Best wired over ear closed headphones for my System ?

Vogon

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Hi all, I know there are similar threads, but none have given me a clear indication of what to go for for my needs !
Those needs are:

Budget £150, but can go to a max of £200 if the "cans" really justify it.
Primarily will be used on my NAD C368 Amp, but may occasionally get used on the Pioneer A109 and PC (for music listening only).
Need to be comfortable for 3-4 hour sessions.
A earphone cushioning that doesn't make me too sweaty in warm weather :)
I like a sound a little on the warm side of neutral, with good detail, nice stereo staging, decent punch in the base and crispness in the treble (without being too harsh).
I listen to a fairly wide spectrum of rock and pop, from the likes of Abba to Metallica.

At the moment I have a short-list of:

Beyerdynamic DT770 pro - (no idea what ohms version is best for my needs?)
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7b
Sennheiser HD599 (although some reviews indicate these are a little laid back and unexciting ?)
Sony MDR 7506/1
Edifier H840 (good reviews but can they really compete with headphones like those listed above ?)

Any picks from the above stand out, or alternative suggestions ?
Thanks

 
@camcroft has just ordered a 2nd pair of the ATH-MSR7b, so could give you a good idea of how they sound.
 
I have just ordered a pair of BeyerDynamic DT770 Pro 80 0hm.

Reasoning: all the reviews I read seem to indicate the sound and frequency curve give a little boost at both ends over many "studio" headsets, so possibly could sound a little more exciting and the Beyerdynamics sound profile appears to be similar to how I imagine my B&W speakers, of which I am fond.

There is no substitute for listening so we shall see.
If I turn out disappointed, I may try the ATR-MSR7b or the Yamaha HPH MT8.
 
I have just ordered a pair of BeyerDynamic DT770 Pro 80 0hm.

Reasoning: all the reviews I read seem to indicate the sound and frequency curve give a little boost at both ends over many "studio" headsets, so possibly could sound a little more exciting and the Beyerdynamics sound profile appears to be similar to how I imagine my B&W speakers, of which I am fond.

There is no substitute for listening so we shall see.
If I turn out disappointed, I may try the ATR-MSR7b or the Yamaha HPH MT8.
Are they for desktop use or with your main system or phone / music player?
 
Mainly on the main system :)
 
The DT770 Pro 80s are primarily designed for the studio and computer users, but they are a solid choice. ATH-MSR7b is definitely one of the best solutions within this price range. They are quite versatile.
 
DT770's arrived today :)

One odd thing (I thought) was the level of volume required to get a comfortably loud level.
My B&W speakers need driving harder than the other set I have (KEF Q15's) so I end up at around 45-50% on the NAD to be a comfortably loud volume, the headphones needed to be at around 60% ! I tried them on the Pioneer 109 amp, and they seemed to be more in line with where that normally sits for the Q15's so maybe my NAD's headphone amp is not as good. ?

Other than that all was good to start, loving the reproduction of cymbals and bass seems decent and tuneful. Stereo seperation is good and there is plenty of detail.
But when I played some Guns and Roses, Aerosmith, Metallica etc, and it got busy, the guitars seemed to be getting overridden by the vocals and didn't seem as pronounced as I thought they should be.

I don't know if that's me being over analytical, or part of the sound signature on the DT770's.
So I am in a quandary now, do I send them back, spend another £70 to try the AudioTechnica and risk losing the things I really like about the Beyerdynamic's, or learn to live with it ?
 
DT770's arrived today :)

One odd thing (I thought) was the level of volume required to get a comfortably loud level.
My B&W speakers need driving harder than the other set I have (KEF Q15's) so I end up at around 45-50% on the NAD to be a comfortably loud volume, the headphones needed to be at around 60% ! I tried them on the Pioneer 109 amp, and they seemed to be more in line with where that normally sits for the Q15's so maybe my NAD's headphone amp is not as good. ?

Other than that all was good to start, loving the reproduction of cymbals and bass seems decent and tuneful. Stereo seperation is good and there is plenty of detail.
But when I played some Guns and Roses, Aerosmith, Metallica etc, and it got busy, the guitars seemed to be getting overridden by the vocals and didn't seem as pronounced as I thought they should be.

I don't know if that's me being over analytical, or part of the sound signature on the DT770's.
So I am in a quandary now, do I send them back, spend another £70 to try the AudioTechnica and risk losing the things I really like about the Beyerdynamic's, or learn to live with it ?

Give it at least few days, also having 2 different cans at the same time is very helpful too if you want to try msr7b.
 
Give it at least few days, also having 2 different cans at the same time is very helpful too if you want to try msr7b.
Hmm didn't think of that, bit naughty but could order the other set and do back to back testing and return the ones I like least :rolleyes:.

Are you saying give it a few days for them to settle in, or to get used to them over my speakers ?
 
The probblem is, every review/opinion I can find of the AT MSR7b compared to the DT770 implies they are brighter sounding, the opposite of what I want. :confused:
 
DT770's arrived today :)

One odd thing (I thought) was the level of volume required to get a comfortably loud level.
My B&W speakers need driving harder than the other set I have (KEF Q15's) so I end up at around 45-50% on the NAD to be a comfortably loud volume, the headphones needed to be at around 60% ! I tried them on the Pioneer 109 amp, and they seemed to be more in line with where that normally sits for the Q15's so maybe my NAD's headphone amp is not as good. ?

Other than that all was good to start, loving the reproduction of cymbals and bass seems decent and tuneful. Stereo seperation is good and there is plenty of detail.
But when I played some Guns and Roses, Aerosmith, Metallica etc, and it got busy, the guitars seemed to be getting overridden by the vocals and didn't seem as pronounced as I thought they should be.

I don't know if that's me being over analytical, or part of the sound signature on the DT770's.
So I am in a quandary now, do I send them back, spend another £70 to try the AudioTechnica and risk losing the things I really like about the Beyerdynamic's, or learn to live with it ?
I'd give them a few more days. Most headphones require at least 40-50 hours of burn-in time to loosen the diaphragm and reach their optimal performing state.
 
The MSR7b's arrived a short time ago, and right off the bat sound is improved.
There is a little less higher trebles, but not by a lot, and the compromise for what these gain in mid bass and electric guitars power is well worth it.

But the comfort of the DT770's is better, the larger internal (width-wise) give my ears some space and the velour is much nicer on a warm day than the pleather on the MSR7b's.
Not too mention the stupidly short cable and right angle 3.5mm jack with no supplied 6.35 adaptor on the more expensive headset is a disappointment.

AT may do a 3m cable from their proprietary jack to 6.35 if I look around, and I have seen aftermarket replacement ear pads in velour type material, but they are around 5mm deeper so are likely to affect the sound. :facepalm:
First world problems eh !
 
I wish we only faced such problems. :) Paradoxically, sometimes, with the higher-end headphones the lack of a cable in a headphones set is something to be happy about. Take it as an incentive to order a bespoke cable set. They could get pricey, but you can feel as if you were the designer of your audio setup.

Different earpads will have an impact on the sound (not immense, but still), but will have a tremendous effect on your listening experience.

Regarding DT770s vs. MSR7bs - if you think about the longer sessions, comfort is the key.
 
I know which ones I prefer :)
I have just got these Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7GM
There are some on ebay refurbished by Audio Technica themselves £120
they might be more what you are looking for single entry cable to left earcup
so not balanced and they come with a 3 mt cable and they look better than the others. I have both sets by the way.
s-l1600.png
 
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What is the difference between those and the S and the GB other than colours and the cable entry ?

With luck, my late arriving delivery driver may be coming soon and I can have a tinker with the earpads ...
 
There are a few spec differences the GM,s are slightly heavier they will work with equipment that doesn't have balanced connections so are compatible with other equipment like music players and the likes the cables from the ATH-MSR7B won't fit any of my other equipment because they don't have balanced inputs thats why I am keeping both sets.Please note that I have not used any of these headphones on my main unit I only use them for computer use. Hope this helps
 
Well the replacement supposedly comfier ear pads were not as comfortable, and the replacement 3M A2DC to headphones cable dropped a bit of sound quality ... Not something I expected having not been a believer of this as long as cables are decent quality, obviously the ones I tried weren't !

@camcroft Could you please tell me if the older model sound any different ? From reviews I gather a slightly edgier treble and less stereo separation than the b,s is this your experience ?
Looking at pics the hole in the pad where the ear sits looks more rectangular on the older model than the oval on the newer, is this the case and are there any internal size difference ?

BTW the 7b should have cables for both balanced and regular 3.5mm jacks, mine do and that is what the content list says.
 
Well the replacement supposedly comfier ear pads were not as comfortable, and the replacement 3M A2DC to headphones cable dropped a bit of sound quality ... Not something I expected having not been a believer of this as long as cables are decent quality, obviously the ones I tried weren't !

@camcroft Could you please tell me if the older model sound any different ? From reviews I gather a slightly edgier treble and less stereo separation than the b,s is this your experience ?
Looking at pics the hole in the pad where the ear sits looks more rectangular on the older model than the oval on the newer, is this the case and are there any internal size difference ?

BTW the 7b should have cables for both balanced and regular 3.5mm jacks, mine do and that is what the content list says.
Yes you are right about the 7b cables I was going to correct myself but again they are very short for your use. You also have to realise headphones straight out of the box are not a true reflection of their merits they need to be burned in. The GM ones I have have been playing constantly on repeat mode on my iPhone for the last two days and there is definitely a great sound improvement so much so that today I am putting the 7b,s through the same treatment for the second time today using the unbalanced cable but firstly I am going to try them through my main system toes how they sound for that use. Regarding the cables and earpads supplied I think that they are just fine and seem to be of a good quality.
So I have just tried the 7b's with my main system and they sound equally as good as they do when being used through the PC and the iFi Zen Dac. So all in all an excellent headphone in my own opinion
 
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The ATH-MSR7GM does look amazing. It is a shame it does not offer the balanced option, but then again, some people simply prefer to keep it all single-ended. Doubling the circuit of each channel to get more power is more complicated.

Specs-wise they are not that different.

ATH-MSR7
Type Dynamic
Driver Diameter 45 mm
Frequency Response 5-40,000 Hz
Maximum Input Power 2,000 mW
Sensitivity 100 dB/mW
Impedance 35 ohms
Weight 290 g
Cable Detachable 1.2 m (3.9') standard cable, detachable 3.0 m (9.8') standard cable, detachable 1.2 m (3.9') cable with in-line controls and microphone for smartphones
Connector 3.5 mm gold-plated stereo mini plug, L-shaped


ATH-MSR7GM
Type Dynamic
Driver Diameter 45mm
Frequency Response 5 - 40,000 Hz
Maximum Input Power 2,000 mW
Sensitivity 100dB/mW
Impedance 35 ohms
Weight 290g
Cable 1.2 m, 3.0m and 1.2m with mic for smartphones
Connector 3.5 mm gold-plated stereo mini plug
 
The ATH-MSR7GM does look amazing. It is a shame it does not offer the balanced option, but then again, some people simply prefer to keep it all single-ended. Doubling the circuit of each channel to get more power is more complicated.

Specs-wise they are not that different.

ATH-MSR7
Type Dynamic
Driver Diameter 45 mm
Frequency Response 5-40,000 Hz
Maximum Input Power 2,000 mW
Sensitivity 100 dB/mW
Impedance 35 ohms
Weight 290 g
Cable Detachable 1.2 m (3.9') standard cable, detachable 3.0 m (9.8') standard cable, detachable 1.2 m (3.9') cable with in-line controls and microphone for smartphones
Connector 3.5 mm gold-plated stereo mini plug, L-shaped


ATH-MSR7GM
Type Dynamic
Driver Diameter 45mm
Frequency Response 5 - 40,000 Hz
Maximum Input Power 2,000 mW
Sensitivity 100dB/mW
Impedance 35 ohms
Weight 290g
Cable 1.2 m, 3.0m and 1.2m with mic for smartphones
Connector 3.5 mm gold-plated stereo mini plug
Hi you have got the cables wrong the ATH-MSR7 only has 2 x 1.2 cables one is balanced and the other is unbalanced but no provision for smartphones
The ATH-MSR7GM has 3 cables one is 1.2m long the other is the same length with mic and the third one is 3m long with the relevant jacks on each end. Some of the specs for the ATH-MSR7GM differ slightly from the ATH-MSR7 not by much one being the former is slightly heavier. Thats according to what is written on the box.
 
Hi you have got the cables wrong the ATH-MSR7 only has 2 x 1.2 cables one is balanced and the other is unbalanced but no provision for smartphones
The ATH-MSR7GM has 3 cables one is 1.2m long the other is the same length with mic and the third one is 3m long with the relevant jacks on each end. Some of the specs for the ATH-MSR7GM differ slightly from the ATH-MSR7 not by much one being the former is slightly heavier. Thats according to what is written on the box.
think he linked older version, new is MSR7b
 
As ruffuz says, ifi audio has listed specs of the same set, just different colour variants.

What I would like to know is what is how much different to the b's does the older model sound (using a standard stereo plug not balanced) and if the ear enclosure is any larger on the older model (for my big ears) :blush:
 
think he linked older version, new is MSR7b
I think there is some confusion about these MSR7 models the gm model seems to have been released in Japan first with possibly slightly different specs and a different metal slider for the headband.
 
I think GM is just code for gunmetal.
There are gunmetal/brown and black version of both the ASR7 and ASR7b.
The older (non b version) has a solid strip in the headband, the b version has 2 "rods" for want of a better word :)
 

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