Hi Guys!!
Well, this is my post 200 and I want to make something more... In fact I've been waiting for this!
I think I’ll just start from the beginning – I studied music for almost 10 years, and ended up with what I can say a good ear! So at a certain time in my life I started to question my music sources lying around home. As I knew nothing about this world, I ended up with a pair of PX100 and Harman Kardon Soundstick II – and I have to say, they were the main responsibles for my incursion in this world
A few months later, I discovered head-fi and started digging for some decent headphones. I ended up buying a pair of Alessandro Music Series 1.
Now, after having them with me for about a month, and 300 hours of music later I think I can describe them some well, so here’s MY Alessandro MS-1 thread appreciation
I thought about posting some pics here (what I can do, if asked…), but as there are so many lying around there, I don’t see great need for that now. But let’s go to what is important:
-First impression [yeah, I still can remember as if it was today…]
Before receiving mine I was about to desperate. They just took about one month(!) to get to my hands! Customs issues mainly…
I was working when I received a call saying that postman has just arrived with some package for me, I was euphoric! I think I open them shivering!!
just touched them, smell them and put those in my ears.
Coming from PX100, and having read that they could be very annoying to sensible ears - I thought they were terrifically comfortable! They came (as always) with the comfie pads, and their touch to my ears were just so smooth! I loved it!
As I couldn’t wait I just plugged them into my iPod and started to listen all I had there. I can recall I started with some Pink Martini (Brazil, Amado Mio, Donde Estas Yolanda), some classical music – Rach Piano Concerto #3 (Askenazy / Haitink) and some Dream Theater stuff.
YES, the difference was big over my PX100… first thing I noticed? – Huge detail over Senns..
I stood like that for the rest of the day, and till very very late that night. Just couldn’t wait to put everything I knew on them, and I was ever surprised. Can even recall to start to listening some details I had never heard all the other times before.
After that however, I decided to make some burn in, both with music and with pink noise. Did this in total for about 35 hours and then just put them on to really starting to listen to them, and the results are as follows:
First impression on sound [yeah, I still can remember as if it was today…]
Sound (first words): The sound signature is very different from what I was used to. And I just fully understand that two weeks later, when I tried again my senns and my H/K. The senns where not so bad at all – they lack a lot of detail, but the H/K lack a lot of mids and low mids, REALLY! A LOT!! Now, I just can hear them with some Eq!
So yes, I really like their sound signature.
Another big, huge! Topic here is what REALLY sound good with them, but I’ll do this by frequencies:
Highs (880Hz and upper – A4 and higher for music people):
well, overall, they sound very good. Good detail and decent extension – They are there for sure when you need them.
With violins they sound extremely good! (as in fact this HP sound with all strings). I tried them with baroque, classical, romantic, and chamber music. They did quite well, however there was a little bit of sibilance – maybe because of their Grado ancestors – but nothing very fatiguing! These periods and types of music are perfectly doable for them! I even noticed some harmonics I’ve never heard on Chopin Piano concerto #1 from Pollini, and some interesting details on the Ravel’s Left Hand Concerto.
Not their strongest asset, but they will not ashamed you anywhere, if you get what I mean. Just one thing, YES, they can be very frontward, if the recording has no reverberation, you will feel you have all the instruments on your face. With some good recordings, you will just feel all the room – and that with this HP is very good…
Also tried some strings but with rock and electronic. Also very very decent! In rock they are brilliant! They just do everything right, all the instruments where they are supposed to be, it’s pleasant to hear them on this – but once more you notice that.
Tried a lot, from Scorpions to Dream Theater , Guano Apes, Greenday, The Killers, … …
All good experiences
Mids (from about 220Hz to 880Hz – A2 to A4 for music people):
There’s where I first saw the big difference. They are very secure and accurate. I feel like I have not so much to say about them, just love those!
By now you should be thinking – well, this guy must be totally biased! There’s everything good with this HP! I would understand, but no, there are no such thing and this HP have also fails – mainly from the mids down – and by this I mean, mids and lower mids concerning stressed musics and signals. i.e. They do fine with acoustic instruments in the mids and highs (I’ll go to bass ahead) but they sometimes have problems with electronical sounds – mainly if very stressed and very fast paced musics. I noticed that first on Muse – Muscle Museum, but also on Placebo – Black eyed and some Red Hot - Around the World – they do fine till the music starts to stress – and the problems came with some loss of accuracy in the “lowmids” – BE AWARE! Not outrageous!, but yes, noticeable!
I have to say that I loved them with the guitars on Californication album by Red Hot (scar tissue, Californication just sound amazingly real!)
Also listening to bands like Pink Martini, R.E.M., Paris Combo, Pepe & the bottle blondes, … … … with MS-1 is just a blessing! For sure! They make you see the bands! It’s miraculous
Bass (220Hz and lower – A2 and low for music people):
In this range they are very natural! Did some bass tests and they where amazingly better than I was expecting, I have to say. It’s amazing what those drivers can do, and the space notion they give and need to produce such clear sounds – (for those of you who own these, just put your hands beside your ears while them on playing decent bass sounds.
In this range, they are not the best for classical instruments (once more – they don’t look bad over the 580 or 595 Senns, they just flush a little – but man, those are in other price range!)
Also tried some Herbie Han**** on them (Chameleon, Watermelon man, Doin’it,… … ) became amazed how some things where there and I even couldn’t notice! (Doin’it background, for instance!) or even the bass at Fat mama sounds decent.
However for instance with Coltrane’s Spiral Counterbass – just wish it was more a little bit there, or even in Giant Steps. Coltrane / Thelonious Monk’s Blue Monk is another example.
Liked Orishas’ A Lo Cobano and Niños bass although! The same about Saint German’s Sure Thing – good bass overall (even though I now not very demanding) but good presence.
[well, I guess I could be here for hours describing a lot more details…]
Overall
This headphones are great. Really. Among all its tessitura.
I think now I’m somehow tired of writing this, but I wouldn’t if I didn’t mean and believe it.
With acoustic instruments and acoustic recording these headphones are superb.
With some electronic music, and somehow more demanding pace, they are not unbeatable, but they sound good.
I also have to say that every music, everything, that has stings on it sound incredibly good with this HP
Just feed them with a good signal and they’ll deliver a great sound!
To clear this thing over – this headphones ARE the best for <$99. Would buy again without blinking.
[please guys, if you want to know anything more, and if I can help just ask! Would be delighted to contribute to your hours of happiness listening to them!
]
Cheers guys!
And thanks for opening my eyes!(and ears!)
MY Alessandro MS-1 Appreciation Thread
