[Kerberos]

Quote:

I cannot believe the amount of wrong information about the MS1i's here !!
 
The MS1i's are not based on the SR125i, they are based on the SR80i.  They have the same thinner cable as the SR80i and not the beefier cable that the SR125i has.  And the MS1i's do not have the same driver as the SR125i.  The SR125i does have the same driver as the SR225i.
 
As far as sound quality, I find the MS1i's do not sound good at all.  They do not have the bass that the SR80i's, SR125i's, SR225i's, etc, have.  The MS1i's sound like the SR60i's to me.  No bass.  Thin and unsubstantial sounding.  Unauthoritative.  The MS1i's have the same/similar mids and highs that the SR80i's do, not as refined as the SR125i's.  But no bass.  I don't understand anyone who would prefer the MS1i's to either the SR80i or the SR125i if you actually can listen to each model back to back.
 
So now you would naturally think that I am biased again Alessandro headphones.    Nope, my daily listening pair are the MS2i's.  The SR325i's are too bright, but I find the MS2i's to be a further nice improvement over the SR225i's.  A little bit better bass, and little bit better treble, but not shrill and overpowering like I think the SR325i's are.
 

My MS1i's has plenty of bass with comfies and bowls (I prefer taped bowls signature althought).

 

[Kevin Brown]

 
Quote:

My MS1i's has plenty of bass with comfies and bowls (I prefer taped bowls signature althought).

Not vs the SR80i's and the SR125i's, etc, they don't IMO.  I have owned and listened extensively to all of these.  Back to back with either of those two models, the MS1i's bass is anemic.  Just like the SR60i's.
 
Also, after I heard what I heard with the MS1i's vs the SR60i's and the SR80i's, I emailed Grado.  I asked about any relationship between the MS1i's and the SR60i's.  They said: can't talk about it, NDA (non-disclosure agreement) in effect, no comment.

 

[casuallistener]

Would Grados be OK for listening to on on my laptop using the onboard sound card? I know a portable player isn't enough to drive it and make it sound good but is a laptop enough? The resistance on them looked pretty low... but i'm not an expert by any means

 

[pzm9pzm9]

Quote:

Would Grados be OK for listening to on on my laptop using the onboard sound card? I know a portable player isn't enough to drive it and make it sound good but is a laptop enough? The resistance on them looked pretty low... but i'm not an expert by any means

yes. Grado has like 32 ohm (im assuming)... pretty low impedance. you can drive them on ipod, laptop...etc.
 
 
To OP: I would go out there and buy 225i if you have extra cash and foreget about 80i or 125i.  Yes. there are tiny little differences between them but since you know there is some difference, you will always wonder what 125i will sound like, if you get 80i. Perhaps vice versa. So get 225i, which ppl say its the best value for the money on grado line.
 

 

[bikeboy24]

I was debating this myself (SR80i vs SR125i). I ended up picking up a pair of SR80i.  They're supposed to arrive tomorrow. I can't wait

I built myself an Apheared 47 and Pimeta clone for these. I see that Grado's hold their value quite well. I'm hope that I'm satisfied with them (these are my first set of real cans). But if not, I figure I can sell them and pick up a better model.

 

[casuallistener]

I'd def go for SR80i or MS-1 because of the smaller 3.5mm plug and don't wanna have to use an adapter. Use the 3.5 mm more than the 1/4" which is only really for my recording set up with my guitar effects processor. That big thread about SR80i vs MS1 just confused me even more lol.

 

[MrSpenkelink]

I haven't tried the SR125i or the SR80i but I did audition their predecessors, and I didn't notice a significant difference between the two. They sounded very similar to me. 

 

[supersleuth]

Heck, I only bought an 80 because back in the day they came with bowls and buying a 60 plus bowls saved you very little money. If they broke today I'd replace them with a 60i (on which I would put my existing bowls). But then I'm cheap-fi all the way and I'm not into throwing significant amounts of money at (alleged) tiny differences. I'm too busy enjoying music to obsess over such things.

 

[Kerberos]

Quote:

 
Quote:

My MS1i's has plenty of bass with comfies and bowls (I prefer taped bowls signature althought).

Not vs the SR80i's and the SR125i's, etc, they don't IMO.  I have owned and listened extensively to all of these.  Back to back with either of those two models, the MS1i's bass is anemic.  Just like the SR60i's.
 
Also, after I heard what I heard with the MS1i's vs the SR60i's and the SR80i's, I emailed Grado.  I asked about any relationship between the MS1i's and the SR60i's.  They said: can't talk about it, NDA (non-disclosure agreement) in effect, no comment.

 
It's really weird. The bass from my ms1i's are far from anemic and other ms1's owners are happy with the bass too. Maybe your ms1i's were different???
 

 

[ilia7777]

Grado is one of the best out there for rock, metal no doubt, but for electronic music my personal preference is Ultrasone, they are much more fun with huge soundstage and some of the best bass out of all headphones out there. I have SR-225 and iGrado. The whole Grado line is about minor improvements from model to model. But all of them have Grado signature in sound starting from iGrado for $50 bucks.

 

[Kevin Brown]

Quote:

Quote:

 
Quote:

My MS1i's has plenty of bass with comfies and bowls (I prefer taped bowls signature althought).

Not vs the SR80i's and the SR125i's, etc, they don't IMO.  I have owned and listened extensively to all of these.  Back to back with either of those two models, the MS1i's bass is anemic.  Just like the SR60i's.
 
Also, after I heard what I heard with the MS1i's vs the SR60i's and the SR80i's, I emailed Grado.  I asked about any relationship between the MS1i's and the SR60i's.  They said: can't talk about it, NDA (non-disclosure agreement) in effect, no comment.

 
It's really weird. The bass from my ms1i's are far from anemic and other ms1's owners are happy with the bass too. Maybe your ms1i's were different???
 

In a different thread, I got to listen to a different pair of MS1i's and an MS1 too.  Those 2 were fine for bass.
 
So my only conclusion is that yes, there can be problems with Grado's "repeatibility" as far as manufacturing goes, or, one of my thoughts when I had my MS1i, was that they possibly really made a mistake and put SR60i innards into the MS1i housings.
 
I have also heard two older MS2i's, and they sounded different too.  Not as different as the 2 MS1i's, but easily identifiably different nonetheless.
 

 

[Wyd4]

 
In a different thread, I got to listen to a different pair of MS1i's and an MS1 too.  Those 2 were fine for bass.
 
So my only conclusion is that yes, there can be problems with Grado's "repeatibility" as far as manufacturing goes, or, one of my thoughts when I had my MS1i, was that they possibly really made a mistake and put SR60i innards into the MS1i housings.
 
I have also heard two older MS2i's, and they sounded different too.  Not as different as the 2 MS1i's, but easily identifiably different nonetheless.
 

Holy old thread revival batman.
 
I too had a pair of ms1's that to me were bassless.
I really REALLY disliked them.

Sorry I stumbled upon this thread as I am looking to buy some new sr80e's.
 
I had the sr80, ms1, mspro and the rs1i.
I must say I really liked the mspro and the rs1i for their own character.  The MsPro was like a de-fanged rs1i.  The rs1's rocked while the MsPro rocked you to sleep
 
The sr80 imo walked all over the ms1, but as you say above, perhaps this was just my pair?

 

[music101]

This thread is really emblematic of a point I made earlier: dissensus reigns in subjective evaluations of the entire grado line. And these are not minor differences of opinion: each listener often has a total 180 degree opposite reaction of the same headphones in the grado line.

 

[Claritas]

This thread is really emblematic of a point I made earlier: dissensus reigns in subjective evaluations of the entire grado line. And these are not minor differences of opinion: each listener often has a total 180 degree opposite reaction of the same headphones in the grado line.

There's still a consensus that 225 is the sweet spot and 125 is a dud. Everything else is pretty up in the air.

 

[up late]

yeah that's right. the sr-225 has always been recommended here but there's not much love for the sr-125.