Decisions, decisions and decisions

[Albinoni]

Well what more can I say but time is coming near for me to get another set of headphones but the big Q is which ones.

I have my hearts desire set on the following:

1. Grado SR60i
2. Allesandro MS-1's
3. Audio Technica's ATH-ES7's

A while back I was tempted and in someways still is to get the ATH-ES7's but now my desire is slowly drifting off and telling me to get the MS-1's from Allesandro, in which also Headphonic | Australian Headphone Specialists: Buy Etymotic, Alessandro, Audio Technica, Ultimate Ears, Talisman, Meier Audio and more are selling at a good price plus free shipping.

But than again the ATH-ES7's look cool also.

Havent tried or heard the SR60i's either so cant say or comment.

I think if it came to the bottom crunch it would be the ES7's or the MS-1's.

 

[ljokerl]

Your intended use for them is a vital consideration. One of the most obvious differences between the Grado/Alessandro and the ATH-ES7 is portability, with the ES7 being closed and perfectly usable outside and the SR60/MS1 being completely open and having somewhat unwieldy cables.

If you don't intend to go outside, you should make the decision based on sound. Grados are very open-sounding, somewhat bright, and quite aggressive. The ES7's are bassy and much less spacious, but still very fun.

 

[ronnielee54]

I have owned all three of these. The ones that I kept are the MS1's. Although I do regret trading the ES7's (I will own a pair of them again one day), I still prefer the MS1's for comfort and sound. You honestly can't go wrong with any one of the three though. All are very good cans for their price. All of them perform very well without an amp also.

 

[Albinoni]

I do plan to use these outside and quite often plus I will also use them on the public transport eg bus or train. I commute to work everyday using public transport and always use my MP3 playes (Creative Zen's, Cowon and Sansa Fuze) with either my AKG or Sennheizers.

I know the MS-1 being an open type headphone it might annoy or distract the person opposite me and I am sure they will leak sound loud, how do I know, because I have a pair of Grado SR80's and this did as well, and the same will go for the Grado SR60's i. But I have read really good reviews on the MS-1's and this is why I am so tempted to get a pair.

I have never heard any of these headphones I mentioned, even the AT ATH-ES7's but again I heard their also nice.

Another important factor here for me is comfort.

Also if I end up getting the MS1's I might also get the yellow senns pad for them, just to look a bit different

 

[muxenle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albinoni /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do plan to use these outside and quite often plus I will also use them on the public transport eg bus or train. I commute to work everyday using public transport and always use my MP3 playes (Creative Zen's, Cowon and Sansa Fuze) with either my AKG or Sennheizers. I know the MS-1 being an open type headphone it might annoy or distract the person opposite me and I am sure they will leak sound loud, how do I know, because I have a pair of Grado SR80's and this did as well, and the same will go for the Grado SR60's i. But I have read really good reviews on the MS-1's and this is why I am so tempted to get a pair. I have never heard any of these headphones I mentioned, even the AT ATH-ES7's but again I heard their also nice. Another important factor here for me is comfort. Also if I end up getting the MS1's I might also get the yellow senns pad for them, just to look a bit different

I was on the city bus with my SR60i and this is what happended:

I had turned up just loud engough that I could hear music, at the bus stop waiting for the bus, and when I got on the bus driver got up and went down the isles trying to find who was listening to their so loud that he couldd hear up in the driver seat(I was a couple seats away). so I turned mine almost all the way down and started to test them out after taking them off.

By turning up the volume a couple notches I could semi-easily hear the music when holding them infront of me, and when I got home I turned it up to the point that I had them when first getting on the bus, and it sounded like it was coming out of speakers(volume wise).

so once I turned it down engough that it didn't leak any sound, only one volume 'notch' on my mp3 player, I could BARELY hear my music, I mean just the vaugest parts of it(kind of like when you hear people wispering a couple feet away, you know they are talking but you have no idea what about)-- and the music I was listening to was loud music, heavey/melodic death metal.

So unless you live in the quitest city and have the quitest transport system in the histroy of the modern world the SR60i isn't really for you, or I'd hazard a guess of any other open can.

when I got them I thought, okay they leak a bit of sound....but they can't be that bad...but just around nomral, house level, listening sounds they where leaking some sound.

On a side note that bus driver seemed pretty PO'd, luckly he didn't know that it was my phones(he just went back to driving once the music stopped) but I heard him say that its illegal to in this state(washington state) to have other people hear your music(aka: playing so loud others can hear it from your headphones). Which I'm kind of suprirsed to hear, but with all these IP/copy right lawa 'n' stuff it kind of makes sense, and if he was telling the truth I wouldn't be surpised if other states have simmilar laws. Though I do find it kind of hard to beleive a cop would tackle you for listening to music loudly...though the scene would be a bit comical I would think...

 

[Albinoni]

Quote:

Originally Posted by muxenle /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was on the city bus with my SR60i and this is what happended: I had turned up just loud engough that I could hear music, at the bus stop waiting for the bus, and when I got on the bus driver got up and went down the isles trying to find who was listening to their so loud that he couldd hear up in the driver seat(I was a couple seats away). so I turned mine almost all the way down and started to test them out after taking them off. By turning up the volume a couple notches I could semi-easily hear the music when holding them infront of me, and when I got home I turned it up to the point that I had them when first getting on the bus, and it sounded like it was coming out of speakers(volume wise). so once I turned it down engough that it didn't leak any sound, only one volume 'notch' on my mp3 player, I could BARELY hear my music, I mean just the vaugest parts of it(kind of like when you hear people wispering a couple feet away, you know they are talking but you have no idea what about)-- and the music I was listening to was loud music, heavey/melodic death metal. So unless you live in the quitest city and have the quitest transport system in the histroy of the modern world the SR60i isn't really for you, or I'd hazard a guess of any other open can. when I got them I thought, okay they leak a bit of sound....but they can't be that bad...but just around nomral, house level, listening sounds they where leaking some sound. On a side note that bus driver seemed pretty PO'd, luckly he didn't know that it was my phones(he just went back to driving once the music stopped) but I heard him say that its illegal to in this state(washington state) to have other people hear your music(aka: playing so loud others can hear it from your headphones). Which I'm kind of suprirsed to hear, but with all these IP/copy right lawa 'n' stuff it kind of makes sense, and if he was telling the truth I wouldn't be surpised if other states have simmilar laws. Though I do find it kind of hard to beleive a cop would tackle you for listening to music loudly...though the scene would be a bit comical I would think...

Interesting story. A similar thing well not so bad happened to me a few yrs ago when I was living in Melb, Australia. I was on a tram going into the city and had with me my SR80's plugged into my Creative Zen Touch and Vol cranked up to Lev 17 which is quite loud on the Zen. Anyhow the tram was quite full of passengers but the funny thing was there was a woman sitting beside me in her late 30's (say 36) and she was tapping her feet and doing these hand movement like enjoying the rhythm of the music, I turned around and asked he what she was listening to (I thought she had headphones and an Ipod on) and she said your music, meaning the sound that was coming out of my SR80's ( I still recall the song it was Disco Inferno)

Wow was I embarrased, I said to her ok and smiled to her and carried on listening to them.

The good thing though is when they leak sound it sounds nice and clear not like half of these Ipod earbuds where all you hear is a swarm of bees !

 

[muxenle]

true, when you get sounnd leakage, you get good quality sound leakage

I remember the song I was listing to too when I got repermaned by the bus driver, I'm pretty sure it was restiance by muse(might have been uprsing...not enterily sure)

oddly engough I was also using a zen music player -_- though only a 2 gb zen moziac.