[Phreon]

My Pro-25s (KTX-Pros) have been my benchmark for at least 5 years, but my newly arrived (hours ago) Alessandro/Grado MS-1s are stunning. I'm ruined now, there's no going back.

Do headphones become more sensitive as they break in? It seems the longer I listen, the more I turn the volume down. I had to turn my crappy Sony amp up to 75% to get a decent volume level, but now I'm down to 50% or so. Suddenly I understand the need for a headphone amp.

How durable are the Grado drivers? With my hearing loss, I have to push the phones pretty hard; close to the point of distortion at times (though my amp's crappy headphone out doesn't help).

Also, should there have been a warranty card included? I received no paperwork exept for some flyers and my receipt

Thank you all for the suggestions and information you've provided here. You guided me towards the purchase of a stunning set of cans.

I feel so very,very sad for the countless masses who have spent the same price on Sony V-600s...Bwahahahaha!

Phreon.

P.S. My set came with an 1/8th inch plug and 1/4 inch adapter.

 

[Neruda]

man, I haven't heard a thing about the alessandro grados for a long time! In fact, I'd forgotten that they even existed!

http://www.alessandro-products.com/headphones.html

to answer your questions: I personally have never noticed an increase in efficiency during break-in, but I suppose it's possible. Also, Grado drivers are very tough; I remember Apheared, back in the day, pumping something like three quarters of a watt into one of his grados without a problem. I wouldn't worry about damaging one.

But one word of advice: don't try to open them with a butterknife.

 

[sonicthewebhog]

How comfortable are these phones? I'm getting relatively bored with the Sennheiser sound and want some cans that will have me head bobbing instead of head dropping. I mainly listen to trance and jazz.

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

Originally posted by Phreon Also, should there have been a warranty card included? I received no paperwork exept for some flyers and my receipt.

Just go to the Grado Labs website and register your new 'phones.
Congratulations, Phreon. The Grado SR-80s (cousin to the MS Is) were my first purchase after discovering this "hobby." They opened my eyes.......and my wallet!"

Quote:

Originally posted by sonicthewebhog I'm getting relatively bored with the Sennheiser sound and want some cans that will have me head bobbing instead of head dropping.

Grados may be a lot of things, but "boring" is definitely NOT one of them. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Do I sense a resurgence of Team Grado on the boards?

 

[HighwayStar]

Quote:

Originally posted by joelongwood Do I sense a resurgence of Team Grado on the boards?

Teams may come and go...

As for me, I'll take Grado !

 

[austonia]

is the only difference between the allesandro series and regular Grados, the size of the air chamber..? i don't see much else

 

[KR...]

Quote:

Originally posted by austonia is the only difference between the allesandro series and regular Grados, the size of the air chamber..? i don't see much else

Not even.

It's all about the sound, the Alessandro series are Grado's Pro headphones, so they are much more neutral and detailed than the normal grados.

 

[HighwayStar]

IIRC, according to John Grado, the Alessandros are stock Grado phones with tweaked drivers. The driver enclosures (air chambers) are the same. They were produced as an effort to market Grado phones to the professional musician's market and sold in music stores/outlets. The tweaking of the drivers was to produce a more analytical and neutral sound. I haven't heard them myself but have read varing opinions on them. Some claim they're brighter, some claim they are more neutral.

 

[sonicthewebhog]

how would the ms-1s fair with jazz (ella fitzgerald) and trance? When I listen to jazz on my 580s ellas voice seems to get lost amongst the instruments, although trance is very impactful (much credit goes to my sonic adventure). Just wondering because im this >< close to dumping the senns!!!

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by joelongwood Do I sense a resurgence of Team Grado on the boards?

And it was ME who started this resurgence of Team Grado (by 'upgradoing' from an SR-80 to an SR-225) - just two weeks after I said some 'good' things about the notorious Sony MDR-V700DJ headphones!

It DEFINITELY took a good dose of the famous Grado sound to snap me out of that Sony V###-series rut!!!

 

[Phreon]

Quote:

Originally posted by sonicthewebhog how would the ms-1s fair with jazz (ella fitzgerald) and trance? When I listen to jazz on my 580s ellas voice seems to get lost amongst the instruments, although trance is very impactful (much credit goes to my sonic adventure). Just wondering because im this >< close to dumping the senns!!!

They should be spectacular with Jazz, with one caveat: they will reveal all the deficiencies in your recordings. Miles Davis, Kind of Blue is great on the MS1''s, except that I can hear the background hiss and the odd sixties super wide stereo imaging is annoying (but that's true of all phones, really).

I can say that Sarah McLauchlan's voice on Mirror Ball has more detail that I could ever have imagined and George Michael on Listen Without Prejudice sounds equally clean and spacious. The remaster of The Police, Synchronicity is stunning. You want impact? Murder by Numbers is wild on these cans.

I don't listen to Trance, but do various Electronica/Trip Hop like Hive (Devious Methods), 808 State, William Orbit, Fight Club/Dust Brothers Soundtrack, Front 242, C.J. Bolland, D.J. Shadow, Utah Saints, Hooverphonic and Massive Attack and they all sound great. These phones may not have the extreme bass extention of some the others that give that extra boom, but they more than make up for it by being increadibly tight and impactful.

Mind you, I have hearing loss that certainly colors my perception, but relative to my Optimus Pro-25's (Koss KTX-Pro clones), which are no slouch, the MS1's are spectacular.


At any rate, they're one hell of a bargain at $99 shipped.


Phreon

P.S. If you compare the specs between the MS-1s and Grado phones, they have more in common with the 125 than the 80s.

 

[kelly]

I emailed Alessandro a little while back and received this response

Quote:

The Music Series phones were tuned to be a little more open, dynamic and detailed for use in the Music Industry. The MS Pro specs out the same as the RS-1 but sound slightly different.

Most people I have asked say they are brighter than the RS-1 which ruled out my willingness to take a chance on them. I still haven't heard them.

 

[Cheeba-Fi]

Quote:

how would the ms-1s fair with jazz (ella fitzgerald) and trance?

I don't know how the MS-1s would sound, never tried them, but female Jazz and Lounge vocals sound excellent (you can hear every breath) on my RS-325's. Any instrument with strings will blow you away. I even like the way trance sounds on them, you will hear everything in the music (including that tiny little blip that's way out in the music when you close your eyes and listen). Go Grado!

Namastay,
Cheeba-Fi

 

[Newbiez]

Some guys are just so lucky. Are they only available in U.S ?

I failed to find a single one here, and have almost no clue how to get it...in fact, no one even knows what MS-1's are

 

[bangraman]

Resurgence of Team Grato?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I shall ready my Multiple Audio-technica Launcher System...