Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7bGM Over-Ear High-Resolution Headphones, Gunmetal

Updated on April 8th, 2023These look like they did the first day I got them. They are still my favorite headphones for my updated Astell&Kern Kann Max player. I have purchased a set of Focal Eligia’s and bought a set of 4.4mm upgraded cables and these are still my favorite set of high resolution headphones and by far compared to my lower ohm headphones. They haven’t started to come apart, the pads look like they always have and I haven’t heard anything that sounds better than these sound. I’m honestly considering buying another pair for later just in case something happens to the ones I have now. These are just full sound stage and the right amount of every frequency. I have several different sets of earbuds and headphones in the lower ohm range and the 600 ohm range and these sound like they were made for the Astell&Kern players. I would put these up against just about any other headphone or earbud. I’ve had the Jerry Harvey Laylas and I sold them as they were too heavy and wouldn’t stay in my ears. They sound good, but like the zfocal line of headphones, I think they are overpriced and overrated. Can’t say anything about Sennheiser as the first pair I purchased, I had to send back. Then the replacements came and they failed in the same ear, so I’ve avoided buying them since then. These are my favorite out of about $10K of headphones and earbuds in the lower ohm range. My favorite set of 600 ohm headphones are by far the first Generation Bayerdynamic Teslas. I sent them in and had the cable replaced with a new balanced set of XLR terminations on them that I have plugged into the back of my B switch and they sound like they never have in the past. I just have to be careful not to have the volume up to high now. I say if you want an incredible sound stage and especially if you’re using a player that supports the 4.4mm Pentaconn truly balanced output, then these are the best ones I’ve ever owned.Updated on October 7th, 2022:These still are the best sounding headphones I’ve owned and I have several different brands ranging from $100 to as much as $4,000. These are my go to headphones for everyday use and they sound as good now as they did when I bought them. The reason why the back stitching looks a little off is it’s how they are designed to sit properly on your ears. These are still in incredible shape and none of the issues that other people are complaining about. The only thing I wish is that the ear cups were a little larger. I have big ears, but it’s not a deal breaker. Best set of sub $1,000 headphones for the price. These are also a available in a grey and red color scheme, but I would think that they are just as good as these. Now using a Astell&Kern Max player that does a much higher resolution than my and still the best sounding headphones I have ever bought for my portable devices. I upgraded my cable with a much better made cable that’s longer and fits these perfectly. Got these at the end April of 2021 and have bought several other headphones for home and potable DAPs, but these are incredible sounding especially with the range that they cover from the lows to mids and highs. It’s unbelievable that these are not a lot more money for the sound quality and how long they have lasted. No problem with damage to the ear pads or anything. They are very lightweight and I would put them up against several other higher priced brands for sound quality and durability.Update on November 4th 2021:I have been using these headphones everyday since buying them, which was 6 months ago and I am completely surprised at how good they sound with my Astell & Kern Kann Alpha player and how much more detail these produce compared to several pairs of much more expensive headphones and earbuds that I own. I have not had any issues with the ear pads falling apart or losing the imitation leather covering and these are my go to headphones as they playback Tidal MQA files and my physical MQA Japanese CDs much richer than I thought they would. After a couple of weeks of using these, they really made my High Resolution files sound better than they ever have in the past. I purchased a new and upgraded headphone cable from New Fantasia , here on Amazon, and it’s longer than the original 4.4mm input cable by more than 2 foot. These sound even better now with the cable upgrade. I have to say that without a doubt, these are the best sounding headphones that I’ve ever heard that are under the $1,000 price tag. That’s saying a lot as I own several different headphones and earbuds. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these to anyone else who is looking for quality MQA sound with either Tidal or DSD files. I’m still going to try Amazon’s High Resolution music service soon. I didn’t think that I would use these as much as I have when I first purchased them. They were basically a fluke as they had both the 5 pole 4.4mm Pentacon input and Hi Res certification at a good price in order to test my new DAP. This purchase turned out to be a great deal as these are the best bang for the buck for High Resolution certified headphones! The link for the replacement headphone cable is in the question section for these. You can also just search for A2DC headphone replacement cables and you will find a few different versions for other Audio Technica models as well. My only issue with these, and it’s not worth loosing a star over is that they are more “on the ear” than over the ear for me personally. They fit like my Grado Statement series, but it’s not affecting how incredible these sound. I added a photo with my player and the new and longer New Fantasia cable attached. It’s 6.6 feet long. But it’s perfect as this connection is kind of hard to get an aftermarket set of cables for. So for six months, these have been my preferred headphonesApril 30, 2021I originally purchased these because my Astell&Kern Kann Alpha I had just purchased from World Wide Stereo, an Amazon seller, started acting up when you tried to use the 4.4mm Headphone Jack. I had bought a custom made Kimber Kable from another source for my Shure 846 earbuds and when it arrived I immediately started having issues with the sound dropping on the right channel. I bought these primarily to test my connection and to eliminate the upgraded cable as the problem. These were a good deal and they came with an assortment of cable terminations. One was the 4.4 TRRRS input that is becoming more popular and identical to my new Kimber Kable. After I got these, the right channel was still dropping sound, so it had to be the player.I had purchased the player from a Certified seller and it was open box. I generally avoid open box items like the plague, as I have had issues with them in the past. The only open box items I’ve purchased that have been great deals where at a Vinyl Convention in Austin a few years ago. The dealer was incredible about letting me exchange the open box player for a brand new one. They even split the price difference with me and they had their techs look into the issue. It was indeed the player. I have received my new one and I’m still using these headphones as my Shure earbuds don’t sound the best of all of my different headphones and earbuds and I can’t wear them as long as headphones. They have a tendency to make my ears sore after awhile.I have to say that these sound even better than my Focal closed back Elegia headphones that I am waiting on a custom cord to arrive for as well. I listen to my player when my husband is watching TV and it’s something I’m not interested in watching. So I use closed back headphones to keep sound in and out. I have a set of Focal Clear headphones that I can’t use, except in my listening room where my main audio setup is located as he can hear too much noise from the open back design. The Clear Headphones sound far better than the Utopia headphones and I returned them. It was the first generation model, so I don’t know about the newer ones, but they cost twice what I paid for the Focal Utopia’s. My favorite all time headphones are my Beyerdynamic first generation Tesla’s. They sound great and are extremely comfortable to wear. But these are designed more for High End Receivers and not for portable devices. They have too high of an oHm rating for my Astell & Kern devices.I thought I might pass these to a friend or family member, but I will keep these as they are really good sounding. Every set of headphones and earbuds I own have unique sound qualities about them that makes them sound very pleasing. I can adjust the bass on the player if I don’t have enough as well as eliminate highs and minds that are to loud. The only thing I don’t like about them is that they are more like on the ear headphones and not over the ear. They fit better than my Grado headphones but not as nicely as my Beyerdynamic Tesla’s. That’s actually the only issue I have with these.The second issue is that they feel very fragile. I have noticed I have been using them more often as they are better matched with the ohm output of the Astell&Kern player than the Focal Clear headphones. I don’t want to use the onboard amp as I think that’s what was the demise of my Astell&Kern Kann original player. It would get so hot, it would burn your finger. It’s not even turning on now. I had to pay almost $400 to have it repaired once already and know it is completely dead. So it’s not getting fixed again. I had four players by Astell&Kern and the AK100 was my first one. It still sounds great with 24bit/192kHz files. Works like it did from day one. It just doesn’t play Tidal or supports my MQA CDs from Japan.Other than the fit and the cheaper build, as they feel like a hard drop might break them, they will have a place in my headphone and earbud collection that’s getting out of control. You can’t expect these to be the best headphones ever for the less than the $300 price I managed to get these for on sale. I basically dropped a star for fit and build, but for the price and sound, these are really hard to beat. I paid more for the Kimber Kable for my Shure 846 earbuds than I did for these headphones. I am currently waiting on another cable to be made for my Focal Clear headphones as their factory cables are not that great and the upgraded cables sound better and are not as stiff as the Focal factory cables plus the upgraded cables are not cheap. It will also have a 4.4mm TRRRS termination as I plan to use them with this player.Update June 12, 2021Well I finally got my Astell&Kern player exchanged for a brand new one several weeks ago and now these Audio Technica headphones have broken in very well. They are actually a much nicer sounding product than I originally thought they would be. I want to buy an upgraded headphone cable for these as I still think the headphone cable makes a set of headphones sound much better as do speaker cables for your home set up, It’s generally a huge upgrade over the supplied cable provided with every pair of earbuds or headphones that I own. I’ve purchased upgraded cables for all of my earbuds and headphones in the past and the supplied 4.4mm cable is a little on the short side. I have gotten use to these being more “on the ear” headphones and not over the ear like almost all of my other headphones. I might just have big ears. I saw these on sale at another site for $450.00. If they had been that much here I would not have bought them. However, after owning these headphones and since they sound incredible now compared to how they did originally, I think I might pay more than I originally did for these Hi Res Headphones. You’re not going to find a pair that has the 4.4mm termination and Hi Res in this price range! I’ve looked everywhere for another brand and came up empty handed. I prefer headphones that I can get a better made cable for and are balanced.They sound incredible with my Astell&Kern Kann Alpha and I have been using them more than I originally thought I would. Earbuds make my ears sore after awhile and these are the best sounding headphones that I’ve ever heard for under $500.00 and a few over that price point. I would highly recommend these to anyone who is looking for High Resolution sound as I don’t think you’re going to find anything that sounds this good for the price. The sound has definitely changed for the better now that I’ve had them for awhile and they are broken in. The Bass is just the right amount for me personally and it blends perfectly with the minds and highs. My Shure 846s also sound incredible, and they have more Bass which is unbelievable and more of everything, but I also paid $1,200.00 for them when they first came on the market in 2016. They originally came with a clear waterproof case and a bunch of extras. They don’t come with the Pelican style case now and I really like the case. But, they are just not comfortable enough for wearing as often as I would like. I really don’t notice enough difference that matters between the two unless I immediately switch from the more expensive Shure earbuds to these impressive Audio Technica headphones. I honestly can’t believe that I found a pair of 4.4mm cabled High Resolution headphones that sound better than my high end Shure earbuds. It’s a very good set of headphones for the price.One review said that the stitching looked like it was done in a hurry or improperly. I think it is just how they are designed in order to get these to seal properly on the ear. These also fold flat for easy travel and the photos of damaged parts that other buyers are posting appear to be customers who do not take care of their headphones properly. I own several different headphones for portables and for home audio, which have either a 250 or 600 oHm rating and require a lot more power to drive them. None of them have ever had problems with the ear cushions wearing out, or the kind of damage in the photos. I guess time will tell. The only issue I have ever had with headphones was a pair of Sennheiser headphones several years ago where the left channel just stopped working after a couple of weeks. I have tried another pair of Sennheiser headphones and they also didn’t last very long. So, it has put me off on the brand. I also prefer wired headphones to wireless headphones. I am not a huge fan of wireless headphones and I think the best sound comes from a physical connection. Just my personal opinion. I have read that you can’t get true MQA resolution from Bluetooth headphones from various AV forums.I also made the comment that they seemed cheaply made, but I dropped them from the counter onto a tile floor and they did not break. I guess they are much more durable than I gave them credit for. These come with 2 sets of headphone cables. One 4.4mm TRRRS that fit most Sony DAPs and some of the newer Astell&Kern Players. I have the Kann Alpha and these have made a huge difference in my High Resolution files as well as my Tidal Premium subscription. I am going to try Amazon’s HD music service to see if I like it as well. I also have several Japanese MQA CDs and I can play and rip these to my player with the Astell&Kern newest version player/ripper device.So, I’m going to have to give these the 5 stars that they deserve after owning these for awhile now. I have a set of Focal Elegia Hi Res Closed-Back Headphones that sound great, but I generally use my headphones while my husband is watching TV. The Focal cords are very stiff and I’m waiting on a custom cable to be made for them. These are closed back, but some of the music can be heard by people close by. My husband hasn’t complained about any leakage at all. I’m surprised as they sit on my ear and not over my ears. I tend to use them more often than the more expensive pair of Focal Headphones as they have some leakage and it interferes with his TV watching. I will probably use them more once I get the custom cable and when he’s not watching a TV show. Like in the morning or in our office. But I love these Audio Technica headphones and I’m very happy I purchased them.I also felt that they where a tad snug for my big head, but I pulled them out more than I thought they would go originally as I didn’t want to break them when I first got them. Now they are not touching my head anymore. I am generally lying down on our sofa on my back when using them with my player, but if I was to wear these out, I would snug them up some. I included a photo of these, the neoprene case and the extra cable that will work with an iPad or iPhone. I don’t use my iPhone as a portable player and never have. I purchased my first DAP, the Astell&Kern AK100 and I have three of their players. I’ve tried several different brands of devices and Astell&Kern make the best sounding players on the market. I have had Fiio players in the past that had issues with hanging up, requiring a rebooot and I have returned them. I must say however, Fiio makes nice DACs and Amps for iPhones and iPads, but I have not tried any of their newer players. I’ve tested a few other brands at a high end stereo center in San Antonio and they didn’t sound nearly as good as the Astell&Kern players. They are expensive, but worth the price. They do offer the CT15 player that is a steal at $299.00. An incredible little starter player for those who don’t want to dive headfirst in the deep end! I’m actually considering buying one if I don’t get in trouble for spending to much on my audio addiction!I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these Audio Technica headphones to anyone I know, even some of my wealthier friends that have incredible high end headphones and flagship players. If I had known that these were going to be my go to headphones, I probably would not have purchased the pair of Focal Headphones!

These are impressive headphones—comfort and clarity are strong points, and soundstage is more than good enough. I feared I was going to have to spend much more to get satisfying sound in a closed-back headphone, so these have been a pleasant, bargain-priced surprise; more detail follows for those interested. I use these headphones exclusively at home, plugged into a dedicated headphone amp, and listen mostly to CD-quality classical music. That is probably not the purpose for which they were designed, given their high efficiency and short cables. But they work remarkably well in that setting. I’ve owned three pairs of headphones over the last ten years or so: the original M50s (not the current X version), AKG Q701s, and now these. I never liked the M50s, despite all the good reviews, finding the sound unengaging and the fit uncomfortable. I replaced them with Q701s, which have been wonderful, except for the sound leakage. They just don’t work for listening in a quiet room with other people. I decided to supplement them with the MSR7bs a couple of months ago, despite my bad experience with the M50s. So far so good. I would describe the sound as precise, honest, and thoroughly enjoyable. There is more detail than the Q701s, allowing individual instruments to emerge crisply. They are certainly mid- and treble-centric, but the sound (at least with my music, my equipment, and my 60+ ears) is never edgy or shrill. And the bass is fine. I was just listening to the digital remaster of Adrian Boult’s 1970 recording of Vaughn Williams’ English Folk Song Suite and noted that the timpani and bass drum in the marches are a powerful presence, as they should be. The sense of space lies somewhere between the very closed in M50s and wide-open Q701s. I find it sufficiently extended not to distract or interfere with the music. They are much more comfortable than my old M50s as well. The cables included caught me by surprise, however, both ending in small angled plugs (one 3.5mm, the other 4.4mm) with no adapter supplied. Perfect for mobile devices, but not so much for home use. I had to acquire an adapter for my amp’s ¼” connections before I could even try them (my fault for not reading carefully enough). The cables are also short, but I knew going in I’d have to use an extension. Isolation is limited, meaning I can hear much of what’s happening around me (a good thing in my view), and sound leakage is non-existent at my normal listening levels—an absolutely critical point for me. My sample does have a small pucker on the earpad seam, but I hadn’t even noticed it until I read Bullwinkle’s review and it doesn’t bother me. I will say that the ten-year old M50s, despite having more plastic, do seem to be built more robustly than the MSR7bs.

Sound quality is great, I can hear many details, for some people maybe a little lack of bass but for me it is quite enough, punch is also great. Also I can hear a bit of nice sub-bass. Upper range isn't sharp but also isn't subdued – really well tuned headphones. A bit V-shaped with slightly raised upper-midrange.About soundstage and imaging: maybe it is a little above average but in my opinion could be a little better for this price.Comfortability is almost perfect for me, headphones is lightweight, pressing force is average, ear pads are large enough and soft.Included case is pretty but I would prefer some other more durable case. Cables are amazing – soft and do not get tangled.My MacBook Pro can easily run this headphones with or w/o my iBasso DC03, volume is enough, comfortable level is about 50-60%. But if you want to get more sound quality and more accurate frequency control you may need to get external DAC/AMP, something like iBasso DC06 (with balanced socket) or something better. Sound gets progressively better with more serious DACs/AMPs/players.