Last year I auditioned the Grado RS-60, RS-80, and RS-125 in a fairly serious 90-minute session at a hi-fi store. Brought a bunch of my CDs (Miles Davis, Mahler, Stones, Ry Cooder, Judi Collins, Bothy Band, plus my very own neo-Celtic CD), and used high-end sources (Marantz CD player and Carver preamp) in a private listening room. I took my time and gave all three cans a good workout. The salesman assured me that the demo headphones were each at least a year old, so I presumed they were adequately broken-in. The 60 had the comfy pads, the 80 and 125 had the bowl/doughnut pads, and I switched pads between the three cans during the audition to check the differences.
My reactions were typical of comments posted on Head-Fi by Team Grado members. Each step up the line offered sonic improvement. Overall, the 60s sounded bright, colored, and had the least bass; the 80s were slightly thicker and less detailed in their sound, perhaps because of the stronger bass whomp; and the 125s were clearly the best balanced of the three. Fit and comfort were better with the comfy pads, of course, but, since they were unmodified (no nickel-sized cutout mod at the store), there was a slight attenuation in presence and detail compared to the bowl pads.
The price/performance curve seemed about what I expected. The 60s were the bang-for-buck winner, the 80s represented probably the best overall value, and the 125s offered slightly superior performance, but at a steeper price.
When it came time to buy a pair of Grados this year, I didn't hesitate to order the Alessandro MS-1. $99 with free shipping cinched it. I also liked that they come with the comfy pads and your choice of connector (either standard 1/4" phone plug or a 1/8" mini-plug with a 1/4" sheath adapter---I got the mini).
Without an actual A/B comparison test using similar equipment in controlled circumstances, it's tough to offer any but the most subjective, memory-based comparisons. That, of course, will not stop me. I was surprised to discover that my MS-1s do not remind me at all of the RS-80s. They're much cleaner, obviously kissin'-cousins to the 125s in my memory. The biggest difference, however, is that my Alessandros don't seem to be quite as wild-and-wooly as any of the three standard Grados I auditioned. The classic "in-your-face" Grado sound has been mollified somehow in my MS-1s. While I would hardly call them "laid-back," their sense of presence is slightly less urgent or pushy than the lower-end Grados. The difference may be subtle, but it's significant, and very pleasing, at least to my ears.
I'm immensely happy with my MS-1s. Of all my recently acquired herd of headphones (gaggle of cans?)---including Senn 580, Philips 890, Sony V6, and Koss KSC-35---the MS-1s are my favorite for listening without a dedicated amp. Yeah, the Senns are awaiting amplification to show what they can do, the Philips are awfully comfortable, and the Koss are amazing for clip-ons, but for sheer listening enjoyment directly out of mid-fi sources (Powerbook laptop, JVC CD deck), my MS-1s are the winners---warm, detailed, punchy, altogether engaging, and I don't personally find them uncomfortable at all for extended listening sessions.
I just bought erix' stunning little metal-cased CHA-47 amp (thanks again, erix!) and have ordered a Markertek mini-to-mini interconnect. As soon as the cable arrives, I'll post my amped impressions of the MS-1s. They should really sing then!
--Bill