Grado RS1x Reference Series Signature Wired On Ear Open Back Stereo Headphones

The Grado RS1x is a wired, open-back on-ear headphone from Grado's Reference Series. It uses a tri-wood maple, hemp and cocobolo housing paired with first-generation 50 mm X Series dynamic drivers matched to 0.05 dB, and is hand-built in Brooklyn.

The Reference Series also includes the Grado RS2x with a maple and hemp housing.

Key specifications

• Housing: maple, hemp and cocobolo wood
• Driver: 50 mm X Series dynamic, matched to 0.05 dB
• Design: open-back
• Frequency response: 12 Hz to 30 kHz
• Impedance: 38 ohms
• Sensitivity: 99.8 dB SPL at 1 mW
• Cable: super annealed copper, 8 conductor
• Fit: L cushion, white-stitched leather headband, metal gimbals

Reference Series RS1x headphones

Hand-built in Brooklyn, the RS1x uses drivers specifically tuned for its tri-wood housing.

• Hand-built in Brooklyn
• Maple, hemp and cocobolo wood housing
• 8 conductor cable
• L cushion
• Drivers matched to 0.05 dB
• De-stressed driver
• White-stitched leather headband
• Metal gimbals

The sound of wood

For the first time in a Grado headphone, three wood species work together in a single housing: a maple sleeve, hemp core and cocobolo outer ring. Each wood is chosen for its tonal character, and balancing all three required considerable development. The result is an RS1x that takes Grado's sound to a new level.

Signature sound

The 50 mm X driver, combined with maple, hemp and cocobolo, brings Grado's signature sound to new heights. Maple handles the bulk of the tonal work, hemp smooths the top and low ends, and cocobolo adds punch. Together, through Grado's special processes, they produce a sound that is full-bodied, dynamic and defined.

X Series drivers

The RS1x is the first headphone built with the larger 50 mm X drivers, specifically tuned for its tri-wood housing. The redesigned speaker features a more powerful magnetic circuit, a voice coil with decreased effective mass, and a reconfigured diaphragm. These changes improve efficiency, reduce distortion and preserve harmonic integrity.

New cable and headband

The RS1x introduces a redesigned super annealed copper 8-conductor cable in a more durable exterior for improved purity. The headband is black leather with a white-stitched accent.

Hand-built in Brooklyn

Grado's first wooden headphones were built in 1994 by John Grado. Wood has been central to their craft ever since. Each RS1x passes hand-to-hand through the Brooklyn workshop before it reaches the customer — a tradition that traces back to Grado's kitchen-table beginnings in 1953.