[ssuh]

So I'm 99% on the verge of pulling the trigger on the MS-2 fatboys. BUT, I'm just trying to figure out the difference between "studio" use and "home audio" use. In other words, are the 325i's better for listening at home?

What exactly are the special needs of headphones for studio use? I guess they need to be built more rugged, but I think the MS-2's are the same as Grados in this respect. What about in terms of sonic quality? Any music pro's want to post some thoughts? Thanks!!

 

[Jahn]

it's all about neutrality. you want the cans to get out of the way in the studio. Alessandros try to give a flatter response, more neutral/analytical. Therefore, they won't have as much "fun" factor as a normal Grado - but they will be more "true" to the source recording, and when you are at home such cans will let you get into the music for hours. Grados can get a bit fatiguing after a while, but the Alessandros never tired me out. Don't get me wrong, they are still John Grado cans, and so bring more impact/slam than a non-Grado. But you won't find as much exaggeration here, which is good imho.

As for the specific sound of the fatboys, i couldn't tell you. but that's the "house" Alessandro sound.

 

[EdipisReks]

generally speaking, the Alessandros are "studio" cans because they are a bit more neutral than the Grados. in my opinion, the Alessandros are not really studio cans in the normal sense of the word given that they are open phones.

 

[recstar24]

alessandros are much more closer and related to grados than they are different; to use an analogy, some people have a misconception that alessandros are from mars, and grados are from venus, where in fact alessandros are from North Dakota, and grados are from South Dakota; they are essentially the same can, its just that the alessandros are "tweaked" in a way that tries to make it a little more linear sounding, with a flatter response and more neutral presentation. However, they are still forward and i still find them fun, but to me at least with my old ms-2's, they are a little less fatiguing than the 325's.

 

[midlife]

In my experience, headphones are used in the studio for specific reasons:
First, closed or semi-closed cans are used by the musicians for recording, to be able to hear each other, if different instruments are in different rooms. Also vocalists and quieter instruments need phones to be able to hear themselves. In an acoustic, live off the floor recording, headphones are not needed.

Studios also use phones for critical listening, looking for extraneous noises etc... detail is important here and the engineer will only be wearing the cans for a few minutes at a time so fatigue and comfort are not rally an issue. Only if the engineer or producer are in the same room as the musicians are headphones needed for monitoring, and they are almost never used for mixing. Therefore audiophile headphones are seldom seen in studios. Sony's, Akg's and Beyer's are what you will usually find. Nothing special and certainly not the higher end models

That said, the Grado ps-1 was developed for European studio engineers and the allesandro line are marketed to musicians and engineers. Ruggedness is certainly an issue, and matching impedence among phones is important. Maybe they just want something nice to listen to on their breaks.

I think film and broadcast technicians would probably benefit more from some of the more popular cans on this site. Isolation would be an issue though.