Re-Cabling the Grado GS1000 for balanced connection

We re-cable a lot of headphones and convert a lot to balanced so when someone asked if we could do a pair of GS1000 I confidently said yes – no problem. Having done quite a few pairs of entry level grados I thought it would be easy enough… I was wrong 😉
Like with all the other grados they are glued together with hot glue but the ear cup is a single piece so very tricky to get to the back of the driver. In the end I had to use a modified scalpel which I heated with a blow torch to safely remove the glue without heating the delicate driver or earcup. It took four or five hours of heating and picking before they finally popped out. Once the driver was out it was plain sailing and while I was in there I changed the grille to a more open mesh. The time taken was worth it though because they are a thing of beauty.