BoysenberryFluffy671 t1_j1seyiu wrote on December 27, 2022 at 1:00 AM

Sennheiser maybe. You may also find their 6xx series too bright though. I'd also look at Beyerdynamic.

I have the MSR7 they are definitely bright and I found them somewhat fatiguing. For me it was the headband and the hotspot on top of my head that made them unbearable.

Maybe a used pair (since they're discontinued) of Audioquest Nighthawk or Nightowl (you'll likely need to EQ them to preference, few people I think like them as is, but they are VERY good when EQ'd and INSANELY comfortable - you will likely never find a more comfortable pair of headphones to be honest).

I think you will struggle to find a very competent neutral/reference headphone in this price range that doesn't come off as too bright.

JM modded R7XD might be nice if you want closed back. Not going to be as technical as MSR7, but his mod really helps that headphone punch above its weight.

julesibulesi OP t1_j1tta3e wrote on December 27, 2022 at 9:41 AM

Thanks for your input! Aren’t Beyerdynamic even brighter than Audio Technicas? I might just have to go and find myself a decent HiFi store, and widen my horizon a bit.

I initially planned to spend around 400 bucks. I might stretch it to 500, but the 700 I can find the wp900 for are just a bit unreasonable for the current times in my life. I was happy when I stumbled across the msr7b, as they seemed to tick all the right boxes at an incredible price. But apparently, I’m not as neutral a listener as I thought I was. :-D

BoysenberryFluffy671 t1_j1wb0k8 wrote on December 27, 2022 at 9:49 PM

I think it depends on which model and also what you're driving them from. I'm not an expert on them, this is just based on what I've heard from others. Particularly in this price range. However, I do know that the T5 are known for their bass presentation. They would be at a higher price point though.