new reformation
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2010
- Posts
- 104
- Likes
- 24
MS1000i+ Review
This is my freshman review so go easy on me, 'kay?
The MS1000 was a creation born largely out of the efforts of German head-fi member Nickchen. These cans underwent many tweaks over the course of their R&D life and finally settled down in terms of interest and experimentation. This past Christmas I was completely surprised when my wonderful girlfriend bought me a pair of MS1i's that I had mentioned liking a while back. My experience was then limited to a pair of igrado's, which I very much liked at the time, and my dad's pair of SR80's, which I didn't enjoy at all due to my sensitivity to strident sound.
After enjoying my MS1i's for a short while I returned to head-fi to research some of the mods I remembered seeing on the forums. The original Ms1000 mod implements a combination of a distancer pieces as well as GS1000 pads in order to extend the bass and increased soundstage. Subsequent to hours of research I began my own project to transform my MS1i's. The outcome has been truly stunning and has driven me to create some unique alterations that have given me a pair of cans that are incredibly enjoyable to listen to.
Mods performed:
•Hand crafted, medium length distancers (intended to give a balance of soundstage and impact).
•Gs1000 pads
•Pad Sleeves
I will not belabor the first two modifactions other than to say that the distancers that I hand made were made within very high tolerances. The "Pad Sleeves" are my own creation that consist of a hard, flexible, reflective plastic (for sonic effect) surrounded by a softer material on the outside (for aesthetic effect). This may seem similar to the "tape mod" that existed prior to my project however it differs significantly in that it is founded upon the concept that a greater reflectivity of the material involved results in a greater positive effect upon the sound: generally, a increase in bass impact and a reduction of undesired high frequencies. I was driven to this solution by the fact that after the "stock" Ms1000i's were quite bright and lacked impact. All options to reduce high's provided by the modders on the DIY thread involved placing something between the driver and your ear. I inherently dislike this idea in theory and from experience as it filters and effects more than just the intended frequencies.
Nothing to obstruct the sound means no loss of clarity!
The effect of the options recommended on the forum was a dampening of unwanted highs but also a loss of resolution and an accompanying muddiness that is unacceptable to me. Forum advice for increasing bass impact included a non-reversible mod that involved punching holes on the rear of the driver. This was deemed not to be viable because of negative impressions of the mod, as well as worries about how the mod would age, and the fact that it involved opening the cans.
The development of "Pad Sleeves" ended up solving all of the problems with the highs, added bass impact and gave the impression of a more cohesive sound that kills some resonance that I feel may have been present before. The precise physical measurement of the sleeves turned out to be incredibly important as they seemed to "tune" the sound of the HP's and, when properly measured, create a synergy that is quite noticeable. My understanding of how this mod works is built somewhat upon Tyll Hertsens' article on the effects of different Grado pad mods found on InnferFidelity. However, the overall phenomenon may very well exist outside of what is expounded there.
The alteration to the overall sound when the distancers are a medium size and sleeves are properly configured is so great that I feel the altered headphones deserve a title that distinguishes from the mods of the past: the MS1000i+.
REVIEW
From the right angle these headphones can look quite nice...
The validity of the my review of these headphones will undoubtedly be hampered by my lack of experience with VERY high end setups and the humble nature of my own (Macbook Pro > Blue Spark Digital > Ms1000i+). Yes indeed, I am using a microphone as a USB amp… I am aware this is a tad unconventional, but the sound quality is undeniable as the added warmth, increased soundstage, and improved clarity/resolution greatly impact the sound I am able to coax from the HP's. As to my frame of reference I have tried a large number of relatively expensive consumer cans from a known source (my iPod filled principally with lossless audio) and have been able to gain an understanding of what the field has to offer up to the 300-400 dollar range. I will not pretend to be able to compare these to the highest end cans though because of my lack of experience. I will say this though, that my hearing is very good and I do have an appreciate for the intricacies of sound.
On to the review:
Man, are these some great sounding cans! To begin with I want you to try to extinguish the "Grado hate" that may fill your mind when hear of a product hailing from their labs. The MS1000i+ sounds so incredibly different from something like the SR80's that to tie your impression of the later to the former would be to do them injustice!
LOWS:
The extension on these phones has been transformed by the addition of added space between your head and the driver; this provides much needed depth in the lower bass. Articulation is obviously critically important as quality is just as vital as quantity. The bass on these HP's are most definitely not "one-note" and both acoustic and electronic bass sound great on these cans. For example, on a good recording of bowed bass you can clearly hear the texture of the notes as instrumentalist draws the hair of the bow over the strings. Electric bass played by someone like Victor Wooten has all of the pop and vitalness that is expected from such a performer and details associated with how he is plucking the strings is conveyed with lifelikeness. Bass impact on tunes such as Hanz Zimmers's track "Mombasa" is considerable and actually made me flinch a bit the first times I listened because it was so unexpected. That being said, there is not an un-natural heaviness with the bass that makes you take note of its emphasis, or, conversely, the lack thereof.
These are not what I would call bass heavy headphones, but there is a certain controlled lushness present that makes listening pleasant but should not be misconstrued as being woolly.
MIDS:
Assessing the Mids has been quite difficult for me as quite a bit of the vocal music I listen to was mixed in the 80's and for one reason or another sometimes lacks forwardness in the Mids due to the original mix. However, when I examine the Mids of later recordings I find the Mids to be quite pleasing and well detailed. The wide soundstage begins to show itself in this field as almost all vocals lack the Grado "front-row" effect and instead impart the feeling of being a "few rows back". This possibly indicates a slight dip in the 5k range, but if present this dip does not impact instrumental or vocal fidelity. Instruments such as the guitar on Andy Mckee's album "Art of Motion" sounds fantastically full bodied and smooth without being smeared. Certain resonant sounds on that album in particular are quite difficult to replicate cleanly, but the MS1000i+ does so wonderfully. Lifelikeness is a stellar trait of the sound sig. on these cans. If you were to close your eyes with a good recording at the end of a long day you might very well feel transported to the recording studio where the album was made or to the concert where the symphony performed. The transparency and expansiveness of these cans was a central motivation in the mod performed and there is no disappointment found in these areas.
HIGHS:
Something that is appreciated when listening to these headphones after being modded is that there is nothing obstructing the driver in its enclosure from your ear. Details are clear without being "crispy" and any piercing tones associated with the cans absent the "pad sleeves" has been eliminated by their inclusion. Sparkle is not emphasized, but I feel the level is natural. The electric guitar of Malmsteen has that rock sound and immediacy without being screeching. Violins are not screechy (depending on who's playing
MISCELLANEOUS:
Spacial Accuracy: While the MS1000i+ lacks what I imagine could be accomplished with HP's that have high-end precision they are definitely not "3-point" or "5-point" in terms of spacial articulation.
Spacial Depth: These cans are not congested; There is a great 3D feeling, especially with binaural recordings. In contrast to the unmodded cans the music does not sound as though it is inside your head, or right on your ears, but rather sounds as though it extends outside of the physical limitations of the HP's.
Speed: My general impression as that they could be a bit faster (and I mean only slightly)… but they are still quite good.
Conclusion:
Are these the best headphones ever?
-No.
Will they be a FOTM?
-Probably not due to the extensive work needed to craft and test the mods…
Are these fantastic headphones that punch above their price point (If you don't count my man-hours…lol)?
-Yes, they are!
The modifications implemented tame the oft maligned Grado sound and turn out a HP with MUCH greater clarity, increased balance, appropriate lushness, and decently extended yet punchy bass. Add to all of this that the comfort is impeccable with the large pads and you have headphones that you can wear for hours of listening pleasure!
Please feel free to ask any questions regarding these headphones and/or my review. Thanks for reading!
