MS2i impressions

[Chekhonte]

I had no idea I was a headphone snob but now I know it's official. While listening to my new MS2i heaphones the most elitist and snobby thoughts about my HD650's kept going though my head.

My headphone upgrading path started with a pair of Grado SR80's > Sr325's > HD650's shortly followed by a zu mobius cable now 3 years after my HD650's a wild hair caused my to buy a pair of MS2i's. At first I really liked the grado line, that is, until I first heard a pair of HD600's. After that first listen my grados began to sound unbearable. The highs were just too much for me.

A few months later, after I had saved the money, I finally bought a pair of HD650's. I loved them for 3 years until today when I listened to my first few CDs on the MS2is.

Now I'm having trouble with the 650s dark sound. The lack of sparkle to the treble, the unrefined bass with it's lack of punch and overal dark sound makes me turn up my nose. "Feh!" I say. I have seen the light!

The MS2i's for me are now where it's at. It has all the things I liked about my old grados; punchy bass and shimmering highs while taking out what I can no longer tolerate namely the sibilant treble. The only problems for me that still persist are the weak sound stage and slightly thin midrange. I can live with these problems for now.

I'll have more, detailed impressions after my initial mania wears off and I can see things more realistically.

[aerius]

An RS-1 will solve all your remaining issues, and give you more goodness.

[Chekhonte]

An RS-1 will solve all your remaining issues, and give you more goodness.

Why would you do this to me?! Don't you have an imaginary girlfriend to be boasting about?

[en480c4]

I don't like doing direct comparisons between vastly different headphones back-to-back-to-back. I think the Grado/Senn comparison is best served by spending a significant amount of time with one, then the other, and then reaclaimate yourself to your original headphones, keeping track of things they do well througout.

[Chekhonte]

I don't like doing direct comparisons between vastly different headphones back-to-back-to-back. I think the Grado/Senn comparison is best served by spending a significant amount of time with one, then the other, and then reaclaimate yourself to your original headphones, keeping track of things they do well througout.

That's a very good point. I'm definitely going to give these more time before I go selling my hd650's.

[n_maher]

What's the rest of your rig consist of?

[Chekhonte]

What's the rest of your rig consist of?

A chinese mosfet/tube hybrid amp titled FEEL HP 200SE and harman/kardon hd710 CDP with zu oxyfule ICs.

[tkam]

After selling off the majority of my headphone gear and becoming a speaker first guy I've settled on a pair of 650s and MS-2i's for those times that don't allow speaker listening. I like the MS-2i's for their upfront staging and punch and I like the 650's for their deeper bass and more expansive stage.

I think they complement each other pretty well, though if forced to choose between the two I'd take the 650s. They are more well rounded and scale remarkably well.

[Chekhonte]

Thanks for the tip. I never sell of gear that I might want to use to listen to music again. I usually let a close friend borrow it for an indefinite amount of time and ask for it back when I start to miss it.

[Absorbine_Sr]

An RS-1 will solve all your remaining issues, and give you more goodness.

What he said. I just did that, MS2i to RS1. Though the RS1's are still burning in, I am quite the happy listener.

[Chekhonte]

I can't afford an RS1 right now sadly. Perhaps in the next couple years I will but certainly not now.

[postjack]

Chekkie, the MS2i is the winner at this price range, IMO. I wouldn't lose any sleep over not having an RS-1.

[Chekhonte]

Chekkie, the MS2i is the winner at this price range, IMO. I wouldn't lose any sleep over not having an RS-1.

I really like the way they sound. I'm not fretting over the fact that there is better sound out there. I think I'll be able to enjoy these like I did the HD650 for a few years.

[Guest sacd lover]

I can't afford an RS1 right now sadly. Perhaps in the next couple years I will but certainly not now.

I like the MS2 better than the RS-1 .... and especially the RS-2.

[Absorbine_Sr]

And in no way did I mean to berate the MS2i's. Bang for the buck, they are the best headphone's I've bought. But an end of the year bonus put the RS1's in reach and I pulled the trigger. But the MS2i's made me realize I really love the Grado sound, and were an excellent buy.

[aerius]

I really like the way they sound. I'm not fretting over the fact that there is better sound out there. I think I'll be able to enjoy these like I did the HD650 for a few years.

I think so too. I've had an SR225 and HD580 for something like 4-5 years now, and despite getting an RS-1 last year I still like the 225.

[jinp6301]

if you guys heard the 225s, how much of an upgrade would the MS-2i be?

[Chekhonte]

if you guys heard the 225s, how much of an upgrade would the MS-2i be?

My best friend has a pair of 225's and I'd say that it's really a matter of taste. The Alessandro series has a much more mellow sound to than the grado line. The treble is pushed down a little bit as well as the low end but not nearly as much as the high end. To me it seems that the mid range is about the same which is a little on the thin side which (again to me) is the trouble with all of the SR grado line.

One of the tests I put the MS2i's through is how well it handles the drums and cymbals from the song Air Bag off of OK computer. This track is almost unlistenable with my 325's. The percussion is so grating on my ears and bleed together in one giant sibilant mess. Though my MS2i's, although it's still rough around the edges as I'm sure the engineer wanted it to be, it's not nearly as grating.

I also just realized that I forgot to mention that these MS2i's have been recabled with silver wire so they may be a little different than the stock version.

[HiWire]

It sounds like the MS-2i would go well with a richer-sounding amp or source combo, then. I like the lower-end Grados because they still distort enough to get down-and-dirty with lesser recordings, e.g. pop music. I've noticed that really high end speakers and headphones sound a bit odd with poor recordings... you don't really need audiophile equipment for all music. Blasphemy, I know...

[Chekhonte]

so let me get this straight. You think that the MS2i's (which you've never heard) could benefit from a richer amp (but you've probably never heard mine since it's pretty rare) and a new source (which again you've probably never heard). Well I'm sold. It looks like I'll be selling my other kidney now.

[HiWire]

I have heard the MS-2i. It's not as good as my HP-2, which I'm running off an OPA627 Headsave Classic v3 and Arcam FMJ CD36.

[n_maher]

I have heard the MS-2i. It's not as good as my HP-2, which I'm running off an OPA627 Headsave Classic v3 and Arcam FMJ CD36.

One might say that your rig is slightly disproportionally arranged.

[aerius]

You could say he's not a follower of the "amp first" camp...

[HiWire]

It's just a matter of funds and availability. Besides, the Headsave Classic sounds quite good - definitely better than most people would expect. My point about the audiophile equipment is this: I'm listening to the Crystal Method's Vegas at work right now, which was recorded in a studio environment, but meant to be played in clubs, etc. Some rock and pop music recordings sound good on audiophile equipment, other recordings sound better on "everyman" setups.

[Chekhonte]

It's just a matter of funds and availability. Besides, the Headsave Classic sounds quite good, definitely better than most people would expect. My point about the audiophile equipment is this: I'm listening to the Crystal Method's Vegas at work right now, which was recorded in a studio environment, but meant to be played in clubs, etc. Some rock and pop music recordings sound good on audiophile equipment, other recordings sound better on "everyman" setups.

I definitely agree with the last part of that quote. I have a ton of albums that sound better on my shitty stereo, with all the sound blended together than on my headphone rig.