I Walked Into a Pair of Grado's New S2 Signature S750 Headphones

new S2 50mm driver completely re-engineered

Joseph Grado (1924-2015), is renowned for his “golden ears”. He's credited with inventing the stereo moving coil cartridge and for developing the high end of the dynamic headphone market.  He began in business as a fruit retailer but eventually, working at his kitchen table, he morphed it into a headphone and moving iron phono cartridge manufacturing business.  The products are hand-made in Brooklyn, New York and the company has entered its third generation. Now John, along with his brother Richard carry the torch forward.  It’s a true family business…dozens of spouses and children, siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews have spent time working the various components of the Grado line.

 Headphones are one of the simplest ways to improve one's recorded music listening experience. They eliminate troublesome room acoustics creating a peak isolated listening environment.  The market is however oversaturated.  In-ear, over-the-ear, on-ear, wireless, noise cancelling, open back…all at wildly different price points.  Choosing the right pair of headphones can be confusing and – as with everything from extra virgin olive oil to guitars, what's best is dependent upon their applicable context. Not all headphones work best for all musical styles.  Pairing them is important to achieve desirable results.  And for my purpose – which is listening to vinyl records on my NYC apartment hi-fi system – my new go-to’s are the recently introduced Grado S750’s that I find produce a high-end, on-ear, open-back audio experience.  

 I discovered them in a chance pass-by of Audio 46 in midtown.  I walked in unaware that Grado had released just one-week prior their newly designed entry-level signature series headphones – the S750.  I had spent the past decade enjoying the SR60e, Grado’s entry level headphone.  The salesperson behind the counter pulled a new pair of S750’s out of the box and played for me Beck’s 2015 Grammy award winning album Morning Phase. With eyes closed, it was a peak and memorable imaging experience…rarified, transparent, balanced, phenomenally musical.

 I had mentioned to Michael Fremer my desire to upgrade from my Grado SR60e, a beloved and remarkably affordable product.  I reiterated to him that for many apartment dwellers who live and work in NYC like I do, having a full hi-fi system is big, expensive and often times impractical.  I simply can’t turn it up to the volumes needed for a truly immersive experience.  Couple that with tight room configurations and pesky acoustic issues.  The headphone is the simplest, and arguably, ultimate alternative.  

 My hi-fi rig is a 1970’s Kenwood KD-500 turntable outfitted with a Transfiguration Spirit moving coil cartridge. A Musical Fidelity MS6 integrated amplifier includes a phono preamp and it also powers a pair of Spica TC-50 loudspeakers. I also have the Musical Fidelity LX2 HPA headphone amp.  The benefit here is I can set the speakers to one volume level and the headphones to another. In addition to the volume control it features 3 level settings: -6 / 0 /+6.  For most music, I prefer the -6 setting as it opens the mix and produces the best sonic perspective especially for acoustic music. For Nirvana? 0 or +6.  

A useful S750 feature is its removable cabling. Each cable connects to the headphone housing via a 4-pin balanced mini XLR. This offer compatibility with current and future Grado detachable cables. Grado makes available longer length cables, in addition to optional source terminations such as 4-pin balanced XLR and 4.4mm balanced singled-ended. End users can configure the S750s for their needs. The new Signature Gold braided cable design is softer, more durable, and lighter than previous Grado cables, while the improved insulation enhances its flexibility. The standard six foot cable length is relatively short. I extended it with a Mogami 10ft ¼ inch extension so I can sit anywhere in the room.

The open back system features a completely new "engineered from the ground up" 50mm driver featuring a carbon fiber and paper composite diaphragm and lightweight copper plated aluminum voice coil. A new "B cushion" standard on the S750 that's compatible with all current wired Grado headphones will soon be available as an accessory. The new B cushion shortens the distance between drive and ear, which Grado says "creates a smaller interior pocket" in effect putting the listener in a smaller, more near field "listening space" that reveals layers and nuanced musical placement that often gets lost in a mix.  

The cushions also feature eight "precisely engineered slits" that improve airflow and improve soundstaging while maintaining detail. The flat surface distributes pressure evenly across the ear, facilitating long listening sessions without fatigue. 

 Weighing 16.2 oz, these headphones featuring all aluminum construction are relatively heavy, but are still 10% lighter than Grado's "flagship" HP100 SEs. Other mechanical attributes include engraved aluminum alloy gimbals, stainless steel height rods and reinforced aluminum junction blocks.

 These are open back headphones.  They leak sound, so they wouldn't be ideal in certain applications. There is a recommended break-in period of 70 hours (normal listening, not continuous.) They loosen up over time and trigger a more sultry and dynamic delivery.

The high frequencies really shine.  Take Bjork’s “Hidden Place” off her Vespertine album.  The stereo panning swirls of glitchy electronic shakers and hi-hat ambient waveforms showcase the Signature SR750's superb high-frequency capabilities.  

The bass isn’t overwhelming, but it’s tight, gripping and musical within the mix.  To test this, I played Paul Chambers Bass on Top from the Blue Note Tone Poet Series.  

These Tone Poets are cut using the analog masters – in this case from July 14th, 1957 (recorded and released in stereo) at Van Gelder Studios in Hackensack, New Jersey - and reproduce the highest standards in fidelity and aesthetics.  While the S750s don't deliver some of the upright bass's boomy low end, Chambers' bass was well defined and rhythmically lively. The closer to the ear cone positioning helps create an open-soundscape with precision placement of instruments in a three-dimensional space. It reveals music in ways that is truly remarkable.  Expansive. Clear. Tight lower-mid range and phenomenally pristine highs.  

 In the classical realm, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Columbia Masterworks The Well Tempered Clavier performed by the inimitable Glenn Gould on piano, showcases an organic bright sound, with a transparency revealing the pianist's breathing and at certain moments mumbling voice.

 The S750s can rock. For instance take Radiohead’s album Kid A, specifically the song "The National Anthem" off an original UK 10 inch pressing.  There is the haunting ondes Martenot performed by Jonny Greenwood which clearly reveals and separates itself amidst the cacophony of blaring staccato horns and hypnotic, driving rhythm section.  Though I’m familiar with this record…I had never heard it with such presence and clarity.  These headphones gave the thrill of listening to something very familiar as if for the first time!

 And that’s where the excitement of these headphones comes in. Re-listening to your favorite records in new ways.  Transparency and clarity.  The only potential downside would be a lack of very deep bass, though how a listener might react, depends upon his or her sensitivities and musical preferences.  But the clear transparent delivery presents your favorite albums anew.  Especially, I found, on vinyl.

 While $1700 is not cheap, the S750s are affordable compared to a serious full sound system upgrade and their physical construction is impeccable.  If you are living in a tight space with neighbors and want to take your listening experience to a supremely high level for under 2K, these headphones might be the ticket. “We make vinyl sound good” is what John Grado told me over the phone. Indeed they do!

By the way, I play bass professionally in Action Bronson's touring band (in my "spare time") so I'm "bass sensitive"!