GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

We use the Tune Method to evaluate performance

Moderator: Staff

Post Reply
u252agz
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 786
Joined: 2013-10-03 12:44
Location: UK

GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by u252agz »

I have been using the Grado 4.5 metre extension cable with my RS2e headphones( Kalla with Giella Pi) for a few months now and enjoying this system, reclining on the bed in the spare room, which is at the opposite end from the Kalla/Giella.

Over the weekend, I tried my Grado 125e straight into Giella ( I was sitting on the armchair close to Giella) and it was obviously more musical than the RS2e with the extension cable.

So I tried the RS2e without the cable - so much more musical. Sound is better as well.

I'm kicking myself for not having done this test before - i just assumed that as it was a Grado cable it would work just fine. Now I am using the armchair with RS2e plugged directly into Giella Pi.

Motto of the story - never assume anything in HiFi and test everything yourself.
Kalla/Sag M/Tun M3/242/LP12/Slip7

Kalla/Giella Pi/JBL308/RS2e

Majik LP12/Boazu/110s
beck
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 2752
Joined: 2012-10-22 22:25

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by beck »

u252agz wrote: 2023-01-16 17:35
Motto of the story - never assume anything in HiFi and test everything yourself.
I agree! :-)
Playing cd’s…………
tokenbrit
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 2038
Joined: 2012-03-22 19:47
Location: New England

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by tokenbrit »

Disappointing but good to know that the Grado extension cable doesn't make the grade. At least you weren't left in Dire Straits, musically, and it was an easy fix.
u252agz
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 786
Joined: 2013-10-03 12:44
Location: UK

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by u252agz »

I wonder if anyone has looked at the optimal length of cable for headphones and whether the optimal length will be similar to speaker cables ie around 2.5 m.

Looking online, it seems that most in the headphone community think that length does not matter - there are reports of 50 feet of cable ( and more) being just fine!
Kalla/Sag M/Tun M3/242/LP12/Slip7

Kalla/Giella Pi/JBL308/RS2e

Majik LP12/Boazu/110s
User avatar
ThomasOK
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 4358
Joined: 2007-02-02 18:41
Location: United States
Contact:

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by ThomasOK »

"Grado guarantees no degradation of sonic quality with Grado headphones while using their extension cable."

This from their own website. So you should be able to get your money back. I find it particularly interesting that they make a 15 foot cable and an apparently higher-quality 12 foot cable for significantly more money yet both carry that guarantee. Why buy the more expensive, shorter cable if the regular one is perfect?
The LP12 Whisperer
Manufacturer, Distributor, Retailer and above all lover of music.
nmakowsk
Active Member
Active Member
Posts: 62
Joined: 2015-04-21 08:33
Location: near Ann Arbor

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by nmakowsk »

Thanks for reviewing that extension cable from Grado u252agz. I have been using Grado SR 125e connected to my Giella Pi and have been feeling a bit foolish sitting on the floor next to the equipment rack due to the short length. My next thought was going to be to try the extension cable from Grado and see if I could listen in a more comfortable spot rather than concrete floor but now because of your advice I think I will scrap the whole idea. The briks are in use 95% of the time anyways. I did do a test with the 1/4 in to 1/8 in adapter that came with the headphones. That gold plated one that came with the Grados sounds better than the one that came with my old Sony MDR-V600 headphones I used in the 90s to listen to my old discman portable CD players. Oh and the Grados blow the Sony V600 away through the Giella Pi despite their hyped up neodymium magnets marketing. Its not even close! The Giella Pi is an exceptional device and I am really looking forward to the upgrades that Fredrik announced last November in the playground thread.
LP12/Kar/ARad1/Kore/Ekos SE1/NOKTable/Adikt/Slipsik 8.0/Giella Pi 1.2/Tundra Stereo 2.2/1992 Briks
u252agz
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 786
Joined: 2013-10-03 12:44
Location: UK

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by u252agz »

ThomasOK wrote: 2023-01-18 17:28 "Grado guarantees no degradation of sonic quality with Grado headphones while using their extension cable."

This from their own website. So you should be able to get your money back. I find it particularly interesting that they make a 15 foot cable and an apparently higher-quality 12 foot cable for significantly more money yet both carry that guarantee. Why buy the more expensive, shorter cable if the regular one is perfect?
Not sure what they mean by ‘Sonic quality’ but musicality falls off a cliff with my 15 ft extension cable.

Wish I’d done an A/ B when I got them - I sort of trusted the ‘ family firm in Brooklyn NYC’ which needs no endorsement, advertising etc etc.

However the 125e is great and RS2e even better - so I’ll cut them a little slack with the cables !
Kalla/Sag M/Tun M3/242/LP12/Slip7

Kalla/Giella Pi/JBL308/RS2e

Majik LP12/Boazu/110s
u252agz
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 786
Joined: 2013-10-03 12:44
Location: UK

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by u252agz »

nmakowsk wrote: 2023-01-18 22:04 Thanks for reviewing that extension cable from Grado u252agz.

The Giella Pi is an exceptional device and I am really looking forward to the upgrades that Fredrik announced last November in the playground thread.
I agree Giella Pi is a fantastic headphone amp/ pre amp -which I would take along with Kalla if I was exiled on a desert island.

I use it with Kalla and either JBL308s ( mk1) or my RS2e, of which I’m quite fond.

Im lucky in that dispensing with the Grado extension cable has only forced me to move from the bed to the armchair next to Giella Pi - not as relaxed but comfortable enough.

I did try using Giella with my sagatuns in my main system but found all the switching around it a bit of a hassle.
Kalla/Sag M/Tun M3/242/LP12/Slip7

Kalla/Giella Pi/JBL308/RS2e

Majik LP12/Boazu/110s
User avatar
Tendaberry
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 982
Joined: 2010-08-30 16:08
Location: Hamburg

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by Tendaberry »

I don't know, if Grado recently changed the cable, because there seems to be 2 versions out there.
A friend who's happy with it has this one:
grado.jpg
Another friend, who bought it a few weeks ago, received this version:
Grado2.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
tokenbrit
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 2038
Joined: 2012-03-22 19:47
Location: New England

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by tokenbrit »

Tendaberry wrote: 2023-01-19 12:16 I don't know, if Grado recently changed the cable, because there seems to be 2 versions out there...
There's a 15ft, 4-conductor extension cable, and a 12ft cable "constructed from the same high quality wire as Prestige Series headphones with 12 inner conductors"
User avatar
Tendaberry
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 982
Joined: 2010-08-30 16:08
Location: Hamburg

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by Tendaberry »

tokenbrit wrote: 2023-01-19 15:30
Tendaberry wrote: 2023-01-19 12:16 I don't know, if Grado recently changed the cable, because there seems to be 2 versions out there...
There's a 15ft, 4-conductor extension cable, and a 12ft cable "constructed from the same high quality wire as Prestige Series headphones with 12 inner conductors"
So, which is which in the pictures?
User avatar
ThomasOK
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 4358
Joined: 2007-02-02 18:41
Location: United States
Contact:

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by ThomasOK »

tokenbrit wrote: 2023-01-19 15:30
Tendaberry wrote: 2023-01-19 12:16 I don't know, if Grado recently changed the cable, because there seems to be 2 versions out there...
There's a 15ft, 4-conductor extension cable, and a 12ft cable "constructed from the same high quality wire as Prestige Series headphones with 12 inner conductors"
OK, Grado has been doing it's best over the years to confuse the whole cable issue. For the new X series headphones Grado has wrapped the cable with a nylon braid instead of the old smooth plastic covering. Is this better? Who knows? They have now done the same thing on their extension cables, otherwise the extension cables don't appear to have changed. They are showing the same number and type of conductors.

Grado uses different numbers of conductors on their different headphones and has changed this over time. Here are the different cables and what they are and were used on.
4 conductor:
SR60X. SR80X
SR60e, SR80e, SR125i, SR225i (I'm sure SR60i and SR80i as well but don't have them to hand.)
8 Conductor:
SR125X, SR225X, SR325X, RS1X, RS2X
SR225e, SR325E, RS1e, RS2e, PS500e (Probably SR125e as well but I'll have to check mine at home.)
12 conductor:
GS1000e, PS1000e (Almost assuredly other GSe models)
GS1000X, GS3000X

So why are the extension cables 4 conductor and 12 conductor when the majority of the current models are 8 conductor? Especially as only the cheapest two have 4 conductor cables? Your guess is as good as mine.

PS. It took much more time to chase down this information than I initially expected it would. Grado sometimes mentioning the number of conductors in their specs and other times not. The 12 conductor cable on the PS and GS1000e being almost the exact same thickness as the 8 conductor on the SR325e and 225e didn't help things either.
The LP12 Whisperer
Manufacturer, Distributor, Retailer and above all lover of music.
tokenbrit
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 2038
Joined: 2012-03-22 19:47
Location: New England

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by tokenbrit »

Tendaberry wrote: 2023-01-19 18:38
tokenbrit wrote: 2023-01-19 15:30
Tendaberry wrote: 2023-01-19 12:16 I don't know, if Grado recently changed the cable, because there seems to be 2 versions out there...
There's a 15ft, 4-conductor extension cable, and a 12ft cable "constructed from the same high quality wire as Prestige Series headphones with 12 inner conductors"
So, which is which in the pictures?
Depends how long they are ;) Otherwise, Thomas' reply appears to more than* cover it :)


* as always =/:-)
u252agz
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 786
Joined: 2013-10-03 12:44
Location: UK

Re: GRADO HEADPONE EXTENSION CABLE

Post by u252agz »

I have the 15 ft - 4 conductor cable with a smooth plastic covering.

After reading that some are happy with the above - I did the test again.

Maybe, I was being a tad harsh on the extension cable, as in isolation, it still sounds ‘good’ and enjoyable with Kalla/ Giella pi. I have been using this for some time after all.

But removing it again, I realise the timing is better - and to my ears this is everything. Also nuances and emotion are noticeably better. Soundwise perhaps not much in it ( maybe this is why Grado say no sonic degradation) but to me timing and emotion is everything.

The timing improvement reminds me a bit of going from 9 metre K400 to 2.48m K400 ( both made and terminated at Lejonklou HQ). I had been enjoying my KDS/AK/1 and Tundras for some time , but with the 2.48m K400 - the timing was spot on and so much better, even though it meant going from standard Linn silvers to 9 m Silvers from preamp to Tundras.

So to anyone wanting to try the Grado 15 ft cable - please go ahead - it’s relatively cheap and you will still probably enjoy the music, sitting in a comfortable position.

Just not as much as without the extension.
Kalla/Sag M/Tun M3/242/LP12/Slip7

Kalla/Giella Pi/JBL308/RS2e

Majik LP12/Boazu/110s
Post Reply