[alex-andro]

First of al let me say I'm new to Head-fi but boy, what a nice place to discus everything that has to do with headphones. Thumbs up!
 
A year ago I've sold my Beyerdynamic DT770 because it was laying aroud for years since I bought a stereo system. Never used it properly amped though.
But now I've sold my speakers and thought it would be a nice idea to buy a good cans, since I don't know which new speakers to buy, but stil want to enjoy listening to music.
I've heard great things about grado's so i decided to look around for them. I could only find a SR60 to listen to and a brand new (not burnd-in) SR80. I decided that the SR80 have more potention but where a bit harsh for my likings. An often heard conclusion is, "go for the Allessandro MS1", and i did.
 
With shipping and tax they cost me almost 140 euro's. I read that the burn-in time for them is 50 hours. I'm now at about 40 hours. The biggest changes in sound there.
 
I must say, I'm a bit dissapointed. Don't get me wrong, they're musically sounding cans and for the buck you get a fairly airy soud, not to harsh and even transparant en good timing. Directly connected to an ipod (lossless, no mp3's), I was surprised how good they sounded. But with such 'cheap' source you can hear the lack of refinement, the overal sound was to thin and a smal and messy soundstage. So I connected the ipod with an cheap FiiO 1, and the sound was bigger, but also more muffled and lacked even more precision. Especialy the vocals where muffled. So i thought a direct connection to the ipod would be a better idea. But after a time I got realy fatigue because of the thin sound, and found out i liked the warmer but less precise sound with the FiiO1 in between.
 
Did i enjoy my music? - No. I keep thinking my DT 770 did a better job, but if this is really true, i don't know. I also keep thinking a Sennheiser 212 (4/5 times cheaper in euro's) is almost as good as this on a portable device. It also has a closed system so this could be a pro for some on the move.
 
So I connected the MS1 to my home system: Imac with lossless files > HRT Music Streamer USBDAC > Qed Qunnix 2 interlinks > NAD 320BEE stereo amp. I must confes, I hadn't high hopes on a improvement through the simple headphone input on the amp but I was wrong. The sound improved! It got a more refined soundstage, everything got more precise, more body and it was as if the music was played with more eas.
 
Did i enjoy my musci now? I don't know..
At moments I wanted to knod my head or dance a little. But at others I was trying to put in word what it is that holds be back, in stead of being suck into the music.
Overal i find the sound from the MS1 with my (home)-setup to 'thin' for my liking. The sound lacks a tad in bass (although fairly good ritme and kick), the vocals aren't refined enough and even the overal refinement isn't great. I keep wishining i hear instruments but instead it stays sound played through a headphone. The real problem are the lower treble, i think. Not that i find the highs really bright, I find the sound fatiging.
 
Althoug the soundstage got better this way, i constantly whish it be bigger, so i turn the volum up (but not very loud though) but then i get irritated by the fatiging sound. Maybe 'irritated' is a to big word for it. But the point is, and that is why i write this thread: I just can't be taken by the music, not enjoying it as much as i would be content with it. It just sounds to thin, to loose and fatigueing.
 
I am wondering how much improvement i can get with these MS1 if i use a prober headphone amp. I doubt that i would ever love the sound of these cans that i won't be buying new speakers so the amp must me portable so the headphones wil have a unique plus. Actually I can't imagine headphones to be having a laidback sound, being detaild and having a broad soundstage all in one. At least not for the price of a set entery level stereo monitors like the Wharfedale 10.1 (these i can get for 220 euro). Or B&W 686 for 550 euro.
 
I did some research and came with protable amps like the Iqube, Pico Headamp, Decware Zenhead (incl. shipping and Tax all for about 400 euro's). Don't know if the money will be worth the soundupgrade. Especially when i'm searchin for a laidback sound, but high on details and soundstaging. Will these amps 'blow my socks off' or would i need to upgrade my Headphone to?
Am i expecting the impossible with these MS1?
If so, i can get a good deal for a 2nd hand Sennheiser HD600 (140 euro), would that improve the sound?

 

[supersleuth]

I like good sound but I can still enjoy good music out of an AM radio. When it stops being about music, pleasure can be replaced by anxiety (and great expense). Just saying.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

I don't think you can amping the MS1i to become your taste...
 
What you don't like is the sound signature of MS1, it's not the MS1 fault.
 
And yeah, for your preference, I think HD600 is better for you.

 

[Xan7hos]

 
If you can invest a little more into buying GS1000/jumbo pads and spacers, which will in total run you $70usd, you can transform your MS1 into MS1000. IMO it completely changes the headphones into a very unexpected world class headphone.
 
Check out the MS1000 thread, lots of good information there.
 
Fulcrum Audio is in it's beta testing stage of its own spacer/"Liberator" , link here

 

[Humongousgravy]

Quote:

When it stops being about music, pleasure can be replaced by anxiety (and great expense). Just saying.

Wow. supersleuth. Well said!

 

[Grimloki]

Grado's (and the headphones based on them) have a sound signature... they present the music in a colored way. Some people like it, others don't.
 
So if you aren't liking what you are hearing, its possible you are listening to music that isn't presented well through your MS1s, or perhaps you don't like the sound, but I think the most likely thing is that you haven't spent enough time with them...
 
I'd suggest listening to some rock (if thats your thing) and giving it a little while. I like my SR60s much more now than when I first got them, because I can appreciate what they do.
 
I also flipped the pads on the cans around, so the bowls present a flat surface, and I wear them differently now... a little forward and a little down from where I usually wear headphones... so that the speaker sits lower and forward. Flipping the bowls increases comfort and sound, and moving the headphone placement helped with the soundstage.

 

[classakg]

Quote:

What you don't like is the sound signature of MS1, it's not the MS1 fault.
 

True....you seem to like a different sound signature (maybe more bass?) , thats why you are disappointed. 

 

[shaneotool]

dude - I felt the same way when I had the MS1's. 
 
Too bright, too thin sounding, not enough body or bass.  You can do whatever you want to them with different sources or amps, but the general sound sig won't change.
 
I sold them and have the HD600's now.  Way better all around for me.  Vocals are outstanding, the treble is detailed but not fatiguing, and they have just enough bass to satisfy without it dominating the music.  They require more juice to power than the MS1's do, so a small amp of some sort may be required if you want to listen to them out of your ipod.

 

[Max F]

Sell them.  I thought they were ear torture myself. 

 

[mythless]

Quote:

Sell them.  I thought they were ear torture myself. 

Yep best get is to sell them, like everyone said, if you don't like the sound signature, even amp the sound signature won't change.

 

[alex-andro]

Thanks for the advice.
I think i'm gonna give the HD600 a try before putting headphones around this pricerange to aside.
I'm not keen on modding my MS1 since i still don't know how they gonna sound. And in this case, it's cheaper to sell the MS1 and buy a HD600.
 
The reason I'm not enjoying the music is because they to fatiguing for me.  Almost "Ear torture" like Mike F said.
Honestly, i get this "aaaaah, finally' feeling when i put the cans off my head, even after 1 song
 

 

 

[mythless]

If you like the Beyer the Senn will suit your needs.  If you keep burning in the MS1 the aggressiveness does tame a bit, but I don't know if it's tame enough for you.

 

[hahahigh]

I agree with most of your complaints. I enjoy my MS1 with rock, but find its lack of bass and its piercing highs disappointing. I did become more fond of it as time progressed, although it's clear the signature of the Alessandro family is not for me - I favor my Denons much more heavy-handedly.

 

[joelpearce]

I loved my 125is a lot--for some music.
 
For everything else, they just didn't sound right, and while I don't mind owning several headphones, I like my cans to be a bit more flexible than that.  I miss them every now and then, but I always have something better to turn to.
 
Figuring out the sound signature that you like takes time, and really is a matter of trial and error.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

It is very common to pair up a Grado with another headphone to balance out the Grado sound.  The Grado just doesn't work for all music.  I had (and still have) a SR60 and HD580 for over a decade as my headphone pair.  The pair together does well.  The HD580 for what it is good at and the SR60 for what it is good at.  I will admit though that the HD580 got lots more listening time.  It is a lot easier on the ears both in comfort and harshness.  But at the same time the HD580 sound can be kind of dull and for that the SR60 was the antidote.
 
A problem with headphones that add color or euphonics is that the coloring will not always mesh with all forms of music.  Some music will mesh just right and be fantastic.  While other music will mesh all wrong and sound wrong or bad.  It's the curse of headphones that have exaggerated coloration or specialized sound.  The Grados/Alessandros are an example of that.
 
The HD580 is an example of a headphone that is more neutral.  Less coloration.  It still has its own color and flavor for the sound, but it's much more balanced and neutral.  It is able to play anything and any type of music without the sound of the headphone meshing wrong with the sound of the music.  The HD580 does have its challenges, but it manages to pull off the jack of all trades (and even be a master of a few) pretty well for a headphone.