What’s Old is New Again:
Grado HP100SE Headphones
A Brief History of Grado Labs
Grado Labs was founded in 1953 by Joseph Grado. A true polymath, Grado was a classically trained operatic tenor who parlayed his obsessive ear for detail into the world of high-fidelity audio.
The company’s beginnings were literal “kitchen table” engineering; Joseph began hand-assembling phono cartridges in his home in Brooklyn, New York. The company grew quickly and so he took over his family’s fruit business building on 7th Avenue, where the company remains to this day. Grado is credited with inventing the stereo moving coil cartridge, a breakthrough that secured the company’s reputation among audiophiles.
While they dominated the cartridge market for decades, the company faced a pivotal shift in the late 1980s as digital audio became popular. Under Joseph’s guidance, and later his nephew John Grado, the firm pivoted to producing headphones. This transition birthed the legendary Signature Series, cementing Grado Labs as a family-run pillar of American high-end audio manufacturing.
The “Old”: Grado HP1000 Series Headphones
The “old” in this story is a series of headphones released by Grado Labs in 1989. By the late 1980s, the popularity of digital media was bad news for Grado Labs, which was primarily a manufacturer of phono cartridges. Sales of turntables, cartridges, and vinyl records were way down, and Grado Labs needed a new product category to stay viable.
The company decided to produce headphones. Designed by company founder Joseph Grado as his “Signature Series,” the HP1000 line was produced in limited quantities (approximately 1,000 units total) between 1989 and 1992. The HP1000 series consisted of three nearly identical models: the HP1 (which featured polarity switches on the earcups), the HP2 (the most common version, without switches), and the HP3 (a budget version with slightly less stringent driver matching).
Unlike the wooden or plastic housings common in later Grado models, the HP1000 series featured milled aluminum housings and a neutral, laboratory-grade sound signature. After production ceased in 1992, John Grado (Joseph’s nephew) took over the company and pivoted toward the mahogany designs seen in the Prestige and Reference series today.
The “New”: Grado HP100SE Headphones
The “new” in this story is the Grado HP100 SE, a modern tribute to the legendary HP1000 series, released to commemorate the 100th birthday of company founder Joseph Grado. While it retains the iconic, minimalist silhouette of the 1989 original, the new model is a ground-up redesign utilizing contemporary materials and engineering.
The most striking feature is the return to milled aluminum housings. Unlike the mahogany often associated with high-end Grados, the HP100 SE uses a space-grey finished aluminum that provides high rigidity and minimizes resonance. The headband has been modernized for better comfort, featuring a stainless-steel core and thicker padding.
At its heart is a completely new 52mm driver. This “Signature Edition” transducer features:
- A paper-composite cone for natural tonality.
- A high-flux magnetic circuit to improve dynamics.
- A voice coil made from copper-plated aluminum for increased speed and reduced mass.
While the original HP1000 was a “laboratory tool” known for strict neutrality, the HP100 SE leans into a more refined, expansive soundstage with excellent spatial imaging. It maintains the classic Grado midrange clarity but adds a smoother top-end and a more authoritative, controlled bass response compared to its vintage predecessor.
More about Grado Labs
Today, Grado Labs produces a small range of components that serve as a tribute to the brand’s enduring legacy in the high-fidelity industry. In addition to the top-of-the-line HP100SE, Grado produces some affordable headphones such as the Grado SR60.
The company also continues to produce a range of excellent phono cartridges at various price points. Their “Lineage” series is for the audiophile who wants the best at any price. The Lineage Epoch 4 is a flagship low output moving iron cartridge featuring a Brazilian Ebony body, sapphire cantilever, and nude Shibata diamond for ultimate resolution.
At the lower priced end of the range, Grado produces the “Prestige” series, including the “Green 4” model which is a moving iron cartridge featuring an aluminum cantilever, elliptical diamond, and updated OCC (Ohno Continuous Casting) copper coils.
If you’d like to see the entire Grado Labs line-up, please check out the company’s website: gradolabs,com
If you’d like to read more about the history of the company, here’s a link to their “About Us” page: gradolabs.com/pages/about-grado-labs
