AKG 450's not impressed, is it me ?
Hi all , just got new 450,s on basis of reviews from a reputable online dealer for my holidays, they're run in but sound really distant and quite harsh compared to my grado sr80's
is it because they are closed or am i expecting to much ? ps shredded the receipt by mistake and thanks for replys .
We are all so very different aren't we? Grado's sound shocking to me but the AKG K450 sound superb! Not a grain of harsh. 
Mostly a matter of adapting I think. I was hooked on bright sounds for awhile because I thought that's what hi-fi was supposed to sound like. It may not work out in the long run, but some adapting is possible. Grados are known for being forward.
No its me as well,I really tried to like the AKG's but they sounded a bit distant/recessed to me as well although I wouldn't have called them harsh but I also struggled to keep them comfortable on my ears,I was always readjusting them to get better sound/comfort.
Maybe its something us Grado lovers just have to put up with 
In the end I settled on a pair of AT WS55i for portable use.
When I checked them out I really enjoyed them as well. I'm surprised you weren't satisfied with them
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The Innerfidelity response curve shows the high freq. response as much less than the Grado. You could try a boost in the highs if that doesn't make it too bright.
Marshall Monitor, ADL H118, SoundMagic HP200, V-Moda M100, Beyer DT770LE, FiiO E07K/MicroStreamer/Vamp Verza DAC/amps, FiiO E12/Zen Head amps.