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Upgrading from the Audio-Technica ES7

post #1 of 20
12/7/09 at 11:12pm
Thread Starter 
Simply put, I ♥ my Audio-Technica ES7s to death.

The impactful, full-bodied, yet still muddi-less bass.
The forward, exciting, fun mids.
The somewhat-smooth, sibilance-free treble.
The wide, but not too wide soundstaging.

It seems like the sound signature of these are what I'm looking for.

However, using a portable headphone as my primary headphone just doesn't cut it.

Therefore, I'm looking for a significant upgrade from my ES7s while still maintaining "roughly" the same sound signature. They can depart a bit from the overall feel, but I'm not looking for a big difference in sound signature.

I was looking at the Alessandro MS1s (to be modded into MS1000s), but I'm not too sure now if they're the best fit for me.

I listen mostly to genres based off rock and pop (ie. punk pop, pop rock, alt. rock, dream pop, punk rock, rock, pop, etc.)

Isolation and size is of little importance. I will/may have an amp in the near future, so any headphone, no matter how "hard or easy to drive" can be considered.

My budget is around $100, but stretchable if necessary.


Thanks!
Leon
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post #2 of 20
12/8/09 at 12:11am
Thread Starter 
Oh, and I forgot to add that I'm also open to buying used, if that'll open up some more options.
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post #3 of 20
12/8/09 at 12:28am
The SE530's actually tick off pretty much all the boxes out of the list you've put together, but they're unfortunately not in the $100 range and are IEMs. Well, something to keep in mind if you increase the budget and ever want to get into the IEM front...

Out of my Headphones, I would say SRH840 meets your criteria the most except for the mids; it sits back slightly in comparison to the ES7 mids which is quite forward. It however definitely has similar hard hitting midbass and smooth yet sparkling treble like the ES7. Great soundstage for a closed headphone as well. Amps are not necessary but definitely helps. These are also bit higher than your price range, but you can find it for cheap at some online places close to that mark.

That's only out of the ones I have, though. Hopefully we see some other good recommendations here for you.
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post #4 of 20
12/8/09 at 12:37am
Denon D1001's sound like they'd fit your needs.

Their bass is a bit muddy though. Recabling fixes this.
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post #5 of 20
12/8/09 at 12:43am
Thread Starter 
I see the D1001s as more of a sidegrade than an upgrade. Thanks though!

Oh, and the SRH840s are one of my forefront candidates too! A bit too expensive right now though.
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post #6 of 20
12/8/09 at 2:14am
Thread Starter 
Looking at the SRH440s too. They're in my budget. Any comparisons to the ES7s?
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post #7 of 20
12/8/09 at 2:26am
your budget is a little too low for an upgrade from ES7~ can you even get a ES7 at that price? I bought mine new last year for 115 I remember~ iES7 is actually the most fun sounding, speedy bass headphone Ive heard at that price range~ so theres no such thing as an upgrade at $100 level, more like a preference~ if you can raise your budget to around $200, and get a used HD600, then we are talking of true upgrades.
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post #8 of 20
12/8/09 at 2:28am
Thread Starter 
I've actually heard the HD600, and I don't think it's an upgrade at all.

The sound signatures are completely different.

And by the way, I got my ES7 refurbished for $49.

Thanks though.
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post #9 of 20
12/8/09 at 2:49am
I've got the ES7's, and a lot of the others mentioned here (HD600, D1001) ... you are simply not going to do better at your price point. Move up in the AT line when you have put the money together (buy used).
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post #10 of 20
12/8/09 at 3:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wavoman View Post
I've got the ES7's, and a lot of the others mentioned here (HD600, D1001) ... you are simply not going to do better at your price point. Move up in the AT line when you have put the money together (buy used).
Agreed. Even if you got your ES7's for $49 refurbished, the MSRP is $169 and they retail new for ~$100, so you won't be able to get an upgrade unless you get a sweetheart of a deal.

Perhaps this thread can help on your search.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/cur...th-es7-285533/
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post #11 of 20
12/8/09 at 3:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LeonWho View Post
I've actually heard the HD600, and I don't think it's an upgrade at all.

The sound signatures are completely different.

And by the way, I got my ES7 refurbished for $49.

Thanks though.
HD600 is a real dedicated reference class headphone~ when driven by sufficient amp and quality cable, it sounds absolutely beautiful~ ES7 sounds like ibuds compares to that.. just not in the same class~ well its your choice, good luck with that.
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post #12 of 20
12/8/09 at 4:16am
Hi there, I was at your position, and the points you listed kind of mirror what I like of my ES7s. Though I settled on HD600 finally, I've spent some time looking for sound signatures similar to that of ES7. Denon D2000 and D5000, IMO, kinda nails down the treble and bass slam but the hollowness of the mids and the slow, muddy bass turn me away. The Grados, notably SR325i, are awesome for rock, but may be a bit lacking in the bass slam department, though the bass is toe tapping and PRAT-ty.

All in all, what I consider the perfect upgrade for an ES7 fan is Ultrasone Edition 8. Sweet mids, great speed, wonderful bass. They are bloody expensive though, so I settled on the everyman's can: a used HD600.
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post #13 of 20
12/8/09 at 9:43am
Stretch your budget a bit and get a pair of B stock Shure 840's from Headroom
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post #14 of 20
12/8/09 at 6:38pm
Thread Starter 
I really wish I could stretch my budget a bit, but I can't.

Also, aren't full-size headphones supposed to have better sound quality than portable headphones at the same price?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Feather225 View Post
HD600 is a real dedicated reference class headphone~ when driven by sufficient amp and quality cable, it sounds absolutely beautiful~ ES7 sounds like ibuds compares to that.. just not in the same class~ well its your choice, good luck with that.
I mean that it isn't an upgrade for me in the sense that I enjoyed the ES7's sound signature more, and therefore the ES7 (as a whole) more.
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post #15 of 20
12/8/09 at 11:11pm
Thread Starter 
The Audio-Technica M50s are also a possibility. Anyone have both the ES7s and the M50s?
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