I am not sure if there are unit variances or this headphone received modest tuning improvements. But I feel like this gunmetal version which comes with a hardcase, (apparently an amazon exclusive?) does sound slightly different from the black version I had several years back.

The black version had a slightly looser and stronger bass, a low treble peak around 4-4.5khz and a slightly rough textured treble response.

Despite its shortcomings I always enjoyed the fun tuning. I do feel they had some reasonable image separation and depth, but the soundstage itself was rather direct.

On this Gunmetal unit I feel the bass is not as strong, sounds more refined, far less bloat. The cold "hole" in the low mids seems reduced, giving these a more natural timbre. No more 4khz peakyness. Treble seems even more boosted though, quite some zing, but it seems to be broader and less sharp. Imaging and separation is serviceable, soundstage is still much the same though. But it does not sound congested with its ample treble response.

Overall I think this headphone still delivers solid value years after its initial release.

I have kept this little closed gem from audio-tehnica around for many years. The MSR7B is a competent headphone in all aspects.

The timbre is unique to me.

It is as if you took the typical audio-technica female vocal forward and slightly bright soundsignature - remove any hint of grain - and then dipped it in a bucket of Fostex/Denon Biocellulose warmth. I assume this is a feature of the DLC coating of the driver.

It has a sort of crsystaline clean sound, but there is no hint of brittle or grainy texture, it is always smooth, and can extract a lot of detail especially in busy passages of music without ever losing composure.

The bass is a little warm, compared to the predecessor has more space, but it feels a little too mellow to me. In the bass region I would prefer a more stepped texture with more punch. But it is still very enjoyable.

Low mids are a touch down, then rising to the high mids, treble has endless zing and resolution without harshness. Can feel even smoother with a DAC on slow roll off filter, or a hair more splashy on a fast roll off filter. Beware it is very sensitive, and can be driven of anything. BUT can sound quite different depending on the source. For some reason the apple dongle doesnt do it justice in the treble despite driving it easily to loud levels. On a desktop setup it really shines.

It has SOME decent imaging and soundstage (more height than width) but overall a more direct sounding headphone. But not overly in your face at all.

If you are soundstage fan I would highly suggest the WP900 wooden cup headphones from AT. Those sound very spacious.

the MSR7B is more about bringing up detail while being very musical and engaging.

To me this headphone is warm yet bright, and can be very source revealing aided by it's technical abilities.

I think the 250ohm variant of the DT770 Pro is one of the best bang for buck headphones period. Great soundstage, spacious sounding, good imaging, good bass response, medium texture tightness, clear mids, slightly forward treble peaks, but detailed sound.

Resolution seems best on the 250ohm variant, much better than 80ohm, but still not on the level of TOTL kilobuck cans, but still good, only noticable on very busy tracks.

This is a must buy for audiophiles on a budget IMO.

I pre-ordered these based on the DMS review. I do not share the analysis of the sound. I don't find them neutral. They seem slightly mid forward and lower to mid treble forward, yet upper treble recessed. The soundstage is rather small. The imaging is pretty good. The bass is fast and well textured. Overall these offer no refined treble, it is a little rough, and does not have enough presence beyond 7khz.

I really love some Sennheiser classics like the HD25.

With the AH-D5200 Denon delivers a great headphone to sit/lay back and simply enjoy music. It is tuned to portray a vast and deep image on all but the most forward & analytical sources.

The overall balance gives the bass, mids and treble its own space to breath, this headphone plays effortless and uncongested. Vocalists sound natural and life like, the bassline is big and meaty, however it is not the most tight or textured bass. It is tuned towards thumpy fun rather than technical monitor like accuracy. Treble remains detailed and well seperated. Resolution is good. There might be a small edge to the sound somewhere midtreble at higher volumes, unsure, but overall it is an organic sounding headphone.

It works great for all genres of music, movies and television shows. It is neither dark nor bright. However one should appreciate it for exactly that. One thing it does not deliver is pro level of transparency, it is happy to sound great on all sources, but it brings with it its own big soundstage signature on every track. So this is a headphone you want when you are ready to listen to the final mix, but not to edit the mix itself.

The synthetic leather of the earpads feels very soft and smooth, the comfort is great. The wood gives the headphone a classy look, most components are made of metal. Uses standard 3.5mm mono plugs, so replacements should be fairly easy to find, if for example you would need a mic/remote combo for it, since it only comes with a long cable for home use.

I think it is a great headphone for anyone who already has a forward "in your face" sounding headphone and is looking for something a little more wide, open & soft.

The Master & Dynamic MH40 immediately oozes quality. There is not a single plastic piece on them visible on the outside, it is all metal, with real leather. Comfortable too. There isn't much clamping force either. You can run the cable on either side and there is a mute button.

The bass on these headphones is of reasonably good quality and has some slam to it. It remains tight but does have some bloat to it. It reminds me of the B&W P7 (now discontinued).

Overall I find vocals and instruments natural sounding, the only thing missing is a little more treble sparkle, it does come back for 8-10khz but above that it is rather laid back. I think it could use a general rise in the treble starting around 6khz up to the limit of 16khz. But maybe it is my broken ears, or that I am listening to the Audio-Technica MSR7SE and DT770 too much both of which have substanitally more treble bite to them.

Luckily they do have slightly better treble than the V-MODA Crossfade Wireless 2, which is a DJ can and a bit too relaxed up top for my liking, unlike the M100 which was quite sparkly.

But this headphone is a good buy for the build alone, UNLESS you are super obsessed with clarity, since these are slightly warm and laid back.

I ended up using the HRM-6 a lot more at home than any other headphone simply because it is so comfortable. Compared to the similarly priced M50X from audio-technica it is smoother sounding with less harsh upper mids and treble. It is not dark, just slightly rolled off up top. From bass to mids the vocals remain clear. The bass itself sounds "big" it is not overwhelming or too much at all, but rather enveloping. The drivers are angled and this headphone has a large soundstage for a closed headphone in my opinion.
 
The only fault I can find is that the layering and imaging is not the best. The HRM-6 likes to present music as a coherent whole, it is not as sharp to pinpoint every instrument in the mix.
 
For a studio can it is a fun toe tapper, staying faithful enough to the source.

These sound like a telephone call. They have an n frequency response to my ears and are just nasally/honky colored in sound. Maybe the highs and bass have some quality superior to say the QC25 from Bose, but the mids are colored to me. Just as bad as the original Momentum from many years ago. The only difference being these have more upper mids and maybe the bass has gained some quality.
 
In terms of sound the Plantronis Backbeat Pro destroys the Momentum Wireless in every way, just a much clearer less wooden sound. Perhaps they are on the same level in terms of Imaging. But everything else the Momentum loses out.
 
Hands down the worst 361€ I have ever spent. Sold them on at a great loss....
 
But if you happen to like the sound these are excellent in every other aspect, the NC was great and the build quality is stellar.

First of all the build of this headphone is superb, almost all metal that feels very durable and solid, unfortunately it is rather heavy despite some plastic parts on the headband to reduce weight. Overall it is still a good step above the already good V-MODA M100 in the DJ catergory in terms of build. It also has dual socket entry and you can remove the plates (unfortunately Philips doesn't offer customization of the plates, only Armin himself gets them apparently). The headband is covered in some type of leather, but the padding is rather hard. However they are quite comfortable, just not for the longest of sessions.
 
I like the slight upper mid emphasis, lower treble has just the right amount of energy, high treble is smooth yet has some sparkle, the bass however has this odd character like the V-MODA M100 has it is just slightly thick and slow with not enough texture (although some people will say it is tight, but I like sets like the B&O H6 that have less upper bass but textured sub bass). These do have good bass that rolls off slightly in the very deepest of lows, it is still there just not as present. The A5Pro sounds uncongested fairly open and lively with great layering and imaging. It might not be super wide, but it can put some distance between the instruments and place them around you.
 
another plus of this headphone is that it is driven very easily by everything.
 
I would suggest to get the "i" version which comes with a shorter cable with a remote (unfortunately this cable is stiff and always curls itself up to its original shape it came in the box). But the coiled cable is huuuge for portable applications and the connector very large.
 
I can't quite put my fingers on but they do have some splashyness mid treble but it is nowhere near as annoying as the M50X. Also the Imaging is better than M100, M50X or K267.
 
If it wouldn't say "Philips" on it this can would go for 400 bucks and people would still say it is good value. At 160 to 250€ where it sells here (299€) initial retail it is a great option. 
 
For such a large over ear headphone it also folds into a small shape with you can sort of fling open in an instant as showcased in various marketing videos which is pretty cool.
 
Bass is satisfying for outisde use but be aware that it has 3 ports on both sides hidden behind the arm of the fixture to the headband that makes the isolation, soso, still better than M100 but not as good as HD7DJ from sennheiser or HD25.
 
there is some nice quilted pattern detailing on the cable and parts of the headphone that give it a modern sporty look.
 
The only real downside to me is the bass character, feels strong, heavy presence, yet doesn't hit hard or move much air, it is more about hearing bass than feeling bass, it is enjoyable in its own way, yet just a touch unusual compared to other headphones.

 
...True story: the H6 can make the Spirit Pro sound (a touch) muffled, the Spirit Pro can make the H6 sound (a touch) thin. Both being praised for neutrality.... Conclusion? The neverending quest continues!
 
It is great for classical, jazz, acoustic, and just good for everything else. However for modern pop, hip hop, edm they lack a little punch and warmth/body. EDIT: Don't know if it is psychological getting use to but I think the bass opened up after some burn in.
 
Side note: Sounds just about right on warmer sources.
 
an ATH-M50X would sit in the middle of these, but a little confused and less refined in the vocals and less resolving in the treble and generally attractive bass but less controlled.
 
...in the end I think that there is no right headphone on its own. Just the right headphone for the right song.

When I think Plantronics I think, headsets, call centers, skype, perhaps some gaming. But generally: phone calls. Who knew this company can deliver an excellent sounding headphone for listening to music!
 
This is one of those headphones where everything sounds accentuated, the backbeat pro never sounds dull or boring, they are energetic, spicy-poised in the upper mids, treble has sparkle, it sounds detailed for a wireless noise canceler. Bass is punchy, extends down low, and has authority but never bleeds into the mids, for HiFi purists it might be a touch boomy and not super fast enough, but only on select tracks and only when it hits. Nevertheless this is a very CLEAR sounding headphone, nothing ever gets muffled, smokey or dark. Vocals are forward and rendered very naturally. However the treble can be a little splashy when the track gets busy, on those occasions it sounds a hair, and really just a hair artificial. Overall balance is excellent to my ears. Imaging is slightly above average for a closed headphone, at least compared to those I owned.
 
For 155€ from Amazon germany these are a real winner!
 
I can't say much about the active noise cancelling, the only comparison I have would be the Bose QC25 I had before, and I recall the QC25 being  better in that department. The Backbeat Pro does a good job with the lowest frequencies, but the Bose was able to cancel noise a touch higher up the spectrum as well as to a greater extent in general. HOWEVER the Backbeat Pro mops the floor with the QC25 in terms of sound quality!
 
the only real con I found is the call quality, for reasons I dont know the call quality with whatsapp is horrible, tinny, distorted. Didn't test other programs yet. It is listenable, but nothing for hour long conversattions.
 
another cool feature is that the music is muted if you put the headphones around your neck or take them off and put them on the desk, and then resumes playback when you put them back on your head.
 
There is some nice quality pleather on the earpads and headband, otherwise the plastic is okay, it doesn't scream high end but it also doesn't feel cheap. They do come with a serial number printed on the inner hinge as well as the box.
 
I think the carrying bag should get a special mention, it is no hardcase, but the outer material seems durable, and the inner material is a really soft velour type material.

The HD25 series need no introduction, I think the Aluminiums are the best in the lineup, they sound very balanced with tight punchy bass that extends lower than the original HD25, it is a warm, clean sounding headphone. The Amperior in comparison packs even more punch, but always sounded a little hard to my ears when it comes to bright female vocals, this is much improved on the Alus while still retaining its sparkle. These are a real winner
 
Compared to some closed over-ear rivals they lack some soundstage height, width is decent though, it will still sound expansive on binaural recordings but it is not an over ear or open headphone obviously. Just something to keep in mind.

Bass: it goes deep, rumbles, upper bass has punch, but doesn't get bloomy or bloated. It doesn't sound "too thick" which I would hate, so no problems there.
Mids: easy going and natural sounding, (far better than consumer efforts by sennheiser like the Momentum over ear in my opinion). Tonally quite accurate, but not as shimmery/sibilant as for example the Amperior.
Treble: inoffensive, smooth, polite, some people will want more treble air and texture.
 
If you stay within the world of DJ headphones the HD7 seems fairly natural to me. At least in their category. (brighter open headphones are a whole different story, thats where you will notice the differences the most, obviously). Those who are after a lighter sound and don't listen to EDM much and prefer a neutral bass but still want a closed can look at sets like the B&O H6.
Either way I doubt many would judge the HD7 DJ as too dark sounding, the Beats Pro for example sounds somewhat more uneven.
 
The soundstage on this headphone seems well defined on this headphone for me, the K267 for example takes a more integrated approach.
 
Build quality: mostly plastic with some metal reinforcement in the headband. Despite plastic components it feels very chunky and solid. Similar to the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X.
 
Comfort: better than on-ear DJ headphones like the HD25/Amperior, despite fairly high clamping force).
 
Accessories: spare velour pads, nice hard-shell but rather large carrying case, which I wouldn't use, I prefer those carrying pouches/bags.
 
Comparison with cans I own/owned: Despite being a 95ohm headphone it seems very efficient to me. On my phone and PC I only use about 1-2 notches more in volume than the 32ohm K267.
 
Compared to the AKG K267 Tiesto the HD7 DJ is more exciting in the bass, the dips in the response here and there give it a better sense of staging (or perhaps coupled with the ear cup housing design/driver tech).
Depending on vocalist one or the other has the edge to me in the naturalness of a voice, they can both sound beautiful, I would deny that they are overly genre specific, voices are clear and not lost underneath a pillow like on some other U shaped headphones. Overall they sound somewhat similar, with the Tiestos wanting to show a bit more of treble grain detail or splashyness on occasion.
 
So one is a bit more coherent, balanced sounding and musical while the other is tilted towards separation, and this embracing authorative powerful sound.
 
They are more alike to each other than the V-Moda M100 which has thicker bass, duller mids, and and almost spiky artificial sounding treble, over time I thought the sparkle could be annoying on it (despite it not being a bright headphone at all). The M100 sounds just right for me at higher volumes but the treble then gets in the way just a touch.
 
At the end of the day I think the HD7 DJ is superior to the V-Moda M100 in sound quality and comfort and especially isolation. (I mention it because you frequently see DJ's with V-MODA's) However much like the HD25 family they are a bit more of a "tool" , they don't have the style element of the Moda's with its customizable shields or the more compact design, and small carrying case.
 
 
An area where the HD7 falls short because it is so strictly targeted at Pro use is that it has overly long cables, which are a drag for portable use.
 
My bottom line is though that you can enjoy all sorts of music on the HD7 DJ, it is nowhere near as confused as some DJ styled consumer and pro cans.

Got a good local deal on these as the are being replaced by the SoundTrue variant, which as far as I can tell, only adds a case and different colors.
 
The Bose AE2 are a very lightweight headphone with large and deep earcups that completely surround your ears with little pressure and are very comfortable.
 
The voicing on these is like the fit, it is a clear and open sounding headphone, I think they gain this clear sound by slightly dropping the mids, the sound doesn't have the warm body of say my DJ orientated headphones like the V-Moda M100 or the AKG K267 or the tight and punchy bass with good texture. In fact first impression might be that these are bass light. But they do have some nice deep bass notes below 100hz, but around there and above there is little to no punch, kind of like the opposite of what you find with a Sennheiser Amperior. But it makes up for it by its enveloping soundstage and happy "live" sound feeling.
 
I think they are great for home listening. For some outside portable use it might be okay, but you might find the bass lacking.

I don't constantly own a huge headphone inventory, in the past I had the Sennheiser Amperior + HD25, ATH-M50X, and currently have the V-MODA M100. Compared to those headphones the K267 is superior if you prefer a more natural sound. All of the previous cans I mentioned are somewhat more aggressive sounding. The focus seems to be on a musical presentation rather than pure fun.
 
the K267 Tiesto is a smooth sounding headphone with a subtle sub bass boost in its club and stage settings, while the studio setting is a bit too restrained for me I enjoy the club and especially the stage setting the most.
 
It always sounds coherent and uncolored, it doesn't have the widest of soundstages but it is still a nice presentation, sort of enveloping around you with more height than width.
 
First impression compared to the popular M100 is that it has more mid presence and sounds clearer in the mids, but doesn't have the overly present bass and treble sparkle, the M100 sounds busy and exciting while the Tiestos are more relaxed sounding and yet NOT dark.
 
My guess is that with the dotted headband it might be a bit too bling bling for some, coupled with very poor amazon reviews due to a build quality issue that appears to have been fixed, at least my latest model seems to be holding up.
 
But sound quality wise it is very enjoyable and non genre specific compared to other DJ cans.
 
The comfort is very good in my opinion, despite a secure fit the clamping force is not too high, the earpads are very soft and replaceable.