I've searched both forums for decent information in that regard and got nothing.

Can someone comment on their extension of the low range, in particular how rolled off they are at 30 and 20 hz?

How much improvement is there over MS-1? (I have an MS-1 here).

Maybe you can ask these guys, cos they simply adore them:

nickchen

kontai69

...and here I am.

IMO the MS Pro is a rather weak performer when it goes to the deep bass section, it's a typical Gradessandro with the usual punchy kickbass. Differences to MS1: Almost none on 1st time listening, but you soon realize that it has monstrous PRaT, blackness and detailling abilties compared to its small brother. The mids also have a bit more juice, good for concentrated listening of acoustical stuff, bad for casual listening of nonacoustical stuff.

In difference to what blackmore thinks I am not exactly a fanboy of the stock MS Pro. But without hesitating I sold my precioussss CD3K to get a MS Pro of my own after we found out that the MS1000 mod converts it into the can I have dreamed of for years (a sort of grado'ed K701 or so).

Hmm...my only grudge against MS1 is bass depth =(. PRaT is already freaky (at least with the yellow pads, no clue what flats do).

If you do the MS1K mod, you keep the PRaT but get that extra deep bass layer you long for, and a K701ish soundscape. Possible downsides (depends from taste) are the slightly increased highs. And costs & effort, of course.

The perfect headphone does not exist anyway. Even the $$$ candidates I tried were just ordinary fons with strengths and flaws.

Is there a decent mod for the MS2i like the ones for the ms1 and the mspro? If so could you point me in the right direction?

Distancers & Jumbopads don't work with the MS2i (nor with Grados). The nicest modification I experienced for the MS2i was a set of K270 velours pads glued onto reversed 414s (or was it comfies? Don't remember...). Very comfortable, better soundscape and (best of all) tamed highs.

that's too bad. I got excited for a minute. I've been thinking about monkeying around with them somehow just for a change but I don't know of a mod that I'd like to do.

If you do the MS1K mod, you keep the PRaT but get that extra deep bass layer you long for, and a K701ish soundscape. Possible downsides (depends from taste) are the slightly increased highs. And costs & effort, of course.

The perfect headphone does not exist anyway. Even the $$$ candidates I tried were just ordinary fons with strengths and flaws.

Omega 2 sounds great to me (on some very specific amplifiers), I just don't have the $5000 I would need to put in source/amp behind it =). I'll have to think about the whole MS1k mod though, sounds interesting...but the "the slightly increased highs" part scares me, there is not alot of space for more treble in Alessandro line-up it seems.

Maybe if you do pair them with Rudi RPX100 you will get some extended highs...

...but the "the slightly increased highs" part scares me, there is not alot of space for more treble in Alessandro line-up it seems.

Maybe if you do pair them with Rudi RPX100 you will get some extended highs...

For that much money I'll buy HD800 and build balanced m^3, and still have money left for a good source. =)

My main source of attraction to Alessandros is that they sound good without much pushing electrons through them.

Totally correct.

But even more "demanding" gear sounds great as long as the plug provides low ohm feeding and has enough juice. That semi-religious usage of all those $$$ amps has a lot to with male "big balls approach" and not so much with pure necessity IMO.

Nothing wrong about that though. When I was a young guy, I had a loud and complicated italian big balls motorcycle instead of something reliable and less spectacular from Japan. It gave me the right feeling that I was "someone", and so I was.

I was just pointing to Rudi, cos of his sound sig, however Zana would do the trick as well, I believe, but than again it is another USD2k amp...

Totally correct.

But even more "demanding" gear sounds great as long as the plug provides low ohm feeding and has enough juice. That semi-religious usage of all those $$$ amps has a lot to with male "big balls approach" and not so much with pure necessity IMO.

Nothing wrong about that though. When I was a young guy, I had a loud and complicated italian big balls motorcycle instead of something reliable and less spectacular from Japan. It gave me the right feeling that I was "someone", and so I was.

Agreed...was that an implied dis there to Rudi's amps, Italian and all? xD

I'm 21 but I can't stand the whole 'big balls' = 'big toys' idea. A man needs to have some balls, but the balls can be expressed by making wiser choices than everyone else =).

Maybe Eddie Current EC/SS or Corda Prehead MKII

Maybe Eddie Current EC/SS or Corda Prehead MKII

That will be a good way to smooth things out in the top range, but the extension in the lows does not get resolved. =(

I never found MSPRO to extended/edgy, they are very polite, even rolled off, at least from the system I did owned at the time.

As far I can remember, Prehead have a very good bass control.

That will be a good way to smooth things out in the top range, but the extension in the lows does not get resolved. =(

A work-to-rule deep bass presentation (or any other built-in issue) won't be cured by amplification or other gearitis. The 3-5% a good amp will "dig" are almost neglectable IMO.

A work-to-rule deep bass presentation (or any other built-in issue) won't be cured by amplification or other gearitis. The 3-5% a good amp will "dig" are almost neglectable IMO.

Well, you know, if the amp rolls off or has terrible resolution, the headie won't be able to override that...but ya, no stellar amp will give the headphone what it does not have to start with.