Sony MDR-7506/1 Professional Headphone, Black
| Weight: | 227 g |
| Size: | One size |
| Dimensions: | 2.54 x 2.54 x 2.54 cm; 226.8 Grams |
| Model: | MDR7506 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Colour: | Black |
| Dimensions: | 2.54 x 2.54 x 2.54 cm; 226.8 Grams |
| Size: | One size |
| Weight: | 227 g |
| Size: | One size |
| Dimensions: | 2.54 x 2.54 x 2.54 cm; 226.8 Grams |
| Model: | MDR7506 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Colour: | Black |
| Dimensions: | 2.54 x 2.54 x 2.54 cm; 226.8 Grams |
| Size: | One size |
For many years I have been looking for headphones that feel comfortable and sound good and these are the ones. They have a good high end and base response which suit my 65 year old ears perfectly. The cable is the perfect length for me to plug into one of my many devices and sit in the middle of my room. It is also good that the cable goes to just one of the earpieces and not split which tends to annoy me as it catches on my clothes.
They are also a good price as well, making them a bargain.
If you want clear, well articulated sound that is not coloured by the headphones response then these could be for you. Vocals are crystal clear, bass well controlled, mid range excellent. For the price they would be hard to beat, well worth giving them a try. On ‘special’ tracks these phones can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Spatial separation is excellent and they bring out detail that often gets overlooked. Being closed back the sound the playback is almost inaudible from alongside the wearer. I compared them to Audio Technica M40x which lacked the clarity that I required and lost the openness that makes well recorded vocal tracks special. Overall these are excellent headphones if you want to hear the music as it was recorded, if you want something that colours the sound and gives a dominating bass lift then look elsewhere. Some reviews have mentioned that they are not very robust and looking at them they do appear a little delicate so perhaps not the best if you are going to be carrying them about in a rucksack but for reasonable use around home they appear adequate. The fixed curly lead has had poor reviews but it has a straight section of a reasonable length by the headphones to ensure that the weight of the coiled part is not felt on the phones when you are seated, nor trap hair.
Genuine headphones from Sony, reproduction is immaculate, can run out of a phone or laptop. Only let down is the stock pads feel cheap and nasty and the mid trebles are too sharp (can be dealt with in EQ).
Overall, if you want portable (come with an egg back) Well made, balanced headphones get these and spend the extra 20 on some Brainwavz earpads
Fantastic sound, Comfortable on the ears, Nice bass sound with noise reduction. Great quality.
First of all these headphones are not really designed for sitting down and listening to your music collection. If you want headphones for that purpose look at other options.
However if you want these for your recording set up and want something that gives you a true natural reflection of the sounds you’re recording then these are a great option at a reasonable price.
They are comfy to wear for long periods of time. They cut out background noise very well too.
These headphones have been among the fixtures and fittings of pro and home studios for some many years and have a reputation of being hard wearing and reliable.
This is the first pair I’ve actually owned having recently got back into writing my own music and so far I couldn’t be happier with them.
I bought these to monitor the audio from my c100 video camera , very pleased , nice fairy flat response , comfortable and easy to pack , good value, the only thing that im worried about is the tiny weeny wires that go from the handle to the cups , seems so fragile and would be easy to break , why on earth didn’t they enclose them with some plastic tubing or something, aah ! I’m off to screw fix to see if I can make something up
These are amazing value for money. They are just workhorses for music and audio production as they play exactly what was recorded and do not try to hype the sound. Therefore some people who are used to modern headphones may find them too neutral for their tastes. I use them for 3 purposes; listening to music but my tastes are acoustic guitar stuff such as Nick Drake or albums such as Astral feels. I also use them to edit voiceovers for videos I make for my work and finally to monitor my guitar while playing and recording it. They work great for all 3 with a natural sound that is incredible for under 100. My only complaints would be firstly the comfort. When I first got them, I found they began to hurt the top of the head after about 30 mins of use. I therefore ordered a Geekria headband cover for about 10 which as a bit of padding and much better now. The earpad material is also quite plasticky so may look at velour replacements for this. Also, from a design perspective there is a little notch on the headband that knocks against the plastic part of the earcups and leaves a mark on each side. These 2 points were certainly not worth taking off a star though. If you want to hear what you and others recorded without extra bass, hype or other stuff then get these, I love mine!
Wow. Superb sound and noise cancellation excellent! Overall, sound quality is amazing. Superior clarity, yet, only day 1should stand the test of time!
Using these to record in and find them excellent. Have used others in various studios but wanted my own pair to have continuity of sound for myself no matter where I’m working !
Best headphones I have owned, excellent for musc production. Only downside is the right cup is extremely loose could be a bit tighter, not sure if it is supposed to be so loose or are defective.
I discovered this headphone via someone who is a professional audio engineer and musician. They are an industry standard. It comes well packaged, it has a long curly cable, and a very flat frequency response over the audio range.
So far an excellent product.
I checked several lists to find which headphones were top rated for keyboard players. The MDR7506 came out top. And they are excellent. And not expensive. Sound is crystal clear across all ranges. Not too heavy on bass but enough without obliterating higher sounds. Comfortable over the ears and a very decent cable length. Great value.
These are classics that have been around for decades. They are intended for recording or mixing so are very flat across the frequency range. Great for dialogue and very comfortable to wear all day. Would not recommended for listening to music as they are very clinical. Very robust and fold up really neatly. Pretty good passive sound isolation too so good for on location.
Only one complaint about these headphones. The ear pads don’t last well but get some decent after market ones when the originals have fallen apart. Been using these headphones for years. A vital part of any sound kit.
Just received them and I am happy. I had to return Philips Fidelio ones as the sound was poor, too big, not foldable… the ones on the contrary are smaller, foldable, really good sound quality. it is just what I was looking for. They don’t need to charge, only be plugged. No buttons. Just the headphones. I hope they last for years
After spending years playing with “gaming headsets” I found myself wanting more from my sound scapes in games and music. As someone who isn’t an audiophile at all I wanted something affordable. These headphones changed everything once I put them on. Comfortable to wear for hours on end, don’t make my ears hot. Both highs and low frequency in the headphones never distort or sound muffled and the additional detail I can hear in games without any equalisers or enchantments is astonishing.
I’ve never liked noise cancellation in headphones due to disliking being able to hear what’s around me at all times, these don’t really have any other than playing sound adequately loud enough and even enough to block out unwanted sounds during sessions.
Had tried quite a few ‘gaming’ headsets as I often game and wanted something with a Mic. After trying the abortion that is USB Gaming headsets with zerono audio qualityequalizer settings, I opted for these as I also use a music DAW. Just great sounding, bass is there and deep, quality is top notch. Rather than be stuck with a gaming quality headset that does not deliver, try pairing (if you need it) a Trust Gaming GXT 232 which is cheap, and works perfectly for those moments when you need to scream obscenities at a 12 year old whose just killed you in Battlefield 4. Five stars.
Have used these for a few months now and they are better then other one that I used previously. This headphone is for sound editing and not for listening to music as per se.
For video and sound editing work its great and does a great job for the price. Would recommend.
THESE ARE STUDIO MONITORS, NOT LISTENING HEADPHONES. I am not going to treat them as though they are supposed to be both. These are for specialised use. They are absolutely perfect for hearing every important little detail in a mix. Nothing gets away from your ears with these, you hear everything.
However, If you do intend on buying some great headphones for just listening, do look elsewhere. The sound when listening to music is too rich, “S’s” and “T’s” are too prominent and a little distorted.
For mixing however, I couldn’t be more satisfied with this product. It has allowed me to enhance my creative ability and enjoy music production once more.
I got these for home use. It was a difficult choice but I made the right one. The headphones are very comfortable and the sound is great for me.
I did a review on another pair of headphones, gave them 5* but I was wrong, certain genres of music and they failed badly .
Sony once again come up with a pair of phones, that sound great with any music, I like all music very wide interest in all styles . If I had to point out where Sony do excells here, it’s the brilliant reproduction of rock music . Unlike last time I have extensively tried all music format’s .
Simply put these are a cracking pair of headphones,comfy and light .
Well done Sony …… Did I mention under 100 you will be hard pressed to find better, great wired phones .
I read a few reviews and tech specs and got convinced. I dont part my cash for hype and Im generally sceptical of reviews. They were right, and Im right in the masses to agree. THESE make 100% reference mark for me. Seriously robust image throughout the range and EVERYTHING is there. These pick up bass opulence and crystal treble and absolute perfect mids… the ranges dont distort in my register. All signatures are untouched with the compression. I dunno how the Qs do it, but it works so damn good, Im very happy and highly recommend. Best investment I ever made for cans. For takes, premix and post mix 100% yes. Leisure – why the hell not?
very well made and live up to all the hype. can still be used for everyday music listening (depends on what music profile that you like). super clear sound. The cable is a little bit on the heavy side so at times i feel like it’s pulling my head. apart from that, can’t complain and at this price, it’s a bargain for the quality you get.
I’ve never got the hang of using a phone for listening to music. I prefer a dedicated MP3 player (I have the AGPTEK Rocker). I usually use my Sony WF-1000XM3 in-ear headphones, which attach using Bluetooth. But they tend to hurt my ears after a while so I thought I’d buy over-ear phones. I remembered in the past how disappointing a pair of Koss Pro4-AAs were and I ended up EBay-ing them. I now realise my mistake was not to check the impedance of the headphones when using a low output power device like a phone or MP3 player. I could have used a headphone amp, but I just didn’t know to do that.
So basically if you’re using a phone or MP3 player these Sony headphones are awesome, because they are low impedance and sound great right out of the box. I’m not an audio expert so I can’t comment on things like “brightness” or “soundstage” but I just know they sound great – actually better than my Sony WF-1000XM3’s that cost about three times as much. I think the testament to that is that I’m listening to my music collection all over again.
They are comfortable because they have great padding and are not too heavy. I have to say I think they are great value and I would highly recommend them.
I’ve had a bunch of headphones over the years, and doing home recording I wanted something not too expensive that would get a good representation of what is recorded.
These do the trick with a very good bass response that allows me to tell how it is going to sound on other systems in a rather lively room where my monitors have limited bass response so it was hard to tell whether the bass was deafening or non-existent.
Also, a good test was getting some good binaural effects even though they were fully enclosed.
Good,solid build yet lightweight.These deliver a clear and crisp balanced sound which makes them ideal for monitoring.The bass response isn’t amazing but these aren’t really designed for casual listening but more for studio sessions so are great for not getting the fatigue that comes from listening too long,too loud.
The cups are snug and cancel out most outside noise but they do feel warm after a while.
Overall I would highly recommend these for studio use.If you’re into DJing or want some headphones for listening on the train then look elsewhere.
These are for those that know.
These headphones have a long coiled cable and are comfortable over the ears. The sound is great and I use them all the time in a recording studio. They fold into a small package size and come with a cloth bag. The other members of the band have more expensive gear, but honestly, I can’t tell the difference.
I play bass, and the bass response through these headphones is very good.
The construction is very good. I’ve had mine for a year now, nearly and use them every day. They look brand new and the performance has not changed.
They are very simple. They have a 3.5mm jack and converter to 1/4″ but no wireless or noise cancelling or other bells and whistles. All the money is spent on construction and sound reproduction.
Recommended.
Hi,
Purely bought on recommendations on Amazon.
I have struggled to find replacements for Technics/Panasonic headphones, where I like a balanced unit, not too much bass, not too much treble, but not something that runs into 100’s of .
I find so many headphones focused on bass to sound so muddled, like you are listening in a tunnel, or you get the opposite where they have far too treble and sound tinny.
These were spot on, I think one reviewer mentioned EQ, so these are a proper balance in sound.
I love the cord, perfect for me, I didn’t want wireless, but these just feel quality.
Highly recommended.
I wouldn’t hesitate in buying another set.
I got these headphones because I do sound and recording and needed a pair of headphones that would give me as flat a sound as possible. That’s exactly what these headphones do. If you don’t know what that means, then these are not the headphones for you!
On the other hand, if you want to know what people hear in a recording studio when mixing songs and albums, these are definitely the headphones for you.
The bass goes down to 10hz, so it is present, but not overwhelming and incredibly even. The treble goes up to 20khz and is clear and sharp. The mid range on these headphones is flat as a pancake! They can go very loud with no change in the tonal qualities of the sound.
These headphones are very light and very comfortable indeed. The lead they come with is a coiled lead and is quite long, so these headphones will be good for people who want to record instruments in the studio.
The Sony MDR 7506’s are an industry standard for good reasons – they are relatively low cost, sound sonically correct and are incredibly useful for recording and for doing sound.
If you are in the market for flat sounding headphones, do yourself a favour and buy these now. You won’t regret it.
Amazing and reasonably priced. Stood on and broke my audio-technica headphones and got these after reading reviews. I must say they are so much better, needed good studio monitor headphones and loved my audio-technica phones and was soo peed off breaking them. The balance in sound is amazing and seems far better with these bad boys.
I’ve been doing music production for about 3 years now and thought I’d grab some new headphones to up my mixing game, particularly as my last pair of headphones had no bass and were also very trebly.
After 4 days, these are an AMAZING step up, seriously; everything sounds so great now, there’s texture and thickness in what I was listening to before and to finally have strong bass is amazing.
The only issue they have from what I’ve noticed is (like in my headline) they do need an EQ as they tend to clip, specifically around the 4khz area, once EQ’d though they sound genuinely amazing. A must buy if you are looking to get serious about your mixing/mastering game.
REVIEW UPDATE AS OF DECEMBER:
Wow, I did not expect these headphones to help with my mixes and masters in the way they did. Seriously, I went back to comparing some of my works from earlier this year to now and my masters sound so much better on a range of devices thanks to how these sounds, the fact they’re flatter in their frequency chart means a mix is so much easier to fine tune to be flat. I seriously love em, and still recommend these; hell, even for music listening, they’re pretty great.
I bought these headphones as a replacement for an old pair of sony ear buds that were starting to crackle.
I initially wanted them for work use to perform a DolbyD certification, but they will be great for home use too.
Very impressed with the audio quality of these headphones especially given the relatively low price.
They stay in place on my head without pressing too hard and I think would be comfortable for many hours listening.
So far I’ve listened to a range of material. High through to low frequencies seem to be well reproduced, without horrible “bass boost” or similar. No discernible “background hiss” either.
I’ve only been using them for a few days, but very happy so far.
The headphones are good to wear and not much sound escapes into the exterior. The long curly lead is excellent when moving around and makes a good fidget thing when curled up in the lap. The sound quality really is good and I was quite surprised when I first tried them out. No sound fatigue after quite long periods, The pads are quite soft and cover the ears nicely. The jack is built to last and well bonded to the rubber curly lead. I like them and they are a good price for what you get, I have heard better but they cost three times as much. Well worth the money for a good quality product.
I need to get a new set of headphone phones and Sony has good name
After research I order them and so far I am happy with them
The sound quality is good and they are very comfortable over the the ears
Replacement for old worn out headphones, what a difference, fit great, sound is awesome, definitely recommend these headphones, try them you wont be disappointed
I received my Sony headphones today.
I’ve read some of the other reviews on here and everyone is entitled to their opinion.but I’ve read that these headphones are not as good for actually listening to music.
Well I’m listening to music as I’m typing this review ,and I must say these headphones are excellent.
I’m very impressed , honestly, do it ,buy them ………I’m blown away ,the best headphones I’ve ever had .
I foresee these becoming a trusted addition that I always have a pair of. For the price I paid on offer at the time, an absolute bargain. Please read the rest of the review for their niggles and things to be careful of.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Love them? Yes!! One of the best value music purchases I’ve ever made.
But goodness me, they’ve got some character about them.
The, not so good bits (please do not let this put you off!!)
The sound stage I’m either not used to, or isn’t great, I’ve always mixed a great sound stage but this has gone to pot so far on these cans (all thin front and wide sides!) I cannot yet say why – me or poor representation. I do suspect a little of the latter? Regardless, I’m sure I’ll adapt to it.
Try and take them off one handed and they will literally punch you in the face, and it flippin’ hurts! I have learned to remove them with care…with two hands… very slowly so they don’t notice!
They don’t sound all that nice, either. Though mine are still wearing in a bit.
I paid 75 quid for them, though. That buys you a kinda OK-ish not bad set of general cans. Or one posh meal at a fancy chef’s gaff. Context.
This is what makes them great. Context. Buy them for the right reasons, and you’ll love them. Don’t, and you’ll probably not.
My mixes improved (sound stage aside) IMMEDIATELY with them.
I let someone listen to a mix I was working on, with a view in mind of what I wanted to change, and being only half way through doing so.
Said person picked out the problem in the mix! Not a producer or even musician. A mix that others listened to on their own systems and reported it sounding very professional. Context, again.
They’re almost subliminal at times as well, you just know something needs changing somehow. It’s hard to pin this down, I haven’t experienced this before. Not even my Yamaha HS80s or Senn 595s came close to this. For considerably more money!
They don’t feel the sturdiest of things, but they come with this big list of spare replacement parts it seems you can buy as well. Not tried that before.
Uncertain on longevity, wouldn’t do pleasure listening sessions, either.
But the job I bought them for? Now I understand why people have them.
These will be my NS10s.
Even though they have faults, are bad tempered, laugh at mixes you thought sounded great – you just know they love you, tough love – and I love them back.
Next set up I’d consider are about 100 quid more (Bayer). As a producer with the budget I had to buy them on?
Just right for me!
<3
These are great!
The cord is really long, which helps, so that I don’t have to sit right up against the computer screen whilst listening to music and not waking the family.
They are comfy and seem to eliminate outside noise – enough so that I’ve missed the call that ‘dinner is ready’ plenty of times – thus ending in a cold dinner!
I can plug this into my guitar amp and get far enough away from the amp that if I catch myself at the right angle in the mirror I look just like Eric Clapton or Brian May – but without the hair…same facial features… or talent!
Amazing!
I was a bit dubious in parting with more than 20 for a pair of headphones, and now since buying these will never buy a pair of cheaper headphones ever again. My usual goto headphones were the Sony Studio Monitor MDR-V150, which for around 18.00 are a nice pair of headphones that I have used for the last 5 years, from Dj’ing, presenting a radio show, and normal use plugged into my computer.
Since buying the Sony MDR-7506/1 Professional Headphones, I’m kicking myself for not buying these sooner. The sound is awesome, I’ve listened to some tracks for years, I’ve plugged in these bad boys, and now it’s like listening to a different composition of the same tracks I love and play often. So do your self a favour, if you are thinking about buying these but urring over the price, then don’t, buy them, it is worth it. Also comes with a handy bag to store them in when you’re not using them.
The “Sony MDR-7506/1 Professional Headphone, Black” is often seen in TV and recording studios as they provide an honest listening experience without exaggerating one portion of the audible spectrum above another. They are also apparently preferred by many professional musicians. Their sound quality was very good out-of-the-box and may well improve after several hours of burn-in time (50-100 hours of continuous mid-volume playback is generally suggested).
Their sound is neutral and well-balanced while they are lightweight and comfortable if used for extended listening periods. While there may be a practical duration for an audio session, possibly 3 hours or more, they do not appear to cause the ears to become hot or painful as can be caused by heavier alternatives. Some may find the earpads to be thin but third-party memory foam alternatives are available via Amazon. The ear-pieces fold back for storage.
A 3.5mm jack plug is fitted to a permanent, non-replaceable cable and a threaded 6.3 mm adapter is provided for a positive connection when required. The cable is coiled and 3m long but it is also consequently heavier than some; that may render these inappropriate for use on the move. A soft pouch is provided but provides very little protection; the ‘phones are almost entirely constructed of plastic which may be adequate if they are gently handled and properly cared-for but then also susceptible to damage if mishandled – replacement, in that event, will not be an over-expensive experience.
Their design is similar to styles from AKG, Grado and others and avoids the solid cup that many tend to employ; hence, these look small and unimposing. Value for money is excellent and surpassing their performance is only possible by spending several 100 more.
POSTSCRIPT – After a few weeks of use, it was found that the coiled cable is more stretchy than on a pair previously used (Koss Professional) and tends to remain stretched; it is something similar to 1980s telephones where the cable always tied itself in knots and impossible to untangle. Where the cable a little thicker, it might be more ‘springy’ and return to its natural state. It is a slight nuisance but does not affect performance.
Cannot give a personal opinion on these headphones as they were a gift for my son. He has said they are brilliant – so I was pleased that they matched his expectations – and knowing him as I do he will have researched these to the Nth degree so they probably are very good at this price point.
I love these headphones, they are well made, great value and of course a great sound too.
They easily fold up and come with their own Sony bag, I use them for my radio show every week on Solihullradio.com
Very comfortable light headphones that don’t take up too much space, fold away easy and can store in the supplied bag.
They also don’t make your ears too hot with perfect clamp force (Not too tight but firm enough to keep them secured to your head), I could use these for a few hours with no problem at all.
Sound quality is excellent, sound stage and bass not as “in your face” as some, but also means that you won’t get ear fatigue. They have a nice balanced sound with reasonable isolation.
Would be nice if the lead was Interchangeable rather than a fixed coiled wire but it feels of reasonable quality and will hopefully last a long time.
Also, the 3.5mm jack fits my Samsung S7 with the Spigen Amoured cover, so all good. And volume wise there is no need to turn up the volume as the mobile phone drives these headphones with ease.
These are the first headphones I’ve tried with my GNX4 guitar modeller that actually sound good too, so that’s a bonus!
Always difficult to assess the qualities of phones as it depends on what you look for, what sort of music you listen to and what other phones you might have and compare to. I like classical, country, spoken word and also plug in to PS4 games. These Sony sets are, to my mind, a little shy on bass response but otherwise crystal clear on all levels. Given an overall choice I would stick to my Audio-Technica ATH-M50X phones – but there is a price difference here. For their price, the Sony set is pretty good value and won’t disappoint most. If you want heavy rock sounds and a thumping bass, look around a bit.
Note also, that these are on the ear and not as comfortable as good over ear sets. They do fold up nicely and the expading lead is tidy and good quality.
If I am the engineer the other side of the glass from the DJ I need truth and accuracy across the sound spectrum, and this is not it! The Bass is too full, and there is a deliberate rising response in the top similar to a Shure SM58. The words “Studio Monitor” across the headband is my problem. if I use these as “the truth” to do a mix down or to set up a desk for recording, and then take my joyous creation to play to a record exec it will sound dull and lifeless…
So by all means buy them, great value, great sound… But not true or trustworthy sound for a recording engineer to stake his reputation on.
I bought these for use with my digital piano and they’re great for my needs. The sound quality mirrors the piano really well – so much so I thought the headphones were broken and the sound was still coming from my piano the first time that I used them. They don’t completely cancel out all background noise but this isn’t an issue for me as usually I’m listing to YouTube tutorials on an iPad as I play
Great headphones for an even better price! Sometimes there is a little bit of lag in certain songs – some other reviews mention fiddling with the EQ settings but that doesn’t seem to affect it for me. Would recommend though!
Works incredibly well. It’s extremely durable, the frequency response is flat, which is perfect for every application. No active noise cancellation but it works decently well passively.
Despite constant use and abuse the audio jack has held up very well. There are a few angles where the right ear no longer works but it’s stupidly easy to fix if I could be bothered – just get a new audio jack and solder it on. I’m absolutely sure that the coiled cable is responsible for this.
Would 100% recommend if you want an entry point to high end audio equipme
Firstly, as it’s easy to lose track of time, the headphones need to be comfortable, something that you wouldn’t know in most cases until you purchased. Tick!
Although I’ve only had for a few days I’ve already spent several 2-3 hour sessions of wear and so far so good.
Sound? I’m not planning to use these for listening to music so I will not comment on that aspect, but the sound I get from my guitar is fantastic, especially paired with the IRIG.
I will report back on quality/build etc
I usually buy Audio Technica monitors and they are good. These came recommended by a lot of people and I could see why. Sound is neutral and detailed. Bass can go low enough but isn’t boosted. They are comfortable and lightweight. I enjoy having them on my head basically, and have enjoyed producing with them.
I feel like I got a great price too..
Yeah, this is it.
I was originally looking for a good quality PC microphone for streaming. So was busy watching numerous videos from the same channel of this guy in depth testing sound quality of microphones. And was suddenly drawn to what headphones he was using in one of the videos (they looked well worn, as though he’d been using them for a long time). And thought, if this guys uses these, then they must be good. So i just bought them. And i can confirm every other positive review on here. It’s nice to hear what sound should sound like. I’m happy.
There’s a decent length of cable (some may it find slightly too long if working at close quarters to your gear). The cable is fixed, ie cannot be disconnected from the headphones, which might dismay those who find themselves regularly replacing knackered headphone leads (which is usually because they’re getting repeatedly tangled up and shoved in and out of bags and rucsacks etc – the 7506s are not really intended for that sort of use). However, it is a robust cable and in any case, these ‘phones are designed to be repaired and maintained. The packaging even comes with a parts list for replacement components. This is not because they’re prone to break, but because they are designed for professional environments where equipment is expected to be maintainable, not disposable.
To summarise: a workhorse headphone aimed at people who need accurate sound and long-term comfort, at a very reasonable cost. Everything is built to a price, and you do get what you pay for, and as with many other things, the law of diminishing returns is applicable to these headphones – but in a good way. They hit the sweet spot where you are getting a high quality item, but without entering the zone where you pay bigger and bigger increments in price for smaller and smaller increments in quality.
These are excellent professional grade monitor headphones. They give a clear uncoloured representation of the sound. They are not noise cancelling, but will screen out a lot of ambient noise due to their closed back design. They don’t have the bass boosted that a lot of people like for listening to EDM etc.
Being professional headphones, they are designed to show up problems in your mix, not make music listening the most enjoyable experience.
I bought these as my Sennheiser HD25s are at work in lockdown! I would say they’re comparable, but I will AB them when it’s over. I would say that they are more comfortable than the Sennheisers though.
I bought these to use for streaming with Goxlr and wow what can I say theses are amazing with the right settings like gate, equalizer etc
Sound quality is amazing and they fit well on my head and they do not feel heavy or they are wired well worth it, I have tested music and game sound and its perfect.
Likes:
1. Great Noise cancellation
2. Good Bass and Mid ranges
3. Good quality build
4. Awesome packaging
Dislikes:
1. Ergonomically could have been better designed for over ear fitting
2. Treble range is not good. Becomes a bit unclear
Overall, a really good product for its price range. I was using a Scarlett Studio headphone before this which was also very good but this one has better Bass and Mid ranges. I would definitely recommend for beginner music producers who are looking for a great product in a budget.
Closed back leaves very little audio leakage, so can play audio loud without disturbing colleagues sitting nearby.
Lead is long enough if sitting at a desk but can be too long if using it with a personal device like a phone or MP3 player.
Probably the best valued headphones in the market.
These cans are such a bargain buy. I marvel at the reviews that suggest that they’re not genuine Sony goods as they’re definitely the real thing.
I’m not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination but these are such a step up from the widely promoted models from various manufacturers that I’ve been able to compare them with.
Love the coiled cable and the look of the headphones themselves is quite classy in my humble opinion.
I wanted to get a set of headphones for sound design whilst making videos. When I first looked into this I had not realised that many headphones tweak sounds so the sound is better to the ear. That’s not what you want when you’re making videos and designing soundscapes. You want something that gives a true reflection of the audio. These Sony headphones certainly fit the bill.
They are extremely comfortable and I am so pleased with them.
Noise cancellation 3/5 they are passive noise cancellation, a good coverage of ear but are not active.
Sound quality 5/5 you will hear everything, good and bad. Best for sound production.
Bass quality 5/5 they can not, nor will they thump your head, but you’ll know how the bass is presented, a big plus. You can hear but not get overwhelmed by it.
In short, use for production of sound.
I am amazed by the quality of this pair of headphones. I was just shocked by how big the difference is from my previous 25 Panasonic headphones. I immediately started hearing things I didn’t use to know were parts of songs and it was so fun to listen to my favourite songs again.
Build quality is excellent, the headphones are sitting very comfortably on my head, the ear cups are very soft, and were easy to adjust. They don’t feel like they can break easily. I was also able to see that you can easily buy parts for these online.
As far as audio quality goes the MDR’s are amazing the mid and high tones are incredible to listen to. I would ask for a little more bass but I don’t feel like it’s a problem in any way(It’s honestly a very small price to pay for the over all quality).
I feel like it’s worth mentioning that the cable is very long and if you are thinking of buying these for daily commutes, that might be a turn off(I use them on the train to work and don’t find it as that big of a problem)
To finalise I will say that if you are a person that likes his music and needs a pear of headphones to use at home for mixing, playing guitar or even gaming these are a very good choice for bellow 100.
As for comfort, these headphones are quite light with not much clamping so they are comfortable for short listening periods but after a long time they begin to get uncomfortable/painful because of the shallow ear pads. This shortcoming can be counteracted though by padding the ear pad around the rims with tissue or some other material to add depth.
For build quality, these headphones feel rather sturdy and I don’t suppose they will break any time soon. The only annoyance in the build quality is that the frame is made of plastic and they did creak quite a lot when they were new which was annoying but after ‘wearing in’ these headphones, the creaking seems to have decreased/stopped becoming too noticeable. The coiled cable and optional 1/4″/6.5mm adapter are great and makes the headphones more versatile with the possible apparatus one connect them to.
These are fantastic, (as you’d expect from sony professional gear) not ‘noise canceling’ , but they don’t need to be, as sonic isolation is so good, a nice natural sound withoug exssive bass, which can be tiring to listen to for long periods (like when presenting a radio show of 2-3 hours)
Very comfortable
Nice long flexible cord as well
Worth the money in my opinion, thought I did deliberate for quite some time before ‘taking the plunge’ on these im glad I did now though
These are the real deal. With these you actually pay for sound quality and noise cancellation instead of the brand name. I am an audiophile and am in love with these headphones. My music sounds hundreds of times better than with my last set and can hear instruments I wasn’t able to before. The bass sounds incredible without distorting the audio at all. I love these so much and would recommend these to anyone. The only con to these I can think of is I can’t hear the outside world while using them so I have missed many calls and people at my door. But if you want to escape into your movies and music then that is a plus
I purchased these to listen to my music while my husband watches his spot on TV, perfect for my need and the quality of the sound is what you expect from Sony – absolutely fabulous, not a bad price for quality, highly recommend……
Fantastic pair of reference headphones. Extremely impressed with the quality of these; considering the price I’d say these are a must-have for any home studio producers / recording artists working on a budget. Perfectly flat frequency response, great noise reduction and a compact yet robust and sturdy design ~ 10/10!
If you like listening to music for long periods these are amazing headphones, feel really well built, comfortable and don’t cost very much. Well treated, if they don’t last for decades I’ll be disappointed.
As soon as I plugged in my new Sony headphones the harsh sounds vanished and the instrument took on a whole new quality. Masses of subtlety emerged instantly, adding layers of nuance which I found myself responding to, and consequently I get so much more out of playing the piano than before. And they’re comfortable, capable of being worn for hours on end, day after day, without even a hint that your ears are being forced to conform to a shape they don’t like.
Needless to say, what you get for the money is huge, and I enthusiastically recommend receiving these as a gift, or buying them if you have to.
Putting them on I was struck by the quiet – there’s no background hiss. Sound-wise I don’t want to come across like a hi-fi snob, but the sound has “definition”, in particular the bass doesn’t sound like bassy muddy soup, it has punch and I can tell the difference between kick drums and bass notes. I was expecting these headphones to have weak bass, but the bass is nice and strong – clear, sharp, you can hear it. It’s particularly good for drum’n’bass, where you have sub-bass, a bassline, and a kick drum in that order moving up the frequency scale.
Build-quality-wise the cable is heavy, coiled up so it’s both too long and too short. The headphones don’t feel particularly robust but then again neither do my ancient Sony MDR-ZX100s, and they still work. After a while the pads get uncomfortable and they don’t feel breathable. The pads fit almost exactly around my ears and block most of the outside.
How do the 7506s compare with the ZX100s? The ZX100 is Sony’s surprisingly good-looking el cheapo headphone. The big difference is the bass; as mentioned above the 7560 is warm but clear whereas the ZX100s tend to make bassy noises turn into a big undifferentiated wash of bass, with drums and bass merging into one another (they’re pretty good otherwise).
90 is incredible value. I would pay more if the cable was detachable, with some kind of locking mechanism, and if the headband was a bit tougher.
They are clean, bright with tight low end without any boom.
3 year UPDATE: Still in good shape. I keep them in a hard case. I listened
to lots of modern pop tracks in 2020 as a test. When the production was top level
(Dua Lipa) the mix was perfect. Nothing harsh found. When I played tracks by less
funded artists, the production issues were clear on these headphones. Too bright
and harsh etc. The bass is just right. You can hear low frequencies without boom.
Most of us already have a pair of hyped ‘bass’ headphones, keep these to check the
mix on the very low end. So should you buy these? If you’re going to be producing,
absolutely. They’re an industry standard for a reason.
I heavy but it’s Just right. I enjoyed playing my 808 bass app with these on.
I was hesitant with getting these at first , due to some reviews saying that they are a touch bright in the treble range, but I can honestly say that, in my experience and on my equipment, it’s just great.. I had a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M40x’s before this, which I returned due to an imbalance between the Left and Right(and also found the crossfeed was too much for my taste). I could also actually hear sibilance on the M40x’s, but not on this Sony pair. I’m using these to listen to lossless music on my iPod Classic 5th gen(with DACMod) and Fiio Mont Blanc headphone amp at the office, and on my Marantz SR7011 at home. The bass is also very tight and beautifully integrated(I found the bass a touch thin on the M40x’s) and not bloated, these are NOT headphones for bassheads though, as they offer a very neutral frequency response. I also found the stereo separation to be quite good, creating quite a decent soundstage for a pair of closed back headphones. Open back headphones will be obviously be a lot better at that, which is just inherent to that design. But that’s another topic..
These are comfortable to wear for extended periods, but would give myself a break after two hours+ anyway. The build is quite robust and compact at the same time. The fact that the cable is fixed does not bother me in the slightest, it all folds up nicely and fits into my headphone case no problems. Lastly, the noise isolation while good, is still passive, and there’s only so much it can cancel out – even with that said, I find the noise isolation perfectly acceptable.
**In my opinion** – these trump the M40x’s in my experience( I just did not get on with the M40x’s despite trying them for quite some time). Sure, the M40x’s might look better to some, but I quite like the old school design of these, and there’s a reason that they are so widely used across the world in broadcast and production studios… That says something. Going strong since 1994 – Sony, don’t change a thing on these… 5 stars. Nuff said.
These headphones are highly rated on audiophiles forum, and that’s the reason why I’ve bought them. Comfort level is amazing, sound level so balanced, it’s a true professional studio monitors! Couldn’t wish for more, especially when I’ve had headphone from Shure which been 3 times more expensive, sony just won my heart towards everything in this product! Even on the street it feels right, that comfort even brings some kind of relaxation to your body which is very different from many other headphone when you just always try to be aware what’s happening around, so hard to explain, but this is pure magic!
They give excellent true sounds across lows, mids and highs – they aren’t too bassy which is perfect for picking up true audio. They are especially useful for recording voices as they offer a well-rounded sound profile (this also depends on the microphone you are using).
These have been the industry standard headphones for 20 years so don’t fix what isn’t broken! I’ll be buying these for many years to come.
The pros:
– Built like a tank – I use them at home, at work, when travelling and going on long flights… I must say that I’m not too rough and take care of them, but I do yank them off my head once in a while. They still look and feel as new and there’s no apparent signs of breaking on the sides, which has happened with previous headphones that I’ve owned.
– The cord, which is about 1m long but can go up to 3m, is extremely useful when I play bass and need to move around the room
– Very comfortable to wear – I have a small head and use glasses, but even after a long day of using them at work I feel just fine. No more headaches.
– Clear sound, that’s the only way I can describe it – Not bass heavy, which I was a bit apprehensive when I first got them, but quickly dismissed when I realized how balanced the sound was and that I could actually listen to things I couldn’t with other headphones.
The cons:
– The thin and small cables connecting the ear cups to the head band are the only downside for me. After 6 months of use, the end connecting to the ear cup is showing the connections inside. Although this has in no way affected the sound, so I’m giving it 5 stars regardless.
– Not really a con for me, but noise cancellation – they do cancel some noise, but I wouldn’t recommend them if you need to totally block noise. If that’s what you want, I’d advise investing on different headphones.
Overall, great headphones with clear sound for a fair price. I’m a happy owner of the MDR7506!
They are EQ neutral, so you will hear what your device outputs. I am using mine with an old Sony amp and on the move I am using a Samsung Galaxy S5 with the Neutron Music Player (not free but well worth the purchase if you really love your music), I am also using a lossless music format for most of my music otherwise MP3 files are at 320k bit-rate and CDs when I am at home.
I have tried these for rock, metal and blues and these are truly the first set of headphones or earphones that have been able to sound good with various types of metal music. I am yet to listen to anything that these headphones have not been able to cope with.
The sound is clear, precise and clean. You don’t get too much bass or treble and if you have a need to tweak the sound your EQ is there on your device.
The build quality is top notch as you would expect from this price range.
My only two slight negatives are that:
1. The cable is far too long for use on the move.
2. They are not a very portable set of headphones due to their size.
I am yet to find a fault with them hence the 5 stars, my negatives are personal ones.
I’ve removed one star for two reasons.
One comfort. For longer sessions hour plus, the pads aren’t the most comfortable in the world. The other reason is the bass drop off. Whilst they are a world, nay a solarsystem better than the beats style over-thump, these roll off short of having deep bass. Once I’d noticed it, you can’t un-notice it, so you listen to more bass heavy tracks and you notice it more.
It’s a shame. If they did a more comfortable pad, and could fix the lower bass issue, they’d be THE headphones.
===Original Review ===
Ok, I have a confession, I’m a bit (ok a lot) of a headphone Junkie.
I have Shure 535’s, Sennhesier HD590’s, UE600’s, I’ve tried Beats (yuck) Pansonics, Monoprices, Pistons, Apple Ear Buds, you name it, I’ve had a go.
I love my HD590’s but they are open backed, so an absolute no-no for Offices where you’re with anyone else.
I was looking for something as good, but closed back.
Given that Open backed gives a huge advantage to music playback, it’s no small feat that these Cans are very very close to the HD’s.
It’s not a totally neutral sound, however it’s warm, complete and you’d be very hard to pick something out better that didn’t cost 4x the price.
In short, love them.
The most impressive thing I found was something that wasn’t there – the absolute lack of any acoustic artefacts such as the almost imperceptible hiss just at the limit of hearing range that you might normally associate with any kind of speaker. May not be as powerful as some alternatives at the bass end but for absolute clarity and fidelity across the range they are really excellent. They also fold down very nicely so that they fit onto the palm of one hand. Not really noticeable when wearing and despite being closed back don’t become uncomfortably warm. Pretty good sound insulation.
Given that this model has been around for decades it’s Irritating to think that I could have been using these for all that time.
These are my first kind of pricier headphones. I have similar style sennheiser h-phones and sony’s are way better. So nice to use them as they are extremely comfortable. isolates sound well! Sound is great as well with extra bass in background. cable is a bit strange and tangles easily. Definitely recommended buy!UPDATE.Now more than 2 years later these headphones are still working like new. Still very comfortable and quality sound after countless hours of use. sad that they are almost double the price i paid two years ago.
I was a little concerned about ordering these from a marketplace seller on Amazon, given reports elsewhere of there being really well executed fakes on the market. The ones I’ve received from London Deals are the real thing though: the packaging is as you’d expect (see http://kenrockwell.com/audio/sony/mdr-7506.htm for a good quality photo of what the genuine packaging looks like) and more importantly the sound quality is what you’d hope for.
In use they perform really well. The sound quality is great and they are comfortable for extended periods of time. I do get a little discomfort from where the headband rests on the top of my head after an extended period of time (a couple of hours), but moving the headphones a little sorts that out. Other than that I can see why they are so highly rated – a good workhorse product that does what it should.
Because of the way they look I wasn’t expecting a huge amount from them. Also they were sold as a well balanced pair of headphones that are good for audio mixing. This means that they aren’t over bassy like the Bose Over Ear’s or Beats by Dre. They are somewhere in the middle.
Sound Quality
When I first used them, I expected a fairly flat sound. I was actually surprised as I thought this would mean a lack of bass, but there was still a good amount. Also because there isn’t too much bass, you can really hear the middle and treble coming through.
Comfort
I’ve got pretty big ears and these fit all the way over. I’ve worn AKG K451’s for prolonged periods and my ears actually hurt afterwards. These aren’t that tight on your head. I’ve worn them for edits for 4+ hours and never found them uncomfortable.
Build Quality
The build quality is spot on. They aren’t the prettiest headphones to look at but they will last. They fold up inside the headband so they can be packed away and they come with a small carry case. The cable is coiled up and exceptionally long, some may say too long, but at times it can be useful depending on what they are being used for. Also I’ve read that spare parts are very easy to get hold of should a breakage happen.
For any application where you will need to wear headphones for a prolonged period of time, I don’t think you can get a more comfortable pair. The build quality is solid and they should last a long time. You can definitely get headphones that sound better but at this price point, I think these are as good as it gets and punch way above their weight.
The one main thing you need to be aware of with the MDR-7506’s is that the copies that flood the market (Amazon included) are very good as this particular design came about in the early 1990’s. Which in itself was very similar to the previous model Sony MDR V6 that had been around for at least 6 years before – also heavily and successfully copied. There are some helpful guides online and on You tube on how to spot the discrepancies which i recommend you watch before making a purchase.
The particular set i bought via Amazon came from the USA (although produced in Thailand) and was assured by the seller of their authenticity. When they arrived i took the chance to ‘Burn’ them in with a combination of various online radio stations, with various genres of music – Rock, classical, RnB, dance, vocal, etc for between 40 – 50 hours in 4 hour sessions at half to 3/4 volume. This was a personal preference following research to get them ready for the first listening session.
The sound is a very good flat but even sound with nice treble, clear mids and some decent lows for all you electronica / bass heads out there…..but, ultimately, they really need to be hooked up to quality audio equipment to appreciate how good they are as they were primarily designed as studio monitor head gear.
They are also very comfortable to wear for extended periods and whilst wearing spectacles or sunglasses. The coiled lead is a very generous length which comes with an additional screw on type jack plug for equipment that requires the larger plug.
I would strongly recommend these to anyone wanting to get into more serious audio without the guilt of spending stupid amounts on bass heavy, plasticky, annoyingly creaky, brightly coloured Dr Beats – or whatever they are called (You know what i mean, lol!)
How fancy is the packaging?! I fell in love at first sight – did not expect that from sub-100 headphones. You feel great as well while using it – you can pretend to be a sound engineer or something. But these two points have nothing to do with sound quality – so here goes: I listened to various types of music, including Indian classical music, Four Seasons, etc. and found the sound quality consistently good. I am not an expert, just a normal listener – probably couldn’t make out the difference in output between this and the V6 but I am completely satisfied with my purchase.
None of these candidates could match the 7506’s for clarity and precision. The Sennheiser Momentums came very close, and had a good tonal balance, maybe pushing the midrange a little. The Focal Spirits were a bit strange – nice tone when there wasn’t much happening instrument wise, but it turned to mush when the band kicked in and the soundstage complexity went up. The Sennheiser 280’s may or may not have sounded good – the discomfort from the excessive clamping force and uncomfortable pads meant I didn’t have them on my head for more than 5 minutes, and they certainly weren’t doing anything sonically to make me regret taking them off. On the other hand, I could wear ( and have worn ) the 7506’s for hours, and not regretted it.
In terms of build quality, there wasn’t anything obvious to distinguish these candidates – which is not to say they were all built like a tank ( that’s certainly the 280Pro’s strong point ), just that they were all well designed and everything that had to work worked well. The 7506 is compact and lightweight, but is designed to be carried around, and also to be repaired – something else I like.
There are several senses in which the 7506 may not be what you need. They are closed and circumaural ( only just – but then that goes for the other candidates too ), but they do not block external noise very well. If your music has a bass bias, there are better choices. The soundstage is not large, but this is a feature of most closed phones, and the 7506’s compensate somewhat with really good stereo positioning. What I call ‘clarity and precision’ others may call ‘harshness’ – these are not ‘forgiving’ phones, and if your source or production is crap they will let you know. They are monitors.
None of these candidates could match the 7506’s for clarity and precision. The Sennheiser Momentums came very close, and had a good tonal balance, maybe pushing the midrange a little. The Focal Spirits were a bit strange – nice tone when there wasn’t much happening instrument wise, but it turned to mush when the band kicked in and the soundstage complexity went up. The Sennheiser 280’s may or may not have sounded good – the discomfort from the excessive clamping force and uncomfortable pads meant I didn’t have them on my head for more than 5 minutes, and they certainly weren’t doing anything sonically to make me regret taking them off. On the other hand, I could wear ( and have worn ) the 7506’s for hours, and not regretted it.
In terms of build quality, there wasn’t anything obvious to distinguish these candidates – which is not to say they were all built like a tank ( that’s certainly the 280Pro’s strong point ), just that they were all well designed and everything that had to work worked well. The 7506 is compact and lightweight, but is designed to be carried around, and also to be repaired – something else I like.
There are several senses in which the 7506 may not be what you need. They are closed and circumaural ( only just – but then that goes for the other candidates too ), but they do not block external noise very well. If your music has a bass bias, there are better choices. The soundstage is not large, but this is a feature of most closed phones, and the 7506’s compensate somewhat with really good stereo positioning. What I call ‘clarity and precision’ others may call ‘harshness’ – these are not ‘forgiving’ phones, and if your source or production is crap they will let you know. They are monitors.
Arrived this PM, used them to record my latest radio show this evening and what a difference. The sound is soooooo much better than what I was using before. I can hear all the highs and lows and how it’s meant to sound instead of the slightly tinny output I was getting in the headphones I used up to now.
Next I shall use them when recording the band. If results so far are anything to go by, should be pretty impressive.
Only thing is they feel tight so if using for a long time, could be a bit of a headache. Literally….. But i expect they’ll loosen up with use.
I wanted some decent headphones for the sound on my low budget film, under a 100 but I wanted to beable to listen to music on them as well. After reading a ton of reviews, it was a toss up between the Sennheiser hd280 pros, the Shure srh440 or these/the v6 model (the mdrV6 are the consumer version of these, pretty much identical)
I listened to Rack City remix by Tyga, the studio version of Everything Has A Price To Pay by Paul Weller and 24 Ghosts 3 by Nine Inch Nails.
The Hd280 pros and well, they sounded… kinda.. meh. nothing really special. Not really any bass at all. they were out.
The Shure srh440’s sounded awesome but they weren’t as crisp and they looked kinda cheap. (build quality was excellent though).
The Sony MDR7506 blew me away. the sound quality was outstanding. the highs were high (maybe a little bright, but I quite like that) the mids were tight and the bass was good. it wasn’t stupid head shaking bass like you get from beats by dre, it was proper, decent audible bass.
These headphones just bring the music to life, I’ve heard so much more detail in songs. In Rack City, you can hear him take a breath inbetween bars, in the Paul Weller track you can hear him tap his fingernails on the guitar to keep time and in the NIN track, well… you can hear every little mechanical/midi sound. everything just sounds so much clearer and… Better. (and I’ve come from some decent headphones, the Sennheiser hd205 dj’s).
The ONLY bad point to note is that the earcups on these have a habit of folding up on themselves when you place them down, but other than that there isn’t anything I don’t love about these.
Sure there’s better headphones costing 700,800+ but anything under that, in my opinion, gets crapped all over by these.
These headphones are studio quality. Google them and you’ll find loads of pics of them being used in studios all over the world, everybody from Dave Grohl to Justin Beiber use these badboys. with good reason, they’re amazing.
if you want bass that shakes your eyeballs, get some beats(or better yet, save your money and get some skull candy, you obviously dont care about decent music) but if you want to HEAR your music get these. end of. you will not be dissapointed.
Shortly after writing the review below, I rang Sony Professional and was treated very well indeed.
I emailed them a picture of the defective headphones and they immediately came back with “OK, just chuck them away and we’ll send you a brand new pair”.
I’m updating this review as I have just recently bought another pair of these (as well as buying a pair as a present for a family member in the past) as they are now among my favourite headphones ever!
Audio Quality-wise it’s true to say, as others have, that you pick up on elements of your music that you would not notice with other inferior sets and they are also very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time (which I now tend to do).
All in all, a great pair of headphones that I would highly recommend (even if there’s the remote possibility that you may get a slightly defective pair as I did initially)
========== Original 2star review ===================================================
Well I’ve had these headphones for about 10 days and unfortunately I’m disappointed.
After such a short time the pleather padding on the right ear has split open along one entire edge of the inside seam exposing the foam underneath.
I could accept something like that after about a year of heavy use and if I was on the road or at work with them, but 10 days of just using them for Computer and TV monitoring at home?
I have no piercings/rings/bolts (or whatever “the kidz” have going through their ears these days) and don’t believe I have particularly sharp corners on my ears that would cause that to happen, so I can only go with the overall shoddy build quality of the headphones.
I really should have been tipped off by the fact that the sticker on the right ear (that ironically says “Professional”) was stuck on at a wonky angle, but I just let that slide.
Also a small thing – the box it came in only had a 90 day labour guarantee (1 year for parts) and excluded products sold outside of the USA. No UK/EU warranty documentation to be found.
All this is a shame as I was really excited to own these, considering I’ve been very happy with the Sony products I’ve been buying for many years as well as the fact that sound-wise they seem better than most of the headphones I’ve had from the likes of Technics, Panasonic and Sennheiser.
I’ve had these for a year now and although no obsessive technophobe I am a jazz fan and need a good balanced drive; clarity in hearing individual instruments; and no overbearing bass whilst listening to my favoured genre. These headphones meet those requirements and for the price are as good as others exceeding the medium price range paid for the MDR-7056”s. I mainly use them attached to my laptop (MacBook Pro) and find them ideal for this purpose as they don’t need that much power to make them reach full efficacy.
However, I can report one major negative. Last week both earpads came off and as much as I tried couldn’t fit them back on aain. But I’m pretty sure that this was due to my repeatedly falling asleep with them on and finding them other than on my head in the morning thus, I suspect, causing the pads to come loose over a period of time. Perhaps a detachable chord would have prevented this ? However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I fitted a pair of Beyerdynamic DT250 replacement earpads instead of the Sony ones and they have noticeably enhanced the sound beyond what I would have thought possible.
The crunch test for any review is whether the reviewer would buy the same product again. With an A for both comfort and sound at under 100 I certainly would. Although I’d pay the little bit extra and fit the Beyerdynamic’s as well. But I’m sure that this further choice need not be made for some time ye
Having to turn the volumes to near maximum and setting ridiculous equalization curves to feel I was listening at a normal level to compensate was common practice.
I’d been looking for a pair of headphones that came somewhere near Koss SST 7’s (as I remember them) for sound quality and sensitivity.
If anything these seem to me to be a more comfortable version of that headphone, perhaps more solid and accurate with similar ability across a wide dynamic range.
With the MDR 7506’s I have finally found an affordable professional set, that also come with a parts list which hints at these being an investment I can keep serviced myself.
What I found straight away with these is they were very responsive and drivable by any standard headphone output level from our Pc’s, camera and mp3 players around the house.
This i think is a very good sign as without any adjustments to equipment EQ i was hearing something much better come out of equipment i’d long suspected had headphone outputs levels limited.
They are very detailed but do not seem to be too coloured.
If a CD track has a lot of bass you will hear it, if you are listening to an mp3 that lacks Bass and has too much top – you will hear exactly that too. For me Stereo Soundstage is very good on these. I feel these headphones are accurate with sound – and they post it straight to your ears first class (they do not forgive a bad source however)
I do think these will be incredibly hard to top for performance at the same price range.
If you like your headphones to reflect what is there on your recordings and dislike Electronic Botox added to your music – these are going to be hard to beat without doubling the budget.
By far the most important thing for me is these headphones have made my music collection enjoyable again without having to listen through speakers.
I’m Very Impressed.
For studio and instrument work with digital piano, guitar and a range of soft synths these are excellent with a subtle richness to the bass, great mid range and high end. You can almost certainly do vocal work with these too with no risk of leakage contaminating the mix.
With my old cans it was hard to distinguish between mp3 and CD audio to be honest, not so now. You can hear what you’re missing with these. Build quality looks solid, not a huge fan of coiled cable but it keeps things tidy. A very good fit and comfortable on the ear (although this depends to an extent on your particular ears I guess). Packaging – just a tad OTT imo – these are only cans after all but it might make you feel justified in the price paid. Personally – you could have shipped me these in a plain old cardboard box and I would still have been delighted.
All round an excellent piece of kit fully deserving of five stars.
P.S. I’ve now owned these headphones for over 12 years and I’ve burned through a couple of sets of replacement ear pads in that time. The headband is now just starting to show signs of wear, the cable has stretched a bit and I’m detecting just a few hints of distortion if I push them too far (but they still sound pretty good).
I have used these daily: for listening to, recording, mastering and mixing music. I use them with my Yamaha classical guitar (which has a headphone out socket) and for my Roland keyboard – with numerous virtual pianos and instruments.
So these really have been put through their paces over the years and they remain my only headphones. As I reluctantly start to think about replacing them, I am struggling to think of a better headphone for my requirement at this price point.
My only real gripe is the cable – if I could switch between curly and straight, that would be the icing on the cake.
Rest assured, if you buy these and look after them, they will last you a good long while.
I bought a New Synthesizer which required a pair of headphones somewhat more professional & sturdy! And Sony Claimed that these were Professional & Powerful. I also use headphones to Master. So I didn’t need a pair that painted a pretty picture of sound!
I have to say that they don’t disappoint. The reviews are correct. Even though the Previous Model boasts a larger Frequency Range, these seem to be balanced along the entire spectrum. With No Peeks or Dips.
Sound: The Bass is smooth, Punchy & Low. The Treble I thought was lacking at first, but this was just because I was used to the Piercing Highs of my Previous Technics RP-F350 Headphones. The Mid-Range is Dynamic, clear but not up front like many other cans.
You can turn them up pretty Loud and they show no sign of distorting! The Bass (although doesn’t blow your ears off!) copes well, & everything else increases with ‘The Balance!’
Their Comfort: When I got them out of the box I thought the worst.. I thought they looked like the kind that go ‘On’ your ears, Not over them. The holes look small but this is because the only part of the Human ear that really sticks out is at the back. So yes! They DO fit over the ears & they are extremely comfortable.
Sound Isolation: Sound going in I’d say they cut out about 70-75%. Which is good for a pair that don’t boast ‘Sound Isolation’.
Sound coming out of the Headphones is more like 90-95%. Which is so handy for Recording vocals & Monitoring. Very Impressive.
Looks: All in Black with the Sony Logo & Model in a non-intrusive silver. L (Left) is in blue, R (Right) is in Red. Yes, there are 2 Bare wires, but they are clapped accordingly. So unless you tug at them deliberately, they are secure. Headband is fully padded all way round. And they fold to a small size that fits inside the pouch that is supplied.
-PROS-
-Sound is well balanced & keeps balanced during volume change.
-Very Comfortable, providing you’re not Mr Spock.
-Sound Isolation is a Nice added bonus
-CONS-
-The Phone-Cord Wire is very irritating & gets tangled easily.
-A 50mm Driver would have been nice for extra power, & for the Money.
-The Bare Wire will make a few uneasy.
Overall: These Cans don’t say “Look at me”, they say “Listen to Me”, because they are Professional. Just sort the Wires out Sony & you have a Winner hear! (Excuse the pun!)
A year later & they are as reliable as ever! And the sound quality just keeps improving!