[MusicCrave93]

Basically I'm looking for an OUTSTANDING sounding pair of headphones in my $200-$300 price range. Something close to perfection.

I want something with crisp & clear sound. But I also need to have my bass, it's not an option to go without it and what I mean when I say that is that I need my bass exactly as it is. I don't want a pair that overly exaggerates the bass and I don't want a pair that overly neglects it. I just want a pair that represents what's actually there.

Here are the headphones that I'm considering...

The Audio Technica ATH-M50x

The Audio Technica ATH-M70x

The Audio Technica ATH-MSR7

The Sennheiser HD558

The Sennheiser HD598

I'm looking at the Audio Technica headphones cause I've heard great things about them. And the only reason I'm looking at the Sennheiser's is cause a friend let me hear his HD25's and I felt that they sounded better than my V-Moda LP2's so I'm curious to see what their even more top of the line cans sound like.

Please help me choose or feel absolutely free to throw another suggestion towards me.

 

[peanuthead]

Out of the ones you've listed, ATH-MSR7 is head and shoulders above the rest.  It is a great performer.

 

[MusicCrave93]

Out of the ones you've listed, ATH-MSR7 is head and shoulders above the rest.  It is a great performer.

Can you go into detail on why you say that?

Do they fit my description?

And you said "out of the ones you listed", is there something that I didn't list that you would care to put me on to?

 

[OverlordRush]

I cant really speak for the senns, since I don't own any of them nor have I demo them for a extended period of time. But I had an old pair of M50 and I love them (left them on a plane coming back from China).  I don't think the M50X sounds too much better than my old M50 (as far as i can remember), not to say the M50X isn't great, it is one of the best pair of headphones you can get for that price point, and you can prob find over 9000 reviews of M50X on the web. Now if you have demo the M50X and want something that's better sounding/build/looking, the MSR7 is more similar to the M50X than the M70X. If you like the look of the MSR7 and want better build quality, get the MSR7.  With that being said, I just bought a pair of M70x a week ago, and I think it fit the description of what you are looking for in a pair of headphones. The M70x sound really flat, you can hear the bass, but you just can't feel the bass as compare to the M50x. If you value bass above accuracy, get the MSR7 (or M50x). But if want something that's crisp & clean and with as little bass boost as possible, get the M70x or R70x.  You should really try the M70x out before you purchase them, since they are definitely not for everyone.  
 
The M70x costing about twice as much as the M50x do i think is twice as better than the M50x? NO,I think $250 be a more appropriate price for them, of course I would love them even more if I got it for free.
 
tl;dr: M50x = best bang for the buck MSR7 = get them if you like the look M70x = try them out and see of they are worth it to you.

 

[MusicCrave93]

I cant really speak for the senns, since I don't own any of them nor have I demo them for a extended period of time. But I had an old pair of M50 and I love them (left them on a plane coming back from China).  I don't think the M50X sounds too much better than my old M50 (as far as i can remember), not to say the M50X isn't great, it is one of the best pair of headphones you can get for that price point, and you can prob find over 9000 reviews of M50X on the web. Now if you have demo the M50X and want something that's better sounding/build/looking, the MSR7 is more similar to the M50X than the M70X. If you like the look of the MSR7 and want better build quality, get the MSR7.  With that being said, I just bought a pair of M70x a week ago, and I think it fit the description of what you are looking for in a pair of headphones. The M70x sound really flat, you can hear the bass, but you just can't feel the bass as compare to the M50x. If you value bass above accuracy, get the MSR7 (or M50x). But if want something that's crisp & clean and with as little bass boost as possible, get the M70x or R70x.  You should really try the M70x out before you purchase them, since they are definitely not for everyone.  

The M70x costing about twice as much as the M50x do i think is twice as better than the M50x? NO,I think $250 be a more appropriate price for them, of course I would love them even more if I got it for free.

tl;dr: M50x = best bang for the buck MSR7 = get them if you like the look M70x = try them out and see of they are worth it to you.

"With that being said, I just bought a pair of M70x a week ago, and I think it fit the description of what you are looking for in a pair of headphones. The M70x sound really flat, you can hear the bass, but you just can't feel the bass as compare to the M50x. If you value bass above accuracy, get the MSR7 (or M50x). But if want something that's crisp & clean and with as little bass boost as possible, get the M70x or R70x."

That's definitely not what I'm looking for. Like I said, not having bass is not an option I want accuracy with bass.

It always confused me how people consider a pair of headphones that purposely neglects bass as "accurate" sounding. If I'm listening to a song that I know for a fact has a lot of bass and I'm listening to headphones that make that bass nonexistent then that is not accurate at all IMO. It's just another pair that decides to favor other aspects instead of bass.

"Now if you have demo the M50X and want something that's better sounding/build/looking, the MSR7 is more similar to the M50X than the M70X. If you like the look of the MSR7 and want better build quality, get the MSR7."

I haven't demo any of them yet but I will try all of them tomorrow.

Now you haven't explained the MSR7 sound quality like you did the M50x and the M70x.

How is it more like the M50x than the M70x?

Do they sound significantly better than the M50x? Is it more crisp and clear?

 

[goropeza]

I think the OP should go into more detail about what kind of bass he or she is looking for. If you want sub woofer types of 'thumping' bass lines thats popular in electronic or pop music, than I think the M50x (from what I hear) should be for you. The HD 598 (I have owned and listened to extensively) is more of a smooth/lush type of bass thats great with jazz and acoustic music. Simply saying you want bass isnt really being descriptive enough. Perhaps state what your preferred style of music is?

 

[OverlordRush]

"With that being said, I just bought a pair of M70x a week ago, and I think it fit the description of what you are looking for in a pair of headphones. The M70x sound really flat, you can hear the bass, but you just can't feel the bass as compare to the M50x. If you value bass above accuracy, get the MSR7 (or M50x). But if want something that's crisp & clean and with as little bass boost as possible, get the M70x or R70x."

That's definitely not what I'm looking for. Like I said, not having bass is not an option I want accuracy with bass.

It always confused me how people consider a pair of headphones that purposely neglects bass as "accurate" sounding. If I'm listening to a song that I know for a fact has a lot of bass and I'm listening to headphones that make that bass nonexistent then that is not accurate at all IMO. It's just another pair that decides to favor other aspects instead of bass.

"Now if you have demo the M50X and want something that's better sounding/build/looking, the MSR7 is more similar to the M50X than the M70X. If you like the look of the MSR7 and want better build quality, get the MSR7."

I haven't demo any of them yet but I will try all of them tomorrow.

Now you haven't explained the MSR7 sound quality like you did the M50x and the M70x.

How is it more like the M50x than the M70x?

Do they sound significantly better than the M50x? Is it more crisp and clear?

 
The MSR7 sound warm with a slight bass boost much like the M50x, with better overall sound quality, and better build quality. And the M70x has a very flat V shape sound (with very minimal boost to the bass/treble). M70x are a very neutral sounding because the bass is not overpowering, not to say they are on the M50x or the MSR7.  
 
maybe my description of the M70x isn't good enough, and I don't think I can do any better.  
Does the M70x sound great? Yes, they do, but they are not for everyone, since more people are use to more of a bass boost.  
Does it mean the M70x lack bass? No, is just a different kind of bass, is just more accurate than punchy
Does it mean the MSR7/M50x's bass isn't accurate? No, it just depends on what kinda of base you prefer, and I can't really explain in detail the difference in sound signature between the MSR7 and M50x, since i dont own the MSR7 and haven't demo it for an extended amount of time.
 
you want punchy and accurate bass? and great details? Get a pair of planar headphone (Hifiman HE-560?), but they are not with in your price range. All I am saying is that at the $300 price point you can't get ultimate bass and superior accuracy, is just what you prefer more. and tbh demo is better than any review, so go try them all tomorrow. and if you have the chance, try the sennheiser HD800, that's what most people would agree to be the most accurate headphone.