I don't think I came with any bad vibes and wasn't the first to suggest they seem a little pricey. I was just asking for opinions and suggestions. I associate harsh detail with low end equipment and was quite surprised how little I enjoyed them. Hence the question as to whether this is normal.
The best suggestion really is to just get something else. Grado headphones are characteristically colored, bright, and forward. I would not call them "harsh" though - there is no clash-trash in the top-end.
I'm not a "boom-boom bass" person. What I don't like is aggressive treble. I have my tweeters gained downed a step because of it. I honestly wouldn't call what I am hearing "average" in terms of balance. This is pretty much the first time I have ever put on a pair of headphones and found them uncomfortable to listen to.
In terms of headphones, at least when you get into audiophile-type sets, Grados have a relatively average amount of bass impact. It isn't excessive, like you'll find in most contemporary modern gear (e.g. the Beats Pro), and it isn't truly thin/withdrawn, like you could expect from a K701 or MDR-F1. Headphones are much different from speakers in terms of presentation, tonal balance, etc. If you want a lot of bass (which is what I'm reading when you call them "thin") I'm going to steer you towards something with a lot of boost. That isn't "bad" though - there are plenty of headphones that have a lot of boost that aren't throwing out gobs of distortion in the process (versus speakers, where tons of bass usually means mud).
I completely understand what you mean about someone saying something sucks. One of my dealers refers to B&W speakers as "boom boom, shake the room." I guess it's fair enough that he doesn't like them, but that doesn't mean they are rubbish. Again, sorry that my comment offended you. I'm sure you understand that finding the right balance in Hi-Fi can often be a frustrating process.
I would agree with your dealer. :evil: The problem when you get into headphones, versus speakers, is that you never really get "neutral" or "flat-ish" the same way as a speaker will give you. You usually go from fairly bass-light, to fairly bass-heavy, and there's very few stop-over points in-between (Grado being one of them, but the coloration is not for everyone). If they are "thin" to you, look for something with a lot more bass, like the Bose QC15 (the ANC is fairly uncanny though), Kenwood KH-K1000 (very heavy), or perhaps the ATH-ESW9 (if the on-ear fit doesn't bother you, and you get a genuine pair). All of those have rolled-down treble, and somewhat keyed up bass impact. They aren't mud though - it's all very controlled. But it's quite different if your frame of reference is speakers (and to those three, I can think of no good speaker analogs).
And you didn't really offend me, just a slight annoyance - you've managed to pick one of the most characteristically bright headphones on the market (ostensibly as your first pair of high-end headphones), and you're upset about that - I just don't get it. But I kind of assume that "everyone" knows Grado makes bright headphones, and that's probably highly inaccurate.
