In 1953, Grado Labs founded in Brooklyn, NY, perfecting the art of sonic reproduction through headphones and cartridges. A tradition of putting sound first has been carried on through three generations.
Grado’s audiophile headphones are frequent T3 Award winners, and they appear in the best headphones guides for luxury listening. These may well be the brand’s best-sounding headphones yet.
This is Grado’s fourth generation of drivers, the most powerful Grado has ever produced in over 30 years of making high-end headphones. Grado claims the flagship GS3000X has the best sound Grado has ever produced in its seven-decade history. And some of those parts are made from wood and large cushions.
This isn’t just any wood. The Grado GS1000X combines mahogany and ipê wood, while the Grado GS3000X has a 52mm driver enclosed in a metal enclosure surrounded by cocobolo wood. As Grado puts it, cocobolo is “teeming with texture and emotion,” and as a result the metal piece allows Grado to control its rigidity so that the listener is presented with clarity and detail. Additionally, the wood is absolutely stunning.
Grado has used mahogany in headphones and phono cartridges for years, but the ipê used alongside it in the GS1000X is a new material for them. The mahogany gives these headphones warmth and texture, while the firmer ipê adds rigidity.
These gorgeous new headphones are somewhat on the higher end: the Statement GS1000X is £1,295/ $1,195 (£1,495 / $1,365 for the Balanced XLR version) and the GS3000X is £2,195 / $1,995 (£2,395 / $2,165 for balanced). If you can afford them, they promise to be a game-changer when they go on sale in September. Alternatively, Grado’s Prestige Series starts at £275/$295/AU$425, which is considerably more affordable.
