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Offered is „Statement Series Reference 1 OVP wenig Std.“ by Grado from the category „Pick-up“ on audio-markt.de - the online market place for high-end. The advert with the number 6512436074 ends on 03.12.2026 at 09:17 o'clock.
Age matters here: the Reference 1 is an older, discontinued high-end Grado design rather than a current-generation cartridge, but that does not make it obsolete. At €575, this is a strong deal: it sits below your comparable listings’ €580 25th percentile and well under the €582 median, so the asking price is genuinely attractive rather than merely fair.
The Reference 1 is well regarded for its rich, substantial presentation, strong bass definition, low distortion, and detailed but musical midrange. Its hand-finished wooden body and sophisticated fixed-coil generator give it real enthusiast appeal, especially in a suitable medium- to low-mass tonearm. The key practical check is stylus condition: the stylus/generator module is not user-replaceable, so confirm wear, output version, and any retipping history. If those check out, this looks like an excellent buying opportunity.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Grado Labs, a family-owned American audio pioneer, traces its roots to 1953 when Joseph Grado, a former watchmaker and Audio Hall of Famer, founded the company in Brooklyn, New York. Starting in his family's kitchen—once a fruit store—he and his brother John developed the world's first moving coil stereo phono cartridge, patenting it in 1959 and earning a reputation for precision engineering that propelled millions of units into recording studios and homes worldwide. Still handcrafting products in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, under third-generation leadership, Grado embodies enduring Italian-American ingenuity in high-fidelity sound.
The brand focuses primarily on phono cartridges and headphones, categories where it has defined benchmarks for decades. Early ventures included speakers, turntables, and wooden tonearms before concentrating on cartridges in 1963; by the late 1980s, Joseph Grado pioneered high-end dynamic headphones that rivaled top speaker systems in dynamics, pitch control, and bass. Today, iterative lines like the Prestige, Signature, "E," and "X" series deliver open-back designs prized for their natural timbre and detail, all assembled by hand without venturing into amplifiers, DACs, or speakers.
Grado occupies a niche boutique position in the high-end market, revered by audiophiles for its uncompromised, value-driven performance and vintage-inspired warmth. Free from corporate gloss, its handmade Brooklyn products command loyalty among discerning buyers seeking authentic vinyl playback and headphone immersion, blending collector appeal with modern relevance in an era of digital dominance.
See all Grado listings on RADAR.
