Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone
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The professional audio industry standard.The MDR-7506 is a large diaphragm foldable headphone designed for professional studio and live/broadcast applications. Proven to be reliable in the toughest situations. Headphone features gold connectors, an oxygen–free cord. Supplied soft pouch.
Features
- Headphones feature a sealed-ear design
- Dynamic frequency response from 10 Hz – 20,000 Hz
- Excellent power-handling, 40-millimeter driver for high quality sound
- Neodymium magnet delivers powerful bass and clear highs
- Gold-plated, unimatch connector for universal compatibility with desktop and portable devices
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 0 x 0 x 0 inches
- Weight: 1 pounds
Excellent!
Shipping was extremely fast arriving on the first day of the estimation. The headphones work amazing!
A great set of headphones
-Background-
This is my third headset for use in the workplace. I’m in the IT field. I spend about half my day talking to people, and the other half with my head down working. The trouble is, the people around me are in the same situation, and our quiet parts of the day are seldom aligned, plus we are all loud talkers, so my office is usually really noisy.
The first two headsets I tried were earbud headsets. One set (Shure e2c) accomplished sound-isolation via earbuds composed of foam earplugs. Another set (from Phillips) used active noise cancellation. Both worked pretty well, the Shure being the standout for sound quality, but earbuds have a few fundamental problems.
I found earbuds were a real pain to take in and out of the ear to accommodate ‘drive-by’ conversations. The Phillips would sometimes fall out of the ear. With the Shure headphones, I could stand to have them in my ears for about a half-day before the skin in my ears became irritated and wearing them became painful. The noise cancellation feature was great for external low frequency sounds, but did not isolate the real noise problem of background noise from other people talking.
After some painstaking Googling and reading up on reviews here at Amazon (‘Amazoning?’), I landed on these headphones.
-Sound Quality-
This was my first set of high quality over ear headphones, so I cannot size these headphones up against their competitors. That said, I was floored by the sound quality of these headphones. Previously, my favorite place for enjoying music was in the car, where I can play it as loud as I like without the concern of disturbing others (my own little environmentally-controlled acoustic bubble). They blew away any consumer-accessible home theater setup, car stereo, headphone or earbud I had ever heard previously, and instantly sold me on high-quality headphones as the ideal music enjoyment experience.
These headphones are very well balanced. The lows are perfect: Strong but not overpowering or uncomfortable, present, and clear. Well managed bass is typically difficult to find in headphones, where it is either overdone or underpowered. Highs are are perfect: Clear, and not overpowering or “over bright.” I have never heard high ‘clipping’ or distortion unless it was in the recording. With well-balanced highs and lows, the oft-neglected mid tones are in perfect balance with the rest of the sound. I feel like the sound is perfect, an even, level balance, even after several years of heavy use. I hear things in music that I never noticed before (even with other headphones), like sniffs and coughs from the audience during a winter-time recording of Horowitz.
-Sound Isolation-
The headphones have a sealed back. They do a great job of filtering out background noise. I sometimes wear them alone (no music) just to muddle down the noise in the office and on airplanes. They work just well enough – better than nothing but not as isolating as foam earplugs (and certainly more comfortable).
Good sound isolation sets the stage for good sound reproduction. I barely have to turn my iPod up to enjoy music at a comfortable level. The lowest volume settings easily drown out my coworkers and works well on crowded airplanes, also.
They also do a great job of not letting sound *out.* I often listen to really good jams pretty loud at the office. When I press the ear cups together, I can barely tell they are on while holding them in my hands. Great for not disturbing people around you or for not disturbing one’s partner when playing video games late into the night.
-Usability-
You don’t need a powerful setup to enjoy these headphones. I use them primarily with an iPod, but I have also used them for gaming.
They are easy to take off and put on for quick conversations.
While the sound quality is excellent, and a sealed back design is good for sound isolation, they may not be so good as a DJ headset, since the ear cups do not rotate 180 degrees.
-Comfort-
I have a large cranium (I wear a XXL motorcycle helmet) and large-ish ears. These headphones fit great and feel great. Usually they are all the way out to the second or third from last ‘click’ on the headband adjuster. With the ear cups on, the headband rests on the top of my head, but has never tossed my hair.
I routinely wear these for a full 8-12 hours. There is no pressure on or around my ears or on my head. Sometimes they get a little warm, but never uncomfortably so.
On airplanes, I usually put them on as soon as I sit down to filter out the conversations around me, and leave them on for the whole flight, including sleeping with them on.
-Durability-
These headphones don’t get out much. They mostly sit in a drawer at my office when not in use. I have taken them on a few trips (DC to Salt Lake City and to Greece) where they have had to endure air travel in a laptop bag and a few trips through security. They have held up very well, with no signs of wear.
-The Bottom Line-
These headphones changed the way I listen to music, and they inspired me to seek out a headset for gaming. I would buy them again without a second thought.
I know Sony has made a successor to these headphones, and from what I’ve read, the sound quality on the newer headphones is not as well balanced. I hope Sony continues to manufacture these, as they are a very nice, high quality product. Why mess with perfection?
I often seriously consider buying another set for home or as a backup to my set at the office.
Highly recommended.
Sony MDR7506 Professional Headphones
I found that the Sony MDR7506 Headphones to be very durable. They are also light weight and most comfortable when you are wearing them. After hours of wearing the headphones
there is no problem of being uncomfortable from sweating on the ears. The sound quality is good and I like the long cord makes it easier to be about eight feet from the source.
I have had other headphones and they were to heavy which made them very uncomfortable these are 100% better in every way.
I would highly recommend them to anyone.
I’m no sound engineer, just a regular consumer
My benchmark testing sound for bass is “I put on” by Young Jeezy at 320 kb/s quality. After that I listened to several film scores, Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Howard Shore, etc. Everything from a 300 piece orchestra to mainstream songs written by computers sound great. I’ll be using these on an indie film set for audio monitoring.
Good sound quality but with design flaws
I use these headphones to DJ electronic music. They can be cranked to high volume without sound distortion, and of course they sound great at normal volumes. I have no complaints about sound quality, but about the headphone’s design.
First, they fit a little snug against the head (and my head is even fairly skinny). They are, however, better than Technics’ line of DJ headphones. Those really squeezed my noggin!
Also, as several people have noted, your ears get a little sweaty after wearing these for awhile. Not a big deal, but it’s a little uncomfortable. And some theorize that sweat causes the earcups to break down prematurely.
My biggest complaint about the 7506’s design is that one of the foam ear cups came off less than a month after purchase. The cup can be put back on, but not without some hassle. It stays on for several days/weeks but then will come off again (seemingly at the most inconvenient time!).
I highly recommend these headphones for their sound quality. But expect problems with the earcups. There’s a chance they will either shred over time or come off entirely. No wonder replacement ear cups are so readily advertised on Amazon!
Excellent for my home recording studio.
I purchased these headphones for my home recording studio after reviewing countless offerings. I made this choice based on other users’ reviews and the purported use of these headphones in professional recording studios. They are very comfortable, sound beautiful, have gold-plated connections, a screw-on 1/4″ adapter and a robust cable. I have been very pleased with my purchase and plan to purchase a second set for when fellow musicians come over to lay down tracks. They have been comfortable to wear for long periods and fit around my ears perfectly. If you have larger ears this may not be the case. I cannot yet review their durability but all my old headphones had disintegrated in the Arizona heat.
After over 12 years of use
I own the 7506 from late 90’s.
The best headphones for mixing (considering their cost) at my work (TV station, audio area)
“Musical detail levels” are present very clear.
Only lost the cover from the pad, but still ok to work with them
Somebody wants to buy them, If I sell them surely I’ll buy another new ones.
The Best headphones ever. Period.
I have been professionally recording for 15 years, and have owned these since Day 1. I use these headphones both in the concert hall and in the studio. I recently bought a second pair, just so I have a spare for the day that my first pair dies. I highly recommend these headphones for all your recoding and listening needs. After 15 years of continual use, the only thing starting to happen is that the cover over the foam is just now starting to separate. But, I fully expect them to last another 15 years at least.
The Best Headphones for Classical and Vocal Music
I recently produced five CDs for the Yale Whiffenpoofs and spent many hours listening to singing. The most difficult task was working with a recording engineer in Florida while I was in Connecticut. He would put the transcribed music on the server for me to listen to, and I would send back my comments and suggestions. It was important that I hear the music as clearly as possible, and after trying 8 different pairs of headphones, I am convinced the Sony MDR-7506 headphones are the best available. The only other phones that were comparable were the Sennheiser HD650s, but these cost roughly three times more. But I prefer the Sony’s for their realism and sound stage.
Sound stage is an abstract concept that is difficult to explain. When earphones provide a good sound stage, the listener feels both left-right differential but forward-back depth. This capability is a perception, not a reality, and has a lot to do with how well the music has been engineered in the sound studio. But some headphones present a full sound stage and others do not. I have always appreciated the Sennheisers for doing this well, but the Sony MDR-7506 headphones do it the best. This gives the music a depth beyond that generated by stereo, and allows one to listen for extended periods of time without fatigue.
I even recommend these headphones if all you are going to do is listen to rock. The bass response is flat, not enhanced, however. But I have listened to some well engineered rock with these and it comes alive. The midrange is alive and crystal clear. Vocals are so realistic that you are transported. Sometimes it takes my breath away. I love these headphones.
great set of phones for a great price
I don’t have the time to give a detailed review but I will say I love the way these headphones perform and have already recommended them to other family members (musicians in need of quality headphones for monitoring)
11 years and counting…
I am not as much of an audiophile as most of the other reviewers, so I won’t comment on sound quality compared to other professional headphones. However, I can attest to the durability of the MDR-7506’s. Although the covering for the earpads have flaked off, my headphones are still going strong after more than 11 years of regular use. I am only now starting to have some problems with sound only coming through one side, probably because I accidentally bent the jack a few years ago. If I had a soldering iron I would replace the jack myself, but I think it’s about time for a new pair anyway.
Really great professional headphones
No other headphones will give the quality, noise-cancelling comfort for the price you get these headphones at.
Overhyped
I read some of the other favorable reviews of Sony’s MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphones, and I thought that they were the headphones for me. Alas, beauty is in the ear of the hearer. These headphones, to me, have a tinny sound. That is, they are weak in the bass and too strong in the higher frequencies.
It’s not all bad though. I adjust the bass and treble controls on my receiver to compensate for the weak bass and too-bright high frequencies. These phones are also reasonably comfortable to wear. I can go 45 minutes or so and not experience the “vice on my head” feel that a lot of other headphones can inflict.
So I’d recommend that you listen to the Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphones if you can prior to purchase. That way you can decide if they have the sound for you. Depending on your own ears and preference in music, you may love these headphones. For me, they’re only fair.
A “Good” Choice
These headphones only sound “O.K.”, which is why I gave them three stars. (4 stars is “Great”, and 5 stars is “Outstanding”). The low bass is good, but the mid-bass is lacking. The midrange and high-end are slightly exaggerated and strident. Cymbals are unnaturally bright, and the spoken/sung “S” letter has too much sibilance in some cases. I have been comparing these headphones with my pair of MDR-V900 headphones. Although the mid-bass of the MDR-V900 is a little muddy compared to these headphones, they don’t have the high-midrange to high-end over-exaggeration that the MDR-7506 headphones.
These headphones are a decent value, but are not better than “O.K.”. They are adequate for general use. I bought them for my 10 year-old daughter’s use with her first MP3 player (a Sansa Fuze). They are wildly better than the earphones I see so many people using.
If you want “great” to “outstanding” headphones, you are well advised to look elsewhere.
A “Good” choice
These headphones only sound “O.K.”, which is why I gave them three stars. (4 stars is “Great”, and 5 stars is “Outstanding”). The low bass is good, but the mid-bass is lacking. The midrange and high-end are slightly exaggerated and strident. Cymbals are unnaturally bright, and the spoken/sung “S” letter has too much sibilance in some cases. I have been comparing these headphones with my pair of MDR-V900 headphones. Although the mid-bass of the MDR-V900 is a little muddy compared to these headphones, they don’t have the high-midrange to high-end over-exaggeration that the MDR-7506 headphones.
These headphones are a decent value, but are not better than “O.K.”. They are adequate for general use. I bought them for my 10 year-old daughter’s use with her first MP3 player (a Sansa Fuze). They are wildly better than the earphones I see so many people using.
If you want “great” to “outstanding” headphones, you are well advised to look elsewhere.
Caution : Left channel stops working within few months of use!!
I got these headphones with the assumption that they are professional grade and would last me long in addition to having better audio quality. But after a few months of moderate use the left speaker stopped working!!!
While I had them with both channels working, they were comfortable to use with sound output a notch above most. But the recent failure has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Not worth the $$ I spent on this product
Awesome Cans
I used to own the Sennheiser 595 headphones which was supposed to be fantastic headphones. They are very good, unfortunately after stepping on them and breaking them I replaced them and chose to go with the Sony MDR-7506 headphones, the difference is worlds apart. I sold high end stereo systems for several years and have an ear for hearing quality Cans (headphones) and the Sony are less than half the price of the Sennheisers with in my opinion twice the sound quality. Well worth it.
These are the industry standard
I’ve been a radio DJ for 28 years. In radio, these really are the industry standard. I work at “The Network”, and everyone who works here owns these headphones. Radio stations buy these for on air guests to use. There are headphones that cost more, and a lot that cost less, but everyone chooses these. They fold up to be very compact. The set I use every day are about 4 years old and holding up fine, but I already have a new in the box set in my office at work ready to go. They are very comfortable, near indestructable, and most important sound incredible.
Great Headphone
In the past I’ve always used the smaller earplug style headphones, and this is my first large diaphragm one; therefore I’ll compare this MDR-7506 to my previous ones. To summarize it: the sound quality is a lot better, and that’s the reason why I choose this particular headphone.
Great Headphones for Studio
Best Quality – Cost relation. 100% recommended for studio listening if you want a good value product.