sebaz
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2011
- Posts
- 57
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- 18
I've had the Audio Technica ATH-M50x for many years, and I love them. But I just bought a Fiio K7 amp and ATH-MSR7b headphones just to see what the whole balanced thing was about. Uncle Jeff told me it was fine, I could try them out and if I didn't like them just return them, he doesn't care because he already has his half billion dollar yacht with a helipad.
So the balanced thing really didn't impress me, I didn't notice any difference in the sound quality, but the ATH-MSR7b definitely sound better than the ATH-M50x. I'm over 50 so my hearing on the higher frequencies has declined a bit, although not excessively. But I like my EQ curves U shaped, and with Apple Music on iPhone, the best you can get is that ridiculous set of presets that come with it, none of which is customizable. So I go between the Classical, Late Night, Loudness and Rock presets, which are the ones that get closer to what I like. I don't go for that purist crap that you have to listen to music without any additional EQ because that's the way it was intended, etc, etc. Because the only way to really do that, would be to be at the studio when it's being recorded, listening to it with the same headphones and speakers that the recording engineer is using. And even then, it's not exactly the same, because hearing is not the same on each person.
So, the ATH-MSR7b definitely has much more clarity than the ATH-M50x, and it seems to me it also has a wider sound stage. But the only thing that lacks is bass. With a proper music player like Jet Audio, which has not only EQ but two other great DSPs, I can get them very close to the ATH-MSR7b, but unfortunately, Jet Audio player can't play any Apple Music songs unless they are the ones you purchased. And definitely can't play the lossless ones, even if it can play lossless formats, just not the ones from Apple Music. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I think everything lossless or above on Apple Music can only be played by the iOS and macOS Music app.
So what I'm looking for are headphones that have a very similar sound signature to the ATH-MSR7b but with the bass of the ATH-M50x, even if they're not Audio Technica. I was close to order the Grado SR-80x, but I remember that about 20 years ago I had two pairs of those that ended up in the trash when the diaphragm got loose, and I like my music loud, but I'm not deaf, and the ATH-M50x lasted just fine for six years at the same volume, so Grados are a no-go.
Any recommendations?
So the balanced thing really didn't impress me, I didn't notice any difference in the sound quality, but the ATH-MSR7b definitely sound better than the ATH-M50x. I'm over 50 so my hearing on the higher frequencies has declined a bit, although not excessively. But I like my EQ curves U shaped, and with Apple Music on iPhone, the best you can get is that ridiculous set of presets that come with it, none of which is customizable. So I go between the Classical, Late Night, Loudness and Rock presets, which are the ones that get closer to what I like. I don't go for that purist crap that you have to listen to music without any additional EQ because that's the way it was intended, etc, etc. Because the only way to really do that, would be to be at the studio when it's being recorded, listening to it with the same headphones and speakers that the recording engineer is using. And even then, it's not exactly the same, because hearing is not the same on each person.
So, the ATH-MSR7b definitely has much more clarity than the ATH-M50x, and it seems to me it also has a wider sound stage. But the only thing that lacks is bass. With a proper music player like Jet Audio, which has not only EQ but two other great DSPs, I can get them very close to the ATH-MSR7b, but unfortunately, Jet Audio player can't play any Apple Music songs unless they are the ones you purchased. And definitely can't play the lossless ones, even if it can play lossless formats, just not the ones from Apple Music. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I think everything lossless or above on Apple Music can only be played by the iOS and macOS Music app.
So what I'm looking for are headphones that have a very similar sound signature to the ATH-MSR7b but with the bass of the ATH-M50x, even if they're not Audio Technica. I was close to order the Grado SR-80x, but I remember that about 20 years ago I had two pairs of those that ended up in the trash when the diaphragm got loose, and I like my music loud, but I'm not deaf, and the ATH-M50x lasted just fine for six years at the same volume, so Grados are a no-go.
Any recommendations?