Audiophile2019
100+ Head-Fier
Yeap, that's a good deal, bro.. Equivalent to USD224 - cheaper by USD3 than how much I paid for mine yesterday..
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7b Impressions & Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Nikolay Vutov
- Start date
Pewterlocks
100+ Head-Fier
Does anyone know where I can get a pair of either the 1st gen or 2nd gen in Canada without feeling like I have been violated, cost wise. In Canada 1st gen can be upwards over $300 CAD
Or even somewhere stateside that is cheapish.
Thanks
Or even somewhere stateside that is cheapish.
Thanks
You may want to check Amazon's used listings.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00PEU9CFA/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all
You can occassionally find some killer deals there. Like, 160-ish$ for a like new MSR7? I'd jump onto that. Although, I did get mine for just over 100€ on Ebay in like new condition, so you may want to scour ebay for listings by reliable sellers.
Well that's the thing, they don't. I did find a seller on Amazon.de selling a used, like new pair for 220-ish€, but I haven't yet decided what to do. I was hoping to upgrade my amp before I spent more on headphones, but I do want to get the Q5s and a) it's not out yet and b) I'm in my last few weeks of strict budgeting, so I can barely justify the expense. I am pondering getting the MSR7b, messing with them for a while and then buy the Q5s in July or something.
So... I found a lightly used pair of MSR7b on Amazon.fr for about 170€. I shouldn't have bought them, but I did, so I will probably have them by next week. I don't know how long they'll stay stock, so stay tuned!
Ok, so my MSR7b arrived today. I have only done very, very limited testing so far, but damn these sound amazing. It's like they took all the flaws from the originals' sound and fixed them, while retaining their character. They are a blissful listening experience. I still don't like the pads, although they're still not terrible, and I prefer the construction/build quality of the old ones, but these are solid.
I'm gonna listen more on the coming days, burn them in and then get to messing with them. So excited!
PS : Am I actually hearing good, rumbling sub bass on these at stock? Oh Mama from Run The Jewels actually sounds great!
I'm gonna listen more on the coming days, burn them in and then get to messing with them. So excited!
PS : Am I actually hearing good, rumbling sub bass on these at stock? Oh Mama from Run The Jewels actually sounds great!
Last edited:
Mhog55
Headphoneus Supremus
May I ask which flaws you are referring to, and how they've been fixed? Thanks
Mhog55
Headphoneus Supremus
Which other Audio Technica headphones use the same type of cable as the Msr7b? Would like to find a decent, fairly priced 2.5mm balanced cable without going custom.
nraymond
500+ Head-Fier
Earlier in this thread I linked to this Audio Technica Japan PDF that has a table showing cable compatibility:
https://www.audio-technica.co.jp/atj/support/hdc/list/hdc_en.pdf
And as I mentioned, I use this cable which I like and which I think is reasonably priced at $39:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-5mm-bala...ica-ATH-SR9-ATH-ES750-ATH-ESW950/292553379025
PolloLoco
100+ Head-Fier
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Careful, even if they have the same connector spec, the diameter where each connector goes into each side is deeply recessed. I bought a cheap cable that I linked above, but had to grind down the aluminum until it fit.
Another option is to use the Fiio 2.5mm to 4 4mm adapter and use the included 4.4mm cable. I used a cheap adapter first, then returned it because it would cut out with any movement.
Mhog55
Headphoneus Supremus
Thanks. That cable isn't quite the quality I'm after. Good price though.
Mhog55
Headphoneus Supremus
Copy that. I have the Fiio adapter in my ebay watch list.
So, when it comes to sound, the biggest flaws of the MSR7 were lacking bass (lacking quantity, quality was excellent) and an overabundance of peaky highs. I think they had a 5k and a 10k peak, but can't remember for sure. The MSR7b firstly added A LOT of bass, especially in the sub bass region. At stock, these give me more or less the perfect amount of bass. Enough to make them sound fun, but not enough to cause bloom or looseness. Plus, they retain the excellent timbre of the MSR7, so kick drums sound like kick drums and not electronically generated beats, for example. And then treble. The MSR7b sound much smoother. They're still somewhat on the bright side and SOMETIMES present some slight sibilance on SOME recordings, but nowhere near as much as the MSR7, they never seem to become obnoxious or fatiguing. That wasn't hard to fix, though. What's amazing is that I can't hear any drop in detail. I mean, I could slap a few filter materials on the MSR7's driver to quell the treble, but detail did suffer. Luckily, the MSR7 had way more than enough detail (insanely much for the price bracket). The b have more or less the same detail in their sound, but not at the cost of having to turn them down so that my ears don't bleed. When it comes to mids, I feel that they didn't change much from the originals. The MSR7 had excellent mids, and so do the MSR7b. Lastly, I think that the b may sound wider, but I can't really remember what soundstage was like on the stock MSR7, so my opinion is invalid on the matter and others may chime in. Imaging is excellent too, although not on par with my HD58x, but these things do imaging exceptionally well and aren't wide at all.
Now, build quality. There's no other way to put, I prefer the old ones. They just feel nicer on the hand. They are heavier, they feel more solid and more premium. BUT, they also had weird issues with the headband shape leading to a painful hotspot on the top of most people's heads, they had insane clamping pressure and, well, they were a bit heavy, so weight was a bit of a double edged sword. The MSR7b, while they feel inferior in the hand, they are definitely superior when they're worn. They completely disappear from my head after a few minutes, like the 58x do. The MSR7 are always THERE, you can't forget about them, be it because of the weight, the clamp or the pressure on top. The MSR7b just gently hug your head and, well, stay there. The headband, while it feels less plush than the old ones, is a definite improvement. It's wider and, well, has the correct shape (Note to Audio Technica : Most people's heads aren't stretched ovals). One last observation I have to make is that the b are ever so slightly smaller in size. Both the overall build, but also the cups themselves. And with my MSR7 having HM5 pads and my MSR7b using stock pads, the MSR7 feel humongous by comparison. Again, I like the originals' feel better, but the lighter weight and smaller size are a plus for portability, so you win some and you lose some.
Having said all that... The MSR7 are my babies. I've put too much work on them, so I may be heavily biased here, but I think I kind of like the sound of the modded MSR7 more. They're much more spacious, they feel absolutely luxurious with the huge leather pads, and the sound is significantly bigger in every direction. For me, that means one of two things. Either I keep the MSR7b as is and make them my portable cans (for which they're absolutely incredible), relegating the MSR7 to mostly home use, or I use the MSR7b a bit at stock, burn them in and then start messing with them. I guess I'll go with the second option because of multiple reasons. First off, I'm a tinkerer at heart, I want to mess with stuff. Secondly, what if I can do more or less the same things to the MSR7b and they become far superior to the old ones? I mean, they may look ridiculous with the HM5 pads, but trying can't hurt. Third, I'm dying to take a look inside, see what else they may have done, because I guess what I'm hearing isn't just a new diaphragm. I'm betting on either a different chamber design or different damping scheme, maybe with foam instead of felt. We'll see... I hope to find everything out! I'll make sure to post everything here.
Mhog55
Headphoneus Supremus
I listen to 95% rock music. The 58X and 99 Classics are far and away my favorite two cans for this genre. Do you think I would experience the same level of satisfaction from the Msr7b? I've been on the fence for some time now. The treble concerns me, and a lot of older rock recordings can be harsh. So I'm on the fence. Try to push or pull me off of it please.So, when it comes to sound, the biggest flaws of the MSR7 were lacking bass (lacking quantity, quality was excellent) and an overabundance of peaky highs. I think they had a 5k and a 10k peak, but can't remember for sure. The MSR7b firstly added A LOT of bass, especially in the sub bass region. At stock, these give me more or less the perfect amount of bass. Enough to make them sound fun, but not enough to cause bloom or looseness. Plus, they retain the excellent timbre of the MSR7, so kick drums sound like kick drums and not electronically generated beats, for example. And then treble. The MSR7b sound much smoother. They're still somewhat on the bright side and SOMETIMES present some slight sibilance on SOME recordings, but nowhere near as much as the MSR7, they never seem to become obnoxious or fatiguing. That wasn't hard to fix, though. What's amazing is that I can't hear any drop in detail. I mean, I could slap a few filter materials on the MSR7's driver to quell the treble, but detail did suffer. Luckily, the MSR7 had way more than enough detail (insanely much for the price bracket). The b have more or less the same detail in their sound, but not at the cost of having to turn them down so that my ears don't bleed. When it comes to mids, I feel that they didn't change much from the originals. The MSR7 had excellent mids, and so do the MSR7b. Lastly, I think that the b may sound wider, but I can't really remember what soundstage was like on the stock MSR7, so my opinion is invalid on the matter and others may chime in. Imaging is excellent too, although not on par with my HD58x, but these things do imaging exceptionally well and aren't wide at all.
Now, build quality. There's no other way to put, I prefer the old ones. They just feel nicer on the hand. They are heavier, they feel more solid and more premium. BUT, they also had weird issues with the headband shape leading to a painful hotspot on the top of most people's heads, they had insane clamping pressure and, well, they were a bit heavy, so weight was a bit of a double edged sword. The MSR7b, while they feel inferior in the hand, they are definitely superior when they're worn. They completely disappear from my head after a few minutes, like the 58x do. The MSR7 are always THERE, you can't forget about them, be it because of the weight, the clamp or the pressure on top. The MSR7b just gently hug your head and, well, stay there. The headband, while it feels less plush than the old ones, is a definite improvement. It's wider and, well, has the correct shape (Note to Audio Technica : Most people's heads aren't stretched ovals). One last observation I have to make is that the b are ever so slightly smaller in size. Both the overall build, but also the cups themselves. And with my MSR7 having HM5 pads and my MSR7b using stock pads, the MSR7 feel humongous by comparison. Again, I like the originals' feel better, but the lighter weight and smaller size are a plus for portability, so you win some and you lose some.
Having said all that... The MSR7 are my babies. I've put too much work on them, so I may be heavily biased here, but I think I kind of like the sound of the modded MSR7 more. They're much more spacious, they feel absolutely luxurious with the huge leather pads, and the sound is significantly bigger in every direction. For me, that means one of two things. Either I keep the MSR7b as is and make them my portable cans (for which they're absolutely incredible), relegating the MSR7 to mostly home use, or I use the MSR7b a bit at stock, burn them in and then start messing with them. I guess I'll go with the second option because of multiple reasons. First off, I'm a tinkerer at heart, I want to mess with stuff. Secondly, what if I can do more or less the same things to the MSR7b and they become far superior to the old ones? I mean, they may look ridiculous with the HM5 pads, but trying can't hurt. Third, I'm dying to take a look inside, see what else they may have done, because I guess what I'm hearing isn't just a new diaphragm. I'm betting on either a different chamber design or different damping scheme, maybe with foam instead of felt. We'll see... I hope to find everything out! I'll make sure to post everything here.
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Fiio sells it for ca 15 dollars/euros, so not a big outlay even directly. A cheap and good solutions for using with 2,5mm balanced sources
tokyodan
New Head-Fier
i just wonder how much difference these balanced cables really make.
It is a real improvement that anyone can discern? Or is it a "I-think-I-can-hear-a-difference"... an imaginative, self-deception because you shelled out the money and want to believe the money wasn't wasted kind of difference?
It is a real improvement that anyone can discern? Or is it a "I-think-I-can-hear-a-difference"... an imaginative, self-deception because you shelled out the money and want to believe the money wasn't wasted kind of difference?
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