[Sccrfreak342]

I am in the market for a new set of headphones and IEM's to replace my crappy ones that I currently use. I already posted a thread about IEM's and have pretty much narrowed it down to a couple; just waiting for the release of the PL50's to be sure which pair I want.

Now, I'm looking for a good set of cans for ~$100 or less used mainly for the wide field of rock (ranging from soft/piano/acoustic to hard/heavy/metal). I've heard that Grado is one of the best brands for this type of music, and have a few cans in my price range (sr60/i and sr80/i). I have also heard that Alessandro's MS-1's are comparable to the sr80's, or even the sr125's and are only $100.

Now, is there a difference between the original MS-1's and the "Improved ver. 2009" listed on the Alessandro website for $10 more, and if so, is it worth the extra $10? I've also found the sr60's for about $80 shipped; is it worth the extra $20 or so to go with the sr80's or the MS-1's?

One final question: I would like to *occasionally* take these cans with me and use them with my DAP (currently a Zune 80). Would the Zune be able to power them? If not, are there any small/lightweight/cheap portable amps (such as the Fiio E3/5) that could give it the extra bit of power to push them to decent portable quality? Like I said, I'm getting IEM's also, so this isn't a major concern, but it still is a factor, as I like to switch things up every once in a while and would like to be able to use my new cans outside of the confines of my house

. Thanks ahead of time!

EDIT: I forgot to ask, I've seen that many people like to replace the pads with doughnut pads on Grado and Alessandro cans, what's the difference? (sound quality, comfort, etc.) Also, how much extra would it cost to do this?

~Sccrfreak342~

 

[paaj]

FWIR you can't really go wrong with any of these, especially for the genres listed. The Alessandro is said to be a bit more neutral and considered the best bang/buck.
These headphones will do well out of a portable player but keep in mind that they are open and as such don't isolate well. Keep the volume down.

The doughnut pads are mainly used for the MS1000 mod (use search) that is said to improve soundstage and is more comfortable. I think ttvj.com has these, look there for a price.

 

[charliex]

The Alessandro MS-1s are the way to go.
The larger GS-1000 donuts pads are $55.00 PLUS shipping

 

[nhancakes]

only use the gs-1000 pads if you're gonna plan on doing the whole distancer mod as well. Not sure about the difference about the MS-1 because it seems like people only have one or the other, but from what i read people can't really tell the difference between the "i" and non-i versions. The airchamber for the MS-1i is larger so there might be a bit better soundstage?

If you're ok with buying used, you can check the For Sale forum here. People generally sell their MS-1s with a couple of pad options: comfies/ bowls/ hd414. It'll give you an extra variety to try which pads you like. I love bowls personally.

And my ipod nano can push my MS-1 very well. So your Zune will have no problem giving you good sound.

And yes I think the MS-1s sound better than the sr60. It's worth it in my opinion.

 

[Drubbing]

MS1 really is the VFM pick. Runs on portables very well, but not an ideal phones for public use, cord too long and thick, and open phones.

 

[khalidkh99]

Alessandro High-End Products uses an invalid security certificate.

The certificate is not trusted because it is self signed.
The certificate is only valid for hera.gti.net
The certificate expired on 6/3/2005 3:34 AM.

(Error code: sec_error_expired_issuer_certificate)

* This could be a problem with the server's configuration, or it could be someone trying to impersonate the server.

* If you have connected to this server successfully in the past, the error may be temporary, and you can try again later.

wht is this can someone explane
i want to buy ms1i from their site but this mess appears when clicking total order

 

[Almoxil]

Hmmm... I bought my pair long ago, and their site had the same problem back then. I contacted them and did the transaction through email / Paypal payment.

 

[khalidkh99]

thanks