Sony MDR-7506

These are just great. If you like your volume really loud they will leak through a little sound. If you like your volume just loud they are very fine!

...Amazing...

For the first time in my life, instead of just buying new headphones, i bought replacement parts, and they were just the pads. I just love them. I do all my audio editing and mixing through them, and then check out the sound over different speakers from cheap couple of bucks ones to more expensive couple of hundred surround systems, and i have never changed a thing after the initial mastering.

Awesome

Extremely reliable, great sound, nice and solid design. I've had them for 5 years, I generally mix with headphones and I'm always surprised how well my mixes translate in the real world. Great for the money.... enough said!

Eleven years and still kicking

I love these headphones. I purchased them in 1999 on the recommendation of a friend to use with a portable minidisc recording setup. The minidisc recorder is in a box some place. These headphones are on my desk and used almost daily. I am quite pleased to see that there are replacement ear pieces available, because after all these years mine are starting to peel a bit--everything else still works great. With all the products that come and go over the years, I was quite pleased to see that these are still available.

Old Faithful

I've been using the same pair of Sony MDR-7506 since 1990! They haven't so much as crackled or popped and they still sound crystal clear. I use them for editing my tracks in Pro Tools when monitors are not an option. You won't be sorry with these headphones.

Best Headphones Ever!

Straight up, these are industry standard headphones. So I bought a pair like... I don't know, 8 years ago and they've never broken, busted, crackled or so much as peeped a sqweek of unwanted noise. I would only buy these for studio monitoring.

solid all around.

i bought my 7506s from sweetwater in 2001 after using other 7506s and watching them get used and get incredibly beat up and keep right on functioning in live sound situations. i'm still using them now and they havent changed in sound or quality since fresh out of the box. i love my 7506s. the cup pad covers have pulled away from the inside of the cups but other than that no problems.they fit most head fine and wear for a decent amount of time. to those who say they are hyped in the low or high end- my first qustion is: what are you comparing them to? you cant use a pair of computer speakers for comparison. and you cant use some really high end speakers for comparison. there is a reason why the top band on the 7506s says "studio monitor". they are dead flat REFERENCE headphones. if youre trusting your final mix to any set of headphones youd better know your ears over the sound of your cans. i use mine to reference against my studio monitors since i work in an imperfect sound environment- they help me hear stereo effects and eq adjustments i might have missed in the monitors.
final word from me? use these. they wont steer you wrong.

I Love Them!

I bought these headphones because I need to monitor my recordings without disturbing neighbors. These headphones are comfortable, volume levels are consistent, and they don't cause ear fatigue. I definitely don't do final mixes on them, but I've made some pretty good rough mixes. Definitely gonna be a staple in my arsenal.

great headphones

these headphones r beter than the ultrasones i paid twice the price for and super comfortable im totally satisfied and im gonna buy a second pair rite now

Great Live and Tracking Headphones

Ok, If you professional engineers give these a bad review because of a hyped up high-end, you're just stupid. You of all people should know not to use headphones (especially $100 ones) to mix. Great. Now that we have mixing 101 completed, these headphones were made for tracking and live sound. For that purpose, they're amazing. They truly are rugged, reliable, and very consistent when I take them from system to system. I play drums live with these about 2-3 times a week, and they've never failed me. They're quite road worthy, as well. Took them to Australia for a few months on tour and came back without a problem. Bought a pair of the Senn HD280s and in about a month and a half the left ear went out. Took them back and got another pair, three weeks later the right ear went out. In this price range, nothing touches these cans.

Great Headphones

These headphones are great for live sound. Of course, in FOH or Monitor World, you're not usually mixing with cans, so it's not expected that these will do for studio mixing - that's why there are such things as studio monitors. I have had my 7506's for about 4 years now and they have performed flawlessly. As others have mentioned, my earpads ar starting to peel - big deal, I'll just buy some new pads. I primarily use them for line checks or level-setting at mix position. I have driven them as hot as I could get and they never clipped! I can't comment on the exxagerations others talk about (high-end versus low-end). Leave the studio monitoring to the gear that's MEANT for that task and let these cans handle the rest.

Great

You can't really beat these for the money. The HD 280's are about the only other thing. I am a professional audio engineer and I use these for almost everything.

Solid Headphones

These are my favorite headphones without question. I've used AKG's and other nicer headphones, but I prefer the flatness of these a lot. I also liked using these because, in live settings, they actually allowed you to focus on what you were trying to clean up and giving you the nice balance between your PA and your solo. I also liked using these on my own time. These were my FOH headphones and I always relied on them because they were always accurate. As well, I'm not what one would call delicate with things, so the fact that these headphones could take a beating is a great plus in my book. The fake leather starts to wear off, but they are still very comfortable and they give you a guide on how to replace the materials when that time comes.

Excellent Headphones

I purchased these headphones based on many positive reviews, and I’m proud to offer a highly positive review myself. I was immediately impressed with the construction quality and features right out of the package, including the numbered size adjustments and collapsible design. The cable is very durable, and the screw-on adapter plug is awesome. Most importantly, not only are these headphones the most comfortable I’ve ever tried, they are by far the best sounding headphones I have found. The bass response is excellent, however not at all overwhelming, and the high end is crystal clear. While listening to my favorite recordings I have noticed slight nuances I never knew existed in the song... totally amazing. I highly recommend these headphone, and I definitely plan on purchasing more of them in the future.

OLD RELIABLE

no matter what, or where i mix a track, i ALWAYS listen to my mix on these before my final mixdown. I know if it sounds great on these, it will sound great anywhere!!! I had these for about 3 years now, and i stepped on, dropped, sat on, and even lost a few times. These headphones will last for years and years. Sony really out-did themselves with these. Great Product.

forever fly

Well Used - No Regrets

Great phones. I use them for detailed listening, tracking, etc. - even mixed. Mixing to headphones in general is not the best idea, but if you know your headphones and what things should sound like for a good mix, its not THAT hard. I've done better mixes with these than some of the cookie-cutter template mixes you'll hear everyday from the high-$$$ "studios".
These phones kick a$$ at lower levels and when pushed. Some slight high-end hardness at higher levels, but again, know your phones!!! If its loud enough to make you flinch, then it may be TOO LOUD (dohhhhh)...
We have quite a few sets of these in our studio (and lots of other models from different manufacturers) and these are always the first reach phones for most everything. The earpiece cushions do become worn and brittle after some time (about five years or so in our case), just get new ones (available online) and keep on moving forward. No problems so far with the cable, jacks or anything else - just good clean fun...
Of course, like everything musical, try before you buy - if these are not for you, then keep looking until you find what you're after.
Gave then a 4.5 just because it takes a lot to "WOW! Blown Away" me anymore. I have used more expensive, better spec'ed phones and have been more impressed with the 7506s.

Phenomenal Pair

I can't see myself buying another model of headphones after using these babies! The sound is excellent and so is the isolation. My only complaint (that .5 star) is the cord. The cord is spiraled and can be very annoying at times when it gets caught on other chords or objects. You do however get use to it and learn to deal with it.

I Recommend Them!

Excellent for the money. I use them to monitor and mix different types of music and voice styles and they work great. I give them 4.5 stars cause they do what you need. If you're needing anything better than these be prepared to shell out the cash.

MDR 7506 ear pads

I just purchased a set of 7506's, like them a lot. I read about the ear pads in the reviews so I searched for replacement pads. There are Beyerdynamic DT 250 replacement pads that are supposed to fit really well.

The Real Deal

I've owned two pair of these headphones for over five years. They are in constant use. There have been times when I left the headphone monitor waaay up (where I could even hear the headphones from the control room- in the mic booth late at night) and have never damaged these things. The only downside is they're a bit 'bright' compared to the monitors. However, it gives one an accurate appraisal of the mix- if you compare to the monitors.

Buying the second pair

I have one for the last 7 years and now the pads are wearing out. I am buying a second pair of these and, I guess, that expresses my opinion.

A truly professional equipment.

Worhhorse Headphones

I manage a university music library where we have listening stations and headphones on our computers in the lab. I purchased about 15 of the SONY 7506s in 1992 for our facility, and they're still working great. We replace the pads every so often, but after 18 years, they still sound as clear as ever. I prefer to use other headphones with better outside isolation for tracking musicians during recording sessions (the Beyer DT 770 Pros are good for this), but for general listening and editing, the SONYs are very good.

Great Headphones!

I've had these for about a month now and I'm really glad that I got these. They sound great, and they are very flat.

These headphones also have great bass response and very detailed mids and highs. I use these to monitor my mixes and they come out very good and translate well over my studio monitors. I also have the Sennheiser eH-150 headphones and I use them now strictly for tracking vocals.

The only thing I don't really like about these cans are the build quality. While good, they are not as solidly built as the HD280's but they are pretty sturdy.

Very good set of headphones

I've had these headphones for approximately six months and so far, I've yet to have any deterioration that other reviewers have complained about. The singers who have used them have said there's very little fatigue and more importantly, unlike so many headphones (even other closed back designed I've used), singers no longer remove one side from their ears in order to hear themselves. I do think however that these 'phones are a little hyped in the low end but for basic monitoring, that's not much of an objection. Overall, excellent for the price.

The Sony cans sound better.

I recently bought the HD 280 Pro's, and was disappointed with what I heard. I own some of the most expensive cans on the market, and comparing $100 heaphones to those is an apple to oranges proposition, but comparing cans that are competitors with the ideal as a reference has helped me out a lot.

Simply put, the Sony MDR-7506's sound better. They don't hold a candle to headphones four-eight times the price. But compared to the Sennheiser's, they sound better. Noticeably better. The Sennheiser's had a muddy mid-range, though the sparkles still come through. The Sony's are a little on the bright side, but the mids come through with A LOT more detail. I'm sending back the 280's for the Sony. It really is that obvious.

And the winner is.....

I have owned the Sennheiser 280 Pro headphones for 3 years. I was so pleased with my first pair, that I bought 3 more of them. However, I decided that as I need more headphones, I would purchase different kinds. Since the Sony MDR 7506 is the most popular $100 headphone at Sweetwater, I went with the purchase.

There is quite a difference between the two headphones. The HD 280 Pro's hug tighter to the ears allowing more noise reduction. The Sony pair comes with a nice bag for the headphones which isn't included with the Sennheisers. But I have to say, that what matters most to me is how they sound. Although these are still great headphones, they are too bright as somebody else mentioned and seem to have a boosted 1-2k area which I really don't like. The bass response around 100-240 seems to be more present in the Sony's but I am not sure if it is more accurate. Both headphones seem to have the really deep 40-100 hz frequencies. I would definitely have to take some time learning these headphones before I could mix on them. The Sennheiser's are pretty good for the price and a great second reference from my monitors (Event SP8's).

Great product, but tricky when mixing...

These headphones are super comfortable, and the fold-up design is awesome. I've owned my pair for at least 7 years (ish) and they're just about all I've used. They're very durable and they sound REALLY good. And in fact, that is probably my only issue with the 7506. They sound too good. Pretty much every mix I've ever done with them sounds unbelievably awesome in the headset, but when the final mix is played on another system, there is much to adjust. I guess you just have to learn to compensate, but it seems like a lot of compensation especially on the lows and clarity of it all (as in the headset sounds much fuller, clearer and punchier than the mix really is). I have a set of expensive Beyer Dynamics I've owned for a long time, but never used them because they don't pump out the volume levels that the 7506 does and they don't initially sound as good. I'm going to try to make the switch to mixing with the Beyer set and see how it differs. All that to say, I still think the 7506 is a great set especially for any musicians that would be using them in the studio or on the stage (like drummers). I'm just not positive it's the best set for accurate mix representation.

industry standard...

i have 4 sets of these cans. i have had more over the years.

i just ordered two more today.

they are flat as hell--or seem to be (no exciting highs or boosted low range)

they are probably the most indespensible piece of equipment you need for your studio, live shoot, FOH gig, mixing, VOs, etc.

they are readily available everywhere

they are a must to learn on because they are industry standard--right next to the yamaha monitors that are black and white (cant remember their name)

*****however--
they arent very comfy (if you have ears like me, the pads rub)
they break easily, the drivers will blow out,
the 1/4 adapter is easy to lose and then hard to find an exact replacement, they dont fit will into the bag they come with,
the satin is unnecessary,
the cord is long and gets tangled,
the pads tear within days,
they fatigue my ears,
they havent been improved upon in the last 17 or so years!

with that being said, you still must buy them--just tell your people to take care of them when putting them on/taking them off their head.

plastic is flaking off

The headphone sound is fine - but after only 3 years of use the plastic on the actual headphone part is flaking off in little black chunks. Really annoying and unprofessional, especially when a vocal diva points this out...

Brittle and Hyped High End

These are NOT accurate monitoring headphones. I only use them to hear extreme detail when editing, but when comparing them to just about any monitors in any decent room they sound super-hyped in the high end. I've tried EQ-ing dialogue with these and end up with muddy, low-heavy results...

Sound ok

The sound quality is decent, and they are light, but it's almost to light weight, I baught them for a church and had to actually tell the engineer team to be jental with them, as I'm afraid they'll break. But it's a nice price.

Great, but not always reliable

I bought two of these headphones a few years ago. I use them every once in a while. The left side of one of the headphones just stopped working.

Relegated to Pro-Sumer Standing

These headphones are everywhere at my workplace. People use them for editing, mixing, tracking, and in-studio monitoring. I use them as paperweights, and carry my Beyer DT 770s around with a death grip.

Here's why I hate them as a technician:
- The earpads constantly deteriorate, become loose or fall off
- The cable easily becomes tangled into a gnarly mess
- The small cables on either ear get crimped into the headband when folding the headphones far too often

Here's why I hate them as a mix engineer:
- I've seen them fly off a guitarist's head more than once because they don't sit snugly
- The midrange is hyped and harsh. Sibilance is painful to hear and midrange-prominent instruments (eg: accordion, bagpipes, trumpets) sound like nails on a chalkboard
- They offer no sense of depth; your mix isn't faithfully reproduced
- I have to apologize to visiting engineers who are any good for having them around

Granted, these cans cost 100 bucks. If you need to chop up some speech in ProTools, and they sit at your workstation and your workstation alone, then they're fine. But there's a reason no one with developed ears uses these for serious work. They're a horrible source to reference a mix to, they're prone to damage when changing hands often, and they're fatiguing to listen to.

There are plenty of decent reviews for these headphones. But in my view, these cans aren't meant for people who truly know audio. If you're an audio professional, and need a pair of cans for monitoring, checking your mix against, or seeing what's really in the low-end, get yourself a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro's. At the price point, you won't regret it.

HI-end the doesn't end

I'm different than most here. I'm a sound editor. I cut alot of dialogue, Fx's, etc, tracks for a lot of different movies. And owned alot of different hdphones (30 or so) and I'm about to go for a different brand again. Sony's have always had a hi-end problem. A lip smack in a dialogue track can sound like gunshot. Cloth movement sounds like sandpaper on a mike. It drives me crazy and I waste time trying to fix stuff that is easily rolled off by the mixers and mellowed by studio monitors. When I'm doing mini mixes in my Pro-tools what sounds clean in my Sony's, sounds muddy on my JBL Studio Monitors. You always have to adjust for the overbearing hi-head. Sony's saving grace was they were usually comfortble and always withstood the abuse (dropping, kicking, etc.) Big disappointment with my MDR-7506's. The leatherette on the ear pads started peeling off right off the bat. They still work, but my last 2 dialogue jobs, especially the "indie" film with bad production audio, was the last straw. My Sony's will be regulated to back-ups.

Over

An overly bright and brittle midrange made me shake my head the first time I listened to these and yet, I kept them because they received so much hype. I learned my lesson: trust your own ears before taking someone elses word for it.

With that said, don`t let my review influence you. If you are considering these phones, by all means order them and try them out, they may be exactly what you need. However, for my tastes, the 7506s never proved their value or hype for the 3 years I used them before my toddler (thankfully) destroyed them... divine intervention perhaps?

There are a handful of phones I have used over the years that sound so much better than these and translate better as well. Granted, they also cost more... maybe thats the reason these phones are so popular?

Most likely, you take your music very seriously and want the best gear for your $$$. I`m not one to gripe about something without a solution so if you are wondering what other phones to consider, try the ATH-M50s. They translate well, are constructed better and more comfortable than the 7506s. They are in my opinion, the best bang for the buck right now. Comfortable, rugged and most importantly, represent the mix closest to what my monitors are telling me with added detail. Prior to using the ATH-M50s the low end on my mixes was always somewhat off. In the last year that I have used these phones, my mixes have improved dramatically, specifically in the low end where the issues were. Yes, they are a $50 more but well worth it.

So with all that said, order the 7506s and the ATH-M50s. You decide.

Worst Cable Ever

These are good-sounding headphones, but they have the all-time worst cable ever. After a few months of studio use, the cable has twisted and twirled into a knotty ball of ravel that I can't pull apart to save my sanity. I guess they would be fine if you didn't move around at all while wearing the headphones. I've used other headphones with coiled cables, but these are so much worse for some reason. I'm sorry I bought them.

Harsh

I know many people like these phones but I think they sound incredibly harsh. I owned for about 4 years and then just got rid of them one day. I am also not a fan of the Sennheiser HD280s even though I own them. I know these are also popular cans but for a more natural sound, I would suggest the AKG K240s.

Where are they?

For some reason you just don't see these cans in many outlets. I can't even find them on Sony's site. This is my second pair. My first was actually the MDR V6 which is the same hardware. I wore those out and was finally able to find another pair here after finding out that the 7506's are the same thing. I have a $300 pair of Sennheisers also, and while those have a slight edge on these in terms of accuracy, the connectors on those are finnicky. Additionally those are much more fragile and don't have a sealed construction as do the 7506's. Ultimately, I still just keep coming back to these. The fact that these are so hard to find often makes me nervous. As with all quality products, I'm worried that they'll stop making them. I feel like I should order another 5 pairs, so as I wear them out, I'll have enough to last until I'm dead.

Not accurate reference monitors.

I don't know why everyone is talking about these cans having a hyped up response to bass frequencies. For me it was exactly the opposite. These headphones sound great, completely beautiful as a matter of fact. But that's not always good when mixing. My mixes come out very muffled and dull sounding if I use only these phones. Anything and everything will sound bright in the high end, and quiet in the low. So I'd usually boost too much bass, and not enough highs. Also, the connector is being screwy after about a year of use, and it now occasionally only plays back one channel.

MDR-7506

Nice comfortable headphones. A bit too forward in the bass for rock/pop music (except Reggae of course). I'd never try mixing on them but they are good for hearing what's going on in the deep bass. If the bottom end sounds lumpy in these cans, you need to go fix the mix. Good for voice/classical music where the bass boost is less obtrusive. Probably good for tracking female/tenor singers but I've not tried them for that yet.

7506 sounds different

In response to the last review, if you earpads have lost the outer cushion material, they will have a different sound, i.e. less bass. I have 2 pairs of the 7506, but I tested the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro, and the sound is great! The 7506 phones seem brighter compared to the DT770 Pro, and the latter has replacable ear cushions in velour or pcv material.

Too hyped in the bass

I find my pair hyped by at least 3 to 6 dB at the bottom end. This is good and bad. It's good because you really can hear what's going on way down low. If you can get the bass end of a mix to sound clear in these cans you'll have no problem with hyped subwoofers. However, the hype is bad because it really does make a lot of CDs unpleasant to listen to (and don't get me wrong: I LOVE BASS). They're fine for spoken-word, acoustic, and classical (especially organ music) but just about any genre of electric/electronic music is just too OTT. I can feel the air pumping through my Eustachean tubes into my throat with only moderate volume settings.

In contrast the top end is wonderfully smooth and reveals harshness in source material very nicely. In summary: a useful tool while mixing but not a pair of headphones I'll use for relaxation except for my favourite organ music. If they weren't a gift, I'd probably have looked elsewhere.

These Babies Bump

My father has been doing quality control for dozens of post-production houses here in Hollywood (Complete Post, Dubs Inc. Etc...) and for my 18th b-day, he gave me his pair of this specific model of headphones...anyways, They have been the single most awesome pair of headphones I've ever used! Sound reproduction is top notch...the unimatch plug is indispensable...and the cord is good and long...Put it this way: when plugged into my minidisc player I find I'm able to HEAR when the lens is dirty...nuff said

SONY MDR 7506

I have used this model headphone for radio broadcast work for 5 years.....Yes the ear pads are wearing out. Another radio friend of mine bought a pair new a year ago. They don't sound the same as mine, but are the same model number. Did SONY put a different speaker design in the newer models?

Seen Everywhere You Go In Hollywood

Over the years, this would be the one headphone you'd be sure to see day in and day out throughout the LA production community. I keep waiting to see a sale price on these, but I guess I never will, because they're always in demand. The slightly-cheaper Sony 7502s are often seen for news production,etc., but they simply don't have the low end of the 7506s. If you're using voice or on-camera talent you're paying for, these are the ones you want to have them hear themselves played back through.

Good Cans

In my search for a quality pair of headphones, I was looking at these and the AKG 240's. I decided to get these headphones. These are a little hyped in the upper and lower registers, but it is not a problem if you acquiant yourself with these headphones. The sound reproduction quality is very good, and these heaphones are well worth the price. Very comfortable design allows for hours of use (I sound like a product brochure!) If you're looking for something a bit more accurate, check out the 7509's, I've heard good things about them as well and a local studio owner here (Ron Tojier) uses them and recommends them.

Overall I would strongly recommend the 7506's, they are good quality, well-made headphones.