[SysteX]

After hearing both, it's a no-brainer for me... MS2i all the way.

 

[kg21]

won't vote since I only heard the 325i briefly, but everything I've read said you should try the ms2i. Because i've only read about it thats what I mean by try, not saying ms2i is for sure better. I would have bought them except for the ridiculous delay when you order them from Alessandro (just had a very bad experience so I cancelled the order and later bought the MS-Pros used lol). A lot of people say the Ms-2i is the "sweet spot" in the grado/alessandro line it does many things well and and doesn't cost as much as the higher end RS series and MS-Pro.

 

[lmilhan]

Fear not the weight of the MS-2is. The weight isn't nearly as bad as some have lead the Head-Fi community to believe. I wear them 5 days per week, 3 to 4 hours per day without any comfort issues whatsoever.

The PS-1 weight and HP-2 weight is a totally different story. They make the MS-2is feel like featherweights.

 

[Forest Design]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kg21 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i've only read about it A lot of people say

a whole lot of this gonna on in this thread (really any thread that mentions Alessandros vs. Grados)

 

[mstorie]

So, what is the return policy on Alessandro's? I have some 325i's I just bought, and while I enjoy them quite a but, I see alot of folks prefer the MS2i. I would like to buy them an have them side by side to compare, returning the one I dont like. I can say that the options of earpads make alot of difference on Grado's. I do think the 325i can be a bit harsh, but I took the quarter modded comfies off of my SR60's and the 325i's sound great with those. I can't hang with the bowls in spite of popular forum voting... Maybe another phone would get me to switch over.

I'm hoping that folks voting in the poll actually have the experience with both headphones. Just cuz you heard someone likes them better is not a reason to vote IMHO.

 

[BrookR1]

I wonder how many Senn/AKG/AT folks voted for the MS2i?

 

[wae5]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BrookR1 View Post
I didn't vote because I haven't heard the MS-2is. I do have the 325is and I love them. I have heard the 225s, though, and to me, the 225s and 325is shared 95% of their sounds. The 325is had a bit more bass and slightly more detail. I'm not sure if the jump would be worth $300. I would seriously consider going with one of the woodied Grados
.
I have 325is and am about to return them on Monday. They're excellent phones but they're not as good as my k701s and Lambda Pros for my audiophile classical discs. When I first got them 2 wks ago they weren't very good, but as I burned them in (on my ears) they sounded better and better. I was very impressed. I listened to them exclusively for almost 2 wks and sang their praises here on HF. Then I compared them to my ancient SR60s and they sounded very much alike. If the two are compared back to back, the 325is have tighter and more extended bass, mids I don't recall much if any difference, but the 325i's treble is so extended, airy and transparent that I immediately fell in love. BTW, the consensus here is the 325i's treble is so bright it hurts, but I loved it anyway. So the 325is are better, but not $230 better. Who save HeadFiers would be obsessed with listening to phones back to back with a very jaundiced ear? From what I've read and heard all Grados sound pretty much alike and if not directly compared they sound almost identical. I wonder if partisans of specific Grado models could pick out their pet phone while listening to music they've never heard before? Based on what I've heard and read I'll go out on a limb and say there's little difference between the 60, 80 and 125 clan and by extension the 225, 325i and RS2 clan sounds very much alike except the 325i is easily identified by the grimace on the listener's face. Beyond that I dare not tread because guys who own RS1s and that other one hire lawyers to defend the sonic superiority of their pet phones. I bought 325is because I love the sound of my SR60s and wanted that same sonic signature but only better and more of it. Well, the 325is are better and I could probably hear the difference on some audiophile classical discs, but it isn't noticeable enough to spend $230 to hear it. In short if you want a Grado that's better than the 60, 80, 125 buy the 225, enjoy them for a year, then see if you can hear any difference between it and the 325i and RS2. If you can, sell your 225 for $150 and consider the $50 lost as money well spent on tuition for the education of your ears.

This post from 2002 confirms what I'm trying to say but says it much better: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...ght=Stax+phone

 

[Forest Design]

what's even worse is the difference between amped vs. non-amped grados. my 325i are definitely an upgrade from my 60s (the money is relative as it's largely dictated by subjective financial status), but on my middle of the road stereo the difference between amped and un-amped phones is very minimal. there's a bit more clarity, and the distortion is cleaned up some, but it's subtle. not saying that's true of all headphones, but i'd imagine it's pretty universal among grados attached to anything but the most discerning sources.

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrookR1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wonder how many Senn/AKG/AT folks voted for the MS2i?

I have Senns HD600 and "I" voted for MS2i!

....oops, maybe that doesn't count....I had MS2i first.

Seriously; to my way of listening; the HD600/MS2i pair makes a great complementary set!

 

[F107plus5]

When I listen to them both amped, the MS-1 and the MS2i get to be fairly close together in some respects, but the soundstage and feeling of "bigness" is what makes the MS2i stand right out. I haven't listened to them compared to any Grado model so I can't say as to how they compare to actual Grados. But comparing MS-1 to MS2i in the same system, they are instantly recognizable and absolutely worth the extra money especially if the better workmanship and materials are thrown into the mix on top of the improvements in SQ.

I guess the MS2i sounds the "same" as MS-1, but just more of everything. So I guess you could say there is an obvious similarity in sounds throughout the Alessandro line as there is with Grados'.

 

[lmilhan]

Voted for MS-2i.

I think that Sennheisers are some of the most boring and overrated production phones in the world (IE No sir, I don't like 'em).

The only AKG phones that I have owned or heard to date that I liked enough to keep are the K-1000s.

The only AT phones that I have owned or heard to date that I liked were the AD-2000s, but not enough to buy a pair for my own collection.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrookR1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wonder how many Senn/AKG/AT folks voted for the MS2i?

 

[BrookR1]

That's kind of disappointing. I would like to explore a different sound soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmilhan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Voted for MS-2i. I think that Sennheisers are some of the most boring and overrated production phones in the world (IE No sir, I don't like 'em). The only AKG phones that I have owned or heard to date that I liked enough to keep are the K-1000s. The only AT phones that I have owned or heard to date that I liked were the AD-2000s, but not enough to buy a pair for my own collection.

 

[lmilhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrookR1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's kind of disappointing. I would like to explore a different sound soon.

Well that's just one man's opinion, so take it with a grain of salt.

Looking at your sig, it appears you are a Grado fan (as am I). So it is probably safe to assume you are looking for something to compliment the Grado house sound.

If that assumption is correct, then you might want to look into a pair of HD595s, HD600s, or perhaps a pair of AKG K701s. Who knows, you may end up enjoying those phones, but they just didn't do it for me.

For me personally, out of all the phones I have owned over the years (see profile), the 2 best compliments to my Grados (RS-1, PS-1. MS-2i) have been the AKG K-1000s, and the STAX Lambda Pros. But they are sadly both discontinued, expensive, hard to get, and hard to drive.

But If you are looking for a sound that is almost the polar opposite from the Grado house sound, you might want to look into Sennheiser phones.