Sony MDR-7506 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.

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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.

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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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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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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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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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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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