Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC headphones review: Make some noise
It was 18-months ago that we reviewed the excellent Audio-Technica MSR7 over-ear headphones – and might impressed we were. Now it’s the turn of the MSR7NC which, as those additional two letters in the name denote, are the noise-cancelling version.
These wired headphones – there’s no Bluetooth wireless here, unlike some of the competition – stick to hard-wiring to deliver hi-resolution audio levels of listening, while sticking to a familiar design.
Priced at £250 are they worth the extra cash compared to the standard MSR7 model? We’ve been using a pair for a month to get the lowdown.
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC review: Design
The NC take the refined look of the MSR7 and simplify things further. The blue/red accent highlights of the originals are gone, instead its very much a mono black-and-silver finish. If you’re not a fan of overstated headphones, then they’ll be the perfect look.
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The earcups do each brandish large Audio-Technica logos, which are matte in finish to avoid looking garish. There are “L” and “R” markings on the outer sections that we think should be hidden away on the inside edge rather than for all to see – but at least they aren’t the literally spelled-out “left” and “right” markings as per the original MSR7.
The overall build is of good quality: the aluminium and magnesium housing feels solid, avoiding the plastics the company is often guilty of using en masse in its lower-spec models, while the ear cup padding is ample for a comfortable fit.
Fit is an important factor. With the ATH-MSR7NC you’ll want to make sure they’re accurately positioned for the optimum listen, given their scale, but we’ve not found them to slip around to excess during long periods of listen. And given how many times we’ve worn them for hours at a time, we’ve always felt comfortable and fresh after – the fit doesn’t pinch to excess, while the audio isn’t fatiguing.
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In the box there’s also a soft carry case, plus two 1.2m cables (one adds mic control for phones) and even an airplane adaptor, should you need it. There’s not the 3m cable of the original MSR7, though, which is a shame for home listeners wanting to wire-up to a system from a distance.
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC review: Hi-res audio
Whether you’re listening to regular MP3s from your smartphone, vinyl via an amp, or hi-res audio from a dedicated player, the Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC over-ears will cater for all – just like the originals did; the sound between the two models is indistinguishable in passive playback (we’ve got both pairs side-by-side).
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With 45mm drivers behind each earcup, said to deliver a frequency response from 5-40,000Hz, there’s the scope for brain-wobbling bass through to the high-end titters that extend beyond the range of human hearing – but within the necessary range to deliver hi-resolution audio, should you have such file formats available (or the likes of Tidal streaming).
As we said of the originals, despite this wide frequency range the MSR7NC over-ears don’t overdo things: they’re all about a neutral, balanced listen. You won’t get insane bass-in-yer-face excess, but rather a taut, balanced experience.
We can’t think of much we’ve not put to task through the MSR7NC. From the hammering heavy metal of Gojira, to the latest Hospital records albums, plus a little rewind back to Jamie XX’s original album – the MSR7 deliver enough grunt in all the right areas, including ample spatial sense from those large earcups.
Going on the more mellow, sedate front (well, ish), we’ve also pushed high-res Bjork through the cans to pick up the nuance of vocal harmonies and string-led pieces. Post-classic, if you will.
So whether you like classic, rock, pop, underground or anything else in-between (or even all genres), then these Audio-Technica headphones are prime candidates for all. It’s not often you’ll find headphones that can cope successfully across such a range.
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Just as before, however, there’s a slight mid-high-end “push” that seemingly enhances sibilance; s-es and t-s can catch, while those over-compressed pianos might crackle a touch (in part that’s down to the mastering process). But that’s about as much as we can try to moan about – and it’s not really a heightened issue here beyond the competition.
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC review: Noise-cancelling
Now it goes without saying that the reason to buy the NC version of the MSR7 is for their noise-cancelling. Which, frankly, isn’t the most dramatic that we’ve ever heard – when we first received the headphones we weren’t sure that it made much difference, which is why extensive real-world testing has been so important, such as on plane journeys.
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Overall it’ll depend on what you want from noise-cancellation. On the one hand there are headphones like the Sony MDR-100ABN which make your ears feel like they’ve been sucked into a air-tight vacuum, with impressive removal of external sound, but which decimate the balance and, frankly, are awful in their passive format. Other go-to travelling cans like the Bose QuietComfort QC35 are also great to drown out the outside world almost entirely.
By comparison the Audio-Technica MSR7NC sound captivating in their passive form, as we’ve highlighted above. With noise-cancelling activated surrounding “hisses” will be cut-out or partially subdued – the typical hum from trains, hiss from planes or (that lesser known nuisance) rush of air from cooker extraction fans. So it’s less dramatic than some, but makes for a more comfortable listen.
There’s another point to give the MSR7NC’s noise-cancelling some extra love: the microphone arrangement seemingly avoids that “tearing” sound you’ll get from blustering wind, which is typical of most, if not all, competitors we’ve come to test. That, for on-the-street use, is an added bonus.
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Oh, and the on-board battery life lasts for up to 30-hours per charge via the microUSB connector. It’s as straightforward to operate as you could want too: a switch on the left earcup indicates charging (purple light) and active (blue light).
Verdict
Having used the Audio-Technica MSR7NC headphones for dozens of hours, if not hundreds, we continue to be drawn back to them as our go-to over-ear headphones. The reason is simple: they’re comfortable and they sound great – whatever we’ve thrown at them.
Now the NC part of the equation is what some will love, while others will see as a slip-up. On the one hand the subtle ability of the noise-cancelling is great for travelling, its no-nonsense operation and long-lasting on-board battery all being positives. On the other hand, if you prefer more dramatic noise-cancelling that extensively drowns out external sound then these probably aren’t he over-ears for you.
So they’re certainly excellent, but without a Bluetooth wireless feature or colour accent options for that extra level of visual interest, they (along with their higher price point) might make you think about purchasing the original MSR7 instead.
For us, though, the NC’s balance of noise-cancelling subtlety paired with big audio ability makes them ideal for the discerning listener. There’s a definite level of subjective opinion as to how these over-ear cans score, but for us they’re full-marks just as the originals were. One not to be overlooked.
Try Prisma’s machine-learned art filters on Android
The latest heavily-filtered trend in your Instagram feed, Prisma, is now headed to Android on beta. The Russian-made app uses machine learning to severely tweak your images to something that almost approximates art — and it’s addictive, smart and sometimes annoying if you like photos that look like, well, photos. Since launching on iOS a month ago, the app rocketed to the top of the charts in multiple countries, although another certain app has proved even more popular. The beta is available here, but the company says this is just the start: it’s also promised video filters and (zeitgeisty) 360-degree panoramas too.
According to TechCrunch, the company is working on making the most of its popularity, seeking out investors and there are even rumors of acquisitions — which would make sense with the likes of Facebook or SnapChat. Prisma offers a clever way of reinterpreting your photos, something that’s ideal for sharing on social networks. Founder Alexey Moiseenkov visited Facebook this week, and even showed off some Prisma-filtered video working within Facebook Live:
(Oh, and by the way, you can turn off that pesky Prisma watermark in the settings. The more you know.)
Sky+ gains a Top Picks section and more binge-watching features
As the viewing habits of its customers change, Sky has overhauled its programme guide and planner to better serve shows that people want to watch. The company’s new box, Sky Q, built on that by introducing Top Picks, a human-curated catalogue of programmes and movies that are too hot to miss. Now it’s rolling out to more customers as part of a new Sky+ update that makes it even easier to go on a binge-watching spree.
The rollout will see Top Picks placed at the bottom of the Sky+ homepage and will serve content from premium channels like Sky Atlantic and Sky Movies. But that’s not all. Sky customers can also enjoy the new “Download Next” feature, which automatically downloads and queues up the next episode of a series viewed via Catch Up, Sky Box Sets, Top Picks, Kids or Sports. Sky says the feature will be enabled by default but can be switched off via the Sky+ Customise menu.
Continuing on the binge-viewing theme, Sky will enable its “Continue Watching” feature that lets customers pick up from where the left, much in the same way as dedicated streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Video. Sky hopes that with its wide array of Box Sets and other exclusive content, you won’t want to binge on content offered by its rivals. The new features roll out from today and are expected to be available in millions of Sky+HD homes by the end of August.
Smart sutures can monitor wounds as they heal
Someday, the thread holding your skin and tissues together after a surgical suture could beam info about your wound straight to your doctor. A team of Tufts University engineers have created smart threads made out of various materials, from cotton to synthetics, by dipping them into physical and chemical sensing compounds. They can sense pressure, stress, strain, temperature, pH and glucose levels, among other diagnostic data. The smart suture on your body can send those info wirelessly to medical professionals’ phones or computers, so they can monitor how you’re healing and see if the wound is infected.
Unlike rigid implantable devices, engineers can use these threads to make smart devices with complex shapes that can, for instance, follow the contours of a specific organ. They can also be used to make smart bandages or to make clothes with built-in health monitors and other high-tech capabilities. The team still needs to do more tests for long-term biocompatibility before hospitals start stocking up on their high-tech threads. For now, you can read more about the current state of their creation on Microsystems & Nanoengineering.
Via: PopSci
Source: Tufts University
Popular Writing App ‘Scrivener’ Now Available for iOS
Popular writing environment Scrivener made its long-awaited debut on iOS this morning.
For those unfamiliar with the Mac application, Scrivener is a scalable long-form writing platform and author project management system featuring multiple editing and organization tools.
Note cards, character sketches, place descriptions, and research notes are just some of the options available to writers, with import options for media, web pages, PDFs, and more also forming part of the package.
As a standalone writing environment, the new Scrivener iOS app functions in much the same way, offering rich text editing with support for comments, footnotes, keywords, and so on.
Many of the features from the desktop version have also made the port, such as the Binder, Outliner, Corkboard, and Inspector, although certain features that require more screen space — the Corkboard, for instance — are iPad-only.
The app syncs with Scrivener for macOS (Scrivener v2.8) and Scrivener for Windows using Dropbox, or users can copy projects between devices via iTunes. As mentioned however, the iOS app also works as a standalone tool, featuring multiple manuscript compilation and print formats as well as project export options, such as ebook, ePub, and PDF.
Scrivener 2.8 for Mac is a free update for all registered users of Scrivener 2, and along with iOS support, it also includes a number of bug fixes and minor tweaks.
Scrivener for iOS was first announced back in 2011, with an early launch goal originally estimated to be “some time in 2012.” When that date slipped, lead developer Keith Blount kept fans updated on the troubled development of the app, with the iOS team running into coding issues and other setbacks over the years.
Scrivener for iOS costs $19.99 and is compatible with any device running iOS 9.0 or later. [Direct Link]
Tag: Scrivener
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Retro Gaming: The Games that Refuse to Die
The world of gaming moves at such a swift pace that you would think older games get left behind and forgotten about. Thankfully this isn’t the case, especially for those classics that refuse to sit back and die. Retro Gaming is a growing sector in the world of gaming where older games are finding new life, as well as the computers and consoles used to power them.
We all have our favourite games from the past, even teenagers have their own games that they think of as “retro”. The real retro games though that are nostalgically thought of, are the Mario games, the Sonics, and even the Donkey Kong’s that just refuse to die. Whether you are a gamer who remembers getting their high score on Pac-Man or just remember the first Tomb Raider fondly, these are the memories that nostalgically pull back the retro games and keep them alive in our hearts.
We all remember our first consoles, whether they be an NES, a SNES, Megadrive, or even a Dreamcast. Some people may make you feel old and say their first console was the PlayStation 2, but the point is these consoles could have just sat in a cupboard and be forgotten about. This isn’t the case though as we see new hybrid consoles coming on the market that allow older games to be played. The rise of the Internet has also brought different forms of gameplay back too.
Looking past the world of the console, the Internet offers live gameplay through the likes of online casinos. What these provide are poker games, even live roulette that may offer new more versatile game styles such as the popular Spiderman slots available at 888 casino, but also have an understanding that some players want the older style of casino games. This is why you’ll always find the old style of slots, classic style roulette and older card games based on less complicated rules available to the online gamer.
The fact is, games are designed to last, to take up hours of our lives and to keep us entertained. When good games do this, whether they be online slots or a good console game, they tend to stick in our memory. We may grow older and many times we move away from games as a pastime, but that doesn’t mean we forget the fun that can be had. This is what keeps us coming back to gaming, and those retro games that once dominated our time.
Retro is a world that not only relates to games, but the entertainment industry as a whole, and this is being tapped into by companies that understand the power of the past. The more retro is pushed at us, the more we’ll look back to forms of entertainment like games, and the more we’ll bring back those we once loved. We are even digging up old games that were dumped in the desert because they were a total failure, all because of the nostalgic memory of the event happening.
Retro is history, and it is here to stay. It has been proven that we can’t dig a whole and simply dump old games there to die, our memories of them keep us coming back. Whether it is online casino games, console games, or even table top games, there are plenty that fill us with nostalgia. This is the power of retro, and a reason to love games as much as we do.
Here are all the deals from Xiaomi’s anniversary sale in India
Xiaomi is celebrating its two-year anniversary in the Indian market by offering a series of offers and flash sales starting July 20. The three-day sale will see the Mi 5 being offered for ₹22,999, down from ₹24,999, as well as daily flash sales through which you can get your hands on phones and accessories for as low as ₹1.
Here’s what’s available starting July 20:
- Mi 5: ₹2,000 discount to ₹22,999, valid for three days (July 20-22)
- Mi 4: ₹4,000 discount to ₹10,999, available on Flipkart and Mi.com
- Mi 4i – ₹11,999 on Flipkart
- Mi Bluetooth Speaker for ₹1,999, a discount of ₹500.
- ₹1 flash sale:
- July 20th: 10 Mi 5 and 100 20000mAh Mi Power Banks
- July 21st: 10 Redmi Note 3 and 100 Mi Band 1A
- July 22nd: 10 Mi Max and 100 Mi Bluetooth Speaker
Xiaomi is launching the 10,000mAh Mi Power Bank, Mi Capsule Earphones, and Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro in gold during the three-day event. The vendor is also offering a series of app-based promotions that include:
- Buy Mi 5 Gold and get a pair of Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro Gold for free
- Get Mi LED Light Enhanced or Mi USB Fan for free with the purchase of 20000mAh Mi Power Bank
- Get Mi USB Cable and Mi USB Fan free absolutely free with the purchase of Mi 4i
- Buy Redmi Note 3 with a phone case and get Rs. 100 off the bundle
- Buy Mi Max with a phone case and get Rs. 50 off the bundle
The flash sales kick off at 2 p.m. IST, and given the nature of the products on offer, it’s advised you log in to your Mi account ahead of time. Are you guys looking to pick anything up during the sale?
See at Xiaomi
Argus Health & Calorie counter: Anyone want to join me in a quest to get healthier? (review)
As we get older, our responsibilities grow and our bodies slow down. It’s a fact of life that by our mid twenties we stop growing, and with every year we age our hormones and metabolism slow down. Add in job responsibilities, families, pets, and general life, it can be real easy to stop taking care of ourselves.
You never realize how good of shape you’re in until you’re out of shape. I’m no different than anyone else. I just turned 36 this last Sunday, and I really need to get my butt back into shape. Kids aren’t in my life plan, but a full time career as a medicinal chemist is as well as writing for AndroidGuys. It’s too easy for me to not make time to take care of myself. After a long day, a cold beer or two definitely melts my stress away, but puts me in a state of laziness. It’s gone on too long.
I decided to take action. One step at a time.
I’ve been a big guy my entire life. This body that I have been blessed with allowed me to excel in sports all the way through high school. In college I leaned out and got in real good shape. But then life got in the way, and now I honestly could afford to drop about 20 pounds. Maybe 30.
About a week and a half ago I joined in on a friendly walking competition with some friends from the local dog park I bring my dog park to everyday. We downloaded an app called Argus, and since that day I have been working out and feel like I am taking control of my health.
Argus for Android
The reason why I chose to download Argus was due to the compatibility between Android and iOS. My friends from the dog park found an app that we could all use to track our steps and not only compete with each other, but offer support as well. Most of them use iPhones too.
Generally most of us all carry our smartphones with us wherever we go, and the app takes advantage of the built-in hardware that’s included in our smartphones to track our steps. While we could have picked up fitness trackers like Fitbits or Android Wear smartwatches, we opted for the Argus app, since it is free to download and use, at the Google Play Store and Apple App store. The Argus app is compatible with many fitness trackers, so if you have one it might be a good alternative to use instead of your smartphone.
In order to get our group motivated we made a bet to up the stakes. The bet was, whoever ended the seven day period with the least amount of steps would take the group out to happy hour on their dime. While that wasn’t motivation for me, simply competing again amped me up to where I wanted to win. Argus was simply a step tracker for me at that point, but a tool to show that I could win.
The homescreen interface is very simple and nice to look at. The app tracks my steps very well. Sure you can cheat and shake your phone, but there is no real point in that and if you’re going to waste your time shaking a phone just to beat your friends, you should probably find something more productive to do. After day two and 50k steps later, I started to look through Argus to see what other features it offered.
It shows what day you’re on, how many steps you’ve taken, how much coffee you’ve drank, a place to track your heart rate using the camera lens in your smartphone, weight tracking, as well as food and water intake. Naturally I went with what was easiest first and that was tracking my water intake.
From the days of when I used to work out to look good, I know that just a 2% reduction of fluid in your body can result in a 10-20% decrease in athletic performance. Not to mention that water is required to make your body function efficiently. If you don’t have good water intake habits, your physical and mental health can suffer tremendously. Admittedly over the past few years I got real tired of going to the water fountain to fill up my water bottle at work. I usually went a whole day of just drinking coffee to keep me awake which is a natural diuretic. This contributed to my fatigue at the end of the work day.
After tracking my water intake, I brought a bottle into work and started drinking at least two to three full bottles during the work day. By the time I got home, I felt good and hydrated for my workout, rather than feeling empty on coffee. I still haven’t started tracking my food intake yet as that is a whole different level of commitment I am not ready to take on yet. But when I am ready, I can track caloric intake through Argus.
By day five, averaging over 20k steps per day, my friends started to wonder if I was cheating. How could this out of shape guy get so many steps? So I started to track my heart rate during my running/elliptical sessions to show I really was working out. When you have friends that you follow, you get to see the information they input as well. One of my friends is a medical doctor, and validated that I was working out and earning my steps with the increased heart rate that went along with my workouts.
By day seven, the walking challenge bet was no longer about happy hour or winning. It was about how good I felt and finally taking control of my health. Sure my feet ached and my knees hurt, but my skin felt clean, my muscles were awakened, and my mental health improved more than anything else. I also sleep better now too.
I think tracking progress with a scale is annoying and can easily demotivate someone who wants results too quickly. I measure my progress now by how my clothes fit. My pants are a little looser, and that made me feel real good about myself. Sure I have a long way to go, but with Argus, I am getting there one step at a time.
Argus for Android isn’t as good as its iOS version. It lacks the challenge feature which it says is coming soon in the app. I don’t know how much I believe that considering how long it has been out, but there’s always hope. Competition is good for some like me and lacking that feature is annoying when I know that iOS has it.
There’s still the ability to see how many steps my friends have taken as the app shows me who has walked the most throughout the day. Or I can also click on each individual friend to see how much they have walked. When I see a bit of laziness, I give them a call and we walk our dogs together. The beauty of Argus is the social support or competition if you want it. Argus is not perfect, and there are lots of other apps and fitness trackers that work similarly, but the interface, social interaction and ease of use have me coming back for more every single day.
Do you want to get healthier?
According to data from Nielsen, the number one New Year’s resolution is fitness. There is a very high chance that you made a commitment to get in shape. If it’s to look better, feel better, get in shape to spend time playing with your kids, or simply to get healthy for more energy, now is the time to download Argus.
Join in my commitment to get in shape. Add me on Argus. My username is Derrick Miyao and my associated email address is [email protected]. We can challenge each other, or we can offer support when we need it most. I’d love to connect with you. There is no prize in signing up except you will feel better and improve your health. The more people who sign up, and the more who connect with each other, the higher the chances all of us will stick to it.
Argus is free to use with a premium add on of $30 per year which I have not signed up for. The app isn’t perfect, but it is really good. On Android it sometimes lags when it tracks steps, but eventually it will refresh and catch up.
Most importantly though, it is free and your first step to getting in shape. I highly recommend you check Argus out if you want to get healthier. Just about anyone can get healthier.
Download Argus at the Google Play Store and add me, Derrick Miyao. I look forward to it.
Android Nougat won’t boot your phone if its software is corrupt
Ever since KitKat, Android has verified your device’s boot process to make sure that rootkits and other forms of malware don’t operate undetected. However, it hasn’t done much more than alert you of potential problems (as of Marshmallow)… until now. Google explains that Android Nougat strictly enforces that boot check, giving you far more than just a warning. If your boot image or partition is corrupt, Android will either start in a limited-use mode (with your permission) or won’t start at all. The feature will first show up in devices that ship with Nougat out of the box.
For most people, this is likely to be helpful — it’ll prevent your device from becoming a playground for viruses, at least after you restart. Google notes that it could create some hiccups, however. It’s more likely that you’ll notice error-related corruption, since the verification could shut off access to data blocks and trigger unusual behavior. Also, this may make it tougher to tweak your phone with custom firmware. Google says that any device with a locked bootloader will use this addition to check for modifications — while those bootloaders weren’t exactly mod-friendly to start with, it’s going to get that much harder when Nougat rolls around. Thankfully, this won’t affect the Nexus line or other devices where bootloaders are unlocked as a matter of course.
Source: Android Developers Blog
Japan’s delayed ‘Pokemon Go’ launch will feature sponsored ‘gyms’
Server problems, earnestly waiting for the start of Japan’s school holidays, or perhaps signing the dotted line on a sweet, sweet fast-food sponsorship deal? Whatever the true reason for the pause, Japan appears to finally be getting in on the Pokemon Go boom. A leaked internal email across Japanese forums has delayed the launch until tomorrow, at the same time confirming TechCrunch’s report of McDonald’s-sponsored gyms and in-game locations. Apparently, the leak first scuppered a July 20th morning launch in Japan, pushing it back later in the day.
According to TechCrunch sources, the companies (Niantic, McDonald’s and The Pokemon Company) have decided to cancel the launch until tomorrow, citing that the hype generated could overload the game. No offense, everyone, but that’s still happening everywhere else in world. Nikkei also reported that the game would launch tomorrow, although it’s recently corrected its article to suggest later in the week. In short, no-one knows.
McDonalds’s Japan has recently seen sales soar following its recent Pokemon-themed Happy Meals, while Nintendo saw its share price double. Which is even crazier, given that it didn’t even make the Pokemon smartphone game. The leak detailed some issues that the companies need to tackle — including Pokemon / McDonald’s gyms with poor connectivity, and pesky customers taking up space without buying more burgers or matcha flavored McFlurries. If the game does actually arrive tomorrow, I’ll buy myself McDonald’s, in the name of Pokemon Go journalism.
Source: 2ch (Japanese), TechCrunch
AIVAnet 