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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 3398515938 ends on 23.12.2026 at 09:23 o'clock.
The age matters here: the Reference 1 is an older, discontinued Grado moving-iron cartridge rather than a current-generation model, so condition and remaining stylus life matter more than the badge alone. At €575, though, this is a strong buy: it sits below the €577 median and matches the €575 25th-percentile benchmark from 20 comparable listings.
Its appeal is a naturally rich, colourful presentation with excellent bass authority, detail and low distortion—very much a high-end, musically forgiving Grado rather than a clinical cartridge. The lightweight body and roughly 1.5g tracking recommendation suit many medium-mass tonearms. Do verify whether it is the high-output or low-output version, and ask about stylus hours: the generator/stylus assembly is not user-replaceable, though Grado can retip it. At this price, a healthy sample is a worthwhile 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.
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