[spukee]

I sold my MS1s to get a friend into HiFi headphones. Definitely worked. He's been listening to it everynight since he bought the set

.

I miss it though

. My experiment worked, but no more MS1s for me.. hehe.

It's definitely one of the best bang for your buck headphones out there. Gotta love that in-your-face sound! Anyone else reading this thread - do not hesitate, it's money well spent.

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brohken /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ordered my MS1's today. I emailed them first to see about the availability and got this response: How true it is, I don't know.

There has always been a fair amount of interest in the MS-1 over the last few years, but it seems as though it has gone way up as of late! I wonder if Grado had just been caught sleeping when all these orders came in and they hadn't been able to ramp up production in time? That plus bad weather around the holidays may have made things worse.

They may also be nervous about adding too many units for fear of it just being an unusual phase in market buying habits.

Hopefully supply will meet demand again soon. Everybody should get a shot at trying these things!!

.......now I wonder if they have enough aluminum bar stock on hand?

 

[Snaques]

Quote:

Originally Posted by F107plus5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif .......now I wonder if they have enough aluminum bar stock on hand?

Exactly what I was thinking after reading your post

Once you get the MS-1s and get accustomed to their sound, you just can't help but start wondering, "How could I get more of this?"

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaques /img/forum/go_quote.gif Exactly what I was thinking after reading your post Once you get the MS-1s and get accustomed to their sound, you just can't help but start wondering, "How could I get more of this?"

Oh Yeah!! That's kind of a sore point with me right now.

Ah; the "what ifs'"!

What if I'd have known what the MS-1 sounded like before I bought it, and what if I'd have known what the MS2i had sounded like before I bought IT!!

If I'd have known that; I'd have gone straight for the MS-Pro!!

That's one of the things that Alessandro seems to have that Grado doesn't. It seems that with Grado there are enough differences in the sounds between models that one can sounds different enough from the others that you can "like" one sound more than the others, where with Alessandro they all sound "the same" but with the differences being in the quality of that same sound.

The cost is the tricky part.

The jump from MS-1 to MS2i is a justifiable one since the increase in SQ is pretty substantial, plus the materials and workmanship add their own value. So that's easy.

My understanding from boiling down tons of notes taken from posts going back to day one in this forum plus a few other sources is that the increase in SQ going from MS2i to MS-Pro isn't nearly as great as going from MS-1 to MS2i. There is a difference though; in soundstage and bass responce and retrieval of detail and all that other good stuff enough to make the cost worthwhile when you add those lighter weight pretty wooden housings...gotta luv em!...and when added to better amplification they become some kind of Alessandro Ultimate! But at over TWICE the cost of MS2i!! No question....it follows the norm in audio; as you goes up the ladder, the ladder gets steeper!! Ya pays more and more and gets less and less!!

Is it worth it? To me?

Good question; understanding as I do that with my present system the MS-Pro may...or may not...shine as brightly as it could, and that in most musical situations I may not even notice much of a difference other than less mass perched upon my balding skull anyway, and taking all the above technical points out of the equation, as well as common sense, and finances, is there a desire here for MS-Pro?

Oh Yeah!!

 

[WernerZero]

Came home from work today really tired and what do I find in my mail...a receipt from my postal office with Alessandro as sender!!!

That was fast. as I ordered them last friday afternoon.
Yiiihaaa!!! Run out the door and was on my way to the postal office , it's just a few hundred meters away from my home, when I take another look at the receipt..."To be declared"!

Nooooh!!! The customs got the package, and they were already closed for the day, well for the week actually, so I won't get my MS-1's before monday earliest. And I don't know if I can get off work early enough on monday to get there in time before it closes.

Maybe I'll fake some illness or something...

So close, but yet...
It's going to be a loooong weekend.

 

[F107plus5]

If it were me; I wouldn't be faking an illness! If I couldn't get them; I WOULD be sick!!





......actually; getting them is the start of a NEW illness!!

 

[WernerZero]

Yeah, fortunately my boss is also into music, he isn't exactly into headphones and gear, but he collects vinyls, so he might just understand and let me bring my boys home from that awful place...

 

[spukee]

I'd stick to the "illness" excuse.

Sounds much better than "I'd like to stay home because my new headphones just arrived and I want to listen to them all day".

I totally understand though, mind you

 

[Brohken]

Probably has been discussed but what would be a nice, not-to-expensive, amp for home use? I was considering the PAV2V but it seems to be more built for portable use as the AC plugs into the front for recharging.

Anything in the 50ish price range that will look and sound good? Other than the LDM+

 

[Televator]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brohken /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anything in the 50ish price range that will look and sound good? Other than the LDM+

with the MS2i, I really enjoy the sound of the HeadFive! It is a bit over budget, but it is a good price/SQ ratio IMHO

(it does give my SR-60's a deeper level as well)

 

[gdpeck]

I guess it's about time I "officially" joined the MS1 fan club. I've had a pair for a while now and I find them very musical. I finally felt compelled to post something about them today. As I type I'm listening to one of my favorite albums God Street Wine, $1.99 Romances with my MS1s and my HeadFive, and they are so sweet. If you don't know God Street Wine, they are a defunct jam band from the East Coast somewhere. They were particularly known for their live shows, but did some solid studio albums as well. I love the production on $1.99 Romances. It is very punchy and mixed well with no particular instrument dominating the mix, but all of them very distinctively heard. I haven't listened to it for a while, maybe never with the HeadFive MS1 combo, but it has been truly eargasmic. I don't know if I have ever heard recorded guitars sound as real as these. Every texture is there.

If you're on the fence about MS1s at all, get them!

Thanks!
George

 

[Brohken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Televator /img/forum/go_quote.gif with the MS2i, I really enjoy the sound of the HeadFive! It is a bit over budget, but it is a good price/SQ ratio IMHO (it does give my SR-60's a deeper level as well)

"a bit"

i googled and they're upwards of $200

 

[reivaj]

the headfive is more than worth it.

i have one and im a happy customer fo sho

 

[lutwey]

where did u guys purchased ur headfive???

 

[JXBJXB]

I just got my new-to-me MS-1's, and listened to a bit of my digital rig. The 'phones were driven by a Little Dot II++ which normally drives my HD580s quite well - I think the LDII++ and the 580 are a synergistic match.

I have to admit that so far, I wasn't very impressed with the MS-1 until I plugged them directly into an Echo Indigo IO card that I use to listen to 88200Hz vinyl rips on my Toshiba laptop (which has a terrible on-board soundcard). (I also use the Indigo IO to create the vinyl rips).

Now -this- is impressive sound! Detailed with an excellent midrange, good bass, adequate soundstage - more like what I've been reading in this thread for a little while. I'm surprised at the quality of sound coming right off the Indigo - I know it is supposed to have a decent little headphone amp, but any of my higher impedance "real" cans (580, AKG 240M) can't be driven properly with it (it does just fine with my Shure E2C).

General consensus is that tubes are a good match for Grados (and therefore, Alessandros, I would think). While I have (much) more listening to do, is it possible that one of the reasons the MS-1s are so well liked is that they are easy to drive with less powerful sources (i.e., without an amp?)