Grado GS3000x Statement Headphones Balanced XLR

The GS3000x sits at the pinnacle of Grado's Statement series, representing the company's finest open-back headphone to date. Built around a newly developed 52mm X Driver — the largest Grado has ever produced — the GS3000x delivers an expansive soundstage with exceptional clarity across the frequency range. This balanced XLR variant ships with a professional XLR-terminated cable for use with dedicated balanced headphone amplifiers.

Driver Technology

The 52mm X Driver at the heart of the GS3000x features a more powerful magnetic circuit, a voice coil with decreased effective mass, and a reconfigured diaphragm. Together, these refinements improve efficiency and reduce distortion whilst maintaining the harmonic integrity that defines the Grado sound. Driver matching is held to an exceptionally tight 0.05 dB tolerance, ensuring precise stereo imaging.

Construction & Materials

Each earpiece houses a metal chamber surrounded by cocobolo wood — a dense tropical hardwood chosen for its combination of high rigidity and natural damping properties. This hybrid metal-and-wood construction controls resonance whilst allowing the open-air design to breathe freely. The headband is finished in hand-stitched leather with a white-stitched accent, and every pair is hand-assembled in Brooklyn, New York — continuing a tradition of craftsmanship that dates back to the company's founding in 1953.

Cable & Connectivity

The GS3000x Balanced XLR variant is fitted with a redesigned 12-conductor cable using super annealed copper conductors. The balanced XLR termination provides a fully differential signal path, eliminating crosstalk between channels and delivering improved dynamic range when paired with a balanced headphone amplifier. The standard GS3000x is also available with a conventional 6.35mm jack connector.

What the Press Says

• "Effortlessly detailed and fluid sound" — What Hi-Fi? ★★★★★ (December 2023)