Grado GS3000 Classic Series Open-Back Headphones

The Grado GS3000 is the largest headphone in the Classic Series, built around a 52mm X2 driver in a cocobolo housing with a precision-machined aluminum insert inside it. Cocobolo is a dense exotic hardwood with a striking grain; the aluminum adds rigidity and internal control. It carries the Signature Gold headband, the Gold cable and G cushions, the largest Grado makes.

Key Features of the Grado GS3000

• 52mm X2 Dynamic Driver: The largest driver in the Classic Series. Mylar diaphragm, copper voice coil and a rare earth magnet system, engineered for efficiency and dynamic control.
• Cocobolo and Aluminum Housing: A cocobolo outer shell paired with a precision-machined aluminum inner insert, so the housing has both the wood's tonal character and the metal's rigidity.
• G Cushions: The largest cushions Grado makes. Their geometry sets the driver farthest from the ear, which is what expands the perceived stage.
• Signature Gold Headband Assembly: Engraved aluminum alloy gimbals, stainless steel height rods and reinforced aluminum junction blocks, with a wider leather headstrap for this platform.
• Grado Gold Cable: Specified to carry the scale of the 52mm driver while keeping signal integrity and flexibility. Hard-wired, as the whole Classic Series is.
• 99.8 dB at 1mW: Against a 38 ohm nominal load, so it runs from a phone or a laptop jack without a separate amplifier.
• 4Hz to 51kHz Quoted Response: The widest bandwidth quoted anywhere in the Classic Series.
• 0.05 dB Driver Matching: The two channels track within 0.05 dB of each other, the tightest tolerance Grado specifies across the Classic Series.
• Assembled in Brooklyn, New York: Like every Classic Series headphone, built in Grado's own building.

The 52mm X2 Driver in the GS3000

At the center of the GS3000 is Grado's 52mm X2 dynamic driver: a Mylar diaphragm, a copper voice coil and a rare earth magnet system engineered for high efficiency and dynamic control. It is the largest diaphragm in the Classic Series, and Grado's reasoning for the size is straightforward. A larger diaphragm moves more air for the same effort.

What that buys, in Grado's own terms, is deeper bass extension, more dynamic headroom and a bigger sense of scale. The X2 platform underneath is shared across the whole Classic Series and was developed for consistency, control and refinement, with the tuning done per model in relation to its housing rather than applied uniformly.

Cocobolo Outside, Machined Aluminum Inside

The GS3000 housing is two materials doing two jobs. The outer shell is cocobolo, a dense exotic hardwood known for its rich tonal character and its striking grain, whose natural resonance Grado credits for warmth and depth. Inside it sits a precision-machined aluminum insert that adds structural rigidity and helps manage resonance.

Grado's description of the combination is a housing that blends organic warmth with mechanical stability. The grain pattern also means no two pairs look quite alike.

G Cushions and the Size of the Stage

The GS3000 ships with G cushions, the largest in the Grado range. Their geometry positions the driver farther from the ear than any other Grado cushion, and that distance is what expands perceived stage and dimensionality. It is a physical change to the acoustic path, not a voicing filter.

Grado treats cushions as a tuning element throughout the line, and sells S, F, L, B and G cushions separately for that reason. Changing the cushion changes the driver-to-ear distance, and with it the tonal balance, so the GS3000 can be moved toward a closer, more immediate presentation without changing anything else.

The Signature Gold Headband and Cable

The GS3000 uses Grado's Signature Gold headband assembly, the most refined mechanical platform in the Classic Series. Engraved aluminum alloy gimbals, stainless steel height rods and reinforced aluminum junction blocks give it structural stability and controlled rotation, so the cups stay aligned to the head.

On this model the assembly gets a wider leather headstrap with contrasting white stitching, spreading the weight of the larger platform across more of the head. Inside the strap is a steel spring band you bend by hand to set clamping pressure. The cable is Grado's Gold design, specified for the scale of the 52mm driver, and it is hard-wired: detachable cables are a Signature Line feature and are not offered in the Classic Series.

What the Classic Series Means

The Classic Series is Grado's name for seven of its most recognizable headphones brought under one banner on the X2 driver platform, with updated cable assemblies and refined build components. The GS3000 sits at the top of it.

Where the Grado GS3000 fits in the Grado Classic Series

The Listening Room Difference

We're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.

Grado GS3000 Specifications