#33 ALESSANDRO: MS Pro
Alessandro headphones look exactly like Grado headphones. This is because Alessandro headphones use Grado parts for their housing. Inside the ear-cups are drivers designed by George Alessandro. In totality, the sound is similar to Grado's, but not identical.
The Music Series Pro uses the same housing as Grado's RS1. This means it uses the same mahogany ear-cups, the same leather headband, the same adjustment polls, and the same cable. It is inside the ear-cup where differences lie.
I happen to prefer the sound of the MS Pro overall. It possesses a more neutral tonality. Because of this, I feel it suits a wider variety of genres. Out of all the Grado headphones that I've had the pleasure of hearing, the MS Pro's sound signature most closely resembles the HP1000. However, the MS Pro lacks some of the refinement which the HP1000 offers. Ultimately, the HP1000 is a superior sounding headphone, but at its price, the MS Pro is a better value.
STRENGTHS
TONALITY: I don't want to say that the MS Pro is perfectly neutral because it isn't, but it manages to get close to the neutral mark.
MIDS: The midrange presentation of the MS Pro is really pure sounding to my ears. I actually prefer the midrange presentation here to any of Grado's current offerings. I particularly like the way female voices sound with the MS Pro.
TREBLE: The MS Pro offers tremendous extension and clarity. The treble seems slightly raised, but not aggressively so. I would say there is evidence of grain every so often, but nothing that should be cause for alarm.
GENRE MASTER: I enjoy the MS Pro's sound signature with a wide variety of music. I find that it fares particularly well with large-ensemble jazz and rock music.
EASY TO AMP: The MS Pro doesn't require all too much power to sound good. However, it really gains a fuller sound with tube amplification. I happen to really enjoy the way it sounds with the TTVJ Millett 307A, which is a fairly neutral sounding tube amplifier.
WEAKNESSES
COMFORT: The MS Pro comes with the Grado “Bowl” earpads. I simply do not find these pads to be comfortable. Regardless of how loose I make the headband, the shape and fit of the bowl pads seem to irritate my ears like few other earpads can.
CONSTRUCTION: I'm not a fan of the Grado retro-design. As Alessandro headphones incorporate the same exact design as Grado headphones, I am afraid they fail to please me in this regard.
IMAGING: Like the RS1 and the RS2, the MS Pro is not particularly strong in the imaging department.
STORAGE: Unfortunately, the MS Pro ships with the same style packaging with which Grado headphones ship: a pizza-box-style cardboard exterior with an open-cell foam interior.
ON THE FENCE
TRANSPARENCY: With the MS Pro, the level of transparency largely depends on the positioning of the ear-cups. I have noticed at times that sound can have a nasal quality to it. This is easily amendable by repositioning the ear-cups. However, even with the ear-cups in their most sonically-pleasing position, there is still an absence of complete and utterly brilliant transparency.
BASS: The bass here offers punchy mid-bass impact, but lacks extension. I enjoy the way that toms sound with the MS Pro.
SOUNDSTAGE: Just as with the Grado on-ear models, the Ms Pro's soundstage is neither wide nor tall, but it is round and well-defined.
CABLE: As with the RS1 and the RS2, the MS Pro's stock cable is hardwired and terminates to a quarter-inch plug. The cable's quality seems to be about average.
FOR THE PRICE
B
If I had to choose between the RS1 and the MS Pro, I would choose the MS Pro. I prefer its more neutral tonality. Both happen to be excellent mid-priced high-end headphones. Of the headphones which I own, I find that the MS Pro is the best on-ear headphone currently in production alongside the Ultrasone Edition 8. While I have spent time evaluating the Grado PS500, I do not own it. When I've compared it against the MS Pro, I have found that I prefer the MS Pro.
QUICK CHECK
- DESIGN: On-Ear
- DRIVERS: Dynamic
- IMPEDANCE: 32 Ohms
- ISOLATION: Little to None
- AMPLIFICATION: Preferred
- MY PREFERRED AMP: TTVJ Millett 307A
- SOUNDS BEST WITH: Jazz
- CABLES USED: Stock
- REVISIONS KNOWN: None known to me
- FLAGSHIP STATUS: Currently Is
- PRODUCTION STATUS AS OF 2012: In Production
- COST: 699.99
