Hi-Fi Hall of Fame
People Inductee
Joseph Grado
Introduction
Our next inductee is an Italian-American entrepreneur named Joseph Grado.
Born in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, Grado initially worked as a watch maker for Tiffany and Company. He met Saul Marantz, who had started his own Hi-Fi manufacturing business. Marantz was impressed by Grado and gave him a job with Fairchild, one of Marantz’s product divisions.
Grado was excited to be in the Hi-Fi business and in 1953, he founded his own company which he called “Grado Labs”. Grado Labs has been making excellent phono cartridges and other products ever since. Let’s look at the life and accomplishments of Joseph Grado to see why he belongs in the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame.
Founding of Grado Labs
Hi-Fi took a great leap forward when Columbia Records launched the “Long Play” (LP) record in 1948. This new format provided a significant improvement over the older “45” and “78” records that were popular at the time. People began buying record players and LP records in significant numbers, and Hi-Fi began to grow as a hobby and as a business.
Joseph Grado, who was working for Saul Marantz’s Sherman-Fairchild division at the time, recognized the business opportunity, and decided to start his own a business making phono cartridges for these new LP records.
He started his new business, called Grado Labs, around 1953. He built his first cartridge in the family kitchen and began shopping it around to customers. Grado Labs made their first sale in 1955 to Leonard Radio, which allowed Joseph to move his production to his family’s Brooklyn fruit store. Eventually, Grado closed the store and converted the space to become the headquarters and factory for Grado Labs.
Joseph Grado secured his place in Hi-Fi history when he was awarded his first patent, for a “Moving Coil” phono cartridge, in 1959. He went on to receive almost 50 patents.
Joseph Grado Era
Joseph Grado ran Grado Labs from it’s founding in 1953 until 1975, when his nephew John was appointed as chief executive of the company. But even after passing the reins to John, Joseph continued to be active in the company, by producing the “Signature” series of cartridges. He finally retired from the business in 1990.
Let’s take a look at some of the more significant products that were developed during the Joseph Grado era, which ran from 1953 until 1990.
1950s
In the 1950s, Grado Labs produced mostly phono cartridges, along with a few turntables and tonearms.
The “Grado 3” was one of the cartridges from this era, it was a “moving magnet” (MM) design equipped with an elliptical stylus and a recommended tracking force between 1.5 to 3 grams. The output voltage was in the range of 3-5mV, a typical value for high output MM cartridges.
1960s
In the 1960s Grado introduced some new products including the Dustat Record Cleaner, the Lab Series of phono cartridges, speakers, tonearm, and turntables. While these were fine products, the company opted to concentrate on building phono cartridges, and so these products were soon discontinued.
In 1962 Grado Laboratory Series developed their first generation of stereo moving coil (MC) cartridges. By 1964 Grado was offering a range of cartridges including the “Classic”, “Laboratory Series”, “Senator”, and “XR”.
In 1965 the company produced the Model “A”, which was a low output MC design that often required a transformer to boost the voltage to useable levels.
This was followed by the “B Series (1965 – 1967), including models B, BE, BR, and BT/R.
1970s
In 1971 Grado Labs introduced the “F” Series, which ranged from the top-of-the-line F-1 (priced at USD$75) to the very affordable FTR (at USD$9.95). They were great cartridges and sold in large quantities.
By 1978 Grado was selling quadraphonic versions of their F-series “Flux Bridger” cartridges. These were designed for the “CD-4” standard, but the cartridges could also play conventional stereo LP records as well.
The G Series was introduced in the late 1970s and included a wide range of models, such as the GTR, GTE, GF3E, and G1+.
1980s
By the 1980s, Joseph Grado was no longer running the company; his nephew John Grado was the chief executive. The 1980s, of course, was the beginning of the digital era, and sales of turntables, cartridges, and vinyl records was in rapid decline. Despite this challenge, Grado Labs continued to produce phono cartridges.
They offered the M Series (1983 -1985) including models such as MTE, MCE, MTE+1, MCE+1, MF3E, MF2, MF1, M, M1, M2.
Later in the decade, they developed the Z Series (1988 – 1990) which included the ZTE, ZCE, ZTE+1, ZF3E, ZF2, ZF1, Z, Z1, Z2.
Joseph Grado, still active with the company, focused on two important tasks. First, he worked on Grado’s high end “Signature Series” which included the MCZ and 8MZ. This ensured that Grado would maintain their identity and skill set as a maker of top quality phono cartridges.
Second, he decided to take company in a new direction with a focus on headphones. Drawing on his expertise as a watchmaker and phono cartridge developer, he developed the HP1000 series of headphones.
Joseph Grado revolutionized headphone audio with his open-back design, which allowed air to flow freely through the ear cups. This innovation created a natural, expansive, and “airy” soundstage by significantly reducing resonances and the “cupped” sound often associated with closed-back headphones.
Grado meticulously crafted drivers to produce a natural, uncolored sound. He prioritized warmth, clarity, and detail, often using materials like mahogany wood to manage resonance, ensuring an authentic musical presentation. This commitment to handcrafted quality meant every pair was assembled in Brooklyn, setting Grado apart from other headphone manufacturers.
Grado Labs launched their first headphones, the HP1000 series, around 1991. Designed by Joseph Grado himself, this flagship series included the HP1, HP2, and HP3 models.
The HP1000 series was known for its robust, largely metal construction, giving them a “tank-like” durability. The HP1 featured polarity reversal switches, which the HP2 lacked, while the HP3 was a more affordable version of the HP2 with less stringent driver matching.
The HP1000 series quickly achieved a great reputation for quality, becoming a benchmark for high-end dynamic headphones and profoundly influencing the audiophile headphone market due to its neutral, analytical, and musical sound.
“Passing the Torch” at Grado Labs
John Grado purchased Grado Labs from his uncle Joseph in 1990, which marked the end of the founder’s role in the company. Since then, John Grado has brought other family members into the company, to continue a tradition that is 70 years in the making.
Under this new leadership, Grado Labs has continued to prosper. They continue to produce phono cartridges, and this part of the business has benefited from the recent surge in popularity of turntables and vinyl records.
Joseph Grado’s decision to get into the headphone business has also turned out to be a critical part of the company’s current success. The company now offers a wide range of headphones and have an excellent reputation in this area.
Passing of Joseph Grado
Joseph Grado, the founder and a pioneering force in the audio industry, passed away in 2015 at the age of 90. He is widely credited with inventing the stereo moving-coil phono cartridge and later revolutionized the world of high-end headphones. An avid tinkerer, inventor, singer, and painter, Joseph Grado held 48 patents. His legacy of innovation and commitment to handcrafted quality continues through Grado Labs, which continues as a family business. He is deeply missed by the audiophile community and all who knew him.
Grado Labs Today
Today, Grado Labs offers product in just two categories: headphones and phono cartridges.
They have a range of headphones across various series (Prestige, Reference, Statement, Heritage, Professional), including wired and wireless open-back models, and in-ear monitors (IEMs). They are celebrated for their distinctive “Grado sound” characterized by a clear midrange, detailed presentation, and wide soundstage, often favored for genres like rock and jazz.
Grado continues its original business of manufacturing phono cartridges, building on their history as the inventor of the stereo moving-coil phono cartridge. They are recognized for their musicality and ability to bring vinyl records to life and are available in Prestige, Timbre, and Lineage Series.
Grado Labs operates out of the same Brooklyn building that it has used since the company’s inception. It maintains a low profile, relying heavily on word-of-mouth and a strong online presence rather than traditional advertising. They emphasize quality craftsmanship, with many parts sourced locally and products are often hand-assembled, reflecting their deep roots and commitment to a unique audio experience.
If you’d like to read the history of the company, or to see the current product lineup, just follow this link: gradolabs.com/
Joseph Grado: Induction into the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame
Joseph Grado was a true pioneer in the early days of American Hi-Fi.
He founded a great business Grado Labs that is still thriving today.
He patented and built one of the world’s first stereo moving coil cartridges. In fact, over his lifetime, Joseph Grado was awarded almost 50 patents for Hi-Fi related inventions.
He created a line of “moving iron” phono cartridges, using this technology in both “entry level” and premium priced cartridges, and everything in between.
Just when the company was struggling against the tide of digital audio, he took the company in a new direction and built some superb headphones which “saved the day” for Grado Labs.
Joseph Grado also instilled strong family values and a great work ethic into the business that continues to this day. He raised some smart kids and introduced them to the business early. Joseph handed the business to the “kids” and they have been able to sustain and grow the business. More than 70 years after it’s founding, Grado Labs is still an independent manufacturer.
For all of these reasons, Joseph Grado is inducted into the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame.
