[Joomy]

So I've decided to purchase the MS-1s from a local online store (headphones.com.au, should support local business, plus cheaper to return if there's an issue) but I remembered that the MS-1s come with regular comfy pads and not bowl pads.

So my question is whether I should shell out the extra money for a pair of bowl pads, since so many people seem to consider this really improves the sound.

For those who have MS-1s, do you have bowl pads or comfy (or modded?), and what do you recommend? Is it essential to change the pads to experience the best sound?

 

[Bat King]

I guess it depends on what kind of sound signature you'd prefer. Comfies muffle the high end of the sound signature and increase bass quantity, but the bass becomes kinda muddy. However, as the name implies, they do increase comfort quite a lot - I can wear them for almost twice as long as opposed to the bowls. Bowls, however, have a deeper and punchier bass response, and you get the full sparlking highs and mids, at the expense of a bit less comfort.

In my case I found the highs to be too harsh for me, so the comfies were a better choice. But of course you could quarter-mod the comfy pads to open up the high-end. If you're not sure about which you'd prefer, I'd recommend giving the comfies a try first. Bowls aren't for everyone.

 

[skellington]

I think if you order direct from Grado you can request the bowl pads instead at no extra cost.
Extra comfy pads are cheaper than bowls on the internet, so if you can get the bowls for free I would recommend that.
I've not heard the MS1, but on the SR225 the bowls take a little getting used to. They are rather bright, but the comfort has never been an issue for me. The flat pads are also an option, more body to the sound and much more bass impact.
It depends on the music really, for small scale essembles/less instruments I would recommend flats, anything larger, bowls.

 

[JayB18]

You will most likely be getting the MS-1i since Marcus just received them. He said that they will be shipping the MS1i from now on. As for pads, I prefer the comfort and sound of the default comfie pads (unmodded). The bowls are a bit too bright and uncomfortable for me.

 

[nhancakes]

When i first got my ms1s I was disappointed at how muddy and congested it sounded with comfies on. They also made my ears feel hot (my house is around 78degrees F). I put the bowls on and I felt like the bass had more impact with the bowls on? Maybe it was just more enjoyable because it was tighter. I haven't even put the comfies back to really compare since I prefer the bowls so much more; there wasn't a doubt as to which one sounded better to my ears. I find broken in bowls more comfortable than comfies too.

 

[Adreneline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nhancakes /img/forum/go_quote.gif When i first got my ms1s I was disappointed at how muddy and congested it sounded with comfies on. They also made my ears feel hot (my house is around 78degrees F). I put the bowls on and I felt like the bass had more impact with the bowls on? Maybe it was just more enjoyable because it was tighter. I haven't even put the comfies back to really compare since I prefer the bowls so much more; there wasn't a doubt as to which one sounded better to my ears. I find broken in bowls more comfortable than comfies too.

I find nothing congested about these comfies on my MS1s, nor muddy.

I also heard the bowls take away the bass .... these already have -just- enough with the comfies on imo.

 

[khii]

You could try the MS1000i mod with the distancers and the GS1 bowls as suggested by Nickchen in this http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ale...arning-323271/ thread.

 

[nhancakes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adreneline /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find nothing congested about these comfies on my MS1s, nor muddy. I also heard the bowls take away the bass .... these already have -just- enough with the comfies on imo.

the bass sounds better to me with bowls. And it's more than enough/a little overwhelming when I listen Chamillionaire's Mixtape Messiah 4 album, but that's probably my own tastes. I'm not much of a bass head to begin with. The congestion i refer to only showed up on certain tracks when the music gets busy and the headphones can't keep well as well. Oddly, I find Arcade Fire's "No Cars Go" sound better with comfies on as oppose to bowls. Tried this one out because that was the first song I listened to when I had sr60s, and I was really fond of how that sounded.

 

[kanamin]

I have the comfies, bowls and flats for my MS-1. I used the bowls for the longest time, and then realized I didn't like how it unnaturally colored the sound, so I switched to flats. I tried comfies for the first time in a long time, and i had never really considered them seriously since there was all this talk about OMG UPGRADE THE PADS CHANGE THE PADS. Now I only use the comfies.

They soften the sound a bit compared to the flats, which is just perfect for me, it makes listening less fatiguing. And they really are the most comfortable out of the three for my ears.

 

[Adreneline]

I just quarter modded the comfies, sounds really great. The highs were improved, and the bass seems even better.

 

[Joomy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by khii /img/forum/go_quote.gif You could try the MS1000i mod with the distancers and the GS1 bowls as suggested by Nickchen in this http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ale...arning-323271/ thread.

Yeah I've been reading that thread and practically salivating at the descriptions of sound improvement. I am seriously tempted to give it a go, unfortunately jumbo pads are crazy expensive!

I think I'll give the comfy pads a go, maybe try the quarter mod if I'm not satisfied, and then maybe I'll consider upgrading to whatever. Thanks for the input.