Grado THE STATEMENT-3
High-end MM cartridge from the Lineage series, hand-assembled by John Grado, with a jarrah wood body and boron cantilever.
Description
The Statement 3 is a moving magnet (MM) cartridge from Grado, positioned at the top of the Lineage series. It succeeds previous models by incorporating the technical advances developed for the Epoch 3 and Aeon 3 ranges, with the aim of pushing sound reproduction and stereo imaging precision to their maximum.
The cartridge body is crafted from jarrah wood, housing a generator module paired with a dual magnet system, designed to reduce chassis resonance frequencies. The diamond is mounted on a boron cantilever, and the whole unit benefits from a complex hardening procedure applied during production. The generating system relies on a particularly lightweight effective moving coil, which promotes precise groove tracking on the turntable platter. The cartridge's four coils have been reconfigured using recent winding techniques combined with older methods, with the aim of achieving precise channel balance. A four-stage shielding process isolates the wire windings within the coils, keeping the signal path free of interference. The diamonds themselves are cut to strict specifications designed to faithfully follow the grooves of the vinyl.
Sonically, the source delivers extended, delicate and fast treble, a dense and complex midrange, and a present, dynamic bass. Each unit is assembled at the end of the production line by John Grado himself, at his workbench.
This model is aimed at vinyl enthusiasts who already own a quality turntable and tonearm, and who are looking for a high-end cartridge capable of making the most of a carefully assembled system. It is intended as a reference component, designed for demanding listening rather than occasional use.
What to check before buying used
The boron cantilever and its diamond are vulnerable to any impact when fitting or removing the headshell: check for cracks or misalignment of the stylus tip before use. As the moving coil is extremely lightweight, any play or misalignment in the generator can result in channel imbalance or distortion when listening. The jarrah body, sensitive to humidity variations, also warrants a visual check to rule out any early signs of wood cracking.
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