Review on Black Audio-Technica 🎧 ATH-MSR7bBK High-Resolution Over-Ear Headphones by Leroy Jacobs

I bought these because my recently purchased Astell&Kern Kann Alpha started acting up when trying to use the 4.4mm headphone jack. I purchased custom Kimber cables from another supplier for my Shure 846 headphones and when they arrived I immediately had problems with audio dropouts on the right channel. I bought them mainly to test connectivity and troubleshoot an issue with the updated cable. It was a good deal and they came with a selection of cable lugs. One of these was the 4.4 TRRRS input, which is becoming increasingly popular and is identical to my new Kimber Kable. After receiving them there was still no sound on the right channel so it must have been a player. I bought the player from a certified retailer and it came in an open box. I usually avoid open boxes like the plague as I've had issues with them in the past. The only open boxes I bought were bargains at a vinyl convention in Austin a few years back. The dealer was amazing in letting me trade an open turntable for a brand new one. They even told me the price difference and their technicians investigated the issue. It really was a player. I got my new ones and I still use these headphones as the headphones sound the best, but I can't wear them as long as the headphones. They tend to give me an earache after a while. I have to say they sound almost as good as my Focal Elegia closed-back headphones, which I'm also waiting for a special cable for to arrive. I listen to my player when my husband watches TV and I'm not interested in watching it. I have Focal Clear headphones which I can only use in my listening room where my main audio system is because the open design allows it to pick up too much noise. The Clear headphones sound much better than my Utopia headphones and I sent them back. It was a first generation model, so I don't know of any newer ones. My absolute favorite headphones are the first generation Tesla Beyerdynamic. They sound great and are very comfortable to wear. I thought I might pass them on to a friend or family member but I'm keeping them to myself as they sound really good. Each pair of headphones I own has unique sound qualities that make them sound very comfortable. I can adjust the bass on the player if it's not enough, as well as eliminate high frequencies and noise that's too loud. The only thing I don't like about them is that they are more like in-ear headphones than in-ear. They fit better than my Grado headphones but not as well as the Beyerdynamic Tesla headphones. That's one of my problems with them. The second problem is that they appear very fragile. I use them more often as they match the ohmic output of the Astell&Kern player better than the Focal Clear headphones. I don't want to use the built in amplifier as I think that was the end of my original Astell & Kern Kann player. It gets so hot you can burn your fingers. Now it won't turn on at all. I had to pay almost $400 to have it fixed once and I know it's dead dead. So they won't fix it again. I had four Astell&Kern players and the AK100 was my first. It still sounds great with 24-bit/192kHz files. Works like it did from day one. It just won't play Tidal and doesn't support my MQA CDs from Japan. Aside from the fit and cheaper build as they feel like they might shatter in a hard fall, they will find a place in my failing headphone and in-ear collection. Control. You can't expect these to be the best sub-$300 headphones I've had the chance to sell. Basically I'm taking off a star for the fit and finish, but for the price and the sound they're really hard to beat. I paid more for Kimber Kable Shure 846 headphones than these headphones. I'm currently waiting for another cable to be made for my Focal Clear headphones as their factory cables aren't as good and the upgraded cables sound better and aren't as stiff as Focal's factory cables, also the upgraded cables aren't cheap. It will also have a 4.4mm TRRRS jack as I plan to use it with this player. Update 12 June 2021 Well finally a few weeks ago I replaced my Astell & Kern player with a brand new one and now these Audio Technica headphones are very well broken. . They actually sound a lot nicer than I originally thought. I want to buy an upgraded headphone cable for them as I still think the headphone cable makes the headphone sound much better than the speaker cables for your home setup and it's a huge upgrade over the cable that came with each headphone. or headphones. I've bought upgraded cables for all my earbuds and headphones in the past and the 4.4mm cable that came with it is a bit short. I'm used to these being in-ear rather than on-ear like almost all of my other headphones. Maybe I just have big ears. I saw them for sale on another site for $450. If there were so many here, I wouldn't buy them. However, having purchased these headphones and they now sound incredible compared to their original sound, I feel I could have paid more for these Hi-Res headphones than I originally did. You won't find a high definition 4.4mm pair in this price range! I've looked everywhere for another brand and have come up empty. I prefer headphones that I can get a better cable for and that are balanced. They sound amazing with my Astell&Kern Kann Alpha and I use them more than I originally thought. After a while my ears start to hurt from the headphones and these are the best sounding headphones I've ever heard, priced under $500 and slightly more expensive in this price range. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for Hi-Res audio as I don't think you will find anything that sounds as good for the price. The sound has definitely changed for the better now that I've had them for a while and they've incorporated them. The bass is what I personally need and it matches the tones and treble perfectly. My Shure 846s also sound amazing and they have more bass which is amazing and more but I also paid $1200 for them when they first came out in 2016. Originally they came with a transparent waterproof case and a range of accessories. . Now they don't come with a Pelican style case and I really like it. But they're just not comfortable enough to wear as often as I'd like. I don't really notice enough difference between the two unless I immediately switch from the more expensive Shure headphones to these impressive Audio Technica headphones. To be honest I can't believe I've found a pair of 4.4mm high resolution wired headphones that sound as good as these for the price. One review said the stitching looked like it was done in a hurry or incorrectly. I think they're just made to fit the ear properly. They also fold up for travel convenience, and photos of damaged parts posted by other buyers seem like buyers aren't taking proper care of their headphones. I have several different portable and home audio headphones that are rated for 250 or 600 ohms and require a lot more current to drive them. None of them have ever had issues with worn ear pads or photo damage. I think time will tell. The only problem I've ever had was with a pair of Sennheiser headphones over 7 years ago when the left channel just stopped working after a couple of weeks. I also prefer wired headphones to wireless headphones. I'm not a big fan of wireless headphones and I think the best sound comes from a physical connection. This is just my personal opinion. I also commented that they appear cheap but I dropped them off the rack onto the tiled floor and they didn't break. I think they are a lot more durable than I thought. Comes with 2 headphone cables. A 4.4mm TRRRS suitable for most Sony DAPs and some new Astell&Kern players. I have Kann Alpha and they made a big change to my high resolution files as well as my Tidal Premium subscription. I'll try Revain's HD music service to see if I like it. I also have some Japanese MQA CDs and I can play and rip them on my player using the latest Astell&Kern player/ripper. . I have the Focal Elegia Hi Res closed back headphones which sound great but I usually use the headphones while my husband is watching TV. Focal cables are very stiff and I am waiting for a special cable to be made for this. But with these Audio Technica Hi-Res headphones, my husband can't hear any leak at all. I'm surprised as they sit on my ear and not on my ears. I use these more often than a pair of more expensive Focal headphones as they leak a bit and prevent him from watching TV. I'll probably use them more often once I get the special cable and when he's not watching TV shows. Like in the morning or in our office. But I love these Audio Technica headphones and am very glad I bought them. I also felt that they fit my large head a bit, but I pulled them out more than I thought they would fit initially because I didn't want to break them when I first got them. Now they don't touch my head anymore. I usually lie on my back on our couch when using it with my player, but once I've worn it out I'd push it down a bit. I've included a photo of them, a neoprene case, and an optional cable that works with an iPad or iPhone. I don't use my iPhone as a portable player and never have. I bought my first DAP, an Astell&Kern AK100 and I have three of their players. I've tried different brands and Astell&Kern make the best sounding players on the market. I've had Fiio players in the past that had freezing issues that required a reboot and returned them. However, I have to say that Fiio makes good DACs and amplifiers for iPhone and iPad, but I haven't tried any of their new players. I tested several other brands at a high-end stereo center in San Antonio and they didn't sound nearly as good as the Astell&Kern turntables. They are expensive but worth the price. They offer the CT15 player which costs $299.00. Incredible little launcher for anyone who doesn't want to fall headfirst into the abyss! I'm actually considering buying it if I don't get in trouble for overspending on my audio addiction! I have no hesitation in recommending these Audio Technica headphones to everyone I know, even some of my wealthier friends who have incredible high-end headphones and flagship players. If I had known these were my headphones I probably wouldn't have bought a pair of Focal headphones!