Grado Reference Master 1 Moving Iron Phono Cartridge
Re-Discover the Magic in Your Vinyl
The Master 1 is the perfect step for those who love the Grado sound and want to experience what Grado's upper-end designs are capable of. A step up from Grado's wonderful Sonata 1, the Master 1 is a smoother, sweeter, more sophisticated design. Offering greater refinement, the Master 1 improves on everything the Sonata 1 does; soundstaging is superior, with greater depth and precision; midrange resolution is noticeably clearer with more presence and texture. The Master 1 is also able to resolve fine detail more clearly, creating greater insight into every recording.
"As concerns the other performance parameters - freedom from grit and grain, clarity, spatiality, musicality - the Grado Master Reference has all the right stuff, all first class. The current Grado may represent a new performance plateau. It's the best moving iron cartridge I've ever heard, and it's making a stir among those who Know...do your ears a favor and audition the new Grado."
-- Charles Hollander, Positive Feedback
The newly redesigned Master 1 has a reconfigured coil design reducing the effective moving mass of the generating system by 17%. Hand-assembled within a machined, ABS housing, the Master 1 uses a five piece OTL cantilever technology achieving a 5% tip mass reduction over Platinum and Sonata models. The coils are wound with Ultra-high purity long crystal (UHPLC) oxygen free copper wire and the Master 1 uses Grado's specially designed nude elliptical diamond.
"The air and soundstaging on the Master was almost shocking...The ambiance of piano, drums and bass grew tall, and I was no longer listening to the acoustics of my room, but of hers...The Grado Master delineated the depth of [Nina Simone's] voice, and its complex overtones, while handling the power and delicacy of her classically trained yet jazz piano."
-- Jeffrey Silverstein, Positive Feedback
Frequency Response: 10Hz - 60kHz
Principal: MI
Channel Separation at 1KHz: 40dB
Input Load: 47K
Output: 5.0mV
Recommended Tracking Force: 1.5Gms
Stylus Type: Elliptical
Inductance: 45mH
Resistance: 475Ω
Compliance CUs: 20
Stylus Replacement: Yes
Mounting: Standard
Weight: 6.5g
Warranty: 1 year