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cmk

Alessandro MS Pro

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This is a review of the MS Pros which I will put down over a couple of installments given the difficulty in putting down all my thoughts on this can. They are difficult to fault, so we shall see how this progresses...

 

Some weeks before

While I've been a fan of the Grado 325 and the 325i, I wanted to grab a set of the MS2i when I found out that Alessandro had a local dealer. Considering that it was quite hard to find these on the international market, to have a local dealer was a God-send. I had been bugging/begging Wilson to bring the MS2s in for weeks, to the point that I had almost given up. Until...I got a msg from him saying they were in. I promptly asked him to do start running them in, knowing that they were sound raw out of the box.

 

Day 2 of their arrival

I told Charismatic that they were in and that I was heading down for a quick listen. I got there early and whipped out my CDs and my Benchmark DAC1 and after some fiddling with the wires, got down to listening. The MS2s were still a bit raw after the what had to be a short time connected. My eye chanced upon these wooden MS Pros sitting on the next table which got me curious as to how they were sound. My previous encounters with step-brother, RS1, were less than favourable until I heard tbln's with Todd's flat pads, so my expectations were not high. My first impression when listening to them were like "Mmm...this is better, less rough, but it should be better for the money".

 

Day 4-5

I revisited Wilson and got the usual warm welcome and was "left to my own devices". Hoping that the MS2s were now run in, I heard them through his setup and still felt that something was missing. They were smoother than before, but still, after listening to the 325i at MBD on their hi-end rig, I was expecting more of the MS2. Then I exchanged the MS2 for its bigger brother, the MS Pro and what a surprise I was in for. The music was more inviting, drawing me in for the "kill". This is like fishing, you entice the fish by making the bait tempting. I naturally spent more time with the MS Pros thinking to myself, this IS good. Switching back and forth between the other cans available there seemed to all but confirm my findings. These cans were really good, and there was something special about them which warranted a proper listen. Darn, I just couldn't let go of it. I asked Wilson for the price and the rest is history...

 

My criteria for selection

Low impedence - for portable sources

Hi resolution

Quick/fast sound - good PRaT which is

Pace

Rhythm and

Timing

 

Now the fun begins

I took the MS Pros which were being used for auditions, so they were already partially run-in, though I would say that as they are, there was really not much need for an extended run-in. I first plugged them into the Benchmark's outputs and listened to a host of music, from small chamber pieces to orchestral, to Diana Krall, Pink Martini, and so far I've hardly been disappointed.

 

akan datang...

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Part II - darn, I lost what I typed just now which was quite a bit. So I will have to save and edit on and off. Please have patience.

 

Equipment:

CEC TL2>>SlinkyLinks AES/EBU>>Benchmark DAC1>>SlinkyLinks RCA>>Diva headamp

Generally I've found the SlinkyLinks silver interconnects to be the best IC I've ever heard. They are just fast, natural sounding, with cystaline highs and decay, deep and tight bass which all sounds just natural. Everything was plugged into the PS Audio P300 re-generating a pure Sinewave. Powercords used in the digital end were the JPS Digital powercords.

 

Specifications(from the Alessandro website):

Transducer type: Dynamic

Operating principle: Open air

Frequency response: 12 - 30k Hz

SPL lmV: 98

Nominal impedance: 32 Ohms

Driver match db: 0.05

Features: - Vented diaphragm

- Mahogany air chamber

- UHPLC voice coil wire

- UHPLC connecting cord

Each time I read the specs, I wonder to myself, 12hz? Are they serious? Driver matching to 0.05db?!!! Most speaker manufacturers would be happy with 0.5db.

 

On to the music:

Coldplay "Rush of blood to the head" Track 4 The Scientist

The first notes from the piano start the rhythm with a melancholic repeating theme with the piano strikes and the decay hinting that this is an old upright piano, yet when the lead vocal comes in, he is singing to you and you only. His voice dead centre, intimate, hair-raising stuff. The keyboards in the background come in and support as the guitar strums away on the left. Then the drums kick in and the background vocals join in with in the minor key as the music gradually gains pace and loudness. You cannot expect too much of a soundstage with these modern recordings, but the instrumental separation and tone are real. You can crank up the volume on these cans and they won't crack(distort), more likely your ears will go way before that. Great stuff! Thoroughly enjoyable.

 

Diana Krall "Girl in the other room" Track 3 Temptation

and what a temptation she presents. The double bass kicks off the pace with some nice plucking that gets your foot tapping. Diana sings with this laid back style which is oh so alluring, mesmerizing. This recording is really first rate. The soundstage on the recording is very clearly separated with the piano far left, electric guitar left, double bass and drums back, percussion and keyboards right. At 2:46 into the track, there a deep bass hit which just shows you how deep the bass on these cans go. On this track, the bass/drums provide the rhythm and that is well demonstrated here.

 

Asian Roots "Take Dake" Track 6 Japanese Roots

If you ever want to test bass, this is one of the reference discs. On this CD, you not only hear the note, you hear lots of harmonics in between. The strike of the drums, the impact of the first hit, and the decay. The skin of the instrument and the body of the instrument. There clarity. There is pace and rhythm. And if you want to know if you can swing with the music, wait till 5:00, and if you can groove with the baliphone, you've got it.

 

Now for some classical pieces.

 

Edited by cmk

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You can use a word processing software like MS Word to write your review and save them. Once completed, then post here. I learn it the hard way too. Type a whole chuck and got 'server busy' on some sites. :(

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First off, some chamber music...

Beethoven Kreutzer Violin Sonata

Argerich/Perlman XRCD Live recording of their performance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, USA, 30 July 1998. EMI XRCD 7243 8 26769 2

What happens when you put together 2 of the very best artistes and they perform one the great violin sonatas in a live environment? Wonderful music making! This is a truely great performance and with a live recording, there is no hiding mistakes. Equally you get full dynamics and unprocessed music. Unfortunately you also get people coughing in the background, but thankfully that doesn't occur too much.

 

Every once in a while, when the stars and the moon are aligned just right, the music just soars touching the heart and soul. Perlman's Stradivarius sounds sublime as he races across the notes. The notes are singular in tone, sweet, and smooth when necessary, and brash and abrasive when called upon. They carry like a lark, over the piano's interposed accompaniment. The piano's gradations in micro dynamics are mixed with such delicacy that it forms a near perfect blend with the violin. When the bass notes of the piano are struck, you know it is a grand piano, no doubt about it.

 

Listening to something like this is very emotionally draining as it demands so much attention, yet at the end, you are rewarded with a satisfaction unlike anything else, that you bath in the genius of that great composer, Beethoven.

 

Next some orchestral

Rimsky-Korsakov "Dance of the tumblers"

Mussorgsky-Ravel "Pictures at the exhibition-Baba Yaga, Great Gate at Kiev"

Eiji Oue, Minnesota Orchestra RR906CD Orchestral Sampler

Those of you familar with Reference Recordings quality, will know that these are among the best recordings on digital you can find. Much effort was put into mic selection/placement just to ensure that the whole procedings are captured as faithfully as possible.

 

Here the scale of the orchestra is shown in its full glory, there is no blurring in the mid-bass, trumpets/cornets blaring in the finale with the percussion and tympani beating makes one fantastic climax. There is no holding back as the orchestra goes into fff. The soundstage, though not as expansive as the Beyer DT990 or the AT W100, still manages to protray front-back perspective very clearly. In terms of soundstage presentation, this would be classified as quite near field, in the first few rows. Close, and still enjoyable.

Edited by cmk

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You can use a word processing software like MS Word to write your review and save them. Once completed, then post here. I learn it the hard way too. Type a whole chuck and got 'server busy' on some sites. :(

 

 

 

the serber ish too beezee right now.. if chius habs durex please signs in at deluxe.zzzzzzz.com :rolleyes::yuck:

 

hi cmk i would like to inquire on the basic sonics of this headphone, is it similar to the grados with response peaks at the higher frequencies?

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hi cmk i would like to inquire on the basic sonics of this headphone, is it similar to the grados with response peaks at the higher frequencies?

 

I have not noticed any peaks during the course of the listening, but then again, my threshold for HF peaks maybe higher than yours, so best to have a listen for yourself. Also the Grado range of headphones is very wide and as you go up the ladder, the treble/bass gets more refined. Depending on which Grado you reference to, certainly the result would be different. The closest Grado would be the RS1 with Todd's flat pads.

 

Maybe I should end here with a quick summary:

 

Highs - pristine, not harsh, though on bad recordings- good luck.

Mids - excellent tonal accuracy, decay, full bodied

Bass - deep, tight, full of impact/dynamics

 

If you want to know what exactly is going on in each recording, try these. They will highlight every pimple, mole and wrinkle, leaving nothing to chance. Unforgiving - yes, but then faithful to the source, so every upgrade you put into the upstream components will yield results. It is that reveiling. Badly recorded material will likewise be shown as that, bad, so be careful with the partnering equipment. So how do you know what is neutral? Have a listen to the MS Pro for the answer.

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