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Sony MDR-7506 review

8.3/10 AVG.
RATING
From $124
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  • Sony MDR-7506
  • Sony MDR-7506
  • Sony MDR-7506

Specs / Features


Overview
Type Over-Ear
Volume Control No
Playback Control No
Noise Canceling No
Specification
Warranty (Months) 3 months
Release date -
Size 2 x 2 cm (0.8 x 0.8 in)
Weight N/A

What's good

  • Accurate and natural sound fidelity
  • Fairly comfortable
  • Durable

What's bad

  • Ears heat up when worn for long amounts of time
  • Sound is thinner than bass-centric headphones

Introduced back in 1991, the Sony MDR-7506 still remains one of the most highly regarded headphones among professionals and audiophiles alike. In all the years since its introduction, Sony has not updated the design. They sport a metal headband protected by a faux leather encasing. The double-hinged earpieces easily fold up for storage or transport and the ear pads themselves can be replaced in case it gets damaged. While experts do not extol its beauty, they do find it practical, durable and relatively comfortable. The only issue they found was the pleather ear cups tend to heat up the ear after wearing it for long amounts of time.

The moderate pressure of the ear cups provide for passive noise-cancellation, which worked quite well for critics even in moderately loud environments. In terms of sound fidelity, Tech Hive notes that the MDR-7506 manages to accentuate the highs, lows and mid-range without one overpowering the other. Most critics agree with Tech Hive's assessment and describe sound performance as very natural and accurate, though a bit on the thin side when compared to more bass heavy headphones.

CONTINUE READING

Despite being around for decades, the Sony MDR-7506 is still recommended by reviewers. CNET stats, "…if you value sound quality and comfort…[this] should be at the top of your list when shopping for headphones…"

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Critic Reviews


Headphones Addict
Headphones Addict

Amazing classic studio headphones

Headphones Addict ( 19 Jan 2018 00:00 )

The classic Sony MDR7506 headphones deserve a top spot on your list if you need dependable performance from a lightweight package that is perfect for just about any critical listening environment.

Read full review

The classic Sony MDR7506 headphones deserve a top spot on your list if you need dependable performance from a lightweight package that is perfect for just about any critical listening environment.

Read full review

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Ken Rockwell
Ken Rockwell

The best combination of price, performance, utility and durability

Ken Rockwell from Ken Rockwell ( 05 Oct 2014 00:00 )

For monitoring DSLR and other field audio, the pros have made the Sony MDR-7506 the world's best-selling pro headphone. If you need to hear what you're doing while out in the field, these are the best combination of price, performance, utility and durability — especially if you're a TV station and handing these out to all your crew.

Read full review

For monitoring DSLR and other field audio, the pros have made the Sony MDR-7506 the world's best-selling pro headphone. If you need to hear what you're doing while out in the field, these are the best combination of price, performance, utility and durability — especially if you're a TV station and handing these out to all your crew.

Read full review

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HeadYo
HeadYo

The engineering is simple, elegant and brilliant

HeadYo team from HeadYo ( 05 Oct 2014 00:00 )
8.6/10

The Sony MDR-7506 Circum-aural Closed-Back Professional Monitor Headphones have a no-nonsense approach to their design. Not flashy by any means, the product aims to lure the customer with its simplicity. The engineering is simple, elegant and brilliant. Coupled with a tight accuracy for detailing...More

The Sony MDR-7506 Circum-aural Closed-Back Professional Monitor Headphones have a no-nonsense approach to their design. Not flashy by any means, the product aims to lure the customer with its simplicity. The engineering is simple, elegant and brilliant. Coupled with a tight accuracy for detailing in sound, the rugged MDR-7506 is a lucrative option, especially for the price it comes at.

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8.6/10
TechHive
TechHive

Great design and audio performance that stands the test of time

Tony Silva from TechHive ( 27 Feb 2014 05:00 )
9/10

Sony’s MDR-7506 Professional Headphones enjoys almost mythical status among headphone geeks, as it’s been on the market since 1991 and has earned a reputation among professionals and amateurs alike as an audio workhorse.

Befitting its age, the MDR-7506 is a conventionally designed headphone that’s survived long enough to seem retro. The headband is metal, sheathed in what looks and feels like real leather, and lightly padded....

More

Sony’s MDR-7506 Professional Headphones enjoys almost mythical status among headphone geeks, as it’s been on the market since 1991 and has earned a reputation among professionals and amateurs alike as an audio workhorse.

Befitting its age, the MDR-7506 is a conventionally designed headphone that’s survived long enough to seem retro. The headband is metal, sheathed in what looks and feels like real leather, and lightly padded.

The MDR-7506 is a great-sounding headphone. Solid bass extends cleanly to 20 Hz while never creeping into the lower midrange. The midrange itself is clear and natural, and the detailed, crisp highs bring out nuances in your music that you might not have heard before. Soundstage and instrument placement are very good, though better left to right than front to back.

It’s of course not perfect—the design is ancient, in summer your ears will quickly sweat if you haven’t swapped out the earpads, the soundstage is merely good, and I’d love to see a replaceable cable—but the MDR-7506 will shame headphones several times its price.

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9/10
Reviewed
Reviewed

Balanced sound with very little distortion in a comfortable, affordable package

Virginia Barry from Reviewed ( 07 Nov 2013 00:00 )
7.5/10

Sony's MDR-7506 may not dazzle you with its outfit—there is absolutely nothing exciting to look at here, and you'll probably need to replace the cheap ear pads at some point. Yet, like Don Quixote with his bowl for a helmet, there's still great quality within.

The sound is nicely balanced, so that no portion of the musical scale is too loud or too soft. Aspiring audiophiles will especially love this soundscape, because it's optimal for equalizing and mixing, which typically costs a lot more....

More

Sony's MDR-7506 may not dazzle you with its outfit—there is absolutely nothing exciting to look at here, and you'll probably need to replace the cheap ear pads at some point. Yet, like Don Quixote with his bowl for a helmet, there's still great quality within.

The sound is nicely balanced, so that no portion of the musical scale is too loud or too soft. Aspiring audiophiles will especially love this soundscape, because it's optimal for equalizing and mixing, which typically costs a lot more.

In terms of value, this is the best buy I've seen all year. A simple online search puts these over-ears in the neighborhood of $77. The Sony MDR-7506 isn't a convenient travel companion, and it doesn't win best-dressed, but it offers balanced sound with very little distortion in a comfortable, affordable package.

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7.5/10
Cnet
Cnet

Still among the best after decades of being out

Steve Guttenberg from Cnet ( 22 Jun 2013 04:00 )
8.2/10

Introduced way back in 1991, the Sony MDR-7506 has long been a favorite headphone of recording engineers and other sound professionals.

Since the MDR-7506 has been in the Sony lineup for over 20 years, you don't have to make any guesses about the design's long-term durability.

Lis...More

Introduced way back in 1991, the Sony MDR-7506 has long been a favorite headphone of recording engineers and other sound professionals.

Since the MDR-7506 has been in the Sony lineup for over 20 years, you don't have to make any guesses about the design's long-term durability.

Listen to the MDR-7506 and you'll know why it's remained in the Sony lineup for 22 years. Nothing about the sound is out-of-place: the bass-midrange-treble balance is accurate, and every music genre sounds great. It's no wonder so many professionals have relied on the MDR-7506 to record and mix music, radio, movies, and TV shows. Audiophiles on a tight budget will find a lot to love about this headphone.

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8.2/10
The Wirecutter
The Wirecutter

Miles ahead of the competition in sound, comfort, and overall value

Lauren Dragan from The Wirecutter ( 20 May 2013 04:00 )

Every audio professional I wrote to spoke highly of them, even if they hadn’t reviewed the Sonys themselves. Also, speaking from experience, nearly every recording studio, radio station, etc. has a pair of these attached to the mixing board. And there are several reasons why below.

They sound fantastic. Every panelist put these as their number one. Brent said the sound had “perfect tonal balance,” with “no flaws” sounding “like a headphone should sound.”...

More

Every audio professional I wrote to spoke highly of them, even if they hadn’t reviewed the Sonys themselves. Also, speaking from experience, nearly every recording studio, radio station, etc. has a pair of these attached to the mixing board. And there are several reasons why below.

They sound fantastic. Every panelist put these as their number one. Brent said the sound had “perfect tonal balance,” with “no flaws” sounding “like a headphone should sound.”

They have been around forever and last forever. Seriously. These have great build quality, replaceable earcups, and a 1-year warranty on parts.

They are strong but also comfortable. All our reviewers commented on the fit being good, which is unusual when you consider the range of head sizes and hairstyles we have.

Fifth (and perhaps most importantly): Here is where the really amazing part comes into play.

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User Reviews


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Resources


Review Sources and Citations

The Wirecutter, Cnet, Reviewed, TechHive, Ken Rockwell, HeadYo, Headphones Addict

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