Grado Cable Adapter
Do you want freedom from the Grado cables?
Do you want to be able to use a different cable?
Has it happened to you that the original cable broke somewhere?
Perhaps you’d like to see if the sound can be improved?
Or you’d like to make your Grado wireless?
Prices:
DIY (Do It Yourself) kit: $90, which includes shipping anywhere in the world.
If you want me to install it for you, please contact me, email address on the top right corner of the page.
Please note that the adaptor currently available is for Grado models with partial gimbal, not the continuous band around the earcup. As far as I can tell, those would be the headphones based on the small, L-cushions. If you have any of the large, G-cushion based models and you think you might be interested in such an adaptor please let me know (email on top right of the page).
Questions you might have:
Q: Will the adapter fit tight around the earcup?
A: The diameter of the earcups Grado uses for the various models, even if just based on the L-cushions, varry. I have been through a few ideas in order to have the adapter fit tight and the best solution I currently have involves double sided tape: perfect, tight fit.
Q: What is the quality of the plastic like?
A: I thought I should keep up with the times, and so it is 3D printed. I used the latest Multi Jet Fusion technology promoted by HP. The parts are solid, the finish is not shiny as most plastics are, which I like better. Being 3D printed, one can choose, for the appropriate price, from a multitude of materials, finishes and colors - let me know.
Q: If I am to cut the cable, I could just put some sort of a socket at the end of the cables, couldn’t I?
A: Of course you can. It is up to you to decide if my adaptor is worth it to you.
Q: Do the products and/or the modification (if done by us, the seller) come with warranty?
A: No. The modification is very basic, we do not intervene in the sensitive part of a headphone (inside the earcup or the driver). With the gimbal back in place, the adapter can not move.
Q: This is an invasive modification. Isn’t it dangerous, could I ruin my headphones?
A: Yes, it is invasive, but we believe it is a lot less invasive than trying to get to the driver. I know there have been successful but also unsuccessful attempts involving hair dryers to soften the glue the earcup is put together with, although Grado specifically mentioned somewhere that they improved the glue for the “e” versions of their headphones. Of course, it is all up to you.
Q: Less solder points, even better no solder, is the best for preserving the sound quality, right?
A: Some believe in this theory, some don’t. In practice, make sure the theory applies to you. If it was so evident, none of the very expensive headphones would have connectors, but most do.
Q: You propose a cheap connector. Wouldn’t this decrease the sound quality?
A: Again, some believe in this theory, some don’t. In practice, make sure the theory applies to you. I looked for connectors for a long time. Other than some rhodium plated ones (but not in this format), I couldn’t find anything special - and I don’t know if they indeed “sound” better. I do not know what connectors those expensive headphones have, but I doubt they created something exotic (=better) specifically for those headphones. If they did, I am sure they would have said so. Besides, you can actually use whatever connector you want, that is why I left more room than what the connector I recommend requires, which is 3.5mm = 1/8” = mini TRS, being I believe the most ubiquitous and still the most reliable.
Q: What cable(s) do you recommend?
A: If we are talking about sound quality, some say the cables matter, others say they don’t - it is a never ending argument among audiophiles. As I said before, you need to check if you are sensitive enough to pick up the differences. Personally I did pick up some differences between a very cheap cable, for example the type which comes in a basic CD/DVD player box and a well made cable, with a decent wire: I would get a well made cable myself, but not something that costs hundreds of dollars.
Q: Where can I find ready made cables?
A: Probably because most sellers believe that most people don’t know technical details such as what is a 3.5mm (1/8” or mini TRS) connector, they refer to their cable by the brands and models they fit. For example, Beyerdynamic T1 or T5 use the same connector, so search for cables for those headphones.
Q: Can I use a balanced cable with the adapter?
A: I never used anything balanced and so I didn’t try this myself, but a client did and he said it worked, but don’t take this as a guarantee that it does. If it helps to know, the female connector I supply is a 3.5mm TRS model (common ground for both L and R channels).
Q: I see the adapter lets the cable go down in angle and not straight into the shoulder. That’s good, right?
A: OK, this wasn’t a question, but something I like and I didn’t know where else to say it.
Q: How do I make my Grado wireless?
A: Glad you asked! With the speed the wireless technologies develop, I am not at all fond of built-in wireless capabilities. Your headphones are bound to become obsolete very quickly. Bluetooth is already at 5.1 (and we should all know how reliable the claims for backward compatibility are) and there are quite a few more different wireless standards in existence, let alone what they’re working on: LDAC, HWA, SBC, etc. I hope you don’t believe there will ever be a “winner”, it can’t be, they’ll always come up with new stuff. You will be able to get one of those small wireless adaptors any time and even attach them to the top of the headband - I also provide the clip in the photo below. They get smaller, better sounding, longer lasting (battery life), more complex (streaming services built-in), cheaper. Your headphones, the sound part, should last for years and years, so if you appreciate them being wireless, why don’t you make them?
Here are a few ideas (I am not affiliated with any of them, and have only played with Fiio BTR5 - nice little thing!):
https://www.fiio.com/bluetooth_products
https://theauris.com/products/amplify-hi-fi-wireless-headphone-amplifier
A few more ideas here: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-bluetooth-headphone-adapter/
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Shanling/Shanling/page/A2FB4636-5C86-45EC-A495-5D920DDE3815
Places like Kickstarter and Indiegogo should have new things popping up regularly
Procedure:
I used white parts so that you can better see what to do. The adaptor supplied with be black plastic, but there are options for other materials and colors. Contact me if interested. The white gimbal in the photos is for demonstration purposes only, it will not be supplied.
Step 1: Remove the gimbals. Do not pull hard to get them out, they can break. That’s how I do it on my 325e but Grado has a few different enough designs for their earcups so your procedure might need to be different. Geta first pin out, just enough to sit in the gap towards the driver. Get the second one out in a similar position. Then slide one up and the other will follow.
Step 2: Shorten the gimbals under the pin, leaving 2-3mm around the pin. The plastic is soft, a basic craft knife/cutter or a wire cutter are good enough. File for a better finish.
Step 3: Cut the original cable leaving about 5cm = 2in outside the earcup. The photo shows my 1st try, so don’t worry about how it all looks.
Step 4: Solder the 2 wires to the socket. If you have 4 wires, treat the same color as if they are one. There is no polarity as such on speakers, but the wires (colours) have to go to the same pins for both right and left channels so that they are in phase.
Step 5: Depending on the headphone model, you may find double-sided tape already attached to the inside of the adapters. Remove the paper back of the double-sided tape. Attach, including by using the nut, the connector to the adapter when the adapter is unattached to the earcup. Then pull the adapter over the driver side of the earcup aligning the original cable under the channel provided:
Step6: Push the adapter in, around the earcup, aligning the U shape notches in the adapter with the earcup holes for the gimbals:
Step 7 (final): Screw the adaptor’s cover on with the supplied M2x5 Phillips machine countersunk screws. Re-fit the gimbal. Please note that no new gimbals will be supplied!
