[WilcoRoger]

I'm listening to the Mahavishnu Orchestra right now and both Jerry's violin and John's guitar are "right there"

 

[bizkid]

MSR7b arrived. I have owned the original MSR7 3 years ago but i don't remember anything about it. My first impressions: Plenty of bass for my tastes. More and it would be too much. Vocal projection is great. Vocals get seperated from the rest of the Instruments. Pretty cool. I like it alot so far. PrAT is great, this headphone grooves. Paid the full 250€ with 5% off. It will probably take 1-2 years for old MSR7 stock to sell off and thus allowing Price reductions on the new MSR7b. I didnt want to wait that long

 

[menuki]

DISCLAIMER: My pair has not been burned in yet, since I can't resist listening to them - so sound quality may improve even further.

Now, here are some early impressions:

After purchasing the Meze 99 Classics, and being happy with them, mostly due to the fact that every part can easily be replaced should something break, and of course because of their warm engulfing sound, I promised to myself I wouldn't acquire and further headphones for quiet a while.

Well, *sigh*, then I saw the MSR7b and I just got too curious and instantly hit the buy button on Amazon, knowing they'd arrive just two days later.

Coming home from a work-related trade exhibition, I was looking forward to them quite a lot but was worried they might still sound too bright to my ears. Also, even though they have a DLC (diamond like carbon) coated driver, I was also a bit anxious whether they would have enough bass for me as well, especially coming from the Meze's (which do have just a touch too much bass in some tracks).

But no.

Everything sounds crisp, the bass is tight and still full, especially when the track calls for it - mids are really good with maybe a bit of recession in the lower area, probably adding to the very, very good separation from the bass. Really, the bass never gets overwhelming what so ever, and it is very clear and fast, especially compared to the Meze's (which may get a bit "woolly" in that area). Also, the extension is to my ears a touch better as well in the sub area.

The highs can get a bit hot, but I think that is only the case when the track itself is mastered that way, so they are very revealing and picky when it comes to the audio files it's being fed. In well-mastered tracks everything just shines and sparkles, but never gets too much; I never thought treble can be that addicting!! Every hi-hats and other sounds in the higher freq. area are so very clear and well placed in the stereo image and have such a quick decay which creates an amazing atmosphere along with the vast soundstage. Both Tidal and Spotify deliver enough sound quality, Tidal being a bit more clear (I'd say 10%, which does make some songs almost unbelievably good sounding) compared directly, but I'm yet unsure whether or not the extra 20 bucks per month on top are worth it since again, Spotify also has very good audio quality.

What impresses me on top of all that, making me return the Meze's pretty surely, is the soundstage. For a closed back headphones the soundstage is just stellar, making me not miss the openness you'd get from an open back, trumping the Meze's, even though their soundstage is not too much of a slack either, but everything feels just more closed in on them. I attribute the increased soundstage to the venting system they are using, which also seems to help with fatigue - the Meze's isolate better, but them having a lot of bass and creating a seal makes them more fatiguing imo (feels like they create "bass-pressure" a bit). Drivers are angled, adding to comfort, since the back of my ears don't touch the drivers, and this is probably also why the soundstage is so amazing. Always been a fan of that as opposed to angled pads (usually easier to find replacement pads), but I wonder if the soundstage would increase further in quality/size when adding angled pads.

So overall, color me very impressed and satisfied. They sound balanced throughout with maybe a touch of tasteful brightness which creates an overall addicting sound signature. The only caveat, really, is that they are quite creaky and it makes me just a touch worried they might break (easily) since everything besides the earcups (which are made of metal) and the steel bands, are plastic. But, I won't let that ruin my experience with them, and since this keeps cost/weight down, the 250€ I paid are spent on a headphone which EASILY sounds twice as good as the price would suggest.

Also, comfort is great. More comfortable than the Meze's and just to compare these two, because I think it's fair since they are in about the same pricerange (Meze's 309€, ATH-MSR7b 249€), here's a short comparison with a rating from 1-10, 10 being the best:

Build quality:
ATH - 7,5 | Meze - 9,5

Comfort:
ATH - 9.5 | Meze - 9

Soundstage:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 8

Bass:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 8

Mids:
ATH - 9,2 | Meze - 9

Treble:
ATH - 9 | Meze - 8,5 (bit strong at times, should improve with pads wearing in though!)

Overall sound quality:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 8,5

Overall sound output:
ATH - Neutral, with a touch of brightness, soundstage/imaging is incredible for a closed back | Meze - Warm, lacks "sparkle" a bit, bass can be a touch too much at times

EDIT: Please be aware that the ratings I gave the Meze's were with the original pads, the new pads (smaller hole) open them up and they become more balanced, a tad less bassy and overall my prefered choice over the ATH.

 

[Mhog55]

DISCLAIMER: My pair has not been burned in yet, since I can't resist listening to them - so sound quality may improve even further.

Now, here are some early impressions:

After purchasing the Meze 99 Classics, and being happy with them, mostly due to the fact that every part can easily be replaced should something break, and of course because of their warm engulfing sound, I promised to myself I wouldn't acquire and further headphones for quiet a while.

Well, *sigh*, then I saw the MSR7b and I just got too curious and instantly hit the buy button on Amazon, knowing they'd arrive just two days later.

Coming home from a work-related trade exhibition, I was looking forward to them quite a lot but was worried they might still sound too bright to my ears. Also, even though they have a DLC (diamond like carbon) coated driver, I was also a bit anxious whether they would have enough bass for me as well, especially coming from the Meze's (which do have just a touch too much bass in some tracks).

But no.

Everything sounds crisp, the bass is tight and still full, especially when the track calls for it - mids are really good with maybe a bit of recession in the lower area, probably adding to the very, very good separation from the bass. Really, the bass never gets overwhelming what so ever, and it is very clear and fast, especially compared to the Meze's (which may get a bit "woolly" in that area). Also, the extension is to my ears a touch better as well in the sub area.

The highs can get a bit hot, but I think that is only the case when the track itself is mastered that way, so they are very revealing and picky when it comes to the audio files it's being fed. In well-mastered tracks everything just shines and sparkles, but never gets too much; I never thought treble can be that addicting!! Every hi-hats and other sounds in the higher freq. area are so very clear and well placed in the stereo image and have such a quick decay which creates an amazing atmosphere along with the vast soundstage. Both Tidal and Spotify deliver enough sound quality, Tidal being a bit more clear (I'd say 10%, which does make some songs almost unbelievably good sounding) compared directly, but I'm yet unsure whether or not the extra 20 bucks per month on top are worth it since again, Spotify also has very good audio quality.

What impresses me on top of all that, making me return the Meze's pretty surely, is the soundstage. For a closed back headphones the soundstage is just stellar, making me not miss the openness you'd get from an open back, trumping the Meze's, even though their soundstage is not too much of a slack either, but everything feels just more closed in on them. I attribute the increased soundstage to the venting system they are using, which also seems to help with fatigue - the Meze's isolate better, but them having a lot of bass and creating a seal makes them more fatiguing imo (feels like they create "bass-pressure" a bit). Drivers are angled, adding to comfort, since the back of my ears don't touch the drivers, and this is probably also why the soundstage is so amazing. Always been a fan of that as opposed to angled pads (usually easier to find replacement pads), but I wonder if the soundstage would increase further in quality/size when adding angled pads.

So overall, color me very impressed and satisfied. They sound balanced throughout with maybe a touch of tasteful brightness which creates an overall addicting sound signature. The only caveat, really, is that they are quite creaky and it makes me just a touch worried they might break (easily) since everything besides the earcups (which are made of metal) and the steel bands, are plastic. But, I won't let that ruin my experience with them, and since this keeps cost/weight down, the 250€ I paid are spent on a headphone which EASILY sounds twice as good as the price would suggest.

Also, comfort is great. More comfortable than the Meze's and just to compare these two, because I think it's fair since they are in about the same pricerange (Meze's 309€, ATH-MSR7b 249€), here's a short comparison with a rating from 1-10, 10 being the best:

Build quality:
ATH - 7,5 | Meze - 9,5

Comfort:
ATH - 9.5 | Meze - 9

Soundstage:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 8

Bass:
ATH - 9 | Meze - 8

Mids:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 9

Treble:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 7,5

Overall sound quality:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 8,5

Overall sound output:
ATH - Neutral, with a touch of brightness | Meze - Warm, lacks "sparkle" a bit, bass can be a touch too much at times

Nice write up. That's really saying something that you rated the mids higher on the Msr7b, especially considering you said the low mids are somewhat recessed.
Are you using the old or new pads with your Classics? How do you think that tastefully bright treble would sound with aggressive rock music?

 

[menuki]

.

 

[zazex]

I've been listening to these for 3 days.

It's worth mentioning, I think, that I had 2 pairs of the originals.
Liked the sound but it was not possible for me to wear them. Too tight,
or weirdly shaped, I don't know, I reluctantly returned them.

6 months later or so, I decided to give them another try.
And I did. But the result was the same.

Oh well, there are plenty of headphones out there...
Then I heard about the b's. Bought them - or thought
I did. Much more comfortable. Posted about them
here, and was informed that the b's weren't even
out yet!

So what were the ones I had just bought, that sounded so good
and actually fit me? I had no idea! But they weren't the b's, so
I returned them.'

Now I have the "actual" b's.
One thing, they don't look as nicely made as the others I've had.
In fact, to me, they do look somewhat cheap.

And while I'm not going to claim I remember how all the others
sounded, I can say I really liked the way they sounded.
But not these. Yeah, if you pick them all apart the treble
is very good, etc etc - but the overall sound just does not
do it for me. Does not appeal to me. There's something
"not quite right" with their sound.

I'm strongly leaning towards returning them - and I don't
do a lot of returns I just basically don't like these very
much., And I'm not particularly pleased about that.

 

[menuki]

I've been listening to these for 3 days.

It's worth mentioning, I think, that I had 2 pairs of the originals.
Liked the sound but it was not possible for me to wear them. Too tight,
or weirdly shaped, I don't know, I reluctantly returned them.

6 months later or so, I decided to give them another try.
And I did. But the result was the same.

Oh well, there are plenty of headphones out there...
Then I heard about the b's. Bought them - or thought
I did. Much more comfortable. Posted about them
here, and was informed that the b's weren't even
out yet!

So what were the ones I had just bought, that sounded so good
and actually fit me? I had no idea! But they weren't the b's, so
I returned them.'

Now I have the "actual" b's.
One thing, they don't look as nicely made as the others I've had.
In fact, to me, they do look somewhat cheap.

And while I'm not going to claim I remember how all the others
sounded, I can say I really liked the way they sounded.
But not these. Yeah, if you pick them all apart the treble
is very good, etc etc - but the overall sound just does not
do it for me. Does not appeal to me. There's something
"not quite right" with their sound.

I'm strongly leaning towards returning them - and I don't
do a lot of returns I just basically don't like these very
much., And I'm not particularly pleased about that.

Sorry to hear about that. Their sound will definitley not be for everyone, but for thoose who are looking for a brightish but not in bass lacking, large soundstage headphone, if the slightly recessed lower mids are not an issue. What is your usual sound preference?

 

[zazex]

I like the Grado PS500e and RS1i.
And the Audio Technica R70 (not sure of the exact model number)
Also the Shure 1840

Yeah, I know, - all open back headphones.
But I've always liked open backs.

One reason I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I
liked the original MSR7, and was so bummed that I really
just couldn't wear it.

I've been looking for some good -very good - closed headphones.
Bought the Sony Z7 a couple of years ago. Not bad, but
I was frankly a bit disappointed.

Now they're coming back around with the Z7M2's telling me
"oh yeah, those Z7's, maybe we made a few mistakes...sorry
cough cough...but wow, these new ones are far better, much
better, and we're only going to charge you two hundred dollars
more than the others."

Thankfully the marketplace is pretty open and the M2's can
be had for $650.00 or so. I doubt there are return privileges
at that price, but who knows? Gotta check it out.

BTW, if you can recommend any for under six - seven
hundred USD please feel free to let me know.

Thanks.

 

[menuki]

I like the Grado PS500e and RS1i.
And the Audio Technica R70 (not sure of the exact model number)
Also the Shure 1840

Yeah, I know, - all open back headphones.
But I've always liked open backs.

One reason I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I
liked the original MSR7, and was so bummed that I really
just couldn't wear it.

I've been looking for some good -very good - closed headphones.
Bought the Sony Z7 a couple of years ago. Not bad, but
I was frankly a bit disappointed.

Now they're coming back around with the Z7M2's telling me
"oh yeah, those Z7's, maybe we made a few mistakes...sorry
cough cough...but wow, these new ones are far better, much
better, and we're only going to charge you two hundred dollars
more than the others."

Thankfully the marketplace is pretty open and the M2's can
be had for $650.00 or so. I doubt there are return privileges
at that price, but who knows? Gotta check it out.

BTW, if you can recommend any for under six - seven
hundred USD please feel free to let me know.

Thanks.

You may want to check out the Denon D7200's. Balanced, warm and smooth sound signature, really liked them, but they aren't that portable and I was always a bit paranoid carrying them arround since they cost me 600€. If that isn't an issue (cause there are nice cases for this headphone), I can only reccomend them - they only received stellar reviews basically so you don't have to just take my word for it.

But, if you're looking for a headphone which has a sparkly, bright sound, then these wouldn't be for you. If you like your sound to be organic, warm but still balanced throughout with a really nice midrange, check em out.

 

[menuki]

.

 

[bizkid]

They may not look (or feel) like high-end headphones, but they IMO sound like that.

I definately agree with that. I'm now considering getting a DAP with balanced output to get the most out of them. The FiiO M11 looks interesting.
I'm also still on the hunt for an open back headphone around 500€ with a similar sound as the MSR7b. Though i don't think there is anything on the market right now.

 

[Mhog55]

The mids on the Meze's are really great make no mistake, but the ATH just seem to represent them in such a detailled and nice way that I do prefer them. If one prefers more natural/neutral and/or warmish mids, then the Meze's would be a better fit I think. But again, the recession in the lower mids makes the bass never ever overstep into the Mids, but on the Meze's that may happen at times. I have the original pads, but learned, that the new pads increase bass response, which is really not required since they already have quiet a bit of bass. But, afaik, Meze wants to offer new "old pads" in the future.

Regarding the second question, that is really hard to tell because everyone is either less or more treble sensitive, but I see myself as kind of sensitive in that area but they seem to only rarely cross the line in some tracks where it may get a bit too much and I have to turn down the volume a bit. Maybe you have an example track I could listen to, so that I can give you further feedback?

Absolutely! Thank you. Any track from AC DC should work. Older stuff like this -
Up to my neck in you
Walk all over you
Or try the song by Accept - Up to the limit
Judas Priest - Ram it down
Let me know what you think.

 

[Mhog55]

I like the Grado PS500e and RS1i.
And the Audio Technica R70 (not sure of the exact model number)
Also the Shure 1840

Yeah, I know, - all open back headphones.
But I've always liked open backs.

One reason I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I
liked the original MSR7, and was so bummed that I really
just couldn't wear it.

I've been looking for some good -very good - closed headphones.
Bought the Sony Z7 a couple of years ago. Not bad, but
I was frankly a bit disappointed.

Now they're coming back around with the Z7M2's telling me
"oh yeah, those Z7's, maybe we made a few mistakes...sorry
cough cough...but wow, these new ones are far better, much
better, and we're only going to charge you two hundred dollars
more than the others."

Thankfully the marketplace is pretty open and the M2's can
be had for $650.00 or so. I doubt there are return privileges
at that price, but who knows? Gotta check it out.

BTW, if you can recommend any for under six - seven
hundred USD please feel free to let me know.

Thanks.

You liked the original Msr7, but not the new B model? What didn't you like about the sound? Have you heard the Audioquest Nightowl Carbon?

 

[Mhog55]

Okay, who snagged the pair from the auction site for 110 bucks?! I totally forgot to bid. Quite the deal

 

[bcaulf17]

DISCLAIMER: My pair has not been burned in yet, since I can't resist listening to them - so sound quality may improve even further.

Now, here are some early impressions:

After purchasing the Meze 99 Classics, and being happy with them, mostly due to the fact that every part can easily be replaced should something break, and of course because of their warm engulfing sound, I promised to myself I wouldn't acquire and further headphones for quiet a while.

Well, *sigh*, then I saw the MSR7b and I just got too curious and instantly hit the buy button on Amazon, knowing they'd arrive just two days later.

Coming home from a work-related trade exhibition, I was looking forward to them quite a lot but was worried they might still sound too bright to my ears. Also, even though they have a DLC (diamond like carbon) coated driver, I was also a bit anxious whether they would have enough bass for me as well, especially coming from the Meze's (which do have just a touch too much bass in some tracks).

But no.

Everything sounds crisp, the bass is tight and still full, especially when the track calls for it - mids are really good with maybe a bit of recession in the lower area, probably adding to the very, very good separation from the bass. Really, the bass never gets overwhelming what so ever, and it is very clear and fast, especially compared to the Meze's (which may get a bit "woolly" in that area). Also, the extension is to my ears a touch better as well in the sub area.

The highs can get a bit hot, but I think that is only the case when the track itself is mastered that way, so they are very revealing and picky when it comes to the audio files it's being fed. In well-mastered tracks everything just shines and sparkles, but never gets too much; I never thought treble can be that addicting!! Every hi-hats and other sounds in the higher freq. area are so very clear and well placed in the stereo image and have such a quick decay which creates an amazing atmosphere along with the vast soundstage. Both Tidal and Spotify deliver enough sound quality, Tidal being a bit more clear (I'd say 10%, which does make some songs almost unbelievably good sounding) compared directly, but I'm yet unsure whether or not the extra 20 bucks per month on top are worth it since again, Spotify also has very good audio quality.

What impresses me on top of all that, making me return the Meze's pretty surely, is the soundstage. For a closed back headphones the soundstage is just stellar, making me not miss the openness you'd get from an open back, trumping the Meze's, even though their soundstage is not too much of a slack either, but everything feels just more closed in on them. I attribute the increased soundstage to the venting system they are using, which also seems to help with fatigue - the Meze's isolate better, but them having a lot of bass and creating a seal makes them more fatiguing imo (feels like they create "bass-pressure" a bit). Drivers are angled, adding to comfort, since the back of my ears don't touch the drivers, and this is probably also why the soundstage is so amazing. Always been a fan of that as opposed to angled pads (usually easier to find replacement pads), but I wonder if the soundstage would increase further in quality/size when adding angled pads.

So overall, color me very impressed and satisfied. They sound balanced throughout with maybe a touch of tasteful brightness which creates an overall addicting sound signature. The only caveat, really, is that they are quite creaky and it makes me just a touch worried they might break (easily) since everything besides the earcups (which are made of metal) and the steel bands, are plastic. But, I won't let that ruin my experience with them, and since this keeps cost/weight down, the 250€ I paid are spent on a headphone which EASILY sounds twice as good as the price would suggest.

Also, comfort is great. More comfortable than the Meze's and just to compare these two, because I think it's fair since they are in about the same pricerange (Meze's 309€, ATH-MSR7b 249€), here's a short comparison with a rating from 1-10, 10 being the best:

Build quality:
ATH - 7,5 | Meze - 9,5

Comfort:
ATH - 9.5 | Meze - 9

Soundstage:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 8

Bass:
ATH - 9 | Meze - 8

Mids:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 9

Treble:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 7,5

Overall sound quality:
ATH - 9,5 | Meze - 8,5

Overall sound output:
ATH - Neutral, with a touch of brightness | Meze - Warm, lacks "sparkle" a bit, bass can be a touch too much at times

Now there's an exciting endorsement. Especially interesting to read since I have been considering the 99 Noirs, which come with a remodel of the old pads (supposedly). I like a good midrange but I don't like bright, so I don't think I would like the MSR7b. I prefer neutral to warm. Hm.