My Grado The Statement is of the low output variety. The prototype Grado phono stage I demo'd had a single switch for high gain or low gain (obviously I used high gain). The final Grado phono stage, I was told, will have a beefier power supply that the prototype I demo'd. I think that if you like the sound of Grado cartridges, you'll like the Grado phono stage. John Grado used the same amazing tool to analyze his prototype phono stages as he uses when analyzing and tweaking new cartridge products: his ears. I think the Grado phono stage an amazing value that easily betters the Black Cube.
New Grado Phono Stage
Perhaps some of you read in Music Direct's catalog that Grado Labs is coming out with a new phono stage this summer, projected to retail for about $500.
I had the distinct pleasure of being one of only 4 or 5 people to date to demo Grado's prototype, and just wanted to give everyone a head's up that the phono stage is very, very good at any price, and at the projected retail, it's an astounding value.
I felt that its greatest strength was its crystal-clear midrange, and it also has very good bass extension and sweet, liquid highs. If you're in the market for a new phono stage, and don't need to spend a gazillion bucks to believe you've got a good product on your hands, you owe it to yourself to give Grado's phono stage a try.
FYI, I heard it through my system comprised of:
Heavily modified Denon DP59L TT;
Grado The Statement Cartridge;
Homemade granite/wood/sorbothane/air TT base;
Plinius CD-LAD preamp;
2 Adcom 555II amps, bridged to mono;
Snell A Reference Tower Speakers;
Snell SUB 1800;
Hsu sub amp;
Lieder interconnects; and
Bear Labs Silver Thunder speaker cables.
I had the distinct pleasure of being one of only 4 or 5 people to date to demo Grado's prototype, and just wanted to give everyone a head's up that the phono stage is very, very good at any price, and at the projected retail, it's an astounding value.
I felt that its greatest strength was its crystal-clear midrange, and it also has very good bass extension and sweet, liquid highs. If you're in the market for a new phono stage, and don't need to spend a gazillion bucks to believe you've got a good product on your hands, you owe it to yourself to give Grado's phono stage a try.
FYI, I heard it through my system comprised of:
Heavily modified Denon DP59L TT;
Grado The Statement Cartridge;
Homemade granite/wood/sorbothane/air TT base;
Plinius CD-LAD preamp;
2 Adcom 555II amps, bridged to mono;
Snell A Reference Tower Speakers;
Snell SUB 1800;
Hsu sub amp;
Lieder interconnects; and
Bear Labs Silver Thunder speaker cables.