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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.8 update for Headphones! Read the R&D Article to learn more.

Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Review updated Sep 12, 2017 at 02:23 pm
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:24 am
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC Picture
6.5
Mixed Usage
7.6
Neutral Sound
6.4
Commute/Travel
6.1
Sports/Fitness
6.6
Office
5.5
Wireless Gaming
7.2
Wired Gaming
6.3
Phone Call

The Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC are well-built and sturdy headphones with a well-balanced sound profile. They're comfortable and don't leak a lot of noise at high volumes. However, they don't block a lot of noise despite being noise cancelling headphones, so they're not the best option for traveling or commuting. They're also a bit too bulky for sports, but they deliver a good audio reproduction for audiophiles.

Our Verdict

6.5 Mixed Usage

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC are decent mixed usage headphones. They aren't ideal for commuting despite being noise cancelling headphones, and they may be a bit too bulky for sports. On the upside, they have a neutral sound, a great build quality, and a polished design.

Pros
  • Good audio reproduction.
  • Low leakage.
  • Sturdy and comfortable.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation especially for noise canceling headphones.
  • Slightly bulky design.
  • Bass delivery varies significantly across users. Sensitive to glasses.
7.6 Neutral Sound

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC are good for neutral sound. They're comfortable enough to wear for hours and have a well-balanced sound profile. Their bass extends into the lower frequencies, which gives a good kick without being overpowering, so you can still clearly distinguish instruments and vocals. However, there's a slight bump in the high-mid/low-treble that may push instruments a bit too forward on some tracks, which could sound a bit harsh.

6.4 Commute/Travel

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC are mediocre for commuting. They have a comfortable fit but a mediocre control scheme and a subpar noise cancellation performance. They may be able to mask some noise if you're playing your audio at high volumes, but they won't be the ideal headphones for loud environments.

6.1 Sports/Fitness

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC are mediocre for sports. They have an easy to use but limited control scheme. Unfortunately, they're a bit too bulky and cumbersome for working out. They also aren't very breathable, so you may sweat more than usual while wearing them.

6.6 Office

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC are average for office use. They don't leak much noise, so they won't distract your colleagues at higher volumes like some of the other over-ear headphones we've reviewed. However, they don't block a lot of background noise, so they may not be the best headphones to use in a lively and noisy office environment.

7.2 Wired Gaming
  • 6.5 Mixed Usage
  • 7.6 Neutral Sound
  • 6.4 Commute/Travel
  • 6.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.6 Office
  • 5.5 Wireless Gaming
  • 7.2 Wired Gaming
  • 6.3 Phone Call
  1. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  3. Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  4. Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
  5. Updated Sep 12, 2017: Review published.
  6. Updated Sep 10, 2017: Our testers have started testing this product.
  7. Updated Sep 10, 2017: Early access published.
  8. Updated Sep 08, 2017: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Jul 24, 2017: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC have a similar look and feel to the rest of the ATH-M series but are considerably better built. They look high-end and feel sturdy when you pick them up. They have a decently thick headband and large circular ear cups that are amply padded.

7.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.7 lbs
Clamping Force
1 lbs

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC are comfortable headphones. They're a bit bulkier than the typical M series lineup, but they're not uncomfortably heavy. They have thicker padding and deeper ear cups than the Audio-Technica ATH-M70x or Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. However, the headband doesn't extend very far, so they may feel a little tight on some heads.

5.7
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Decent
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control No
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control Yes
Talk-Through
No
Additional Buttons No

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC have an average control scheme that's easy to use but lacks volume controls. They only have one button on the inline remote for calls, pausing and playing audio, as well as track skipping. On the ear cup, there's an on/off switch for the noise cancellation. The buttons are quite responsive and straightforward, but the lack of volume controls feels limiting.

6.3
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 6.3 °C
6.0
Design
Portability
L 7"
W 6.3"
H 2.5"
Volume 110 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC are decently large over-ear headphones that don't fold into a more compact format. The ear cups lay flat to save a bit of space, but they're too bulky and cumbersome to comfortably carry around on your person without a bag.

6.5
Design
Case
Type Pouch
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC come with a cloth pouch that can help protect them against minor scratches. Unfortunately, the soft pouch doesn't really shield them from drops, impacts, or water exposure.

8.0
Design
Build Quality

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC have a great build quality that feels durable and high-end. The headband is thick and reinforced with a plastic and metal frame. The ear cups are dense and shouldn't get damaged from accidentally dropping the headphones. The cables are also thick and detachable, which means these headphones should be able to withstand regular wear and tear pretty well.

6.5
Design
Stability

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC are tight enough to be stable during casual use but aren't ideal for running or working out. The earcups sway a lot during physical activities and may slip off your ears. On the upside, the cable is detachable, so it will disconnect if it gets hooked on something.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Audio-Technica MSR7NC headphones
  • 1/8" to 1/4" adapter
  • Airline adapter
  • Audio cables (x3)
  • Manual
  • Carrying pouch

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
-2.76 dB
Treble Amount
-0.42 dB
5.5
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
1.19 dB

Sub-par consistency performance. The bass range response is susceptible to consistencies due to head shape/size and also the presence/absence of glasses. Our human subject who wears glasses loses 3dB of bass starting at 300Hz, which is quite significant. The treble range consistency is also mediocre, with a deviation of +/-3dB at 3kHz.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
8.9
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.54 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
12.97 Hz
Low-Bass
-2.2 dB
Mid-Bass
-0.31 dB
High-Bass
1.86 dB

Excellent bass accuracy. Low-bass is extended down to 13Hz, which is great. However, low-bass, which is responsible for thump and rumble is lacking by about 2dB. Bass is well-balanced and nearly flawless. High-bass is over our target by about 2dB, adding just a little bit of boominess to the sound.

Also, their bass delivery varies significantly across users, and is sensitive to the quality of fit, seal, and whether you wear glasses. The response here represents the average bass response and your experience may vary.

8.3
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.25 dB
Low-Mid
-1.16 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.46 dB
High-Mid
2.78 dB

Very good mid accuracy. Low-mid has 1dB of dip around 400Hz, thinning out vocals/leads. But at 1dB, the effect will be barely noticeable. Mid is reproduced nearly flawlessly and is within 0.5dB of our target. High-mid is overemphasized by about 3dB, adding excess intensity and projection to vocals/leads.

8.4
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.03 dB
Low-Treble
2.13 dB
Mid-Treble
0.83 dB
High-Treble
-2.93 dB

Very good treble accuracy. The 2dB bump in low-treble, which is the continuation of the high-mid overemphasis adds to the detail and articulation of vocals/leads. Treble is within 0.8dB of our target, but the peak at 10kHz could make them slightly sibilant to some listeners.

7.4
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.7 dB
Dips
1.2 dB
7.8
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.18
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
2.02
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
2.19
Weighted Phase Mismatch
6.83
6.1
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
2.69 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
3.02 dB
PRTF Distance
16.47 dB
Openness
4.3
Acoustic Space Excitation
3.0
8.8
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.113
WHD @ 100
0.054
Isolation
5.5
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-14.67 dB
Noise Cancelling Yes
Bass
-4.56 dB
Mid
-8.14 dB
Treble
-31.34 dB

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC have sub-par noise isolation. Their noise cancelling system kicks in at around 50Hz and are effective up to 1kHz. They achieve about 5dB of isolation in the Bass Range, which is sub-par. In the Mid Range, the reduce the outside noise by about 8dB, which is about average. However, in the Treble Range, they achieve more than 30dB of isolation, which is good.

7.6
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
35.85 dB

The Audio-Technica MSR7NC have a good leakage performance. The significant portion of leakage sits between 400hz and 7kHz, which is a relatively broad range. However, the overall level of leakage is quite low.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
In-line
Yes
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic Yes
6.1
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
472.58 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
1.46 dB
HFE
2,215.77 Hz
Weighted THD
0.14
Gain
22.04 dB
6.7
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
18.77 dB
Active Features
8.1
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
27 hrs
Additional Charges
0
Total Battery Life
27 hrs
Charge Time
2.5 hrs
Power Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
Yes
Charging Port micro-USB

These headphones have up to 27 hours of continuous playtime at average volumes, which is great for long flights or road trips. Unfortunately, they take quite a bit of time to charge, and they don't have any battery-saving features like an auto-off timer. On the upside, they can be used completely passively when the batteries die and can charge while continuously playing audio.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name N/A
iOS N/A
Android N/A
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
N/A
ANC Control
N/A
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
N/A
Playback Control
N/A
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A

No compatible app.

Connectivity
0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
N/A
Multi-Device Pairing
N/A
NFC Pairing
N/A
Line of Sight Range
N/A
Default Latency
N/A
aptX Latency
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A

Wired connection, negligible latency.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
9.5
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
No
Detachable Yes
Length 4.1 ft
Connection 1/8" TRRS
Wired Latency
0 ms
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio + Microphone
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio + Microphone
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
N/A
USB Input
N/A
Line In
N/A
Line Out
N/A
Optical Input
N/A
RCA Input
N/A
Dock Charging
N/A
Power Supply
N/A