[xaval]

The biggest difference between the ms1 and ms pro is, actually, the fact that the latter has wooden cups

 

[G3n0c|d3]

i prefer grado sr60i/80i than MS1i because SR60i/80i series tend to be more aggressive than MS1i.
 
MS1i are too mellow for me... it sound so pale compare to when im listen to grado. mostly I listen to heavy metal, 80's rock, instrumental (acoustic guitar and chello) some reggae, blues and oldies...
 
but then again i am using amp to take make the grados sing to another level... 

 

[koolkat]

 
Quote:

i prefer grado sr60i/80i than MS1i because SR60i/80i series tend to be more aggressive than MS1i.
 
MS1i are too mellow for me... it sound so pale compare to when im listen to grado. mostly I listen to heavy metal, 80's rock, instrumental (acoustic guitar and chello) some reggae, blues and oldies...
 
but then again i am using amp to take make the grados sing to another level... 

 
Off-topic:

What kind of amp are you using? 
 
My Fiio E7 doesn't change the sound sig too much. And Fiio amps are supposedly very warm...  
 
 
On-topic:
 
The stock SR60 is a little too aggressive for my taste. In small doses, the highs can be very refreshing but I can't keep the stock 60s on my head for too long. They're too uncomfortable and too bright stock. Punch 1 or 2 holes/ttvj flats, remove the grills, put on some HD414 pads, voila, a whole new beast.
 

 

[Chris_Himself]

Both are good.
 
Any good description of the Grado vs Allie debate is going to show that the Grado has more of the flavor and aggressiveness that makes the brand what it is (despite being marketed by/for old people), and Allies are a 1% Nonfat version fo that when it comes to treble sparkle and bass impact. The Allies are more polite for long term listening like a cappucino , and the Grados are the full flavor double shot espresso on ice (you can understand why they're not for everybody if I describe them like that)...
 
They can come off as harsh since the treble is very forward in presentation, it'll be the first thing you notice, and the last thing you remember when anybody asks you about Grado, with Allies they're toned down a bit to reveal the warm mids which is the other forte' of both brands..
 
It's really a cointoss, most people end up getting both somewhere along the line. Alessandro ships worldwide, where Grado is US only along with a very small amount of distributors globally.

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

It's really a cointoss, most people end up getting both somewhere along the line. Alessandro ships worldwide, where Grado is US only along with a very small amount of distributors globally.

 
Not entirely true - the international policy is that every country outside of the US must have one dealer and one dealer only.
 
Check it yourself :- click on any country and you will get the sole local dealer. That's the Grado ethos, it's fairly loyal to
the concessionaire, we've had a few retailers here in Australia pursue retailer approval and it has fallen on deaf ears.
Audiophile in Melbourne is it.
 
http://gradolabs.com/page_dealers.php
 

 

[Astrozombie]

Everyone says the Ms1 is better and i have no way of knowing. I just knew this, i would always be curious what the real Grado house sound was like so i went for it and i don't find it harsh at all. It really delivers that guitar crunch and if it is a bit harsh, i'm sure you can EQ it down a tad anywho, but i did find i needed my bass boost on the CMoy to get decent bass. Not sure if the MS1 has better bass out of the box. Plus i thought, even if the Ms1 is better do you think it would be $20-30 better? When i can put that to new pads for the SR60s which are supposed to make them better.

 

[koolkat]

Quote:

 
Not entirely true - the international policy is that every country outside of the US must have one dealer and one dealer only.
 
Check it yourself :- click on any country and you will get the sole local dealer. That's the Grado ethos, it's fairly loyal to
the concessionaire, we've had a few retailers here in Australia pursue retailer approval and it has fallen on deaf ears.
Audiophile in Melbourne is it.
 
http://gradolabs.com/page_dealers.php
 

 
I think there's a limit on the number of distributors, but not the number of shops that are allowed to sell Grados.
 
 

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

 
I think there's a limit on the number of distributors, but not the number of shops that are allowed to sell Grados.
 
 

 
i can name 4 distributors in Canada.

 

[koolkat]

Quote:

i can name 4 distributors in Canada.

There's only 1 distributor in Canada but there may be more shops selling Grados.
AUDIO GROUP is the sole distributor of Grados in Canada. It's on the Grado website. 
 
 
@Astrozombie It's all subjective. If you don't find the stock SR60 too harsh, then good for you. Use the extra to buy some hd414 pads, or maybe some bowls. But that doesn't take away the fact that the MS1 is more tame by comparison. You can't go wrong with either, the differences aren't exactly night and day. 
 
 
Edit: massive dejavu ......