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Grado Opus3 review

Jbl Joe

Jbl Joe

Well-Known Member
I have now had quite some time to get acquainted with the Opus3. This is the entry level of Grados Timber series. Believe me there is nothing entry level about this cart. The first thing that struck me is the gorgeous maple body a first for Grado. Aside from the sonic property of the maple it allows the mass to be centeted more evenly around the stylus. Like all other woodies it is tapped fot easy installation. At 8gs it compatible with most tables. Mine works fine in mt Audio Technica AT LP 7.
The Opus3 through only $15 more than the Gold3 is in a another class tonally. It is.much more resolving with more inner detail retrieval. It has imo a modern sound than the typical Grado house sound..it tracks flawlessly with no hint of sibilance or igd. At $275 it's truly a bargain. I tested this against a blue3 with both 8mz and mcz replacements. The Opus3 was far superior to both. Try the Opus3 for sonic bliss
 
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I have the high output. There is a low output available. The basic difference between them is the coil windings and wire used to put it simply the low output version think of it as a pipe with running water the low output has a wider pipe for the water to run through.
 
Jbl Joe said:
I have now had quite some time to get acquainted with the Opus3. This is the entry level of Grados Timber series. Believe me there is nothing entry level about this cart. The first thing that struck me is the gorgeous maple body a first for Grado. Aside from the sonic property of the maple it allows the mass to be centeted more evenly around the stylus. Like all other woodies it is tapped fot easy installation. At 8gs it compatible with most tables. Mine works fine in mt Audio Technica AT LP 7.
The Opus3 through only $15 more than the Gold3 is in a another class tonally. It is.much more resolving with more inner detail retrieval. It has imo a modern sound than the typical Grado house sound..it tracks flawlessly with no hint of sibilance or igd. At $275 it's truly a bargain. I tested this against a blue3 with both 8mz and mcz replacements. The Opus3 was far superior to both. Try the Opus3 for sonic bliss
Click to expand...
I am yet to try the Opus 3, but my 2c here is a gold or even a blue with a boron cantilever and microridge takes the blue from good to unbelievable. I prefer my retipped gold and blue 2 to my Statement reference. My feeling is put a great cantilever and tip on the blue up compliance is easier to get right than it is with the woodies and with the boron and MR they cnan sound scary good. I will admit there is a cost with a retip, but difference is huge. I will try an Otus soon, but I will end up retipping it for sure.
Chris
 
Jbl Joe said:
I have the high output. There is a low output available. The basic difference between them is the coil windings and wire used to put it simply the low output version think of it as a pipe with running water the low output has a wider pipe for the water to run through.
Click to expand...
The low output just has a shorter wire, not a huge gain IMO as the inductance of Grado is already so low as not messing with square wave anyway.
Chris
 
cafe latte said:
I am yet to try the Opus 3, but my 2c here is a gold or even a blue with a boron cantilever and microridge takes the blue from good to unbelievable. I prefer my retipped gold and blue 2 to my Statement reference. My feeling is put a great cantilever and tip on the blue up compliance is easier to get right than it is with the woodies and with the boron and MR they cnan sound scary good. I will admit there is a cost with a retip, but difference is huge. I will try an Otus soon, but I will end up retipping it for sure.
Chris
Click to expand...
The Opus 3 will surprise you
 
Jbl Joe said:
What I posted previously about the flow of the sound as opposed to a larger pipe letting the water flow easier is from John Grado himself
Click to expand...
Love Grado, but much from Grado does not make much sense. I have a Grado 3 piece cantilever and a 4 piece ready to dissect side by side as I am yet to understand what the 4th piece is re 4 piece cantilevers (dont think the 4th piece exists and I have cut a few up). Anyway bought a green (black out of stock) and when I get 5 mins I will cut it up to prove what I am already sure of.
My point is Grado say a lot of things that are stretching the truth.
Chris
 
Jbl Joe said:
I have now had quite some time to get acquainted with the Opus3. This is the entry level of Grados Timber series. Believe me there is nothing entry level about this cart. The first thing that struck me is the gorgeous maple body a first for Grado. Aside from the sonic property of the maple it allows the mass to be centeted more evenly around the stylus. Like all other woodies it is tapped fot easy installation. At 8gs it compatible with most tables. Mine works fine in mt Audio Technica AT LP 7.
The Opus3 through only $15 more than the Gold3 is in a another class tonally. It is.much more resolving with more inner detail retrieval. It has imo a modern sound than the typical Grado house sound..it tracks flawlessly with no hint of sibilance or igd. At $275 it's truly a bargain. I tested this against a blue3 with both 8mz and mcz replacements. The Opus3 was far superior to both. Try the Opus3 for sonic bliss
Click to expand...

Exactly my findings with their first woody entry level, the Platinum Reference. After mine was damaged I ordered an 8MZ for my Blue, sounded great but it was no Platinum. Thanks for the review of the newest entry to the Grado wood bodies.
 
cafe latte said:
Love Grado, but much from Grado does not make much sense. I have a Grado 3 piece cantilever and a 4 piece ready to dissect side by side as I am yet to understand what the 4th piece is re 4 piece cantilevers (dont think the 4th piece exists and I have cut a few up). Anyway bought a green (black out of stock) and when I get 5 mins I will cut it up to prove what I am already sure of.
My point is Grado say a lot of things that are stretching the truth.
Chris
Click to expand...
I have to disagree. John is one who dislikes talking specs. Notice that stylus type states E. The Opus3 is a nude .2x.7. The cantlever as you move of the Prestige line improves the tracking abd detail
 
Jbl Joe said:
I have to disagree. John is one who dislikes talking specs. Notice that stylus type states E. The Opus3 is a nude .2x.7. The cantlever as you move of the Prestige line improves the tracking abd detail
Click to expand...
Is this confirmed? Wow! That seals the deal.
 
I use DD tables and have always worried about the grado hum....so I’ve personally never owned one....
 
The tlc and
patient_ot said:
I'll believe it when I see a macro shot of the diamond. Grado uses a lot of bonded styli. Even some of the expensive upgrade styli for their Prestige series are just cheap bonded stones.[/QU
Click to expand...
Bkphoto said:
I use DD tables and have always worried about the grado hum....so I’ve personally never owned one....
Click to expand...
The shielding on the Timber series is much improved. As you know any kind of hum is inherent in a phono system but the Opus 3 used in my Linn lp12 with an RV rb800 and a Val labs phono pre is virtually silent. I installed a Opus3 in a friends Yamaha GT2000. No hum at all. Even the Prestige 3 are virtually hum free.
 
Jbl Joe said:
The tlc and


The shielding on the Timber series is much improved. As you know any kind of hum is inherent in a phono system but the Opus 3 used in my Linn lp12 with an RV rb800 and a Val labs phono pre is virtually silent. I installed a Opus3 in a friends Yamaha GT2000. No hum at all. Even the Prestige 3 are virtually hum free.
Click to expand...

Absolutely no issues with any of my Grado on the Grace G707/Kenwood KD500 combination. Until mounting the Grace cartridge the Platinum was my favorite on the table/arm.
 
Good to know thanks....swapping between a soundsmith Carmen mk2 and a 2m black....can’t make up my mind...putting another in the mix would send me round the bend


But I will be looking at them now once I need a switch...

thanks again
 
Jbl Joe said:
I have to disagree. John is one who dislikes talking specs. Notice that stylus type states E. The Opus3 is a nude .2x.7. The cantlever as you move of the Prestige line improves the tracking abd detail
Click to expand...
Not true, there is no difference for example between the blue and the gold (I have both and I have cut up both), the diamonds are identical and the cantilever and suspension are identical apart the gold has bitumen paint on cantilever and blue does not and the gold has gold dot the blue has blue dots this is it difference wise. I bought the green as the gold has a 3 piece cantilever not 4 unless you call paint a piece. I bough the green which is a 3 piece to see if it has any less parts which I doubt but I will reserve judgement till I cut it up which will probably be the weekend.
Chris
 
Jbl Joe said:
I have to disagree. John is one who dislikes talking specs. Notice that stylus type states E. The Opus3 is a nude .2x.7. The cantlever as you move of the Prestige line improves the tracking abd detail
Click to expand...
Also when I put a microridge on a blue the difference is staggering, it made me realise what the a Prestige can sound like. I have both retipped the original diamond and replaced the last section of cantilever (part 3 IMO part 4 according to Grado). I leave an aluminium cup so the retip is actually another part so it now becomes 4 part or 5 part if I am missing something, probably why the expensive woodies are supposedly 5 part as the last boron bit is fitted as I fit it so Grado count this part. I am told in the past Grado used to have a telescoping cantilever ie front but slid over another tube, this is no longer the case so I think now despite advertising all Prestige are 3 piece and the better woodies are 4.
Chris
 
Grenadeslio said:
Exactly my findings with their first woody entry level, the Platinum Reference. After mine was damaged I ordered an 8MZ for my Blue, sounded great but it was no Platinum. Thanks for the review of the newest entry to the Grado wood bodies.
Click to expand...
No it is not, I too have an 8MZ, but it does not beat the platinum, but a retipped blue smashes a platinum (I have one) and I actually prefer my retipped blue to my statement reference.
Chris
 
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