[tolis626]

Thanks.

My ears were touching the driver panel.
I would need 28mm for them not to touch, 24mm at the minimum.

Are ZMF pads the best while keeping the original sound signature?

No one that I know of has tried ZMF pads on the MSR7. Considering that most, if not all ZMF pads are actually bigger than the HM5, I don't think they'll work. If you insist on going ZMF, go with the ovals, but I wouldn't spend that much money for something that will potentially not work at all. And I don't just mean sound, sound will get altered a lot. I mean they may not fit physically. With the HM5 we already need to use something as a spacer inside the pad (best is to use foam backer rod) for it to not get squeezed off the sides of the frame, so an even bigger pad would probably exacerbate the problem.

While I haven't tried them personally, the only pad that would MAYBE work with the stock MSR7 is Dekoni's M50x pads. That and some people have reported that Yaxi pads work, but I've never used their stuff. Your other option is to get a pair of HM5 pads and mod the headphones a bit, as I've discussed a lot of times in this thread. This, IMO, provides the best results as it retains enough of what makes the MSR7 great, while making them more comfortable to wear, less fatiguing to listen to and actually provides enough bass for everything, unlike the stock headphones.

The choice is yours.

 

[Killcomic]

So, has anyone found pads that doesn't destroy the sound yet?

 

[sinquito]

Someone had also the Sennheiser HD598/599 together this ?
Can you tell me the difference as sound signature and sound quality between these two kind of products ?

Im actually undecided between Sennheiser HD579 and this MSR7.

Sorry for the late reply. I had the 598s, never like it, it sounded boring, too little bass and the highs were meh. I think that would make it a mid centric headphone. The HD600 is a different beast altogether...

The MSR7 signature would be slightly V shapped, but overall I'd say neutral. The M50x has more bass and pretty much same highs. On the MSR7 the mids does not sound veiled or distant. It is my favorite closed headphone. Second would be the ATH M70, but I don't have them anymore, to me the MSR7 sounded better and I didn't need two closed headphone. The M70 is more comfortable and better built though.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

Sorry for the late reply. I had the 598s, never like it, it sounded boring, too little bass and the highs were meh. I think that would make it a mid centric headphone. The HD600 is a different beast altogether...

The MSR7 signature would be slightly V shapped, but overall I'd say neutral. The M50x has more bass and pretty much same highs. On the MSR7 the mids does not sound veiled or distant. It is my favorite closed headphone. Second would be the ATH M70, but I don't have them anymore, to me the MSR7 sounded better and I didn't need two closed headphone. The M70 is more comfortable and better built though.

Totally agree. In fact I'd say anyone would be totally justified to own both the HD598 and the M50X and the MSR7. The HD598 is way too "polite" sounding, but that makes it a good choice for extended listening session. I live in a tropical country so I'd have to take off the MSR7 sometimes to wipe my sweat.

 

[Steven Jin]

So, has anyone found pads that doesn't destroy the sound yet?

(TLDR I got the msr7 comfort pads from YAXI, [$40 usd free shipping]. They're pretty decent so far)

I've had my msr7's for about 3 years now, and the pads started flaking like a mad.
In response, I bought the brainwavz earpad as replacement; fooled by the good reviews on amazon.
But the brainwavz earpads would end up destroying the touch of bass the msr7 had; completely ruining the headphone for me.

I ended up getting the sony wh1000xm3 almost a year ago, which soon replaced the msr7's as my daily commuting drivers.

Recently, I picked up my old msr7's and reminisced about the time I tried them in the headphone shop for the first time and was hooked by both the headphone and by this hobby.

It felt like such a shame to have them just sitting there collecting dust. I reached out to audio technica directly about pads and was quoted $40 (USD) (30 for the pads and 10 for shipping).
This felt like an absurd amount for stock pads that would just end up flaking on me again sooner or later.

My scour across the internet for an alternative yielded only cheap replacements, and posts repeatedly saying that all non-stock pads ruin the sound.

The only decent ear pad replacement that I could find was the YAXI msr7 comfort pads. But at $40 usd, it was a bit of a gamble since they cost the same as the stock pads.

I bit the bullet and bought them. I've tried them multiple times so far and haven't noticed the clear lack of bass that the brainwavz pad had.

I'd say they sound similar enough to stock, but I haven't had the opportunity to fully compare them to stock earpads (since switching pads takes a solid 10 minutes and my stock pads are pretty worn out).

 

[Killcomic]

(TLDR I got the msr7 comfort pads from YAXI, [$40 usd free shipping]. They're pretty decent so far)

I've had my msr7's for about 3 years now, and the pads started flaking like a mad.
In response, I bought the brainwavz earpad as replacement; fooled by the good reviews on amazon.
But the brainwavz earpads would end up destroying the touch of bass the msr7 had; completely ruining the headphone for me.

I ended up getting the sony wh1000xm3 almost a year ago, which soon replaced the msr7's as my daily commuting drivers.

Recently, I picked up my old msr7's and reminisced about the time I tried them in the headphone shop for the first time and was hooked by both the headphone and by this hobby.

It felt like such a shame to have them just sitting there collecting dust. I reached out to audio technica directly about pads and was quoted $40 (USD) (30 for the pads and 10 for shipping).
This felt like an absurd amount for stock pads that would just end up flaking on me again sooner or later.

My scour across the internet for an alternative yielded only cheap replacements, and posts repeatedly saying that all non-stock pads ruin the sound.

The only decent ear pad replacement that I could find was the YAXI msr7 comfort pads. But at $40 usd, it was a bit of a gamble since they cost the same as the stock pads.

I bit the bullet and bought them. I've tried them multiple times so far and haven't noticed the clear lack of bass that the brainwavz pad had.

I'd say they sound similar enough to stock, but I haven't had the opportunity to fully compare them to stock earpads (since switching pads takes a solid 10 minutes and my stock pads are pretty worn out).

Hey, thanks!
These look like the way to go! Surely they’ll last longer than the stock pads!
I’ll order a pair when I get some cash.

 

[shahkhan]

Msr7nc in. Mint condition for sale in 120bucks.

 

[sinquito]

I would like to try a pair of lamp skin pads but I am worried about the sound change, the Shure alcantara pads of the SH1540 fitted the MSR7 but they did not sound right.

 

[hifinoob005]

(TLDR I got the msr7 comfort pads from YAXI, [$40 usd free shipping]. They're pretty decent so far)

I've had my msr7's for about 3 years now, and the pads started flaking like a mad.
In response, I bought the brainwavz earpad as replacement; fooled by the good reviews on amazon.
But the brainwavz earpads would end up destroying the touch of bass the msr7 had; completely ruining the headphone for me.

I ended up getting the sony wh1000xm3 almost a year ago, which soon replaced the msr7's as my daily commuting drivers.

Recently, I picked up my old msr7's and reminisced about the time I tried them in the headphone shop for the first time and was hooked by both the headphone and by this hobby.

It felt like such a shame to have them just sitting there collecting dust. I reached out to audio technica directly about pads and was quoted $40 (USD) (30 for the pads and 10 for shipping).
This felt like an absurd amount for stock pads that would just end up flaking on me again sooner or later.

My scour across the internet for an alternative yielded only cheap replacements, and posts repeatedly saying that all non-stock pads ruin the sound.

The only decent ear pad replacement that I could find was the YAXI msr7 comfort pads. But at $40 usd, it was a bit of a gamble since they cost the same as the stock pads.

I bit the bullet and bought them. I've tried them multiple times so far and haven't noticed the clear lack of bass that the brainwavz pad had.

I'd say they sound similar enough to stock, but I haven't had the opportunity to fully compare them to stock earpads (since switching pads takes a solid 10 minutes and my stock pads are pretty worn out).

What are the dimensions of the pads, most importantly the depth?

 

[GraveNoX]

(TLDR I got the msr7 comfort pads from YAXI, [$40 usd free shipping]. They're pretty decent so far)

I've had my msr7's for about 3 years now, and the pads started flaking like a mad.
In response, I bought the brainwavz earpad as replacement; fooled by the good reviews on amazon.
But the brainwavz earpads would end up destroying the touch of bass the msr7 had; completely ruining the headphone for me.

I ended up getting the sony wh1000xm3 almost a year ago, which soon replaced the msr7's as my daily commuting drivers.

Recently, I picked up my old msr7's and reminisced about the time I tried them in the headphone shop for the first time and was hooked by both the headphone and by this hobby.

It felt like such a shame to have them just sitting there collecting dust. I reached out to audio technica directly about pads and was quoted $40 (USD) (30 for the pads and 10 for shipping).
This felt like an absurd amount for stock pads that would just end up flaking on me again sooner or later.

My scour across the internet for an alternative yielded only cheap replacements, and posts repeatedly saying that all non-stock pads ruin the sound.

The only decent ear pad replacement that I could find was the YAXI msr7 comfort pads. But at $40 usd, it was a bit of a gamble since they cost the same as the stock pads.

I bit the bullet and bought them. I've tried them multiple times so far and haven't noticed the clear lack of bass that the brainwavz pad had.

I'd say they sound similar enough to stock, but I haven't had the opportunity to fully compare them to stock earpads (since switching pads takes a solid 10 minutes and my stock pads are pretty worn out).

I have Gun Metal color. I peeled off the outside layer of the stock pads, now they are completely black and they feel better by ear and by hand when touching them compared to original pads. I would never change them. They look like brand new but without that shiny brown leather.

 

[Steven Jin]

What are the dimensions of the pads, most importantly the depth?

taken from their site: https://www.yaxi.jp/product-gallery/msr7-comfort/

Outer Diameter: 98mm * 74mm

Inner Diameter: 62mm * 36mm

Thickness: 20mm

Also included pictures, the left is stock pads, right is yaxi.

Although I must say to take the pictures with a grain of salt because my pads are extremely worn.
Not to mention camera mis-alignment and focus will have a factor as well.

 

[Steven Jin]

Hey, thanks!
These look like the way to go! Surely they’ll last longer than the stock pads!
I’ll order a pair when I get some cash.

I would like to try a pair of lamp skin pads but I am worried about the sound change, the Shure alcantara pads of the SH1540 fitted the MSR7 but they did not sound right.

I must say though, that so far the alcantara does make the biggest noticeable difference.
It feels more breathable and the sound is more open.
But that's a given when considering the nature of materials: the more fibrous alcantara of the YAXI pads compared to the pleather stock pads.
Whether that's everyone's cup of tea is a different story.

If you're really after the original sound and are sensitive to these types of changes, it might be safer to get the stock pads to avoid the risk.

I have Gun Metal color. I peeled off the outside layer of the stock pads, now they are completely black and they feel better by ear and by hand when touching them compared to original pads. I would never change them. They look like brand new but without that shiny brown leather.

I wanted to peel them off my stock pads as well.
But I originally imagined peeling off the flakes would be like peeling a hard-boiled egg. Where you can get a bunch of shell peeled off in one go.
The pads, however, flake off into millimetre-sized bits leading me to think that manually peeling off the flakes wasn't practical
I was concerned most of all that trying to peel it would make the situation worse than before.

Problem is now my headband is flaking too and there's no clear cut way to replace that.
I've been covering it with a cheap unsightly headband cover from amazon but I might just have to end up peeling it.

 

[symo]

I must say though, that so far the alcantara does make the biggest noticeable difference.
It feels more breathable and the sound is more open.
But that's a given when considering the nature of materials: the more fibrous alcantara of the YAXI pads compared to the pleather stock pads.
Whether that's everyone's cup of tea is a different story.

If you're really after the original sound and are sensitive to these types of changes, it might be safer to get the stock pads to avoid the risk.




I wanted to peel them off my stock pads as well.
But I originally imagined peeling off the flakes would be like peeling a hard-boiled egg. Where you can get a bunch of shell peeled off in one go.
The pads, however, flake off into millimetre-sized bits leading me to think that manually peeling off the flakes wasn't practical
I was concerned most of all that trying to peel it would make the situation worse than before.

Problem is now my headband is flaking too and there's no clear cut way to replace that.
I've been covering it with a cheap unsightly headband cover from amazon but I might just have to end up peeling it.

Could possibly use sticky-tape to lift off flakes from headband & pads.

 

[heps15]

Well, the MSR7 truly is wonderful. It's got unrealized potential at stock form, but even so, it's my favorite closed back that costs a reasonable amount.

Regarding the creaking issues, it's a common problem with the MSR7. Don't worry about it, you can easily fix it. I fixed mine by removing the plastic caps that have the left and right indicators and just applied some Teflon lubricant I had for my bicycle. Boom, no more creaking. And my pair had some severe creaking.

With all that said, the driver in these things is phenomenal. I'm curious how it ended up in a sub 200$ pair of headphones, but I'm glad it did. It's fast, it's efficient and it sounds great. I'm almost tempted to get another used pair and go crazy with them, mod them until they're not the same thing anymore. I've even considered making them open back and see what happens. Right now I don't have the money to do all that, but it's a tempting thought for the near future.

PS : Regarding the box, don't worry about it. AT changed it in the newer MSR7 units. I don't know if it's better or worse, but as long as the headphones are the same, I wouldn't worry about it.

Well, the MSR7 truly is wonderful. It's got unrealized potential at stock form, but even so, it's my favorite closed back that costs a reasonable amount.

Regarding the creaking issues, it's a common problem with the MSR7. Don't worry about it, you can easily fix it. I fixed mine by removing the plastic caps that have the left and right indicators and just applied some Teflon lubricant I had for my bicycle. Boom, no more creaking. And my pair had some severe creaking.

With all that said, the driver in these things is phenomenal. I'm curious how it ended up in a sub 200$ pair of headphones, but I'm glad it did. It's fast, it's efficient and it sounds great. I'm almost tempted to get another used pair and go crazy with them, mod them until they're not the same thing anymore. I've even considered making them open back and see what happens. Right now I don't have the money to do all that, but it's a tempting thought for the near future.

PS : Regarding the box, don't worry about it. AT changed it in the newer MSR7 units. I don't know if it's better or worse, but as long as the headphones are the same, I wouldn't worry about it.

Teflon lubricant worked for me too, didn't even need to take the caps off myself just turn the cups to get best access to the hinge and surfaces, a gentle squirt (with the straw) and they're smooth as anything. Used 'GT85' brand myself, a bicycle lubricant as @tolis626 mentioned (WD40 doesn't contain Teflon).

I suspect it may come back as the sprays don't last forever, ordered some thin PTFE (Teflon) sheet and might cut myself a washer / pad if the creak comes back and see how it goes.

 

[drm870]

Ryan Soo reviewed the Yaxi pads for the MSR7 on his website, for those wondering about specifics:

https://everydaylistening.net/2019/05/14/yaxi-ath-msr7-pads-review-get-them-now/