Sporting a similar sound signature to the Koss KSC-75s that we loved so much, the Alessandro MS-1s are a slightly enhanced, slightly more expensive option. Their particular sound excels at quick, instrumental music such as rock or jazz, although to be honest it is hard to fault them for most styles. For pure music listening in the $150 range, these headphones are extremely hard to beat.

The MS-1s have quite an upfront presentation that suits a more lively listening session. The music has power and definition. They offer a fairly balanced presentation of the different elements of music, meaning you are not overpowered by one characteristic in particular.

Bass is fairly fast and tight, extending down extremely deeply. It is booming enough to resonate well without sounding dark or too heavy, which is important for styles like rock, metal or hip hop. A headphone can have great sounding bass, but if it lacks impact many people are left feeling unsatisfied, and say their music sounds thin or lifeless.

The mid range and highs are equally well done. The mids sound incredibly sweet, with male vocals really hitting home. The highs are smooth and very powerful, without the typically bright sound associated with Grado models (Grado has input in this model, despite the fact that it is built by Alessandro). Listening to some of the more complex Radiohead tunes, we could pick out background elements that just weren't audible with cheaper models.

The well balanced sound means these headphones are suitable for most kinds of listening. We loved fast paced rock and metal the most, with the tight, powerful bass and flowing mid range really bringing the most out of the instruments.

Soundstage is one area where the MS-1 comes up a little short. Compared to the Audio Technica A300 for example, instrument placement just isn't as three dimensional. That said, because of the awe inspiring quality of the sound, you don't tend to notice it much unless you're listening to concert hall type music, or are using them to play games that require positional audio.

Here we have Grado Labs' newest headphone and successor to the unsuccessful SR-40 portable headphone, the iGrado. Like its name shows these are marketed towards ipod and other DAP users. Taking advantage of the success of the DAP these are a great way for people to experience the Grado signature at a reasonable price and take it with them wherever they go. I was surprised to find that these fit well on my large noggin, but it's a lot tighter on me than someone with a smaller head so I can't have these on for prolonged periods without taking a break. These cans supposedly have the same drivers as its closest sibling, the SR60, but they don't sound much alike at all. Out of the box these sound very muffled and bassy, not something that's synonymous with anything coming out of Grado Labs, but with a couple modifications you can really open these up to sound more cleaner and more detailed. By removing the foam behind the driver and quarter modding or swapping the pad to something less thick and dense you have something that competes with the likes of the PortaPro and KSC line.