i have both the ms1 and htx7, and i'd say that the alessandro justifiably costs twice as much as the panasonic. pardon me for my inferior technical expressions, but with regards to the comparison of being forward sounding, ms1 still stands unrivalled. i just feel i'm in the midst of the music with alot of presence, esp in rock and lively music. this is not to say i'm particularly critical of the htx7, but perhaps for it being closed, i do feel i'm further away from the music. maybe this suits classicals more.
with regards to fast sounding, i feel good knowing that i'm not the only one feeling that somehow ms1 presents the music at a seemingly higher tempo. after listening to some retro disco music on the htx7, i switched to ms1 and everything just gets more intense. livelier and faster. i'm now reminded of people using the term "decay", could it be what i'm experiencing here?
the first thing that the htx7 caught my eye with was its aesthetics. nice retro design. however i was momentarily shocked when i looked at the mirror with it being donned on my head, cos the metal frame of the headband is very wide, giving me a girlish feel somehow lol. mine's the cream colour, so the driver cups do seem like semi-eggs cupping my ears lol. one esp good thing about this set of phones is the comfort. the drivers cup the ears very nicely.
when i wear the htx7 outside, i think i look like a pilot lol. on those days when i'd like to take a break from iems.