Journey of sound with GRADO
I have been accustomed to listening to music since childhood, but for a long time, I was indifferent to audio things. Even after I developed an interest in the relationship between music and sound, and began putting effort into audio within my means, I relied solely on my intuition when engaging with sound. Since I am not particularly adept at mathematical thinking, I feel like I have taken a rather roundabout way, but along the way, I have gained various insights, and now I think that was not such a bad thing after all.
A respected DJ, Kei Kobayashi, once told me, "No one plays and listens vinyl in as many different situations of audio system as a DJ does." I am very encouraged by this words. I take this as a “training of hearing and senses”. The sound we hear changes depending on the environment in which we listen to music. Even in the same environment, we will never hear the exact same sound twice. We, the listeners, are also constantly changing day by day.
Through my DJ activities, as I accumulated a certain kind of hedonistic sonic experiences, I came across GRADO's phono cartridges. That was more than 15 years ago now. Before that, I had been using sturdy DJ cartridges that prioritized sound pressure and durability. However, after I started incorporating more of a listening style's experience into my monthly party Sci-Fi at SHeLTeR in Hachioji, Tokyo, I began to feel that the sound of DJ cartridges was lacking.
When I decided to get a new cartridge, I wandered into an audio shop in Akihabara without any particular plan, and what caught my eye was GRADO. I could no't understand its technical spec, but I was simply intrigued by the fact that even the lowest model Prestige Blue at the time had a frequency response of 10Hz to 50,000Hz.
Even now, it may still be the case, but there were hardly any audio shops or electronics retailers in Japan that allowed you to listen and compare cartridges. The only way to check the sound was just buy one. I did not have much money to spare, but I took the plunge and bought the Prestige Silver in the same price range as the DJ cartridge I was using at the time. Compared to the DJ cartridge I had been using, it lacked power, but the mid-high range sound image, where fine particles of sound resonated three-dimensionally with a pleasant lingering effect, provided an exceptional sense of enjoyment.
My partner at SHeLTeR's regular party "Sci-Fi," late Moroi, also liked the GRADO sound, so we each bought a Prestige Gold to use for DJing at SHeLTeR. We connected the Prestige Gold to a Yamamoto Sound Craft ebony head shell, and we used it for a long time. After that, we upgraded to the Reference Platinum2 that mounted wooden body, and during the last year before Moroi passed away, we were using the low-output model of the Timbre Master3.
Krautrock, electronic music, contemporary jazz led by ECM, ambient, experimental music, 20th century's contemporary music, and modern Japanese music—my musical journey has always been accompanied by GRADO. I believe there are many cartridges that produce wonderful sound, but the GRADO that I happened to come across has become a guide for me to understand music and the resonance of sound recorded on records more deeply.
To bring out the full charm of GRADO, I experimented with various combinations of headshells and lead wires. It was like walking a thorny path and was the beginning of an endless journey. Though I often find myself lost, it's precisely during those times that I encounter unknown beautiful landscapes. There may be shorter paths, but the endless journey of relentlessly pursuing "pleasure sound" continues, with many detours along the way.
About GRADO Labs.
GRADO Labs, founded in 1953 by Joseph Grado and his brother John, is an American audio manufacturer based in New York. The company has continued to produce high-quality phono cartridges and headphones, with family members maintaining the business to this day. All products are handcrafted at their Brooklyn factory.
Joseph Grado is known for inventing the moving coil (MC) stereo cartridge, and in the early 2000s, he redesigned the cartridge line, employing unique technology that virtually eliminated resonance distortion in magnetic and electrical circuits, elevating analog reproduction to a new level.
An article featuring interesting content about GRADO's history, product development philosophy, and photos of the factory has been published on the website "The Distance."
High Fidelity
Three generations of Grados have pursued the family passion of delivering superior sound.
© The Distance / photography by Michael Berger
Though it is a subjective expression, a common feature across all GRADO cartridges is their balanced and delicate detail from low to high frequencies, along with a three-dimensional sound image that seems to visualize the sound right in front of you. There is no added coloration, just a highly musical resonance. As you move up high-grade model, the sound particles become finer and more vivid, with a pleasing lingering sound, and the soundstage expands more widely and three-dimensionally. This is a cartridge I would recommend for those who want to capture the subtle and visual nuances of the sound recorded on vinyls.