Grado RS1 Classic Series Open-Back Headphones

The Grado RS1 is the first wood-cup model in the Classic Series to use three woods at once. Cocobolo, hemp and maple are laminated into one housing, each contributing a different combination of density, damping and structural stability. Inside it is the 50mm X2 driver, tuned here for expressive midrange detail and immediacy, on L cushions and the Signature Gold headband.

Key Features of the Grado RS1

• 50mm X2 Dynamic Driver: Mylar diaphragm, copper voice coil and a rare earth magnet system, tuned on this model for midrange detail and musical immediacy.
• Tri-Wood Housing: Cocobolo, hemp and maple in one shell. Each contributes different density, damping and structural properties.
• L Cushions: Grado's bowl cushion, which reinforces the focused and immediate presentation the RS1 is tuned for.
• Signature Gold Headband Assembly: Engraved aluminum alloy gimbals, stainless steel height rods and reinforced aluminum junction blocks, on a genuine leather headstrap.
• Signature Silver Cable: Lighter and more flexible than the cable it replaces, hard-wired into the cups as the whole Classic Series is.
• 99.8 dB at 1mW: Against a 38 ohm nominal load, so a phone, a laptop or an integrated amplifier's headphone output drives it fully.
• 12Hz to 30kHz Quoted Response: Wider at both ends than any Classic Series model below it.
• 0.05 dB Driver Matching: The two channels track within 0.05 dB of each other, the tightest tolerance Grado specifies in the series.
• Assembled in Brooklyn, New York: Built in Grado's own building alongside every other model in the range.

Three Woods in One Housing

The RS1 housing is built from cocobolo, hemp and maple together. Each material brings a different combination of density, damping and structural stability, and Grado's stated reason for laminating them is to get a layered and controlled presentation that no single wood delivers on its own. This is the only tri-wood construction in the Classic Series.

The three do separate jobs. Cocobolo is dense and hard, with the tonal character and grain Grado uses at the top of the range. Hempwood contributes natural damping. Maple is the stiff, stable one, which is why Grado uses it at the driver interface. The visible result is a grain pattern that differs pair to pair.

The 50mm X2 Driver, Tuned for the Midrange

The RS1 runs Grado's 50mm X2 dynamic driver, built around a Mylar diaphragm, a copper voice coil and a rare earth magnet system. It is the same diaphragm size the GS1000 uses, so the step from one to the other is about housing material and cushion geometry rather than driver area.

Where the RS1 differs is the tuning. Grado voices this one to emphasize expressive midrange detail and musical immediacy, which is a different target from the scale and dimensionality the G-cushioned models are set up for. Each Classic Series model is tuned in relation to its own housing rather than to a single house curve.

L Cushions and What They Do

The RS1 ships with Grado L cushions, which hold the driver at a middle distance from the ear and reinforce the focused, immediate presentation the model is tuned for. It is the pad Grado pairs with its midrange-forward voicings rather than with the wide-stage ones.

Like every Grado cushion it is also a tuning control. Fitting a G cushion moves the driver farther from the ear and opens up width; fitting an F or S cushion brings it closer and changes the balance again. Grado sells all of them separately, so the RS1's character is adjustable without touching anything else.

The Signature Gold Headband and Silver Cable

The RS1 carries Grado's Signature Gold headband assembly, the most refined mechanical platform in the Classic Series and the same one used on the GS1000 and GS3000. Engraved aluminum alloy gimbals, stainless steel height rods and reinforced aluminum junction blocks give it structural stability and controlled rotation.

A genuine leather headstrap with contrasting white stitching sits against the head, over an internal steel spring band you bend by hand to set clamping pressure. The cable is Grado's Signature Silver design, lighter and more flexible than the one it replaces, and hard-wired into the cups. Detachable cables are a Signature Line feature and are not offered anywhere in the Classic Series.

What the Classic Series Means

The Classic Series is Grado's name for seven of its most recognizable headphones brought together on the X2 driver platform, with updated cable assemblies and refined build components. Grado's stated goal for the platform was improved consistency, control and refinement, with greater clarity, extension and balance, while keeping the lively presentation the range is known for.

Where the Grado RS1 fits in the Grado Classic Series

The Listening Room Difference

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Grado RS1 Specifications