Sheet 05 · Head to head
GAE vs GR
Same platform, real differences. 5 of 8 published figures differ. Both are revival-era decks built on the coreless motor platform.
GAE
The resurrection: 1,200 numbered units for the brand's 50th, gone in about 30 minutes.
2016
GR
Grand Class for the rest of us: the G's ideas, 7 kg lighter and half the price.
2017–23
05.1Where they differ
- Years
- 2016
- 2017–23
- Motor
- Coreless twin-rotor direct drive
- Coreless single-rotor direct drive
- Starting torque
- 3.3 kg·cm
- 2.2 kg·cm
- Weight
- ~18 kg
- ~11.2 kg
- At launch
- ~$4,000
- ~$1,700
05.2Identical on both
- Wow & flutter
- 0.025%
- Pitch
- ±8% / ±16%
- Speeds
- 33⅓ / 45 / 78
05.3What each one changed
GAE
First new 1200 since 2010. A ground-up audiophile re-engineering, shared with the G.
Used market: Numbered units trade above launch price
Full model sheet →GR
vs G: single-rotor motor instead of twin, one-piece platter, lighter build, less than half the price.
Used market: US askings $1,790–1,990 in Excellent (Aug 2026); the GR2's higher price pulled used GRs up, not down
Full model sheet →Figures from the same sources as each model sheet. A dash means the figure is not published in our sources; we do not invent specs.[1] Wikipedia[2] StereoNET[3] Crossfader