[keanex]

 
Pros: Stylish aesthetics, removable cable, musicality.
Cons: Shouty upper mids, rolled off treble, sluggish midbass.
Tonal Balance: Mild v-shape
Style: Closed circumaural
Listening Set-up: Musicbee (WASAPI/FLAC) -> Matrix HPA-3U
Cost at Time of Review: $220
 

Reviewing Process

I’ve had the MSR7 for approximately a month with daily use being primarily for light jogs through a quiet neighborhood while plugged into my Sansa Clip Zip. I have spent a great deal of time with the MSR7 and feel comfortable sharing my opinion of them, but experience is always better than reading reviews. I encourage all readers to demo products before buying them when able to.
 
Thanks to Audio Technica for the review sample.
 

Build & Fit

Build
The MSR7 are constructed of metal and plastic and feel to be built consistent with the general quality of the $200 headphone market. When handled nothing feels overly loose or overly tight and I don’t hear any creaks or groans when making adjustments. The pads and headband appear to be stitched cleanly and securely as well. Nothing about the build stands out as being phenomenal, but I can’t find anything to complain about.
 
Fit
Comfort is about average in every regard. Downwards force is mild due to the lightness of the body, but the headband padding is thin causing the downwards force to be increasingly noticed over time. Clamping force is enough to be secure without causing a headache, strong enough for a light jog but I wouldn’t trust them with strenuous exercise. The pleather pads are a bit thin, my ears nearly touch the drivers, and could certainly benefit from a bit more padding, I’d be interested in trying the HM5 pads on these actually. Isolation is above average though which makes these great for travelling or in close quarters listening situations.
 

Sound Quality

TLR
The MSR7 aims for a balanced sound but it doesn’t quite hit the mark, but the mild v-shape makes for an exciting and genre friendly sound while on the go. Clarity, quickness, and overall bass quality are where the MSR7 shine, all while capable of being driven from even modest portable sources.
 
Bass
As usual I like to run the Bass Shaker Test first when assessing the bass linearity and quality of the driver. At the press of the button the MSR7 produce a low growl that gradually gains a bit of volume, but overall the bass sounds nearly linear with no signs of unwanted distortion or driver rattle, those are all good signs!
 
In real world listening the sub-bass response is quite good; extending cleanly with respectable quickness and weight. Songs that rely on strong sub-bass response are welcome here, there’s no pretense of a sub-woofer, rather silky smooth lows that carry a satisfying weight to them. Controlled and smooth, the sub-bass doesn’t disappoint me in the slightest.
 
As a whole the midbass has a few minor flaws: overly prominent, lack of control, and lack of resolution. Let’s break this down and add it all up. To start, the midbass has a mild prominence to it which isn’t necessarily bad on it’s own, but it’s further exaggerated by a dip within the lower midrange. The combination of the two gives the bass notes preference in the soundstage over lower midrange instruments which include frequencies within: male vocals, acoustic piano, acoustic guitar and drums. This is further compounded by driver having a bit of sluggishness within this region, which causes the midbass notes to linger a longer than they ideally should. Lastly, the midbass lacks the clarity to fully convey the texture and quality of the bass notes, adding a subtle one-note quality or muddiness through this range.
 
None of these issues are huge, I want to make that clear, it’s simply a perfect storm of each imperfection adding up to distract from the overall clarity and crispness of the midbass. These qualities hurt the nuances heard in band based instruments, but in less nuanced electronic and pop music the midbass is lively with an enjoyable kick to it. The lows are far from horrible for rock, jazz, or other band based music, but the tuning makes them most enjoyable with the likes of Portishead, Jamie xx or Madonna.
 
Mids & Highs
As I talked about above, the midrange has a mild recession which in some cases distracts from the nuances within the lower midrange. Furthermore there’s a peak in the upper midrange, notably within frequency ranges of female vocals, violins and snare drums. This not only adds sibilance, but an unbalanced brightness that makes volume control a bit difficult for affected songs. Two songs that highlight this dilemma are Portishead’s Glory Box and Kendrick Lamar’s Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe. This peak is followed by and odd treble response that seems rather peaky and rolled off; hi-hats tend to sound quiet within a mix as do some other cymbals, while others sound clear and present.
 
Outside of the odd peaks the midrange is clear and quick with a thin leaning tone that’s not too far from natural. Detail retrieval is also relatively good, certainly not comparable to the much more expensive ZMF Blackwood, or the HD600, but resolving enough to be satisfying for on-the-go use. Overall an enjoyable experience.
 
Presentation
There’s no doubt that this is a closed headphone when listening to it. The soundstage is neither wide, nor is it particularly deep, but it’s cohesive in its imaging capabilities. Left/right separation is great and positioning sounds correct to my ears. The soundstage tends to crowd up with more intensive or complex music though as the music sounds as if it’s coming from in front of, rather than around, my head.
 

Conclusion

It sounds as if I am being harsh on the MSR7, and perhaps I am undeservedly. I actually quite like the MSR7 as a closed full-sized headphone to use for light walks around the neighborhood. They feel sturdy, have a removable cable, isolate well, and have a pretty versatile and energetic sound signature. The MSR7 are competent closed back headphone with quick drivers, perhaps quicker than the HD600. They lack the refinement of a full-sized open back, but they’re not meant to compete with the HD600 or even the Ad900x for that matter. For what the MSR7 is, it makes for a fine choice and one that I recommend.

 

[omochao]

I felt that acoustic guitar and piano instruments were one of the most prominent sounds that shone through in many of the tracks I sampled on this headphone. I do agree that male vocals are not as accentuated as the female vocalists which is a bit of a shame as that and the relatively satisfactory soundstage were my only gripes. The clarity for the price range that they're in is second to none IMO but what we hear is all subjective at the end of the day... 

 

[keanex]

Yup, all subjective. I think the MSR7 is a great portable headphone at the price it's at though.