Sony MDR-7506 Review (Headphone)

[pozz]

I had the 7506s for over a decade. The highs never sounded right, and the bass was somewhat lacking. That didn't matter too much given how good the midrange was, and for a long time every other headphone I had tried never sounded right in that area. My use case waa mixing rather than casual listening, where I preferred IEMs.

 

[wemist01]

They will amplify any hiss in the channel so maybe that is why they value it in live sound.

Yes, a TV cameraman picked this as the best headphones for monitoring sound when I worked with him on a project (I'm sure he was keeping my employer in a budget, too.). I think the best thing about them is their general durability- they just won't break, and I'm not afraid to abuse them. (I thought the same of my AKG 7XX's, but then an internal wire broke for no obvious reason.) Since they are closed, they are great for listening in bed while not waking the wife. But you can't love the sound. I've always been curious about the ATH-M40x and other similar cans from Audio Technica as alternatives. Hope you get to them at some point.

 

[YSC]

Yes, a TV cameraman picked this as the best headphones for monitoring sound when I worked with him on a project (I'm sure he was keeping my employer in a budget, too.). I think the best thing about them is their general durability- they just won't break, and I'm not afraid to abuse them. (I thought the same of my AKG 7XX's, but then an internal wire broke for no obvious reason.) Since they are closed, they are great for listening in bed while not waking the wife. But you can't love the sound. I've always been curious about the ATH-M40x and other similar cans from Audio Technica as alternatives. Hope you get to them at some point.

how about trying the K501? I remember auditioned them once and they are nice to have and don't cost an arm

 

[solderdude]

They are virtually impossible to EQ in the bass and start to distort in the lows when you do.
The max. excursion is very limited. Nice mids though.
Perhaps the DT880 (with treble peak removed) is a cheap alternative.
The later ones are closer to the DT990 than the earlier DT880's

 

[raistlin65]

I've had a pair since the late '90s and they date back farther than that. Ubiquitous in recording studios for a long time -- like the V6. And I remember the head of Dunlavy Audio Labs, the speaker company, being a great proponent. Yours is a very interesting test -- thanks as always.

Be interesting to see the MDR-V6 in comparison.

 

[Jimbob54]

I suspect what we are all waiting for is the giant killer. The $200-$300 or less headphone that objectively and (in amir's view) subjectively beats the high end "legends".

This isn't it.

I'll be intrigued by the overall opinion on other Harman huggers like the akg k371 when factoring in comfort as well as FR and other sonic attributes.

So far the HD650 are looking like the best bang for your buck which will surprise no one with any interest in head fi.

 

[ishouldbeking]

I've always heard these described as harsh and "grainy" in particular, but I'm curious if that's more a product of uneven treble response with narrow spikes or perhaps the grain relates to audible distortion?

Another headphone with a slight reputation for treble grain is the 58x (albeit nowhere near as much as these). Would be interesting to compare those directly to the HD650 measurements, since the design and tuning are quite similar except the 650/6xx has none of the 58x's grain. I've seen a lot of theorizing about the nature of treble grain over the years, but folks can't seem to agree on its true nature. Distortion would be an interesting culprit.

 

[Robbo99999]

I suspect what we are all waiting for is the giant killer. The $200-$300 or less headphone that objectively and (in amir's view) subjectively beats the high end "legends".

This isn't it.

I'll be intrigued by the overall opinion on other Harman huggers like the akg k371 when factoring in comfort as well as FR and other sonic attributes.

So far the HD650 are looking like the best bang for your buck which will surprise no one with any interest in head fi.

K371 aren't gonna be giant killers, they're too wonky in the treble, and closed back headphones, likely to not have that many attributes apart from good Harman frequency response at stock, low reach into the bass, and perhaps low distortion, but I don't think they'll have many other good attributes. And the Sennheiser HD600 & 650 are a bit loose in the bass when you pump it up (HD600 anyway) and they don't have great soundstage, so they're definitely not without drawbacks. I agree though, would be great to find a $200-300 (or less) giant killer headphone that can do it all - soundstage, frequency response, distortion.

 

[cistercian]

Great review Amir! I hate these too and wondered if it was just me considering the praise lavished on them.
I have found happiness with my Sennheiser HD-600. Even though the 600 is far from perfect it remains for
me the best choice. Comfortable, detailed, and listenable for hours on end without fatigue.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

Today is the ether cx review too?

 

[Jimbob54]

K371 aren't gonna be giant killers, they're too wonky in the treble, and closed back headphones, likely to not have that many attributes apart from good Harman frequency response at stock, low reach into the bass, and perhaps low distortion, but I don't think they'll have many other good attributes. And the Sennheiser HD600 & 650 are a bit loose in the bass when you pump it up (HD600 anyway) and they don't have great soundstage, so they're definitely not without drawbacks. I agree though, would be great to find a $200-300 (or less) giant killer headphone that can do it all - soundstage, frequency response, distortion.

We probably already know but more reviews will confirm, there is no perfect headphone that feature those criteria equally strongly as well as having good build /fit. There will always be compromises. I also suspect the degree of compromise isn't straight line relatable to price. But I'm not seeing a $200 set beating a well measuring well reviewed set at $1000 on all counts sadly.

 

[raistlin65]

Yes, a TV cameraman picked this as the best headphones for monitoring sound when I worked with him on a project (I'm sure he was keeping my employer in a budget, too.). I think the best thing about them is their general durability- they just won't break, and I'm not afraid to abuse them. (I thought the same of my AKG 7XX's, but then an internal wire broke for no obvious reason.) Since they are closed, they are great for listening in bed while not waking the wife. But you can't love the sound. I've always been curious about the ATH-M40x and other similar cans from Audio Technica as alternatives. Hope you get to them at some point.

Exactly. That is what the MDR-7506/V6 are famous for. Durability for monitoring sound. The MDR-V6 were created in 1985 (the 7506 in 1991) and were known for being popular for monitoring in the television and film industry during the 20th century.

So the best answer for @amirm 's conclusion might be "3. These headphones have a legacy reputation based upon their durability and widespread usage for basic monitoring during the 20th century. And while they may have been a good price/performance value for consumers in the market even 15 to 20 years ago, they are surpassed by offerings today."

 

[infinitesymphony]

The 7506 and V6 were everywhere in the '90s and '00s, the defacto tracking headphones you'd find in the closet if it wasn't loaded with something cheaper like AKG K55s.

The peak in the sensitivity range turns metal percussion into ice picks, and just imagine the distortion of tracking bass with a full band setup at performance volume.

The people I know who use these as their reference headphones didn't wear hearing protection over countless years of live shows, so YMMV.

 

[Degru]

Yeah lines up with what I've heard from it and the v6. I find that the japanese CD900st version is a far better and very different headphone.

 

[hex168]

Be interesting to see the MDR-V6 in comparison.

The V6 is supposed to be very similar. Innerfidelity tested it back in the Tyll days:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180529024113/http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SonyMDRV6.pdf

I'd love to see these tested:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/JVCHAS500Z.pdf
Low distortion but needs lots of EQ. Cheap as chips and easy to drive.

 

[Robbo99999]

We probably already know but more reviews will confirm, there is no perfect headphone that feature those criteria equally strongly as well as having good build /fit. There will always be compromises. I also suspect the degree of compromise isn't straight line relatable to price. But I'm not seeing a $200 set beating a well measuring well reviewed set at $1000 on all counts sadly.

I'd like Amir to test the K702 if someone can send him one. I think that's got a good shot at a giant killer in value form. I had a HiFiman HE4XX arrive at my door a few days ago & I've EQ'd it & tested it against my other headphones (in my sig) and K702 is still my favourite. For me once EQ'd the K702 has basically got the great properties of the HD600 but with great soundstage added on and better bass reproduction. The HE4XX was good at soundstage, second best out of all my headphones, and the bass was just so detailed and low extended when EQ'd, so my best headphone for bass (even better than the closed back NAD HP50), but the HE4XX didn't deliver the same degree of detail within the music as the HD600 and the K702. K702 is so far my favourite & I think quite likely to be a giant killer if you're assessing it on it's abilities once EQ'd.....it's probably my end of journey for headphones.....yeah, I'd like to see Amir measure the K702. (They're selling it for just £99 at the moment on Amazon).

 

[Jimbob54]

I'd like Amir to test the K702 if someone can send him one. I think that's got a good shot at a giant killer in value form. I had a HiFiman HE4XX arrive at my door a few days ago & I've EQ'd it & tested it against my other headphones (in my sig) and K702 is still my favourite. For me once EQ'd the K702 has basically got the great properties of the HD600 but with great soundstage added on and better bass reproduction. The HE4XX wasn't too bad at soundstage, second best out of all my headphones, and the bass was just so detailed and low extended when EQ'd, so my best headphone for bass (even better than the closed back NAD HP50), but the HE4XX didn't deliver the same degree of detail within the music as the HD600 and the K702. K702 is so far my favourite & I think quite likely to be a giant killer if you're assessing it on it's abilities once EQ'd.....it's probably my end of journey for headphones.....yeah, I'd like to see Amir measure the K702. (They're selling it for just £99 at the moment on Amazon).

My thoughts exactly on the 4xx. Lacks detail.

 

[Jimbob54]

I'd like Amir to test the K702 if someone can send him one. I think that's got a good shot at a giant killer in value form. I had a HiFiman HE4XX arrive at my door a few days ago & I've EQ'd it & tested it against my other headphones (in my sig) and K702 is still my favourite. For me once EQ'd the K702 has basically got the great properties of the HD600 but with great soundstage added on and better bass reproduction. The HE4XX was good at soundstage, second best out of all my headphones, and the bass was just so detailed and low extended when EQ'd, so my best headphone for bass (even better than the closed back NAD HP50), but the HE4XX didn't deliver the same degree of detail within the music as the HD600 and the K702. K702 is so far my favourite & I think quite likely to be a giant killer if you're assessing it on it's abilities once EQ'd.....it's probably my end of journey for headphones.....yeah, I'd like to see Amir measure the K702. (They're selling it for just £99 at the moment on Amazon).

Oh, and for me, detail first (not just boosted treble faux detail, actual detail once properly eq), then the other sonic attributes as they fall. I can forgive closed Soundstage or wobbly FR if there is true detail and texture.

 

[FrantzM]

Oh, and for me, detail first (not just boosted treble faux detail, actual detail once properly eq), then the other sonic attributes as they fall. I can forgive closed Soundstage or wobbly FR if there is true detail and texture.

How do you measure "texture"?




i

 

[Jimbob54]

How do you measure "texture"?




i

I don't think we do.(at the minute) Nor do I think we measure detail. This is at the heart of my problem with headphone measurements as they sit now. Some are clear, but I don't think we get the whole picture.

Or more likely, I don't know how to translate the measurements into what I hear. But I surely value headphones that offer detail and the texture of the sounds.