[kingoftown1]

Quote:

I essentially asked the same question about a year ago in a thread I started, If Not Grado's Then What? People suggested  both the Beyers, the Senn HD25 like has been mentioned above. Another suggestion was the Audio Technica ATH AD2000. I ended up sticking with my Grado's though. Mostly because I fell in love with my HF2, and then got into modding and and woodying my SR60. Another phone though that is very mid centric, inexpensive, and performs well above it's price tag is the Fostex T50RP 
 
What kind of music do yo listen too?

while being firmly planted in the mid-centric camp, I wouldn't necessarily say the Fostex is very similar to a Grado.  Where Grado headphones are very in-your-face, the T50RP is a pretty smooth deal.
 
 

 

[LauZaIM]

I've heard the D2000's labelled as "comfortable Grados".

 

[idletime1213]

If you can find them, I find the AD2000 a much more refined alternative to the Grado sound. Easy to drive as well.

 

[Gwarmi]

Along my travels I've found that a Grado sound like well erm...a Grado.
 
All this talk of similar forward mids is rarely combined with their unique
mid-treble spike and decent bass slam when amped.
No headphone I've heard resolves guitar like a Grado/
Alessandro either.
 
In my mind, it's pretty simple - either spend very little and get an MS1/
SR60/SR80i so that you don't invest too much or just don't bother.
 
Nothing sounds like a Grado IMHO. Hence the love or loathe reputation.

 

[KneelJung]

Quote:

while being firmly planted in the mid-centric camp, I wouldn't necessarily say the Fostex is very similar to a Grado.  Where Grado headphones are very in-your-face, the T50RP is a pretty smooth deal.

I didnt nean to imply that my T50 is similar to my Grado, but they make a very good compliment to my Grado's. While I still prefer my HF2 to the T50, the T50 may be a better match for the OP. I think it does rock very well, and guitar tone on my modded pair is quite awesome sometimes. Ronnie Earl sounds incredible on my T50's. If the OP is looking for a closed can with some sound stage I think the T50 fits the bill. Personally I think it's a better headphone than the d2000. Probably not as comfortable as a d2000, but sonically superior.

 

[koolkat]

You can actually make almost any closed headphone that is slightly bass heavy sound a lot more like a Grado. Just cut out the bass (cover some holes in the internals with tape/foam) and the mids and highs will be more prominent. But this makes music sound a little too thin.. great for comedy movies but terrible for action movies.  
 

 

[kingoftown1]

I love my T50RP too

.  The speed really does distorted or highly textured sounds (like guitars) so well.

 

[Nick01]

Quote:

Along my travels I've found that a Grado sound like well erm...a Grado.
 
All this talk of similar forward mids is rarely combined with their unique
mid-treble spike and decent bass slam when amped.
No headphone I've heard resolves guitar like a Grado/
Alessandro either.
 
In my mind, it's pretty simple - either spend very little and get an MS1/
SR60/SR80i so that you don't invest too much or just don't bother.
 
Nothing sounds like a Grado IMHO. Hence the love or loathe reputation.