IEM with Grado'esque forwardness?
Sep 14, 2010 at 8:58 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 18

mralexosborn

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I recently received my SR225's. I can no longer enjoy my music with my SuperFi 5's (v2) anymore. I was wondering what is the closest to the Grado sound under $200 new?
 
Sep 14, 2010 at 9:19 PM Post #2 of 18


Quote:
I recently received my SR225's. I can no longer enjoy my music with my SuperFi 5's (v2) anymore. I was wondering what is the closest to the Grado sound under $200 new?



Good luck.. I'd love to find that sound as well.. from what I've read, such an animal doesn't exist.. from what I read even Grado's own GR8 doesn't capture the Grado house sound.
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Sep 14, 2010 at 10:23 PM Post #4 of 18
Bassy? HJE900. Seeing as your a grado dude, the aggressive highs shouldn't bother you. Only 78 dollars.  If you really want a warm signature, you could check out the Radius DDM. The DBA-02 should be closer to your Grado signature than many IEMs, I think. But I've not heard the DBA, and have never heard a Grado, so don't take my word very heavily.
 
Sep 14, 2010 at 10:28 PM Post #5 of 18


Quote:
Bassy? HJE900. Seeing as your a grado dude, the aggressive highs shouldn't bother you. Only 78 dollars.  If you really want a warm signature, you could check out the Radius DDM. The DBA-02 should be closer to your Grado signature than many IEMs, I think. But I've not heard the DBA, and have never heard a Grado, so don't take my word very heavily.


Is Klipsch Custom 3 bass heavy at all?
 
Sep 14, 2010 at 10:53 PM Post #7 of 18
Nothing will ever match it. For what it's worth, the mids on the RE0 aren't that far off, and the DDM has similar mids to the RE0.
 
The RE0 with the double flange stock tips does have almost identical soundstage width to Grados.
 
Sep 14, 2010 at 11:45 PM Post #10 of 18
DBA-02 might indeed be worth a look. It's not a Grado signature in the strictest sense but it's the IEM most capable of relating the energy and urgency of each musical note the way a Grado does.
 
Quote:
The newest TS02 are supposed to be even more mid-forward, I wonder how those sound.
 
Hopefully we will know soon enough 
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Sep 15, 2010 at 12:48 AM Post #11 of 18
Quote:
I recently received my SR225's. I can no longer enjoy my music with my SuperFi 5's (v2) anymore. I was wondering what is the closest to the Grado sound under $200 new?


I consider the hf5/2 to be Grado-ish in sound. It gives me the same thrill anyway.
 
 
Sep 15, 2010 at 1:00 AM Post #12 of 18


Quote:
Quote:

I consider the hf5/2 to be Grado-ish in sound. It gives me the same thrill anyway.
 

x2 w/ caveat.  I think the Ety ER4P/S to be the closest thing to Grado in an IEM I have heard yet.  With the choice of P and S coming down to which Grado you prefer.  S more akin to 225, P more like the 60/80.  Forget which Grado had the sharper treble and bigger bass of the two but that would be the P.
 
Sep 15, 2010 at 6:12 AM Post #13 of 18


Quote:
x2 w/ caveat.  I think the Ety ER4P/S to be the closest thing to Grado in an IEM I have heard yet.  With the choice of P and S coming down to which Grado you prefer.  S more akin to 225, P more like the 60/80.  Forget which Grado had the sharper treble and bigger bass of the two but that would be the P.


I suppose I will look into those. Thanks.
 
Sep 15, 2010 at 3:23 PM Post #14 of 18


Quote:
x2 w/ caveat.  I think the Ety ER4P/S to be the closest thing to Grado in an IEM I have heard yet.  With the choice of P and S coming down to which Grado you prefer.  S more akin to 225, P more like the 60/80.  Forget which Grado had the sharper treble and bigger bass of the two but that would be the P.


I read the same thing way back which is why I bought the ER4P when I had my SR325i.  Although similar in forwardness, they just didn't have the magic or energy (for lack of a better word) of the SR325i.  Unfortunately, I never got to try the S adapter to see what influence that may have had. As much as I liked the Ety's, they just didn't capture me like the Grado's.  I may try the DBA's if they are ever available, but the idea of waiting months for them isn't appealing at all. 
 
 
Sep 15, 2010 at 3:35 PM Post #15 of 18


Quote:
I read the same thing way back which is why I bought the ER4P when I had my SR325i.  Although similar in forwardness, they just didn't have the magic or energy (for lack of a better word) of the SR325i.  Unfortunately, I never got to try the S adapter to see what influence that may have had. As much as I liked the Ety's, they just didn't capture me like the Grado's.  I may try the DBA's if they are ever available, but the idea of waiting months for them isn't appealing at all. 
 


Well, one thing you will never get w/ any IEM is that Grado openness which is huge to their sound IMO.  Nothing is going to be a clone so the best we can hope for is to try to get as close as possible.   
 

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