Grado Statement GS1000x Open-Back Headphones

The Grado Statement GS1000x is a large open-back over-ear headphone with a 50 mm X driver in a housing made from mahogany and Ipê wood.

Mahogany brings warmth and texture, while the very dense Ipê keeps the sound structured and stable. Grado calls this pairing Bi-Wood – it's the foundation for the famous Statement midrange and for a soundstage you won't find anywhere else.

Why the GS1000x?

The Statement series combines the large 50 mm X driver with a 12-conductor cable made of super-annealed copper. But the real star is the G-Cushion, affectionately known in Grado jargon as the "salad bowl": it creates real space around the ear and, with it, the most spacious imaging in the entire range.

What you hear

An exceptionally large, airy soundstage with plenty of room around voices and instruments, plus a balanced, natural tonal foundation from 8 to 35,000 Hz. The large pad keeps the ear at a distance: that creates space – but costs a little of the direct bass punch of smaller pads.

Who is the GS1000x for?

For connoisseurs who want a big, open soundstage at home: classical, jazz, anything with space and reverberation. Straight talk: open-back and large – it doesn't isolate anything and isn't for use on the go. Anyone looking for maximum, direct bass punch should take a good look at the G-Cushion first.

Our verdict

The GS1000x is Grado's soundstage magician: mahogany, Ipê, the 50 mm driver and the G-Cushion combine for a spaciousness barely any other open headphone achieves. And at under 400 grams, this giant wears more lightly than its appearance suggests.

Technical Data

• Type: Open-back over-ear headphones (open-back, dynamic)
• Series: Grado Statement
• Operating principle: Open air
• Driver: 50 mm, Grado X driver (4th generation)
• Driver matching: 0.05 dB
• Housing: Bi-Wood, mahogany and Ipê
• Frequency response: 8–35,000 Hz
• Sound pressure (1 mW): 99.8 dB
• Nominal impedance: 38 Ω
• Pad: G-Cushion (large, ear-enclosing)
• Cable: 12-conductor, super-annealed copper, fixed
• Headband: Leather with white stitching
• Connector: 6.3 mm jack
• Weight: under 400 g
• Manufacturing: Hand-assembled in Brooklyn, NY

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Grado GS1000x sound so spacious?

The large G-Cushion fully encloses the ear and holds it further from the driver. Together with the 50 mm X driver and the mahogany-and-Ipê housing, this creates the most spacious soundstage in the Grado range: air around voices and instruments instead of closeness.

Does the Grado GS1000x need a headphone amp?

Recommended, but not essential. At 38 Ω it also plays from a good headphone output. A dedicated headphone amp or DAC gives it the calm, control and dynamics a headphone of this class deserves – audible especially in quiet passages and big orchestral moments.

Does the Grado GS1000x plug straight into an amplifier?

Yes. The fixed 12-conductor cable ends in a factory 6.3 mm jack, so it goes straight into the headphone jack of an integrated amp or headphone amp. For a 3.5 mm output you'll need an adapter or adapter cable; you'll find both in our headphone accessories.

Why buy the Grado GS1000x at HD Zürisee?

Because the big soundstage of the GS1000x is a matter of taste – and taste is best discussed. HD Zürisee in Wädenswil is an authorised Grado dealer, advises you on pads, amps and sources, and thinks about your existing system too. A call, email or WhatsApp message is all it takes.

Goes well with

The GS1000x rewards you with a powerful headphone amp. Replacement G-Cushions and cables are in our headphone accessories, and alternative models can be found under headphones.