I'm pretty much besotted with the Alessandro MS1s. They look like lovely lifelong companions. 
All the reviews I've read agree they sound great, but build quality has been described by some as terrible, some as good, etc.
I am sort of on the cusp of buying them, but I don't want to get them and then be disappointed (there's nowhere, to my knowledge, that I can have a look at them/try them out irl [I'm in the UK, they're not overly available off the shelf]) because they're not what I thought they were. (I've been building them up to dangerous levels of wonder in my head. These headphones could be the second coming.)
So if anyone could provide me with details, that would be great. Are they horrid/how long have yours lasted/are they worth $100+/what are they made of (strap, phones proper, etc.)
 
Everyone who helps gets my undying love. Thank you ♥

Everyone needs a Grado headphone, and the Alessandro MS1 is an excellent one to buy.  It has a bit more refined sound than the SR80, which the MS1 is based on.  It has a very engaging, dynamic and fun sound, as well as good level of details.  I listen to mine several times a week and appreciate the sound compared to my normal Ety HF5.
 
I've had mine for almost 2 years, but they go nowhere outside my house.  Despite what some people's opinions, I do not consider the MS1 a portable headphone -- it is just too bulky (and probably funny looking to others) for me to take it anywhere.  Use the MS1 at home and get some earbuds or IEMs for on the go.

The MS1 were my first headphones and i loved them, for 99 usd the sound quality is excellent. The build quality is pretty good; it doesn't look/feel solid but they are actually pretty sturdy. Have been using it for 2 years and its still the same as before.

Do note that they are not portable at all, only for home use and in a quiet enviroment; they leak a lot and they don't isolate at all either.

Welcome to Head-Fi and prepare to become an audioholic...
 
Quote:

kmhaynes said:

Everyone needs a Grado headphone

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Ever tried Pioneer, Sony, AKG, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, JVC, Philips etcetera?
 
To each his own and having experienced the 'awesomeness' of a HF2 I still postpone trying the Grado headphones. 
 
If you cannot audition the MS1 you can take the gamble but do not expect anything until you can properly test it for your listening set up with your favourite music. 
 
 

They hold up pretty good. I gave my 12 year old brother a pair of SR60i's for his birthday last year. They still look and sound like new. 

I like my MS1 (not i) more than my SR80i, hell! i like is as much as the senn HD25 soundwise.
 
I dont have a complain about the build quality, and actually i have rarely heard complains about it, besides the retro look.

\o/
I do plan on using them pretty much solely at home, so their non-portability is not an issue.
I think I'm going to go for it, and buy a pair.
Thank you, everyone!

YAY!
 
Get it. Now. I think almost everyone here has heard at least one Grado/Alessandro model, and you should too. And despite the consensus that they aren't analytical or comfortable, etc, they are a very much loved brand here. You won't regret it.

If the Alessandro MS1 are based on the Grado Labs SR80i, and the general consensus is that there are fundamentally strong similarities between the MS1 and SR80i, it might be worth auditioning the SR80i to at least get a taste of what the MS1 are like. I know there are a number of Grado dealers in the UK, so depending on where you're based, you should be able to give them a try. There's a shop on Tottenham Court Road, London, which has pretty much the entire Grado line available for audition, for example.

As an MS-1 owner myself I can handily vouch for their awesomeness. They're absolute killers in their price range (especially in the UK with current rates, and assuming you don't get hit by import tax) and I haven't found a single other 'phone in the £60-£70 price range that can match them in scope or musically. For me, the build quality is top notch - these are really knockabout headphones that I can coil the cable around and hurl in my bag without worrying that they'll be damaged. Their simplicity is their strength, and the non-i series don't look half bad on the head either, at least compared to the i series and some other bulkier models.
 
I'll agree with jr41 though, do try and audition a Grado if you can, if only to confirm to yourself that they're for you. I was lucky enough to be loaned a SR80i for an extended weekend (the shop was holding our Rega Planar 3 hostage) and then spent a number of months trying to justify to the parents that I really needed another pair of headphones. They are different and do sound different (The MS-1 has slightly beefier bass, less treble emphasis IIRC) but the fundamental Grado sound is the same. And if you live in the UK, the MS-1 is easily the best [Grado] deal available.

YAY x10^23
 
You'll have loads of fun with it.
 

 
Quote:

jeffz said:

Do note that they are not portable at all, only for home use and in a quiet enviroment; they leak a lot and they don't isolate at all either.

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I've seen quite a few locals out and about and jammin' with SR60/80(i).
I don't take my SR235 outside, though.
The wind kicks up loads of dirt around here.

mad max said:

YAY x10^23
 
You'll have loads of fun with it.
 

 

I've seen quite a few locals out and about and jammin' with SR60/80(i).
I don't take my SR235 outside, though.
The wind kicks up loads of dirt around here.

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I've seen it too, still a pretty bad idea. They leak like crazy.

 
Quote:

mad max said:

 

I've seen quite a few locals out and about and jammin' with SR60/80(i).
I don't take my SR235 outside, though.
The wind kicks up loads of dirt around here.

Click to expand...

Yea here in Canada, I've seen quite a few people wearing them to commute on the bus etc, mostly the sr60, but I've no idea how they are listening to their music. Could only imagine them turning up the volume a lot a lot higher than normal.

 
Quote:

jeffz said:

 
Yea here in Canada, I've seen quite a few people wearing them to commute on the bus etc, mostly the sr60, but I've no idea how they are listening to their music. Could only imagine them turning up the volume a lot a lot higher than normal.

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I have to be within two feet or so to know they are listening to anything at all.
 

Nothing wrong with grado headphones if their sound signature is your thing. But since you're posting in the portable headphones forum I'm going to hazard a guess and assume you're planning on using the grados/alessandros on the go. Trust me, it's a bad idea. Not only do they provide no noise attenuation whatsoever, forcing you to turn up the volume to unsafe levels, they are also far too bulky and creaky to be used comfortably as a portable.