[Cyrilix]

Alright, well, the guy just came around to my door and handed me a little tag that says $23.65 (CAD$). What is up with that?? I called them and they told me that it was the customs fee. Christ...does no one ever warn you that your customs fee is going to cost 20% of the price of the product itself? This is a real disappointment to me, especially since this is the first time I'm getting something shipped internationally, but is there any way around this problem? This is disgusting!

Anyway, I will go and pick it up at the post office later, but from now on, I will be very very wary of buying anything internationally.

 

[kramer5150]

Huh???? Ive never ordered anything from abroad.

I have one of pinkfloyds G-moy PCBs coming from the UK.

I wonder if that will have a customs fee?

Garrett

 

[Cyrilix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer5150 Huh???? Ive never ordered anything from abroad. I have one of pinkfloyds G-moy PCBs coming from the UK. I wonder if that will have a customs fee? Garrett

Didn't your MS-2 have a customs fee or something like that?

 

[Spetsnaz Op]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyrilix Didn't your MS-2 have a customs fee or something like that?

Maybe canadian customs operates differently, i.e. more taxes/tariffs/fees

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyrilix Didn't your MS-2 have a customs fee or something like that?

No... but I bought them used from a guy in San Francisco

 

[Cyrilix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer5150 No... but I bought them used from a guy in San Francisco

Woops, I for some reason thought that you were from Canada without looking at the location.

Yeah, well, anyway, I guess this was just sort of a small rant combined with an announcement of getting my first expensive headphones!....well, not that expensive, but more than I've ever spent. I will be sure to post initial impressions here tonight when I pick it up.

 

[gshan]

Enjoy Cyrilix.

Btw, here are some Canadian customs threads you might be interested in (one is a full-out rant

)

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...hlight=customs
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...hlight=customs

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyrilix Alright, well, the guy just came around to my door and handed me a little tag that says $23.65 (CAD$). What is up with that??

Obviously you've never ordered any products from abroad. All purchases are subject to PST and GST. If you go to a store and buy something, you have to pay GST/PST, why should stuff you import be any different? And they charge a $5 fee for processing the paperwork.

$23 is no big deal, after all, it's still cheaper than buying the equivalent Grado version here (SR-80 costs at least $170+TAX). So you still got a deal!

 

[sionghchan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyrilix Alright, well, the guy just came around to my door and handed me a little tag that says $23.65 (CAD$). What is up with that?? I called them and they told me that it was the customs fee. Christ...does no one ever warn you that your customs fee is going to cost 20% of the price of the product itself? This is a real disappointment to me, especially since this is the first time I'm getting something shipped internationally, but is there any way around this problem? This is disgusting! Anyway, I will go and pick it up at the post office later, but from now on, I will be very very wary of buying anything internationally.

First off, congrats on your cans!

If you don't mind me asking, when did you order them? I live in Vancouver, BC and I ordered a pair of MS1s as well on 27th May 2005. It has been 2 weeks and I'm still waiting for my cans. How long did you wait for yours from the day you ordered?

As for the CAD$23.65, that's about right. The following is the math:

Based on today's US$ -> CAD$ exchange rate, US$99 -> CAD$124.47.
I called Canada Customs and they told me that they will charge PST/GST and Canadapost will charge CAD$5 border handling fee.

Now, you are in Ontario, that makes 15% PST/GST ~ CAD$18.67 + CAD$5.00 = CAD$23.67

Hence the extra you paid.

Actually, this is not a bad price at all. Remember, that price, Canada Customs DIDN'T charge you ANY Import Duties because Alessandro Cans are made in US (NAFTA). For example, if you were to get a pair of Sennheiser Cans from US, you WILL be charged duties and what you will have to pay will not be CAD$23.67....

Hope this helps..

 

[sionghchan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warpdriver $23 is no big deal, after all, it's still cheaper than buying the equivalent Grado version here (SR-80 costs at least $170+TAX). So you still got a deal!

Hey warpdriver...we seem to be the only two very active Canadian members in this forum...

In anycase, I second your comments there. However, the only weird case about Grados in Canada is the http://www.a4audio.com site where they are a Canadian store in Ontario but charges US prices in US dollars (and in some cases, cheaper than US prices, like currently, the SR125 on sale is US$141.00). So, in this case, you can buy Grado Cans for US prices but yet do not have to pay the border handling fee and IF you live outside of Ontario, just the GST. That is quite some savings!

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sionghchan In anycase, I second your comments there. However, the only weird case about Grados in Canada is the http://www.a4audio.com site

Yah, I wonder about that site, whether you can actually do it. I'd like to see a Canadian try it and see if they do charge you the US price. If it works, it's a nice loophole to get Grado's for cheap!

 

[Cyrilix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warpdriver Obviously you've never ordered any products from abroad. All purchases are subject to PST and GST. If you go to a store and buy something, you have to pay GST/PST, why should stuff you import be any different? And they charge a $5 fee for processing the paperwork. $23 is no big deal, after all, it's still cheaper than buying the equivalent Grado version here (SR-80 costs at least $170+TAX). So you still got a deal!

I agree that it's still a good deal, but while I originally thought it was a really good deal, now it's only a good deal. Anyway, I guess you learn something everytime...

And on a surprised note: My M-Audio Revolution 5.1 came about 1 hour after the headphone guy showed up.

I am just so happy that everything just showed up at my doorstep before the weekend that I might as well forget about the extra fees.

The Revolution sounds so much better than my previous Soundblaster Live! Value at vocals. It may just be the settings, but I was surprised that without A/B-ing sound cards (which you really can't do very well), that I was able to hear the clarity difference in vocals from electronic music. Very nice (and this is with my old speaker / headphone setup since my new ones are still at the post office). This soundcard also doesn't leak noise. I find that when I'm not playing any music and I have my headphones on, when I move my mouse or when I scroll down, etc, it makes a funny noise with my SBLive! I'm glad that I don't have that anymore.

To whoever asked me when I ordered them, I ordered them last weekend, about 5-6 days ago. It said 2-3 days shipping, but I suppose they needed 2-3 days processing, which isnt bad at all. I don't mind waiting for shipping (my Sony EX71 I bought a year ago took like a month).

 

[Cyrilix]

Alright, so now that I've had a bit of time to listen to these headphones (2 hours), I can make a few comments about them -- not many though, since I'm still testing. My initial impressions of my MS-1s were good, but nothing really really amazing. Compared to my old Labtec Elite 840, they sound much more realistic. It could be that I'm just getting used to the phones, but my Labtecs, when I put them back on, seem slightly artificial.

I listen to electronic music on these cans so maybe that isn't the best for comparing the two, but I noticed while playing A State of Trance 190 by Armin van Buuren, during Love Theme Dusk, the piano notes seemed to have more of a fuzzy sound. With the Labtecs, the piano notes seemed to resonate in a bad-sounding way.

As for the comfort, I must say that before I got these, I thought they wouldn't feel good at all since I hear lots of complaining about the Grados, but in fact they feel excellent, ever since I've put them on...just like a soft pad on both of your ears. I could easily sit here for 2 hours more.

I think that's all I have to say for the moment, although if I find something really special, I will keep you guys updated. And as a question, how long do you think it takes to burn in MS-1s and how much better do they sound after burn in?

 

[12thgear]

Congrats on your new phones. I just got some MS-1s recently myself.

I do have some electronic music, and for that I prefer my speakers. They offer good imaging and the subwoofer really hits hard. This kind of music sounds fine on the MS-1s, nice and defined, but I think headphones with a broad soundstage would tend to work better. That said, it does depend on the track. I think Roni Size sounds awesome on my Alessandros. Banco de Gaia is better on my speakers. Squarepusher could go either way depending on the song.

For rock, these headphones, well, rock. Just punchy and mean. Try listening to Queens of the Stone Age if you have any. Actually, Creedence was fantastic too. Yes, Creedence! Wanna make something of it? For jazz, blues, R&B, they sound great too. Nice and intimate and involving. Holly Cole sounds especially strong.

My headphones seem to have loosened up and opened up a bit after about 20-30 hours. They burned in on my head, so maybe that's just acclimation.

I replaced the stock comfy pads with Sennheiser HD414 pads modified with a quarter-sized hole. It seemed to help extend the highs a bit, and it certainly gave the bass more body, without making it sloppy IMHO. They're a little more comfortable too. I have not tried flat pads or bowls, but I'm certainly curious.

Overall I'm glad I went with Alessandros over Grados. Many said Grados were too bright. These Alessandros sound just as bright as I was expecting. I tend to like things just a shade under bright. They sort of remind me of my friend's Mackie near-field monitors.

Cheers!

 

[Cyrilix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12thgear Congrats on your new phones. I just got some MS-1s recently myself. I do have some electronic music, and for that I prefer my speakers. They offer good imaging and the subwoofer really hits hard. This kind of music sounds fine on the MS-1s, nice and defined, but I think headphones with a broad soundstage would tend to work better. That said, it does depend on the track. I think Roni Size sounds awesome on my Alessandros. Banco de Gaia is better on my speakers. Squarepusher could go either way depending on the song. For rock, these headphones, well, rock. Just punchy and mean. Try listening to Queens of the Stone Age if you have any. Actually, Creedence was fantastic too. Yes, Creedence! Wanna make something of it? For jazz, blues, R&B, they sound great too. Nice and intimate and involving. Holly Cole sounds especially strong. My headphones seem to have loosened up and opened up a bit after about 20-30 hours. They burned in on my head, so maybe that's just acclimation. I replaced the stock comfy pads with Sennheiser HD414 pads modified with a quarter-sized hole. It seemed to help extend the highs a bit, and it certainly gave the bass more body, without making it sloppy IMHO. They're a little more comfortable too. I have not tried flat pads or bowls, but I'm certainly curious. Overall I'm glad I went with Alessandros over Grados. Many said Grados were too bright. These Alessandros sound just as bright as I was expecting. I tend to like things just a shade under bright. They sort of remind me of my friend's Mackie near-field monitors. Cheers!

Thanks 12th,

I'm enjoying them very much. The clarity of these phones is astounding... I'm not even sure if music can get any clearer without having to change the recording itself. What kind of sound did you get after burning them in? Did it become any more detailed? clear? or did the bass/mid/highs just feel stronger/weaker?