Nospam
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2004
- Posts
- 702
- Likes
- 11
I've been wanting to try something to complement my HD580, and the MS-2 sounded like a good option. So, I grabbed a used pair off the For Sale forum, and it arrived today.
So far, I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. The two main concerns I had were comfort and brightness.
Well, they're definitely not going to win any awards for comfort
Initially, it's not bad enough that they detract from enjoying the music... much. However, after wearing them for almost an hour, I started to notice a few things.
First of all, the bowl pads feel like sandpaper against my ears. I'm actually a bit concerned about this, since (in the past) I've had problems with foam giving me a rash on my ears. Also, the headband just plain sucks rocks
They're also starting to feel a bit heavy.
As for brightness, it's not so bad. They are a bit brighter than what I've become accustomed to with my Senns, but nowhere as painful as the ER-6i I tried a few months ago (I had to take those off after about 1 minute... way too bright). I cringe a bit when the violins hit the upper registers on some Classical pieces, but Baby Got Back sounds just fine
The bass seems tighter than the HD580 (maybe even tighter than the HD280), but the HD580 seems to have fuller/deeper bass. The HD280 has the strongest bass of the three.
As far as soundstage goes, it's really no contest
Then again, I didn't buy the MS-2 for soundstage
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the sound. Keep in mind that these observations are based on less than 2 hours of listening. The comfort thing is the only thing keeping me from labeling these as a "keeper". However, I got used to the vice grip of the HD280, so maybe I can learn to deal with the MS-2
BTW, I was originally going to also compare these to the PX-100 for grins, but the ones I received are defective (no sound from the left)
That's what I get for trying to save a few bucks by buying a refurb
So far, I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. The two main concerns I had were comfort and brightness.
Well, they're definitely not going to win any awards for comfort
First of all, the bowl pads feel like sandpaper against my ears. I'm actually a bit concerned about this, since (in the past) I've had problems with foam giving me a rash on my ears. Also, the headband just plain sucks rocks
As for brightness, it's not so bad. They are a bit brighter than what I've become accustomed to with my Senns, but nowhere as painful as the ER-6i I tried a few months ago (I had to take those off after about 1 minute... way too bright). I cringe a bit when the violins hit the upper registers on some Classical pieces, but Baby Got Back sounds just fine
The bass seems tighter than the HD580 (maybe even tighter than the HD280), but the HD580 seems to have fuller/deeper bass. The HD280 has the strongest bass of the three.
As far as soundstage goes, it's really no contest
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the sound. Keep in mind that these observations are based on less than 2 hours of listening. The comfort thing is the only thing keeping me from labeling these as a "keeper". However, I got used to the vice grip of the HD280, so maybe I can learn to deal with the MS-2
BTW, I was originally going to also compare these to the PX-100 for grins, but the ones I received are defective (no sound from the left)