[LeonWho]

Anyone have the Alessandro MS1 and the Grado SR80i? Since their prices are so close to each other, they would be in direct competition. Which would be better?

Thanks.
Leon

 

[Cankin]

They're at the same quality level but just slightly different in sound signature. SR80i, more upfront and exciting. MS1 sounds slightly more laid back.

 

[LeonWho]

Thanks! So the Grado is more aggressive while the Alessandro is more relaxed?

What would be better for me? I listen to mostly (75%) alternative rock, punk rock, pop rock, and rock. And I listen to pop and jazz at times (20%). The rest (5%) is soundtrack music and classical.
I'm not exactly a basshead but I do appreciate tight, fast bass. I love liquidy, forward mids and sparkly highs.

Thanks.
Leon

P.S. Also, which would be better built and which is more comfortable?

 

[iriverdude]

I'd go for the woody Grado/All phones. SR's don't do jazz that well. Better build quality, the cup holder round thing is metal. I found SR-80's bass a bit muddy granted not "i" model.

 

[Cankin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeonWho /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks! So the Grado is more aggressive while the Alessandro is more relaxed? What would be better for me? I listen to mostly (75%) alternative rock, punk rock, pop rock, and rock. And I listen to pop and jazz at times (20%). The rest (5%) is soundtrack music and classical. I'm not exactly a basshead but I do appreciate tight, fast bass. I love liquidy, forward mids and sparkly highs. Thanks. Leon P.S. Also, which would be better built and which is more comfortable?

I'd say SR80i should be a better choice for rock, while MS1 is a better allrounder, but again, the difference between MS1 and SR80i is not huge.

 

[a1m80t]

Build quality is the same but Alessandro should be more comfortable because it uses grado comfies vs bowls. However, the replacement, sr80i also uses comfies so comfort would identical to the Alessandro MS. You really can’t go wrong with either one as the differences are pretty minor for most people. Something to keep in mind is that many places are selling the last generation grados for roughly the price of the used pair of grados.

 

[LeonWho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd go for the woody Grado/All phones. SR's don't do jazz that well. Better build quality, the cup holder round thing is metal. I found SR-80's bass a bit muddy granted not "i" model.

Haha. Well, I don't have anything near to that amount of money.

And I only listen to jazz maybe 8% of the time.



Quote:

Originally Posted by Cankin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd say SR80i should be a better choice for rock, while MS1 is a better allrounder, but again, the difference between MS1 and SR80i is not huge.

Thanks. Yeah, that's what I found from reviews. I've also heard the SR60. What are the main differences between the two (SR60 vs. SR80i)?



Quote:

Originally Posted by a1m80t /img/forum/go_quote.gif Something to keep in mind is that many places are selling the last generation grados for roughly the price of the used pair of grados.

Hmm. That's a good point, especially seeing that the older SR80's have bowls. I'm going to wait for reviews of the SR80i vs. the SR80 though. Anyone listened to both?

 

[LeonWho]

Hmm. The SR80i's are at $98 (-$10 from TTVJ + shipping) while the older SR80's are at $75 (free shipping) and the MS1's are at $99 (free shipping).

Any comments on SR80i vs. SR80 vs. MS1?

 

[LeonWho]

Ugh. Me thinks I'm going to take out the SR80. Back to the original question, haha. Any other opinions?

Thanks!

 

[LeonWho]

Ok. I think I've pretty much decided on the Alessandro MS1's. Now is the question of what pads I should get.

Cut Comfies, HD414 Pads (do these need to be reversed?), Flats, or Bowls?

The biggest concern here is sound quality. My tastes are, "I'm not exactly a basshead but I do appreciate tight, fast bass. I love liquidy, forward mids and sparkly highs."

Thanks.
Leon

 

[member1982]

the Alessandro MS-1 comes with the comfies. So no pads to get (maybe open a hole in the middle of the pads to make it sound clearer)

Bowls on an MS-1 not so sure (maybe even clearer), if my MS-2 virtually lacks bass because of the Bowls. Im actually getting the HD414 Pads just to get more bass out of my MS-2 :

 

[LeonWho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by member1982 /img/forum/go_quote.gif the Alessandro MS-1 comes with the comfies. So no pads to get (maybe open a hole in the middle of the pads to make it sound clearer) Bowls on an MS-1 not so sure (maybe even clearer), if my MS-2 virtually lacks bass because of the Bowls. Im actually getting the HD414 Pads just to get more bass out of my MS-2 :

when i said cut comfies, i meant cutting a hole in the middle, haha.

 

[richsto]

Not to throw a wrench into things but I've had both the SR60 and MS1's. Both are good and the comments here are pretty much spot on. Still, I found the MS-1's to be bit light in the bass department. The SR60 felt a bit more punchy on the bottom end, although I did prefer the highs in the MS1. Between the two I preferred the SR60 with 414 pads with no modification (I feel the 414 pads sound better than the comfies).

I did really like the MS1 with quarter modded 414 pads but it just didn't have a solid enough bass foundation for me. You might have some success with taped (or otherwise modded) bowls to gain some more bass impact. Just my two cents.

Good luck, both are great headphones...

 

[LeonWho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by richsto /img/forum/go_quote.gif Still, I found the MS-1's to be bit light in the bass department. The SR60 felt a bit more punchy on the bottom end, although I did prefer the highs in the MS1.

Hmm. That's interesting considering that EFN stated that the bass of the MS1 was as strong as that of the SR80.

 

[Brighten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeonWho /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ugh. Me thinks I'm going to take out the SR80. Back to the original question, haha. Any other opinions? Thanks!

Get the old SR-80s, they are on sale, and have the bowl pads. I hate the comfies, and I'm pretty sure Grado was cutting back costs and that's why they changed to them.

Compared to my RS-1, the SR-80s are a no-brainer for the price. Had I learned about this when I first visted this site, I would have gotten those and ran.

But now I've listened to the RS-1, and though you don't get seven times the headphone for the price, I just can't go back.

You can have a more intimate listening experience if you want later down the road and get a pair of the "flat" pads from TTVJ for $30 shipped (with the discount). Flats are bomb, and ever since I got them, are all I've been using.