rexrider
Active Member
Recently, I have been exploring different carts. I have been curious about the Grado Prestige series. But I was always hesitant due to mixed reviews out in the world of the internet.
I posted a request for advice on what to purchase. Go cheap on a Black and see if I like it? Go all in for a Gold and get the full effect? The responses were well informed ranged from start with the Black, go for the Gold, and even assemble a ”franken Grado” with using an upgraded stylus.
I decided to with the Black1 for one simple reason. I had to know if hum was going to be an issue. I wanted to find out as cheap as possible. I also decided if I like the Black1, I would later upgrade it with an 8MZ replacement stylus.
Here is my review of the Grado Black1
Carts compared to:
AT 440mla
Denon DL-110 and DL-160 (referred to as “the Denons”)
Ortofon 2M Blue
Let’s get the ugly part out of the way first.
The Grados are not Technics head shell friendly. The hardware screw head and nut are too small for the slots in the head shell. Thank goodness I saved all my hardware from previous carts. The best match was the hardware from an AT 440mla.
Second, the Grado cart is too light. When I mounted it on my Technics 1301, I ran out of VTF adjustment just a hair shy of 1.5 grams. I had to add a leftover weight supplement plate from one of my old Denons. The plate was just enough and now the Technics turntable has plenty of VTF adjustment.
So with 440mla hardware and a Denon supplement weight, I was finally able to give it a listen.
Hum?
Whew, not an issue. There almost no detectable hum on the Technics 1301. There is some hum on my 1210M5G, but it is below the noise floor when playing. I can’t hear it while playing a LP. It’s only barely there when I lift the needle with the volume relatively high.
Grado “dance”?
Yep, I saw it with my own eyes on the 1301. But…I realized I induced it. The 1301 has a suspended platter/tonearm. It is well isolated from faster vibrations. But not so well with a slow bump. I bumped the desk it is on and saw the tone arm do a lateral oscillation. It settled down but lasted longer than would expect from a bump. The cart looked like it was drunk and about ready to fold under.
Grado dance theory (???):
The oscillation appears to be caused by the push/pull between the force pulling the arm inward and the anti-skate pulling the arm out. I dropped the anti-skate down to 1.25 to let the inward force win. I could not induce the “dance“ after that. I have not seen it happen on the 1210M5G.
Tracking?
I have had no issues with tracking. No inner groove distortion. Even during the “Grado dance”, the cart did not skip and the movement did not translate to the speakers
How does it sound?
Keep in mind my current cart is a 2M Blue which I thoroughly enjoy. I admit it is unfair to compare a Grado Black1 to a 2M Blue, but that is my current frame of reference. Don’t worry, I am giving the Black1 a lot of leeway since it is a budget bottom rung cart.
First LP impression?
The highs are rolled off a bit but that was to be expected. My first impression was more focused on the bass and I was initially disappointed. The bass was strong but kind of loose and not well defined. The 2M Blue as a very tight defined bass to it. The Black1 just kind of went “boom” but gave no sense of where the “boom” came from.
Again, that was the first LP. I am happy to report the bass has been tightening up as I get through more LPs. The bass has been improving all along. The boominess (is that a word?) has been replace with much more natural drum sound. As I type this, it has become quite pleasant.
The treble or high end frequencies?
As expected, this is where the Black1 gets dinged. But not near as bad as I expected. The upper frequencies are not so much rolled off in the sense you approach a cliff and they just drop. But there does seem to be a band in the upper range that is recessed. This is even more apparent on darker toned albums like Bad Company (self titled) and Deep Purple “Machine Head”.
This is not distracting and just as the bass has improved over the course of 6 LPs, so has the upper end. But on some very familiar songs, there are some chimes and the like that don’t stand out like they did with the Denon 160/110 and the 2M Blue. This only stands out because I have something to compare to.
Don’t misunderstand this as me saying the top end is dead. That is not the case; it’s just a bit subdued. But there is detail there, more than I expected. The good news it is no way fatiguing like the 440mla is to me. Please note: The more albums I play, the less pronounced this “dip” is. Just as the bass needed to break in, so does the treble.
Midrange?
I saved the best for last. Okay okay okay. …I get it now. The midrange is truly Grado turf. Whatever my observations were about the bass and treble, it is the midrange that has kept me pulling more LPs off the shelf to play. Guitars, vocals, piano, and all the mid range stuff is very smooth and engaging. Now I understand why the word “lush” has been used so often to describe a Grado. Indeed, it’s here you forget any other short comings. The Black1 showed me the “meat “ I was missing with the Denon 160 and 110. The 2M Blue showed me as well, but the Black1 just laughs out loud while rudely pointing a finger at the Denons.
Overall impression?
I am going to borrow a quote I read somewhere from someone else’s review of a Black1. To paraphrase, “The Black1 sounds much better than a $60 cart deserves to.”
That pretty much sums it up.
Here is my own analogy that occurred to me while pondering how opposite the 440mla and the Black1 are to each other.
If the 440mla is like standing barefoot on a cold tile floor, the Black1 is like standing barefoot on deep pile carpet. In front of a fire place…..with a cigar in one hand and a single malt Scotch in the other.
Okay, maybe I got a little carried away with the analogy but you get the gist of it. The Black1 is warm and inviting. The 440mla is cold, harsh, and fatiguing (to me on my system). Even the 2M Blue comes off a bit analytical compared to the Grado.
The Black1 does not beat the 2M Blue. The 2M Blue has a bit more clarity to it. Overall, I think the 2M Blue is better balanced especially with the upper range frequencies. But the Black1 is not far behind. Had I opted for a Silver or Gold, I may be stating a different outcome.
I will be ordering a 8MZ stylus in the very near future. If the 8MZ can provide a little more balance and clarity to the upper frequencies, then I think the Grado will be on equal footing with the 2M Blue while providing that rich midrange.
In the mean time, I am enjoying the Black1 as it is. It is inviting, enjoyable, and dare I say, a bit addicting. It is a pretty sweet deal for a $60 cart.
Cheers
(Pictures will be posted next, 'cause everyone loves pictures)
I posted a request for advice on what to purchase. Go cheap on a Black and see if I like it? Go all in for a Gold and get the full effect? The responses were well informed ranged from start with the Black, go for the Gold, and even assemble a ”franken Grado” with using an upgraded stylus.
I decided to with the Black1 for one simple reason. I had to know if hum was going to be an issue. I wanted to find out as cheap as possible. I also decided if I like the Black1, I would later upgrade it with an 8MZ replacement stylus.
Here is my review of the Grado Black1
Carts compared to:
AT 440mla
Denon DL-110 and DL-160 (referred to as “the Denons”)
Ortofon 2M Blue
Let’s get the ugly part out of the way first.
The Grados are not Technics head shell friendly. The hardware screw head and nut are too small for the slots in the head shell. Thank goodness I saved all my hardware from previous carts. The best match was the hardware from an AT 440mla.
Second, the Grado cart is too light. When I mounted it on my Technics 1301, I ran out of VTF adjustment just a hair shy of 1.5 grams. I had to add a leftover weight supplement plate from one of my old Denons. The plate was just enough and now the Technics turntable has plenty of VTF adjustment.
So with 440mla hardware and a Denon supplement weight, I was finally able to give it a listen.
Hum?
Whew, not an issue. There almost no detectable hum on the Technics 1301. There is some hum on my 1210M5G, but it is below the noise floor when playing. I can’t hear it while playing a LP. It’s only barely there when I lift the needle with the volume relatively high.
Grado “dance”?
Yep, I saw it with my own eyes on the 1301. But…I realized I induced it. The 1301 has a suspended platter/tonearm. It is well isolated from faster vibrations. But not so well with a slow bump. I bumped the desk it is on and saw the tone arm do a lateral oscillation. It settled down but lasted longer than would expect from a bump. The cart looked like it was drunk and about ready to fold under.
Grado dance theory (???):
The oscillation appears to be caused by the push/pull between the force pulling the arm inward and the anti-skate pulling the arm out. I dropped the anti-skate down to 1.25 to let the inward force win. I could not induce the “dance“ after that. I have not seen it happen on the 1210M5G.
Tracking?
I have had no issues with tracking. No inner groove distortion. Even during the “Grado dance”, the cart did not skip and the movement did not translate to the speakers
How does it sound?
Keep in mind my current cart is a 2M Blue which I thoroughly enjoy. I admit it is unfair to compare a Grado Black1 to a 2M Blue, but that is my current frame of reference. Don’t worry, I am giving the Black1 a lot of leeway since it is a budget bottom rung cart.
First LP impression?
The highs are rolled off a bit but that was to be expected. My first impression was more focused on the bass and I was initially disappointed. The bass was strong but kind of loose and not well defined. The 2M Blue as a very tight defined bass to it. The Black1 just kind of went “boom” but gave no sense of where the “boom” came from.
Again, that was the first LP. I am happy to report the bass has been tightening up as I get through more LPs. The bass has been improving all along. The boominess (is that a word?) has been replace with much more natural drum sound. As I type this, it has become quite pleasant.
The treble or high end frequencies?
As expected, this is where the Black1 gets dinged. But not near as bad as I expected. The upper frequencies are not so much rolled off in the sense you approach a cliff and they just drop. But there does seem to be a band in the upper range that is recessed. This is even more apparent on darker toned albums like Bad Company (self titled) and Deep Purple “Machine Head”.
This is not distracting and just as the bass has improved over the course of 6 LPs, so has the upper end. But on some very familiar songs, there are some chimes and the like that don’t stand out like they did with the Denon 160/110 and the 2M Blue. This only stands out because I have something to compare to.
Don’t misunderstand this as me saying the top end is dead. That is not the case; it’s just a bit subdued. But there is detail there, more than I expected. The good news it is no way fatiguing like the 440mla is to me. Please note: The more albums I play, the less pronounced this “dip” is. Just as the bass needed to break in, so does the treble.
Midrange?
I saved the best for last. Okay okay okay. …I get it now. The midrange is truly Grado turf. Whatever my observations were about the bass and treble, it is the midrange that has kept me pulling more LPs off the shelf to play. Guitars, vocals, piano, and all the mid range stuff is very smooth and engaging. Now I understand why the word “lush” has been used so often to describe a Grado. Indeed, it’s here you forget any other short comings. The Black1 showed me the “meat “ I was missing with the Denon 160 and 110. The 2M Blue showed me as well, but the Black1 just laughs out loud while rudely pointing a finger at the Denons.
Overall impression?
I am going to borrow a quote I read somewhere from someone else’s review of a Black1. To paraphrase, “The Black1 sounds much better than a $60 cart deserves to.”
That pretty much sums it up.
Here is my own analogy that occurred to me while pondering how opposite the 440mla and the Black1 are to each other.
If the 440mla is like standing barefoot on a cold tile floor, the Black1 is like standing barefoot on deep pile carpet. In front of a fire place…..with a cigar in one hand and a single malt Scotch in the other.
Okay, maybe I got a little carried away with the analogy but you get the gist of it. The Black1 is warm and inviting. The 440mla is cold, harsh, and fatiguing (to me on my system). Even the 2M Blue comes off a bit analytical compared to the Grado.
The Black1 does not beat the 2M Blue. The 2M Blue has a bit more clarity to it. Overall, I think the 2M Blue is better balanced especially with the upper range frequencies. But the Black1 is not far behind. Had I opted for a Silver or Gold, I may be stating a different outcome.
I will be ordering a 8MZ stylus in the very near future. If the 8MZ can provide a little more balance and clarity to the upper frequencies, then I think the Grado will be on equal footing with the 2M Blue while providing that rich midrange.
In the mean time, I am enjoying the Black1 as it is. It is inviting, enjoyable, and dare I say, a bit addicting. It is a pretty sweet deal for a $60 cart.
Cheers
(Pictures will be posted next, 'cause everyone loves pictures)
