[sejsel]

My source is Fiio M11 Pro.

Ok; we'll see what happens.... hope you will enjoy them...

 

[Floris888]

I have 40MX and its not bad at all with M11 Pro.But i need something on the go and i think MSR7B will suit me. Because im done with Iem , its not for me. And lats face it , headphones always will sound better that iem.

 

[Floris888]

I receive my order today , 10 minutes of listen to them , and i returned. This is not for the go purpose. Leakege enourmous sound , this headphone should be categorized openback headphobes not closedback.

 

[tolis626]

Happy new years guys! (2021)

Well I had these a set of dekoni sheepskin pads, some damplifier pro and some hypafix bandage just laying around, its been about 2 years I had it laying around

I still need to go pick up some fiberglass rings to put behind the pads, and some polyfill and a new headband

Removing the cotton rings brought bass into the msr7, but not sure if the damplifier/dynamat or the bandages or the sheepskin pads itself took some treble away.. Honestly not sure if I installed it right so I included some pics so someone can call me out

The MSR7 from what I remembered had great bright treble, a bit too bright now it feels a bit unbalanced and bass heavy.. Still glad to have done it, the reason I lagged it so much was I didn't really use them much for music anymore, and the pads were getting too hot, but now its winter and the sheepskin is very comfy

Also thanks to @tolis626 and ModiHiFi if you're still around heh I remember you helped me quite a bit
and uh good to see the msr7 is still kicking

Hey man! It's been a while! Happy to see you're still interested in these beauties!

So, as WS75 mentioned, you, eh... Removed the wrong thing. I mean, if it works hey, I'm all for it. I can also kind of understand why that would work better with smaller pads (it frees up the airflow to the driver, without changing the effective volume of the chamber behind it). But what I did was remove the small felt ring in the center of the backplate. The one you can see in your photos. You need to further disassemble the headphones and pry apart the middle and back plates to get access to it. If I were you, I'd try removing the felt ring on the back and putting the donut-like one back on the driver's backside, see how that works for you!

Good luck! Anything you need, hit me up!

Hi guys!

I made an account just to comment here, so here we go.

Maybe first some background. So I've had the MSR7s for about 5 or 6 six years now, pretty much since they were released. My present pair is actually my third, because the first two pairs had issues and I was sent a new pair each time. Overall I have had mixed feelings about this headphone ever since I got them. Overall I really liked the clarity for a closed-back pair, but like most people who complain about the MSR7s, I always found the bass to be a bit lacking in intensity, and most importantly, the treble on vocal sssss's often destroyed my ears. However, I decided to keep them and perhaps upgrade my portable gear (for now, I only use them portable). I also always used them with some kind of equalizer enabled, otherwise they hurt too much.

When they came out, I bought the Fiio X1 and later the Fiio M6 just to test if this would solve the issues. It didn't. So I went back to my equalized smartphone, which of course is far from the best set-up, and decided to buy a new pair of headphones. They MSR7 in the end wasn't for me. If an entry-level DAP didn't do it for me, I highly doubted a more expensive player would work. In the meantime I auditioned a lot of closed-back headphones, but there was always something bothering me, especially when I looked a the price tag of some of those cans. More importantly, when I went back to my MSR7 I noticed that they were actually really really good in some aspects compared to newly released models. But that treble.

Then, a few weeks ago, I decided to read some posts on the MSR7 on this forum, and came across the posts of @tolis626 . He/she apparently did some mods, after which the MSR7 would have more quality bass, less piercing treble, and the same lovely clarity. So I thought, why not?

I took the srewdriver, like @Gabzor above, and removed the felt ring. I put it back together and... oh yes, suddenly it had bass. Like, lots of it. Crazy. Treble however was more or less the same, like Gabzor says above. Overall, it was a pleasent outcome, but I still needed to tone done treble with an equalizer. Then I decided to buy the sheepskin and pleather HM5 pads, like tolis626 recommended (I haven't received them yet).

However, I recently revisited some posts about the modding, and I started to doubt if I in fact removed the wrong felt ring. As seen on the photo's in the post of tolis626, there's a large circular, donut-shaped felt ring, but also a small round felt ring that covers a small hole. After re-reading, it appears that the latter is the one that tolis626 means, and not the large donut-like felt ring (99% sure). Needless to say, I had removed the wrong ring, ie the donut.

So I took the srewdriver again, removed the smal round felt ring and... smoother treble! I was stunned that it worked. Bass actually didn't change (not enough to hear it on a first listen) and was still high in quality and quantity. But suddenly the treble was much nicer on the ear, and any harshness in no doubt originates from the fact that I'm mostly streaming Spotify and Tidal through a smartphone. Regardless of the low-end set-up, the difference was quite remarkable.

Now I'm awaiting the arrival of the HM5 pads, which would make a perfect match with the MSR7 according to tolis626. When they arrive, I'll post my experiences here. One thing I wonder is if it would make any difference that in my pair of MSR7, both felt-like rings are removed. Maybe I'll put the donut back someday just to test this.

In the end I am really happy with the improvements caused by the mods. I really feel like they allow the MSR7s to reach their full potential. I must say, they sound absolutely awesome now, even from a smartphone. After the HM5 pads arrive, I will definitely look into DAP upgrades or amplifiers, since I just know that they can improve even more. Much more.

Well, I guess that's it. Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Hey dude! Glad to hear that you breathed new life in your MSR7 and that I could help do that! Seems my little experiment took a while to gain traction, but it did after all these years. At least it didn't happen post mortem, lol.

As you very correctly said, I removed the circular felt in the middle of the backplate. Now there is a hole smack in the middle of the headphones' insides that was covered before. I never bothered removing the felt from the driver itself (which you and Gabzor did), but seeing as the results are encouraging I might give that a try. However, since you're going with my recommendation and getting HM5 pads (Sheepskins are better, the pleather ones are just a cheaper alternative in all aspects), removing the correct piece of felt is pretty much mandatory as you would've realized quickly if you hadn't done it.

Now, if treble is a bit too much for you still, what I can easily recommend is getting either a piece of relatively thick felt or better yet a pair of foam inserts for Sennheiser HD600 series headphones (the ones that go below the pads) and inserting them in the back of your pads. Cuts the treble quantity just enough IMO, but the quality remains untouched.

Have you got your HM5s by the way? Did you try them? If yes, what do you think? Also, I keep telling people to do this : With the HM5s on and the felt ring removed, use an EQ to raise the bass (or lower everything above 150-200Hz) by like 6-12dB and crank the volume (you are gonna have to use a relatively powerful amp for this). Then listen to a bassy song, with my recommendations being "Oh Mama" from Run The Jewels, "Bury a friend" from Billie Eilish and "Why So Serious?" from the Dark Knight OST. Even if you aren't into that kind of music (I'm not, I'm a metalhead), I can guarantee you're gonna laugh like an idiot from how much bass these things are actually able to produce. You could've never guessed by their stock configuration, but it's absolutely insane. Given sufficient power, I can feel the bass on my shoulders, and the damn things take it like a champ. My ears not so much, so I just do like 30 seconds if I do this.

Good luck and enjoy!

PS : As you might've guessed, I'm a "he", lol.

I receive my order today , 10 minutes of listen to them , and i returned. This is not for the go purpose. Leakege enourmous sound , this headphone should be categorized openback headphobes not closedback.

They are most definitely closed back. No one ever said they are very good at sound isolation and they are definitely not noise cancelling headphones. In fact, most non-NC headphones aren't that great at isolation. The only ones that come to mind that actually do a great job of isolation without NC are the Audeze EL-8, but these are a completely different animal on a completely different price point.

 

[Hammerburst]

Can someone please help me? Was wondering if these are real or fake MSR7's? The seller said he got them from Amazon LLC, in 2017, but I know there was counterfeiting going on, from private Amazon sellers, during that time.

I am very interested in owning the real MSR7 headphones, but don't want my experience to be ruined

 

[tolis626]

Can someone please help me? Was wondering if these are real or fake MSR7's? The seller said he got them from Amazon LLC, in 2017, but I know there was counterfeiting going on, from private Amazon sellers, during that time.

I am very interested in owning the real MSR7 headphones, but don't want my experience to be ruined

Wow, yeah, that used to be a thing back then. I think it was SBAF that got a fake MSR7 for review and had some strange negative things to say about the headphones, until they realized it was a fake.

The ones in the photos look like the real deal. IIRC the fake ones looked different beneath the pads, but I'm not quite sure. To be sure, you need to take them apart further. Don't worry, it's quite easy. Just remove the pads, undo the screws on the driver baffle and pry them apart. Post a picture of their inside and I'll be able to tell you if they're the real or fake ones with certainty.

Lastly, what do they sound like? The real MSR7 have somewhat little bass, but it's high quality, punchy and resolving. The fakes had even less bass, but it was also muddy and sloppy. Also, the highs on the fakes were strong like the real ones, but lacked detail and were just a pain, while the real ones can get fatiguing but sound brilliant and bright and detailed beyond what a portable 200$ headphone should be.

EDIT : I just looked. It wasn't SBAF, it was DIY Audio Heaven. Look here at the pictures. There's a point somewhere in the middle of the article that compares the inner chamber of the originals versus the fake ones. Real ones have a dense cotton ring and brown PCB on the driver, fake ones use felt/paper and a green PCB. Also, the quality of the finish is noticeably lower on the fake model.

 

[Hammerburst]

Wow, yeah, that used to be a thing back then. I think it was SBAF that got a fake MSR7 for review and had some strange negative things to say about the headphones, until they realized it was a fake.

The ones in the photos look like the real deal. IIRC the fake ones looked different beneath the pads, but I'm not quite sure. To be sure, you need to take them apart further. Don't worry, it's quite easy. Just remove the pads, undo the screws on the driver baffle and pry them apart. Post a picture of their inside and I'll be able to tell you if they're the real or fake ones with certainty.

Lastly, what do they sound like? The real MSR7 have somewhat little bass, but it's high quality, punchy and resolving. The fakes had even less bass, but it was also muddy and sloppy. Also, the highs on the fakes were strong like the real ones, but lacked detail and were just a pain, while the real ones can get fatiguing but sound brilliant and bright and detailed beyond what a portable 200$ headphone should be.

EDIT : I just looked. It wasn't SBAF, it was DIY Audio Heaven. Look here at the pictures. There's a point somewhere in the middle of the article that compares the inner chamber of the originals versus the fake ones. Real ones have a dense cotton ring and brown PCB on the driver, fake ones use felt/paper and a green PCB. Also, the quality of the finish is noticeably lower on the fake model.

Hey, thanks allot for the detailed info. Yeah, I have seen those pics from Audio Heaven. Unfortunately, these headphones are thousands of miles away from me. I do not want to push the seller, to unscrew the drivers, to look at the internals. Thanks for the offer, to check the electronics and wires though. Obviously, I cannot listen to them either.

I have heard another MSR7, for about 20 minutes, in a store, roughly 1 year ago, lol. But the experience was great. I definitely remember them. They sounded very good to me. Very quick, detailed highs, that sounded better than many headphones, that cost 5x times as much. I remember being impressed with the whole sound signature, (they weren't too impressive in the mids, but good enough). The bass was not thick or bloated, like many say, but it was present, tight, and controlled.

That is reassuring that you say, they look real, from the external pictures I have. They also look real to me. Specifically, the driver without the pad, looks real. I guess there is no way to be 100%, at this point, without taking apart the drivers? I have tried to contact Audio Technica about this, but they haven't responded yet. The seller claimed he bought them from "Amazon LLC" in 2017, I asked him for a screenshot, of the order, that would be very good, since it wouldn't be a 3rd party Amazon seller. I also found some reviews on Amazon, that compare real and fake MSR7's: Pics

 

[tolis626]

Hey, thanks allot for the detailed info. Yeah, I have seen those pics from Audio Heaven. Unfortunately, these headphones are thousands of miles away from me. I do not want to push the seller, to unscrew the drivers, to look at the internals. Thanks for the offer, to check the electronics and wires though. Obviously, I cannot listen to them either.

I have heard another MSR7, for about 20 minutes, in a store, roughly 1 year ago, lol. But the experience was great. I definitely remember them. They sounded very good to me. Very quick, detailed highs, that sounded better than many headphones, that cost 5x times as much. I remember being impressed with the whole sound signature, (they weren't too impressive in the mids, but good enough). The bass was not thick or bloated, like many say, but it was present, tight, and controlled.

That is reassuring that you say, they look real, from the external pictures I have. They also look real to me. Specifically, the driver without the pad, looks real. I guess there is no way to be 100%, at this point, without taking apart the drivers? I have tried to contact Audio Technica about this, but they haven't responded yet. The seller claimed he bought them from "Amazon LLC" in 2017, I asked him for a screenshot, of the order, that would be very good, since it wouldn't be a 3rd party Amazon seller. I also found some reviews on Amazon, that compare real and fake MSR7's: Pics

I see. For some reason I'd thought that you had already bought them and had them on hand.

Only word of caution I can say at this point is that there were some VERY convincing fakes around. Some were dead giveaways, but some could feasibly pass for the real thing. Also, there were some sold from Amazon directly, so beware.

What's the seller's price for these? I think you're gonna be okay tbh.

 

[Hammerburst]

I see. For some reason I'd thought that you had already bought them and had them on hand.

Only word of caution I can say at this point is that there were some VERY convincing fakes around. Some were dead giveaways, but some could feasibly pass for the real thing. Also, there were some sold from Amazon directly, so beware.

What's the seller's price for these? I think you're gonna be okay tbh.

Yeah, the headphones are far from me now, at the moment. You are right, I did some research last night, and those counterfeiters man! Some of them looked very very close. You had to look for tiny imperfections in the plastic, that real AT's wouldn't have. About the drivers though, physically, I did not see a counterfit version, with drivers similar to the genuine version though. (With the pad removed I mean, the bolt pattern, the orientation of the white covering, etc, of the driver). Who knows, there probably are though. Amazon doesn't do enough, to stop these pricks. A kid might save up money, for months, to get some headphones he wanted, and then he ends up with a fake? Because of these greedy pricks man.

The seller did confirm, and sent me a screenshot, of his order with "Amazon Services LLC", not a 3rd party Amazon seller, from 2017. Still not 100% though, because Amazon may have worked with 3rd party sellers, under their umbrella.

Anyway, I saw these in an Ebay auction. Followed it closely, and won it. The selling price was $63 total, shipped, a great deal, imho. They look to be in great shape, and even come with a carrying case. (I'm just hoping they are not fake!). Otherwise, very excited, I really like the MSR7.

 

[EitanBurg]

THE MOD OF ALL MODS- BALANCED MOD +ONBOARD BLUETOOTH DAC

Hi guys! I'm a big fan of this thread as I love diy projects (currently working on a bluetooth ipod classic)
I've had my msr7s for about 5 years now and over the years every headphone I tested for upgrade just wasn't any better.
these are BY FAR the best headphones I tried under 500$ if not 1000$ that's also reasonably portable.
SO.. I decided that if there isn't a better headphone for me- I'll make the best even better!
after some research on this thread I decided to go ALL IN.
BTW -the masking tape is temporary as I'm currently waiting for a new headband cause mine started crumbling away...

list of mods/addons I've made so far:

1) felt cover removal (HM5 on its way)
2) balanced mod - single 3.5 plug
3) onboard detachable DAC/BT receiver

Impressions-

1) I absolutely love the sound difference after removing the felt covers! much deeper bass but still natural and better soundstage.

3) I read about the fiio BTR5 and the reviews seem really good so I decided it will be a great solution for portable hifi listening.
this device IS really good, it offers BT connection with LDAC (@ 990kb/s) alongside a wired connection up to 24bit/384Khz, AWESOME!
now I tried to figure out how to mount the fiio to the headphones, at first I used some 3m tape but it didn't last very long
as the ear cups are curved which makes adhesion difficult, and also it's not really removable.
next, the fiio comes with a belt clip holder thing, so I glued it to the earcup. the fiio was easily detachable but the clip was permanently
on the headphone which is quite wired.
but then it hit me - magnets! I was quite hesitant to permanently place magnets near the driver, after some research and sound testing
I didn't hear any distortion in the sound, but I'm still not sure how will affect the sound in the future. I placed 2 small magnets inside the earcup and two bigger magnets on the fiio, a little super glue and it was perfect!
the fiio sits nicely on the msr, not stock looking, but not too weird either. it can be easily detached and the headphones return
to their original form.
one thing the fiio is missing is an analog IN, as it would only receive BT or USB.

2) the fiio has two amplifiers inside- in single output one amp handles L AND R channels and if using the balanced output you get
a dedicated amp for each channel. so of course I wanted to get the most of what I have, and thanks to this thread I realized
it is quite simple. I swapped the TRS input jack with TRRS one, in the wiring process I made sure it will fit both TRRS and TRS input cables.
for the wire itself that connect the fiio to the msr- I've found only one cable on amazon that fits, as single connector 2.5 to 3.5 balanced cables
are quite uncommon to say the least, let alone the fiio has unique output wiring that I didn't know if this cable would be good for. also it had rally bulky
connectors. so with some wiring diagram and little soldering I made my own cable, not the most professional looking but good enough
considering the low profile connector that make it look slicker.


all in all I think these mods really worth it, with some basic soldering skills you can get everything done in less than 2 hours
and the differences is HUGE!
getting bluetooth connectivity to these headphones smashes all other BT headset on the market, and if you opt for a wired
connection the on board DAC get you superior sound quality using only your phone, that really is comparable to an entry level home system.

 

[tolis626]

THE MOD OF ALL MODS- BALANCED MOD +ONBOARD BLUETOOTH DAC

Hi guys! I'm a big fan of this thread as I love diy projects (currently working on a bluetooth ipod classic)
I've had my msr7s for about 5 years now and over the years every headphone I tested for upgrade just wasn't any better.
these are BY FAR the best headphones I tried under 500$ if not 1000$ that's also reasonably portable.
SO.. I decided that if there isn't a better headphone for me- I'll make the best even better!
after some research on this thread I decided to go ALL IN.
BTW -the masking tape is temporary as I'm currently waiting for a new headband cause mine started crumbling away...

list of mods/addons I've made so far:

1) felt cover removal (HM5 on its way)
2) balanced mod - single 3.5 plug
3) onboard detachable DAC/BT receiver

Impressions-

1) I absolutely love the sound difference after removing the felt covers! much deeper bass but still natural and better soundstage.

3) I read about the fiio BTR5 and the reviews seem really good so I decided it will be a great solution for portable hifi listening.
this device IS really good, it offers BT connection with LDAC (@ 990kb/s) alongside a wired connection up to 24bit/384Khz, AWESOME!
now I tried to figure out how to mount the fiio to the headphones, at first I used some 3m tape but it didn't last very long
as the ear cups are curved which makes adhesion difficult, and also it's not really removable.
next, the fiio comes with a belt clip holder thing, so I glued it to the earcup. the fiio was easily detachable but the clip was permanently
on the headphone which is quite wired.
but then it hit me - magnets! I was quite hesitant to permanently place magnets near the driver, after some research and sound testingOk
I didn't hear any distortion in the sound, but I'm still not sure how will affect the sound in the future. I placed 2 small magnets inside the earcup and two bigger magnets on the fiio, a little super glue and it was perfect!
the fiio sits nicely on the msr, not stock looking, but not too weird either. it can be easily detached and the headphones return
to their original form.
one thing the fiio is missing is an analog IN, as it would only receive BT or USB.

2) the fiio has two amplifiers inside- in single output one amp handles L AND R channels and if using the balanced output you get
a dedicated amp for each channel. so of course I wanted to get the most of what I have, and thanks to this thread I realized
it is quite simple. I swapped the TRS input jack with TRRS one, in the wiring process I made sure it will fit both TRRS and TRS input cables.
for the wire itself that connect the fiio to the msr- I've found only one cable on amazon that fits, as single connector 2.5 to 3.5 balanced cables
are quite uncommon to say the least, let alone the fiio has unique output wiring that I didn't know if this cable would be good for. also it had rally bulky
connectors. so with some wiring diagram and little soldering I made my own cable, not the most professional looking but good enough
considering the low profile connector that make it look slicker.


all in all I think these mods really worth it, with some basic soldering skills you can get everything done in less than 2 hours
and the differences is HUGE!
getting bluetooth connectivity to these headphones smashes all other BT headset on the market, and if you opt for a wired
connection the on board DAC get you superior sound quality using only your phone, that really is comparable to an entry level home system.

Ok, first off, that's awesome. I have always maintained that these headphones can be a great platform for modding, but I stuck to the bare minimum of messing with them myself. And I regret it, but I digress.

Now, if you like how they sound after removing the felt but are still using the stock pads, then man are you in for a treat once those HM5s arrive. I don't know which ones you got, but if it's the flat pleather or sheepskin ones (especially sheepskin), these are going to blow your mind. Being what they are, you wouldn't think the MSR7 could produce a lot of bass. If so, YOU'RE WRONG. Trust me on this one. Once the felt is removed and the bigger pads are installed, they wake up. And you get a lot of bass. Not boomy, not muddy, they don't turn into Beats. High quality, deep, rumbling bass. Like, the kind you expect from big planars (although it's still very much dynamic, you don't get that planar "wall of bass" effect). And I still haven't mentioned soundstage which, for a portable closed back is insane.

Once you continue working on your pair, and since you seem to be comfortable with doing stuff and are clearly good at this, I would add some suggestions for things to try. -First off, with the bigger pads, the treble/upper mids can be a bit shouty. If that bothers you, go on ebay and order a pair of foam inserts for the Sennheiser HD600/650 (the foam pieces that go between the pad and the driver), then place those on the back of the pad, below the lip that goes on the headphones themselves. Just make sure to use the thin ones, there's some thicker foams that completely kill the sound.
- Second, you can try stuffing teased cotton on the back of the cups (where the connector is, the circular part at the very back). If done right, it can smoothen the sound quite a bit and make them sound even bigger and cleaner. The catch is that it needs to be damn near perfect, otherwise you'll get wonky imbalances in your sound. I tried with some cheap drug store cotton and it kind of worked, but I messed it up and haven't bothered since, sadly. I would suggest vaping cotton. It's usually very high quality, it's very fluffy (which you definitely need, densely packed cotton destroys the sound) and mostly comes in pre-cut pieces, so you can always have the exact same amount on both sides.
- Third, dampening the middle part of the cup. Dynamat would be the best option, but blue tack also works. If you go with the latter, be VERY careful and cover it up with something. I tried it on my pair and it tightened the bass even more, made it a bit cleaner, but I left it bare and it stuck to the underside of the driver housing and I have yet to find a way for it to get unstuck so I can disassemble my headphones (suggestion on this part are more than welcome). You may also try to use a piece of sponge or something similar, like the MSR7b have in them, using enough to cover a good amount of the surface, but don't make it too thick, you don't want it to compress, you want it to have air in it.
- Fourth, different materials for covering the hole where the felt ring was. Maybe without it the bass is too much for you. You can tame it by covering the hole again with a different material. Another member here tried Fixomull Stretch, a kind of breathable adhesive medical gauze. I couldn't find the exact one he was using, but I tried some others and it actually works. The result is somewhere in between no cover and the stock felt ring being in its place.
- Fifth, other pads. I have only tried Brainwavz (basically don't try anything other than the pleather and sheepskin flat pads, although the angled ones kind of work on the MSR7, they aren't good like they are on the MSR7b), but you can go nuts if you have the patience and money.

That's my wall of text ended. Hope you get the results you want. Please do share anything you do with this, I'm very interested and I assume others will be too! With that said, I kind of feel good about this. I remember a few years back, when I first dared to pop that felt ring off of my MSR7 and to use HM5 pads (as far as I can tell, I was the first, or at least the first to post about it and follow up on it). People disagreed with me back then, claiming (maybe rightly so) that I was messing with a perfectly good product that maybe wasn't for me. Almost no one gave a crap and almost no one tried it, not even out of curiosity. But for some reason lately, people in both the MSR7 and MSR7b threads have begun popping up and doing it and most results have been very positive (if not all, at least that I know of). It's a weird sense of accomplishment and I'm happy that more people get to experience these headphones in, dare I say, their full potential.

Cheers man! Hoping to hear more from your endeavors!

PS : As for an "upgrade", you might want to try the MSR7b. It's more of a sidegrade, but they are superior in many ways. They are lighter and have way less clamping force (although they feel cheaper, they've held up perfectly so far, and I do abuse them a bit), making them quite a bit more comfortable. At stock, they are warmer and bassier than the MSR7, which can be good or bad depending on preference. They don't sound as detailed as the MSR7, but I think that's more due to the elevated highs of the MSR7 more than anything else, actual detail retrieval is very similar. And for me, the kicker is that they are much easier to mod. Dual connectors, balanced capable at stock, easier to take apart, much harder to damage exposed wires, play nice with other pads even without removing the felt.

 

[KING DRANZER]

Did Audio Technica discontinue ATH-MSR7B and abandon the lineup. Or will there be a replacement launching soon.

 

[tolis626]

Did Audio Technica discontinue ATH-MSR7B and abandon the lineup. Or will there be a replacement launching soon.

Well, damn, I thought you were talking nonsense and did a quick search. Turns out something's up. Stock seems minimal and prices have gone up. I honestly hope that they aren't stupid enough to abandon the lineup. Would be pretty asinine considering they have a winner on their hands. If they end up coming out with a replacement model, I really hope they don't mess it up and that it's up to the standards set by the MSR7 and MSR7b.
Another possibility is that there may be some kind of shortage, like there is a chip shortage affecting the PC and auto industries. Time will tell.

 

[matbil0]

how does the Sony MDR-1AM2 compare to the MSR7b?

 

[tolis626]

how does the Sony MDR-1AM2 compare to the MSR7b?

There is a picture either in here or in the MSR7b thread that goes somewhat in depth for exactly that comparison. In my opinion, they don't compare. Completely different things. The only things they have in common is their rough shape and size and the fact that they're closed back portable headphones. On one hand you have the arguably more balanced MSR7b with thumpy but controlled and balanced low end, somewhat prevalent mids and bright-ish sound, with extremely good details and somewhat wide soundstage (wide by closed back standards). On the other hand you have the darker, more laid back MDR-1AM2, with extremely strong but somewhat overpowering low end, distant mids, somewhat accentuated highs (very pronounced V-shape sound signature, leaning towards the dark side) and rather narrow sound stage (others talk about depth to the sound, but that wasn't my impression from my very limited time with it). So it really depends on what you want and on what kind of music you listen to. I think that the MSR7b is the better headphone, to be honest, and that's before I messed with it. Once modded, there's no comparison if I'm honest, they aren't even in the same ballpark any more.