EFN
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2006
- Posts
- 3,034
- Likes
- 21
For the love of GOD, my MS-1 is here!!!! the pain and the frustation of waiting is over!
I received her, already broken in for over 600hours from her previous Head-Fier owner (Young&Wild) when he decided to move on to MS-2i. I just could not contain the fact how lucky I am to receive a used MS-1 which has received much love from her previous owner and spared me the enduring Burn In ritual
Not to mention a price tag that kills any bargain offer I have come across to date.
Impressions? OMG!!! this is exactly what I am looking for!!! ABSOLUTELY perfect for Synthpop, Electronica, Rock, Metal, Indie & even Industrial, the fun factor of SR60, the bass impact of SR80 and finesse of SR125, fun yet analytical, sterile yet not fatiguing......but the best part? the Highs! yesss I finally found the cans that have exceptional control for my collection of peaky and "noisy" songs. Now listening to Garbage's "Why Do You Love Me" no longer hurts the eardrums, GODFLESH's Christbait Rising sounded so real and engaging amid the euphoria of Drum Machines rumble and stinging guitar riffs. Depeche Mode's Everything Counts(LIVE) puts me there in the crowd near the front stage digesting the spectrum of sounds........
For now I am listening to my MS-1 in stock form with stock comfies, but already HD414 is ready at hand. And in a few days time a full recabling work will commence - simply to satisfy my morbid passion for modding and personalization
. My OPA2134PA CMOY is doing a fair job right now pumping juices for his new partner, but I did sensed a hint of slowness in certain track - time to upgrade my CMOY to 18V operation hahaha
In contrast, the MS-1 exceeded my expectation in every aspect, trouncing my Kramer Modded PortaPro by quite a margin in the analytical department (the PortaPro remained a top contender for fun cans) and I was glad that I held back my insatiable desire to purchase SR60, SR80 and SR125 - because I find them to be a bit too bright for my liking. I needed some refinement and now I have found them!
I am putting up this thread so that we can do a roll call for all MS-1 lovers. Kramer did put up an appreciation thread sometime ago, but now that he has sold them the thread has become somewhat moot.
For the benefit of all, I include some of the popular searches for MS-1:
The MS1 Appreciation Thread http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...preciation+MS1
MS1 for electronica? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Alessandro Headphones http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
I got my MS-1 aswell: Questions! http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Alessandro MS-1 (My first 30 minutes) http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Grado sr60&sr80&sr125 vs Alessandro ms1 http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
If I think my MS-1s are too dark, what pads should I get? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Alessandro MS-1 and ?? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Sampling my first Grado [well, Alessandro]... what should I expect? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Just how uncomfortable is the MS1 (or other Grados)? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
which pads you prefer to use with MS-1 http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
It Hath Arrived : Alessandro MS-1 http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
PHOTOS!:
The much awaited parcel!
The infamous Grado Pizza Box - Travels all the way from US -> Australia -> Malaysia
My New Found LOVE:
[size=xx-large]UPDATES![/size]
Within the last 24 hours, I just could not hold back my insane craving for mods - oh well this is how my MS-1 looked like and more mods to come!
The 3.5mm Stereo Jack (Japanese) converted into Dual Mono:
Further Imprerssions after modded:
I have been a great fan of Canare StarQuad, without any hesitation I yanked off the StarQuad from my PortaPro and started converting them into Dual Mono cable. Pretty easy because I have been tinkering a lot with DIY Interconnects. That done I began the most difficult part of installing 3.5mm stereo jacks into each driver enclosure - even trickier is the part converting those stereo jacks into Mono for 2 channel operation but somehow I got away clean. Uber careful solder work is paramount here because I would not want to sacrifice any Sonics when I am done. The most difficult part was to get the driver enclosure opened. Based on guides from HeadWize forum, the Spoon Wedge method worked well for me. And then came the heart wrenching part of cutting a sizable about of gap for the Stereo Jack to fit in. A lot of knife work and filing work have to be done to get a perfect fit - not for the faint hearted - to see my precious MS-1 all cut and scraped. But thank God it all ended well and the surgery was a great success!.
Now that I have them all fixed, I plugged them in to my DAP directly without any amp. As expected, my ears told me that my MS-1 sounded even more reserved now - an attribute introduced bt 21AWG Canare StarQuad. Next, tests with my CMOY Amp.........Call it Placebo or whatever you like, but I swear that the sound is a lot crisper and sterile now, with amplification the overall timbre/tonality has escalated to a new depth - chimingly musical and relaxed yet sterile. I was a bit dissapointed tough that Soundstage has not improve much if there's any at all.......then came another insane idea,
I reopened the driver enclosure and grabbed a pair of Plantronics holed foamies, trim them nicely and snugged them in to the inner chamber of the enclosure - seal them back again and another marathon of tests (the very idea behind this is to introduce dampening of sound emitted from the rear of the transducer)
How it fares? LOVELY!!!. Despite the look the foamies did not interfere with the openess that is a trademark of all Grado cans, but the most apparent result is that there's abolsutely no ill sounding resonance and reverb - what was already a clean sounding cans now sounds heavenly (on the neutral side that is). There's no chance at all for bass to overwhelm the rest of the sound spectrum because the foamies damper will absorb all stray "after effect" efficiently - it's a very-very tightly controlled bass in all area now - this mod spells bad news for Total Basshead. And yes, the foamies has also took the sound slightly out of "in your head" feel and a certain degree of Soundstaging is apparent now. Overall I would rate my MS-1 as a very mellow Grado if compared to the Prestige Series. This mellowness is perfect for analytical marathon listening. Before the mods, it's like being in the studio with the musicians standing beside them, after the mods it's like standing 3 feet away - which is very appealing to me.
Circling trough my favorite tunes, I am still awed by the prowess of Grado cans with guitars. Sonic Youth's twin guitar attack (different guitars each channel) never sounded sooo good, and Kim Gordon's vocals is drug to the ears! Churning through New Order's Bizzare Love Triangle & Shell Shock brought synthpop experience to another level with musically accurate synthesizers and percussions reproduction - there's no BOOM in your face kind of experience here - just plain liquid electro pleasure, I could not ask for more
For the ultimate test, I played the heaviest tune I have in store - GODFLESH's Anything Is Mine from Selfless album - this tarck is so heavy laden with chunky bass attack that it will distort almost all of the cans I ever listened to them before - but my MS-1 handled that very well, there's still the sign of slight distortion but it does not interfere with the song anymore.
On the other hand, now that my PortaPro is naked without cables, I recabled her with the Grado hahahaha. Another surprise there, now my PortaPro runs very well unamped and drivability has become somewhat Gradoey LOL! - easy and effortless. In contrast, my recabled MS-1 will not drive well without an amp - so if you plan to use your Grados with direct DAP and no amps, avoid using Canare StarQuad. I have to move up the volume up 2 notch to match the same level of volume before recabling.
Here's my Gradoed PortaPro:
PS:
Upcoming mods:
- HD414 Pads (once I am done dying them hahahaha)
- 75OHM Resistors?
- Extended Barrel?
Stay Tuned!!! and keep the Roll Call running.
I received her, already broken in for over 600hours from her previous Head-Fier owner (Young&Wild) when he decided to move on to MS-2i. I just could not contain the fact how lucky I am to receive a used MS-1 which has received much love from her previous owner and spared me the enduring Burn In ritual
Impressions? OMG!!! this is exactly what I am looking for!!! ABSOLUTELY perfect for Synthpop, Electronica, Rock, Metal, Indie & even Industrial, the fun factor of SR60, the bass impact of SR80 and finesse of SR125, fun yet analytical, sterile yet not fatiguing......but the best part? the Highs! yesss I finally found the cans that have exceptional control for my collection of peaky and "noisy" songs. Now listening to Garbage's "Why Do You Love Me" no longer hurts the eardrums, GODFLESH's Christbait Rising sounded so real and engaging amid the euphoria of Drum Machines rumble and stinging guitar riffs. Depeche Mode's Everything Counts(LIVE) puts me there in the crowd near the front stage digesting the spectrum of sounds........
For now I am listening to my MS-1 in stock form with stock comfies, but already HD414 is ready at hand. And in a few days time a full recabling work will commence - simply to satisfy my morbid passion for modding and personalization
In contrast, the MS-1 exceeded my expectation in every aspect, trouncing my Kramer Modded PortaPro by quite a margin in the analytical department (the PortaPro remained a top contender for fun cans) and I was glad that I held back my insatiable desire to purchase SR60, SR80 and SR125 - because I find them to be a bit too bright for my liking. I needed some refinement and now I have found them!
I am putting up this thread so that we can do a roll call for all MS-1 lovers. Kramer did put up an appreciation thread sometime ago, but now that he has sold them the thread has become somewhat moot.
For the benefit of all, I include some of the popular searches for MS-1:
The MS1 Appreciation Thread http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...preciation+MS1
MS1 for electronica? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Alessandro Headphones http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
I got my MS-1 aswell: Questions! http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Alessandro MS-1 (My first 30 minutes) http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Grado sr60&sr80&sr125 vs Alessandro ms1 http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
If I think my MS-1s are too dark, what pads should I get? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Alessandro MS-1 and ?? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Sampling my first Grado [well, Alessandro]... what should I expect? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
Just how uncomfortable is the MS1 (or other Grados)? http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
which pads you prefer to use with MS-1 http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
It Hath Arrived : Alessandro MS-1 http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=MS1
PHOTOS!:
The much awaited parcel!
The infamous Grado Pizza Box - Travels all the way from US -> Australia -> Malaysia
My New Found LOVE:
[size=xx-large]UPDATES![/size]
Within the last 24 hours, I just could not hold back my insane craving for mods - oh well this is how my MS-1 looked like and more mods to come!
The 3.5mm Stereo Jack (Japanese) converted into Dual Mono:
Further Imprerssions after modded:
I have been a great fan of Canare StarQuad, without any hesitation I yanked off the StarQuad from my PortaPro and started converting them into Dual Mono cable. Pretty easy because I have been tinkering a lot with DIY Interconnects. That done I began the most difficult part of installing 3.5mm stereo jacks into each driver enclosure - even trickier is the part converting those stereo jacks into Mono for 2 channel operation but somehow I got away clean. Uber careful solder work is paramount here because I would not want to sacrifice any Sonics when I am done. The most difficult part was to get the driver enclosure opened. Based on guides from HeadWize forum, the Spoon Wedge method worked well for me. And then came the heart wrenching part of cutting a sizable about of gap for the Stereo Jack to fit in. A lot of knife work and filing work have to be done to get a perfect fit - not for the faint hearted - to see my precious MS-1 all cut and scraped. But thank God it all ended well and the surgery was a great success!.
Now that I have them all fixed, I plugged them in to my DAP directly without any amp. As expected, my ears told me that my MS-1 sounded even more reserved now - an attribute introduced bt 21AWG Canare StarQuad. Next, tests with my CMOY Amp.........Call it Placebo or whatever you like, but I swear that the sound is a lot crisper and sterile now, with amplification the overall timbre/tonality has escalated to a new depth - chimingly musical and relaxed yet sterile. I was a bit dissapointed tough that Soundstage has not improve much if there's any at all.......then came another insane idea,
I reopened the driver enclosure and grabbed a pair of Plantronics holed foamies, trim them nicely and snugged them in to the inner chamber of the enclosure - seal them back again and another marathon of tests (the very idea behind this is to introduce dampening of sound emitted from the rear of the transducer)
How it fares? LOVELY!!!. Despite the look the foamies did not interfere with the openess that is a trademark of all Grado cans, but the most apparent result is that there's abolsutely no ill sounding resonance and reverb - what was already a clean sounding cans now sounds heavenly (on the neutral side that is). There's no chance at all for bass to overwhelm the rest of the sound spectrum because the foamies damper will absorb all stray "after effect" efficiently - it's a very-very tightly controlled bass in all area now - this mod spells bad news for Total Basshead. And yes, the foamies has also took the sound slightly out of "in your head" feel and a certain degree of Soundstaging is apparent now. Overall I would rate my MS-1 as a very mellow Grado if compared to the Prestige Series. This mellowness is perfect for analytical marathon listening. Before the mods, it's like being in the studio with the musicians standing beside them, after the mods it's like standing 3 feet away - which is very appealing to me.
Circling trough my favorite tunes, I am still awed by the prowess of Grado cans with guitars. Sonic Youth's twin guitar attack (different guitars each channel) never sounded sooo good, and Kim Gordon's vocals is drug to the ears! Churning through New Order's Bizzare Love Triangle & Shell Shock brought synthpop experience to another level with musically accurate synthesizers and percussions reproduction - there's no BOOM in your face kind of experience here - just plain liquid electro pleasure, I could not ask for more
On the other hand, now that my PortaPro is naked without cables, I recabled her with the Grado hahahaha. Another surprise there, now my PortaPro runs very well unamped and drivability has become somewhat Gradoey LOL! - easy and effortless. In contrast, my recabled MS-1 will not drive well without an amp - so if you plan to use your Grados with direct DAP and no amps, avoid using Canare StarQuad. I have to move up the volume up 2 notch to match the same level of volume before recabling.
Here's my Gradoed PortaPro:
PS:
Upcoming mods:
- HD414 Pads (once I am done dying them hahahaha)
- 75OHM Resistors?
- Extended Barrel?
Stay Tuned!!! and keep the Roll Call running.