Background
Founded by Joseph Grado and based in Brooklyn, NY, Grado Labs specializes in dynamic open-air, supra-aural, high-fidelity headphones, which have won awards and accolades from audio-related publications such as Stereophile magazine. Grado Labs holds 48 patents as of October 30, 2006. Grado currently produces five families of headphones, (including the iGrado, GR8, and GR10 In-Ear Monitors) at different price points:
- The Prestige series (5 headphones)
- The Reference series (2 headphones)
- The Statement series (GS1000i as the sole offering)
- The Professional series (2 headphones)
An older series of headphones (the "HP Series") designed by company founder Joe Grado are also held in high regard in the audiophile community, often selling for high prices on the used market. Currently all present and future Grado headphone models are designed by Joe Grado's nephew John Grado. The question of which member of the family is the better audio engineer has sometimes been a source of contention among Grado enthusiasts.
In addition to their headphones, Grado has also produced a highly-regarded series of phono cartridges for over 40 years.
In its close to 60-year history, Grado has kept a very low profile by relying on word-of-mouth advertising among audio dealers and consumers instead of mass advertising campaigns to protect its brand image. Nearly all of Grado's products are hand-crafted but all are produced in low numbers.
Grado also produces three models of headphones for the Pennsylvania-based Alessandro High-End Products company; the Alessandro Music Series One, Two, and Pro. These are built from the ground up and are not based on any existing model Grado produces at the moment, although they share many components. In addition, Grado produced a model for a German Distributor, which they call the PS1, and was sold in the US for a retail price of US$1400. However since this is a discontinued item, and almost all new stock has been depleted, secondhand PS1s have gone up in value and have sold for upwards of US$2,000.
Read more about this topic: Grado Labs
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