Here's a treat for the ears

YOU CAN listen to music at its clearest, with every instrumental detail intact and with terrific deep bass, with ATH-MSR7 Over-Ear High-Resolution Audio Headphones from Audio-Technica, and the price is quite affordable. When I tested the headphones recently it was a treat for the ears.

The phones use Audio-Technica’s exclusive 45mm True Motion Drivers, which utilise lightweight voice coils, a custom-mounted, printed circuit board and a specially designed diaphragm to improve the “transient” response and minimise distortion.

The headphones also have multi-layered air-damping technology for extended mid-to-low frequency response. 

Audio-Technica says the housings were designed to mirror the shape of the ear and constructed of a layered aluminium/magnesium mix to provide a lightweight, rigid structure that reduces unwanted resonance. Three precisely placed vents within these layers control air flow and improve the dynamics.

The phones use stainless steel acoustic mesh resistor to improve the high-frequency response and a bass acoustic resistor to for low frequencies.

The band frequency response is high at 5Hz to 40,000Hz and really high sensitivity of 100dB. The impedance is 35 ohms.

The set is comfortable to wear thanks to the highly flexible swivel design, with soft memory foam ear-pads and headband.

The package comes with three detachable cables – standard 1.2-metre and 3m plus a 1.2m cable with in-line controls – and a microphone for compatible smartphones and other devices.

In my test I had no Hi-Res Audio player at hand, so I connected the phones to my PC and used the Foobar 2000 application to play Hi-Res Audio 24-bit/192 kHz FLAC sample files. The reproduction of the audio signal was truly impressively. Pink Floyd’s album “The Wall”, whose tracks are encoded in the 24-bit/192kHz FLAC lossless format, sounded great, with the bass drum and bass guitar awesome in their power and every sparkling detail from the other instruments coming through clearly.

I then tried the headphones with my Samsung Galaxy S3, playing an MP3-format version of AC/DC’s “Rock or Bust” album, and again there was ample bass and the overall clarity was superb, even though these tracks weren’t encoded in a hi-res format. Between these albums and other music, I ended up wearing the headphones for hours without the slightest discomfort.

The ATH-MSR7 Over-Ear High-Resolution Audio Headphones are available in black and brown and, in a limited edition, red as well, which was the model I tested and couldn’t help admiring. The headphones are distributed by RTB Technology for Bt7,690.

 

Key Specs

 

- Type: Dynamic

- Driver diameter: 45mm

- Frequency response: 5 to 40,000Hz

- Maximum input power: 2,000mW

- Sensitivity: 100dB/mW

- Impedance: 35 ohms

- Weight: 290g

- Cables: Detachable 1.2m standard, 3m standard, 1.2m cable with in-line controls and microphone for smartphones

- Connector: 3.5mm gold-plated stereo mini-plug, L-shaped

- Accessories: Protective pouch

- Type (microphone): Condenser

- Frequency response |(microphone): 50 to 4,000Hz

- Polar pattern (microphone): Omni-directional