[subwoof3r]

Listening to them both now each direct from Mojo 2. The comparison isn't really fair to be honest - one is an open back headphone, the other is closed back. One is 200 Euros the other is 800 Euros. But nevertheless....

- MSR7B to me sounds very good for 200 Euros headphone. I have long since championed this headphone. It's clean sounding, with reasonably good technical performance. Imaging especially is quite good. Detail retrieval is a bit soft and soundstage is intimate. Overall timbre to me is quite balanced, but overall lacks refinement and texture. For me, the MSR7B is like a headphone that has the ingredients of an excellent headphone but without being able to bring these ingredients to fruition.

- 109 Pro: Moving to 109 Pro. Everything is better. What does this mean? It means: more depth in every aspect of the FR: bass has better extension with more detail, mids have more texture and refinement with much better layering, top end is smoother with a more natural response. Technically, also a totally different performance - layering, imaging, soundstage, detail, accuracy, speed, etc. On sub-bass, yes - 109 Pro hits harder and reaches low.

In sum, they're both good as all-rounders, but clearly the 109 Pro will perform better. I have not encountered a genre that didn't sound good on the 109 Pro. For me, the MSR7B - again - is a good headphone, but it's also a budget headphone so performs within those parameters. 109 Pro, on other hand, I could see as some people's "endgame" without having to quibble about other headphones.

Hope that helps.

I see thanks a lot for your feedback, appreciated (especially I'm also having the Mojo 2 as my unique source for now)

 

[Nostoi]

I see thanks a lot for your feedback, appreciated (especially I'm also having the Mojo 2 as my unique source for now)

No prob. Mojo 2 is a great source for them both.

 

[Quadfather]

Well, I am still locked out of my safe. A month without DAPs or headphones. The locksmith is coming on October 4th.

 

[cuprajake]

hi guys,

so i got the msr7b to replace the bayer dt770 - when i got them it was like taking out a pair of earplugs

here i am 12months on and upgraditus hit, i purchased a set of m565c - as soon as i used them the mrs said she could hear them, leakage - such a shame, so back to amazon they went,

im now at the stage of thinking i need new pads, i have the brainwavez but it found them muffeld, un modded - ive not modded them yet.

i currently run them from a samsung s20 - into a ifi zen can, ive just ordered a fiio ka2 so i can get full high res audio

so does anyone have a step up headphone to this? or links to stock pads?

cheers jake

 

[cuprajake]

Wrong thread

 

[Legato2057]

hi guys,

so i got the msr7b to replace the bayer dt770 - when i got them it was like taking out a pair of earplugs

here i am 12months on and upgraditus hit, i purchased a set of m565c - as soon as i used them the mrs said she could hear them, leakage - such a shame, so back to amazon they went,

im now at the stage of thinking i need new pads, i have the brainwavez but it found them muffeld, un modded - ive not modded them yet.

i currently run them from a samsung s20 - into a ifi zen can, ive just ordered a fiio ka2 so i can get full high res audio

so does anyone have a step up headphone to this? or links to stock pads?

cheers jake

You should seriously consider getting a pair of the ATH-WP900 https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/headphones/best-for/audiophile/ath-wp900.
$650 is a lot new, but you can usually find a good used pair for around $400.

But if you want good new pads for the MSR7b, you can’t go wrong with Yaxi pads, they’re expensive, but really great quality: https://a.co/d/95awkcC

 

[cuprajake]

Well, i ended up with some iems
Shuoer s12 and they are a great sounding thing that's for sure.

 

[cuprajake]

However there not comfy so going to send them back

So back to looking at closed backs with very little sound leak

 

[Legato2057]

However there not comfy so going to send them back

So back to looking at closed backs with very little sound leak

 

[cuprajake]

I use my android phone as a source for music. Now the latest Android isn't limited to audio output so you can get full res from the usb c port.

I've just found an app to use with Deezer for eq called wavelet, it has a eq already built in for the msr7b, aswel as others.

It's allowed me to change things up and I'm pretty happy again, it's always been the fit more than anything ears touching the driver.

If you use tidal/qobuz then audio player pro is good.

 

[Quadfather]

I am using the balanced output of my Lotoo Paw Gold Touch with my Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7B headphones. Is it just me, or do these sound as good or better than many expensive headphones? I use custom LQI balanced cables.

 

[Quadfather]

Listening to them both now each direct from Mojo 2. The comparison isn't really fair to be honest - one is an open back headphone, the other is closed back. One is 200 Euros the other is 800 Euros. But nevertheless....

- MSR7B to me sounds very good for 200 Euros headphone. I have long since championed this headphone. It's clean sounding, with reasonably good technical performance. Imaging especially is quite good. Detail retrieval is a bit soft and soundstage is intimate. Overall timbre to me is quite balanced, but overall lacks refinement and texture. For me, the MSR7B is like a headphone that has the ingredients of an excellent headphone but without being able to bring these ingredients to fruition.

- 109 Pro: Moving to 109 Pro. Everything is better. What does this mean? It means: more depth in every aspect of the FR: bass has better extension with more detail, mids have more texture and refinement with much better layering, top end is smoother with a more natural response. Technically, also a totally different performance - layering, imaging, soundstage, detail, accuracy, speed, etc. On sub-bass, yes - 109 Pro hits harder and reaches low.

In sum, they're both good as all-rounders, but clearly the 109 Pro will perform better. I have not encountered a genre that didn't sound good on the 109 Pro. For me, the MSR7B - again - is a good headphone, but it's also a budget headphone so performs within those parameters. 109 Pro, on other hand, I could see as some people's "endgame" without having to quibble about other headphones.

Hope that helps.

I think the Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7B headphones sound good for any price. Amazing product. I still plan on getting the Meze 109 Pro

 

[cuprajake]

Yeah I'm really torn, after a bit of eq they have come alive

This android app has a profile for them.

I've been looking at the m1060c but unsure they will be any better

 

[subwoof3r]

Is it just me, or do these sound as good or better than many expensive headphones?

Definitely
I had Fostex TH900 and HD800 (for my yet pricey headphones) but I find these MSR7b more enjoyable and especially beeing better all-rounder than both.
I also plan to "upgrade" to Meze 109 Pro one day, but not sure it will sound "better" to me. Can't wait...

 

[tolis626]

hey tolis, long time no see
Did you grabbed a pair of Dekoni Elite sheepskin to your MSR7B (if you still have these headphones) ? I will be pleased to hear what you think of it.
I really enjoy my stock MSR7b sound coupled with my new Chord Mojo 2, absolutely brillant sound, but I'm willing to try for some new pads, so opened for any advice that will sound the best in the MSR7b
Cheers'

Hey boys (and girls, maybe)! I'm back!

Long time no see indeed. I stopped coming to this forum after a long vacation I took and for some reason never made it back. Well, that changes because I got an email today about a PM I got and I'm trying to catch up with you guys. Glad to see the discussion on the MSR7b is going strong!

As for your question, no, I didn't get any new pads. My sense got the best of me, it seems. I'm "stuck" with my angled sheepskin HM5s on the MSR7b, which OF COURSE I still have. And I'm SO OK with that. I have them on my head right now and I'm in a sweet jam session, switching between genres like crazy and it all works. I have been taking these things for granted, but after reading this thread a bit I decided to sit down and actively listen to music, and I realized how much I love them.

Now, with the danger of sounding like a broken record, I see a lot of people complaining that these things lack bass. And here I am, felt modded MSR7b with angled sheepskin HM5 pads on my head, and right now "Oh mama" from Run the Jewels is playing (I don't even really enjoy RTJ that much, I'm a metalhead, I'm just listening to it to let the headphones flex a bit). With the volume cranked a bit I can feel the bass. Not just listen to it, FEEL it, it's tickling my earlobes. People who try different pads without the mod (I find it very cute that it ended up being called "the Tolis mod" around here, I get a stupid sense of accomplishment) are missing out big time.

Only thing I am regretting right now is that this is happening away from home, and I'm using my "lowly" (but still amazing) Fiio Q5s off of my laptop playing music from Spotify. I have neglected these things at home in favor of my HD58x, which I do prefer for gaming and comfort, especially in the summer. When I get back I wanna hook them up to my PC and play my FLACs out of my Topping D70s and THX AAA 789 and blast my head off.

Last thing. Next week there's a big audio show going on here in Athens (It's called Ήχος-Εικόνα, literally meaning Sound-Picture) which I missed the last couple of years due to COVID. But it's happening again and there's bound to be some crazy new stuff there, apart from the classics like Focal, Audeze etc. So what I'll do is what I did the last time. I'll take my Q5s and MSR7b with me, and see how far above their weight class they can still hit. Last time I went, it took the LCD-X, Hifiman Arya and some Stax electrostats to impress me. Wonder what I'll listen to this time.

One thing's for sure, the MSR7b aren't going anywhere. I'm kinda broke right now because I'm between jobs, so expenses are cut to a minimum. BUT! I'll soon be moving to Germany and I intend to refresh my setup (I don't wanna say upgrade, it's gonna take something special for me to consider an upgrade). Apart from eyeing things like LCD-X and some Focal/Meze cans, I still have my Audio Technica modding itch, and I'm thinking either grabbing the SR9 and doing the same things I did to the MSR7b, or even grabbing a second pair of MSR7b and modding them into something completely different. Maybe open back? Maybe with a custom housing? It's gonna be a nightmare to tune right, but with how much capability AT packed into something that costs so little, it's gonna be worth it.