Grado Labs was founded by Joseph Grado in 1953. The former watch maker began hand-making phono cartridges on his kitchen table, above the family's Brooklyn fruit store. The inventor of the stereo moving-coil phono cartridge, Joseph Grado has been inducted into the Audio Hall Of Fame.

Over the years Grado Labs has become famous for remarkable headphone and phono cartridge designs. The company is still family owned, and operates out of the same Brooklyn building where they started.