Trying out the Grado/Alessandro Sound (MS-2 vs HD580/HD280)
Feb 22, 2005 at 4:22 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 7

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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
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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
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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
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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
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Then again, I didn't buy the MS-2 for soundstage
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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
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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)
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That's what I get for trying to save a few bucks by buying a refurb
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Feb 22, 2005 at 8:32 AM Post #6 of 7
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm definitely thinking about Senn pads, and I guess the reverse bowls are easy enough to try. I just don't know if it's worth the trouble...

I took a break for a while, then put them back on for a 2 hour stretch... finally had to take them off because my ears were killing me
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I like the sound, but I'm not sure I like them enough to deal with the comfort (or lack of) problem. I've got my HD580 on right now, and it's a night/day difference in terms of comfort. I did come to the realization that, in general, I prefer circumaural cans.

Guess I'm not ready to give up on these, but the comfort thing is really annoying.

BTW, is there a good source for Senn pads, other than direct from Sennheiser?
 

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