[citizenkane]

Hi, I've been searching the forums for a couple of hours and have more or less decided on buying the Alessandro MS-1 headphones. My main use will be listening to music (rock/ambient) via my PC.

My main concern is the pads that come as standard on the MS-1s. I gather these are just thin circular foam with no opening as found on any ultra-cheap pair of headphones. Would I have to buy some bowl pads or other custom pad to get a great experience out of the MS-1s? Or could I modify the stock pads that come with it (i.e. cut a hole in them) Or are the stock pads just fine? I live in the UK so sourcing any custom pads would probably prove to be a big headache.

Basically, am I going to have a great experience with the MS-1 and their stock pads or should I just get some SR80s which include the bowl pads.

And finally, how long is the cable on the MS-1s? Is it longer than the equivalent Grados?

Thank you very much for any help.

 

[Oink1]

The cable is about 6 foot IIRC, as for the bowl/comfie/flats debate i can't really help - I had the comfies, bowls and modded Senn 414 pads for my MS1's and settled on the bowls as my favourite for both comfort and sound, some people hate them. The only way you are going to know is to try them. I advertised for a pair here and another member shipped me an unused pair he had for free

They aren't that hard to procure. Get the MS1,enjoy the comfies - if curiosity persists then go for some bowls or whatever - there are plenty of threads discussing the merrits of each type that may give you a good idea of the sound you'd like...

Paul

 

[HiWire]

I would keep the comfies intact. I just bought flat pads from Todd to use on my HP-2, and have had no inclination to "pad-roll" with my MS-1. The comfies do a better job of protecting the drivers, in my opinion. Also, I noticed the MS-1 can become a bit sibilant and harsh with bowls... the comfies seem to match their sound best, in my opinion.

A lot of people here have trouble justifying an additional $30 on top of the purchase price, a premium of about 1/3 the price just for pads.

 

[alexs]

i just got my MS-1s actually from a user on this forum!

i quite like the comfies..i was worried about the comfort as i read alot of negative things about the grado comfort...VEEERY comfortable IMO! so that was a relief. as for the sound, im not sure, as ive never tried the bowls properly. i tried some grados quickly in a store..they seemed ok for comfort, but soundwise i cant really judge. it was a noisy store, and i only listened for a minute or so.

i also have grado sr60 which also have comfies, so i think i will cut a hole in one of the pairs...then i can just switch between them. i definitely would want to try the bowls!

 

[alexs]

double post....

 

[azncookiecutter]

Comfies are alright, in my opinion. I got them with quarter cut mod done already, so I really can't comment about comparisons with stock comfies. I would love to try some other pads for my MS-1s, HD414 pads being on the top of my list.

 

[donunus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexs i just got my MS-1s actually from a user on this forum! i quite like the comfies..i was worried about the comfort as i read alot of negative things about the grado comfort...VEEERY comfortable IMO! so that was a relief. as for the sound, im not sure, as ive never tried the bowls properly. i tried some grados quickly in a store..they seemed ok for comfort, but soundwise i cant really judge. it was a noisy store, and i only listened for a minute or so. i also have grado sr60 which also have comfies, so i think i will cut a hole in one of the pairs...then i can just switch between them. i definitely would want to try the bowls!

which one do you like better sr60 or ms1? (both with comfies)

 

[cheechoz]

Comfies are fairly cheap, and so are the 414 pads. Get another pair of comfies, and 414's, and do the quarter mods on them. Just compare to decide for yourself what you like best. Changing, and modding all the different pads, is a real personal preference.

 

[citizenkane]

Thanks for the opinions guys. I really don't want to have to import loads of different pads to find a sound that I like though, the costs soon add up!