’t work well for me in terms of glasses so I tried some generic L pads which fit much better.
The L’s shifted the tonality toward the low end and were more comfortable so I stuck with those.
Of course “everything matters” so it could be just the distance the driver winds up from my ear, could be materials, who knows. The generic pads are cheap enough to try a few and see how they work out.
In terms of mods I haven’t tried any since music finally sounds like music so I’ll call that a win. It seems the Grados either grab you with “the music is alive” or in 5 seconds it’s “get these things off my head”.
I expect to replace the cable eventually. I have a 3.5mm Hart cable already so I’ll probably just leave an inch or so of cable at the cups and attach a 3.5mm jack. If I get adventurous I’ll put a jack in the cups but that involves a heat gun to soften the glue, some kind of alteration to make room for the jack and more risk of damage.
I’m happy with how things have worked out with this headphone so no plans for sound mods.
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Grado GS3000x Impressions
GS3000x is the flagship model of Grado that utilizes their new 52mm X series driver in a Cocobolo wood housing with a hybrid metal chamber. It comes with the G cushion pads and the 12 conductor (non-detachable) cable and a leather headband.
TL;DR - This ended up being a bit long so here is a one line summary - these are surprisingly good with a unique stage and bass, pretty good comfort and lightweight, and if you like dynamic drivers and the Grado look, these definitely deserve a chance!
Build quality and comfort - The build quality is typical Grado, albeit being used to ZMFs, Utopia and 1266 TC, the light-weight Grado was a welcome relief, as my pair weighs a mere 388g without the cable. Speaking of the cable, it’s not as bad as I had expected. It is still quite stiff, especially at the splitter, which means I need to make sure it doesn’t get twisted too much. The only other Grados I have experienced are SR225e from 10 years ago and I hated their earpads, but the G cushions on these are not too bad. They are certainly not going to compete with ZMF or Utopia pads but they get out of the way, don’t hurt my ears, and are very light weight. Overall, I am quite happy with the comfort, especially given my previous experience.
Chain - Qobuz → Roon → Zen Stream (BNC) → Holo May KTE (Wireworld Silver Eclipse 8 RCA) → EC Studio B (Elrog 300B Mo, Tung Sol 2C51 NOS, Mullard GZ34 NOS) → GS3000x
Disclaimer - These are my subjective impressions without any FR graphs. I am not a professional reviewer and don’t have a rig for doing measurements. I have some decent gear and a bunch of headphones and I listen to a lot of music. I really wanted to try a nice pair of Grados and when I was doing research on these, it was hard to find a lot of reviews/impressions of them (perhaps because they are new) so I figured I’ll write down my thoughts. I will often compare with Abyss 1266 TC (henceforth referred to as TC) and Utopia OG (referred to as simply Utopia). My ears are not your ears, my gear is not your gear, YMMV, etc.
Sound Impressions
Stage - I am kind of a sucker for a bigger stage and these are really impressive. I went blind into these headphones not knowing what to expect and without much expectation, but I was very surprised by a big (but not huge like TC) stage. It’s like being 4 rows in front of the stage or behind the mosh pit in a metal show with a good depth. Not a wall of sound but more like the sound envelops you almost 240-270 degrees. It’s definitely bigger and more holographic than Utopia, which to my ears can sometimes be a little claustrophobic (but not really in a bad way).
Imaging and separation - Imaging is where they don’t really shine as much when comparing to the likes of Utopia and TC, but then these are less than half and third their prices respectively, so not really a fair comparison. Separation is pretty good but imaging is not as sharp.
Dynamics and detail - Grados are typically known to be good for rock and these don’t disappoint. I listen to a lot of metal and rock and these are quite punchy. They are not as in your face punchy as Utopia can be, but both micro and macrodynamics on these are quite good. I don’t think I am picking up new things in songs with them, but I’m not missing any low volume parts, especially with the larger soundstage which tends to happen with TCs. They are not detail monsters like Utopia or TCs but have enough detail with musicality to keep you engaged and not wanting to take them off. And did I mention how lightweight they are!
Timbre - I am a big ZMF fan and a big reason is timbre. One thing Zach does really well is timbre where everything sounds very natural and how it is supposed to. I didn’t think the timbre was as natural on these, but not very far behind either. They are a very addictive and energetic listen, especially on rock and metal music.
Bass - Next surprise after stage was bass! Now the bass is not TC level, I don’t think anything has TC level bass, but that’s because of the weird design of TC. The bass on GS3000x is very clean and highly textured. The sub bass is not as present and perhaps doesn’t extend as deep, but there is something addictive about the texture of the bass guitars, especially on rock and doom metal. I don’t think Grados are known for their bass so this must be an X driver thing. I haven’t done a lot of A/B with lesser gear but I use them at my WFH setup with JDS Element 3 and they definitely scale pretty well on the May + Studio B, especially bass.
Mids - Not much to say here except mids sound pretty balanced to me. Guitars and vocals sound very natural, and nothing seems recessed. I don’t listen to a lot of vocal-heavy music but electric guitars are very crunchy and hit hard and fast.
Highs - This is something Grados are notorious for and had me worried when I bought this, but fear not, as I have not come across any unpleasantness, at least not on my main chain. On JDS Element 3, I did notice sometimes electric guitar or violins could get a little too high for my taste (I am not a treblehead and do not like very high treble at all). However, I don’t notice any such issues with May + Studio B and I had my wife try them on her BF2/64 + Jot2 with some female vocals and some other music involving treble, and she didn’t report any unpleasantness either. The female vocals are airy and very clear.
Soundtracks and comparison with Utopia
I am currently without my Atriums so tried to do some comparisons with Utopia on a variety of soundtracks, and here are some quick impressions to finish off.
- Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Erich Kunzel, Cincinati Orchestra - I chose this because of its busy-ness and the glorious canonshots. Utopias are detail monsters and do not miss a beat when things get busy, and the razor sharp imaging just keeps you on your toes in those complex sections. GS3000x struggled a little in the most complex sections with the detail retrieval, but the bass was good and the dynamics were very good.
- Paint it Black by Sebastian Bohm - This is a cover which is very powerful and tests macro and micro dynamics. To my ears both headphones did pretty well on this very grand track.
- Tom Sawyer by Rush - I chose this to see the imaging especially on the drum fills by Neil Peart. Utopias were excellent as expected, but GS3000x imaging left a little to be desired when compared. By itself, the Grados were great but they definitely leave some imaging on the table.
- Shout by Tears for Fears - This was chosen for its treble and highs. As I mentioned earlier, this is not my usual fare but I wanted to see how the Grados would handle the highs. Utopias were quite balanced as expected and Grados weren’t far behind. The highs in the song were very controlled and there weren’t any piercing or painful peaks, at least to my ear.
- Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana - Lastly, this is just a fun song and I often play this on guitar, especially the solo, so I know the song quite well. Also, on the recording, Kurt’s solo has this left to right wavy kind of effect so I wanted to see how Grados would handle that. Utopias reproduced that very well with their excellent imaging but once again Grados’ imaging let them down a little. Overall, I ended up listening to the whole album on Grados!
Fin - Thank you for making it this far. I know it got a little too long but I really like these headphones and wanted to do them justice, especially because they aren’t being talked about a lot. They have a very unique stage and sound and will definitely be staying in my collection as I like to keep complimentary headphones. Plus, they are easy on the eyes 
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Thank you for your Mini review of the headphones. I was particularly interested as you have the other two headphones that I’ve owned and recently sold.
One thing I don’t quite follow though, on every song it would seem you much preferred the utopia but ended up listening to the grados and you’ll be keeping the grados even though the utopias were more sorted.
Could you elaborate on this please.
The only way I interpreted it is how I find Naim amplification far more engaging than alternatives that have bags more detail. Am I misunderstanding?
The short answer is if I had to keep only one of Utopia or the Grado, I’ll pick Utopia with the rest of my chain for it’s synergy, slam and detail. However, the Grados offer enough variety over the Utopia for me to keep them as an alternative pair for their unique soundstage and lightweight over Utopia or most other headphones in my collection. They are also very easy to drive so they could find a place in alternate setups.
Even though OG Utopia can be had for about the same price as the Grado GS3000x on the used market, Utopia is still a much higher tier headphone and I would expect it to perform as such and my comparison was a bit unfair but that’s what I was listening to a lot at the time. Utopia also needs a good chain to sound best whereas Grados don’t (they do scale though).
So the comparison to Utopia and TC was mostly informational and not meant to put the three in the same league, they are all very different headphones. I put the comparison there because Utopia is a more “common” headphone whereas GS3000x is/was a relatively newer headphone at the time I wrote that post and I wanted to put it in a familiar context. Hope this helps clarify my original post.
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It is inexplicable for most of the people here in the forum why one can be a Grado headphone lover.
Well, Grados have a very own character that you either love or you don’t.
If I could only choose one from all the headphones on the market, it would certainly never be a Grado, its sound characteristics are too “special” for that.
The vast majority of Grado fans, like me, have a higher quality Grado as an additional alternative in their portfolio.
Why, now because he can play string instruments damn well, is extremely airy and open and has a beautiful stage presentation.
For me as a fan of jazz, blues, folk and guitar music, the usage is very common.
Yes, a Sennheiser HD 800s can do that too, but far less naturally in the categories mentioned, and it is also significantly more dependent on the amplifier.
Wearing comfort is a completely different topic, after my ear operation last year, the rough, relatively hard ear pads are a real limitation, and unfortunately all the replacement ear pads available to me are a downgrade in terms of sound.
The excellent width and airiness is lost with replacement pads.
Since then, the use of my Grados has been limited to a few songs per listening session, unfortunately.
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Lothar - did you ever try the Beautiful Audio pads? I feel for you after that ear operation, and if you weren’t probably both wealthier than me and more blessed with metric tons of audio equipment, I’d actually buy you a pair.
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Hmmm what does half a metric ton of audio gear go for on ebay…?
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