Sony MDR 7506 Studio Headphone Review - Does the Studio Standard live up to the Hype?
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- The MDR-7506 may be a studio standard, but are they the right choice for you?
Many artists and audio engineers have a love-hate relationship with this headphones. I set that all aside and do objective audio performance tests to find out if the studio standard MDR-7506 are worth considering for you.
Features and Specifications:
Acoustic System: Over-Ear Closed-Back Dynamic
Impedance: 63ohm
Frequency Response: 10-20000Hz (see audio tests in this review)
Sensitivity: 106dB/W/m
Max. Input Power: 1000mW
Drivers: 40mm with Neodymium Magnets
Ear Pads: Leatherette
Cable: 3.0m (9.8ft) coiled with 3.5mm TRS (and 1/4" adapter), left side exit, fixed with strain relief
Weight: 230g (8.1oz) without cable
⚙️For more information or to purchase:
Sony MDR-7506: amzn.to/3LafAa4
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:57 Audio Test - Sine Wave 20-20000Hz Sweep
02:20 Audio Test - Music
04:37 Audio Test - Spoken Word
05:43 Game Audio Demonstration
06:31 Build Quality
07:48 Key Features and Specifications
08:13 Studio Standard by not perfect
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🔥Do This First:
To get the most out of your recording or streaming space, I recommend sound treatment including acoustic absorption panels. This is the single biggest way to improve your audio before investing in other gear. You can make your own, or I highly recommend GIK Acoustics as they manufacture some of the best quality acoustic treatment available at an excellent value.
Check out GIK Acoustics here: www.gikacoustics.com/ref/131/ 👈
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Great video. Very informative. Thanks
I have the Sony MDR 7506 Studio Headphone for the last 15 years and still working good. The ear pads will loos the rubber covering in no time but other than that, no quality issues. Very durable. I think is time for a newer one but this ones still kicking.
Excellent review! I'm so pleased to see this.
I'm still rocking my pair after 20 years.
As a DJ, those high and low roll-offs have saved my long term hearing over the years.
I can still enjoy all my music through headphones _and_ room speakers alike thanks to these headphones not damaging my hearing..
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing your experience and important point about protecting our hearing from excessive low and high frequencies. 20 years says it all…
I got some of these last week (2nd Feb & I've got to say, linked to my Sony amp with my laptop running the audio they are an absolute joy to use & produce results when working with audio tracks. Highly highly highly recommended, especially when you consider how little they cost
These are in my opinion the best value headphones on the market.
Virtually indestructible (10 years old daily use, dropped regularly, zero sign of fatigue), and the bass response goes down to 10hz.
Not the most accurate out of the box but with an EQ these are highly capable in any application.
Performance to price in undeniable on the 7506...been around forever for a reason...Cheers!
I don't know why, but in Game Audio Demonstration the MDR-7506 has a surprisingly good imaging. The best I've seen so far in your channel. Thanks for the video, very good review.
I have these 7506s love them for everything. Have a couple of pairs of the older MDR-V6 I’ve used since my radio days in the 80s
Hearing that music track from my own studio monitors and then recorded from MDR-7506's helped a lot to perceive the sound. Bought a pair to myself :)
That’s great to hear! Glad I could help out!
dude your channel is so good! my humble opinion is that you should have tons of followers. your reviews aren't biased and very honest. good job!
Hey thanks, I really appreciate it. The channel is growing, but it takes time… I do enjoy making these videos and I’m glad you are enjoying them too!
And technically solid, with objective measurements🎤👏.I bought my headset based on his opinion, and I look for a cheaper daily headset other than Ath30. What about more commercial but flat headphones reviews like JBL 500?
Great suggestion! I have been looking at a few of those options (actually have a couple of sets in for review). Videos coming soon…
You meant to say "aren’t biased" right?
@@d.g.o4410 yes, his reviews aren't biased
Your presentations are one of the Bests out there... Just like they say... Old man's words are wise man's words
Thanks, much appreciated! I'm glad to help out where I can.
Great review! An aspiring voice actor here. I love 7506 but it gets warm, and I concern that I'm not really hearing my own voice the the boost in the frequency range may lead me to falsely believe in the clarity of my own voice acting. That being said, any other headphone you'd recommend? My primarily use is to record my own voice for practice and edit.
i wish we still had stores in the uk when you could demo headphones. buying audio equipment blind is a risk
They design the frequencies so it’s sounds good on other sound systems , so you don’t “under do” the bass and you don’t “over” do the midrange
Hands down the industry standard. I used them as a drummer for decades for my live monitor/click.
There are others around, but I can't recall ever going into a studio that didn't have a least one (and often many) 7506s around... Cheers!
great vid
Thanks, much appreciated!
MDR 7506 were my first decent headphones. Used them for about 2 years and i'm glad i switched them out. They're so harsh, they messed up my hearing quite a bit, often i would even feel physically ill after a few hours of working on music. And the ear pieces are so shallow, even with my tiny ears i had issues, and if you have any earrings - you will be in pain. Wouldn't recommend these to anyone honestly, save up and get DT770/990, those are many times better not only in terms of sound, but also in terms of comfort
The DT770 and DT990 both have excessive treble which is fatiguing to the ears but the 770 is better but needs some EQ, especially because the 990 has significantly more recessed mids which means the exaggerated treble is more noticeable, the DT770 however is actually quite nice if you use EQ to reduce the treble as the rest of the spectrum is fairly neutral
@@totizedger i dont know what youre talking about, been using dt990 and tried 770 and they do not have excessive treble. They feel much more natural than sonys
could this mdr 7506 be all arounder? i mean can you just plug it directly to nearly anything? like Cellphones, Laptop,Desktop and Board Mixers (for mixing vocals etc..) with no prob or adding DAC or any amp? also looking forward with the ATH M40X and beyerdynamic dt770 pro 80 ohms for all arounder headphone.
@@user-yc3pt3om1d i do not recommend sony mdr7506. As for others, the more ohm you have, the better quality sound it will have. But above 80ohm you will need a dac/audio interface because it will be too quiet
You could have a problem set of 7506's. It's been heard if that the base response can be faulty in some sets. Anyway, the 7506's are equivalent to the NS10's of the monitoring world. NS10's are not for hi fi listeners.
Nice headphones 👍
This Sony is my favourite one despite some of its 'weaknesses' as you said it, which I agree. Nice true honest review, I appreciate it. However, I was looking for it, but cannot find your review about Sennheiser HD 600. I really want to know your review about it, actually more than what I'd get from others.
Glad you enjoyed my look at the 7506. I will be posting a review on the HD600 soon. They are my primary mixing headphone, mostly because I know them well and they are a good compliment to my studio monitors. Mixes done on the HD600 translate very well in my experience. Let me know what you think after seeing the review. Cheers!
@@askdrtk can't wait for that. Thanks in advance
@@askdrtk request for a review on the DT1990 Pro too please. Thanks
Hi , I am on my second pair of 7506s , any idea which model FRASIER uses on his TV sitcom "Frasier" ? as the one he and his associate use on tge show don't seem to "FOLD UP " like tge 7506.
Much appreciated
Ay dude your audio editing is so crisp. I love this. May I know what mic do you use ? No background noise at all :)
Much appreciated and thanks for asking! I have actually been testing out a few different mics for out-of-frame use. In this video I was using a Sennheiser e614 small diaphragm condenser (pencil) mic. The e614 has a self noise somewhat higher than many of my other pencil microphones, but it has a supercardioid polar pattern. For reference I had the microphone connected to a Warm Audio WA-73EQ preamp (Neve style) with a WA-2A optical compressor which were then connected to my Presonus Quantum 2632 interface. I have a lot of absorption panels including a large ceiling cloud in my studio and the computer is located in a separate room to keep background noise as low as possible. Sorry of the long answer, but I thought is was important to add some context to the "sound of the mic." Hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk Wow this some serious level of dedication! 👑
Epic.. I recently got a pair as the Koss 4AAs were a bit of a disappointment with absolutely no bass :( they look wicked though. The Porta pros were my first "audiophile" headset. Still rock them to run
Glad you enjoyed it. Koss does make some pretty amazing looking headphones...like their style. Whoever does their designs is on to something...
Just picked these up
Great to hear! Enjoy your new headphones!
They're all I used for years until about a year ago. Never heard anything particularly off on various systems. They are reliable. But I prefer my Shure 440 over them now. But you can't go wrong with 7506. They earned their reputation.
Hi! Could you tell me how the Shure 440 compares to the 7506, and why you prefer it specifically over the Sony? I love Shure microphones, of course, but I've actually never tried their headphones, so now I'm curious. Thanks! I'm upgrading my studio headphones soon, and I'd appreciate the feedback. 🙂
@@MayhemJack440 are awesome.
You need a lot more followers
Thanks, I appreciate it!
If you ever have time and still have these cans, it would be cool to try them with the beyer dt250 velour pads and/or others to see how they scale.
Thanks for the suggestion on the dt250 pads and it would be interesting to do an actual comparison with a few different ear pads and headphones. I have been thinking about this for a while and would use the 7506 and a few other popular choices to compare the influence changing pads makes to headphones of varying audio character.
Hi,
I occasionally perform live with a band in radio or TV studios, and I'm looking for closed-back headphones for mixing.
Do you think Sony MDR 7506 or Audio-Technica ATH-M70x would be more suitable, or is there another good option?
It's for pop-rock music..
Hi and sorry for the delayed response. Both the 7506 and M70x are good headphones, and you can learn the sound of either for recording and mixing, but in general my preference for mixing headphones will be a bit more neutral. A great option for closed-back mixing headphones is the Shure SRH-1540. The 1540 provide very good accuracy, detail, and clarity, all with soundstage and imaging performance that rivals many open-back models. The only limitation I will note is that for material with very strong sub-bass (EDM/HH) there is some low end distortion at very loud (and I mean very loud) listening levels...nothing I would do for the sake of hearing loss, but worth noting. At a more affordable price point, I find mixes done with the M40x translate very well and I use them as one of my playback references. Soundstage and imaging performance however are not up to the standard of the SRH-1540. I hope this helps out!
Can you recommend a Wired Headphone for listening to music from a Samsung S21 phone/Spotify premium -- usb-c to 3.5mm adapter. I know a wired connection will always be better than bluetooth, but everything else is confusing. Price range, up to $250. I'm looking to upgrade from a Sony xb910n, in active wired mode it has a lot more detail but doesn't sound as "exciting" as when over bluetooth. Thus, looking for something designed first and formost as wired.
could it be all arounder? i mean can you just plug it directly to nearly anything? like Cellphones, Laptop,Desktop and Board Mixers (for mixing vocals etc..) with no prob or adding DAC or any amp? also looking forward with the ATH M40X and beyerdynamic dt770 pro 80 ohms for all arounder headphone.
This is a very nice review. I want to ask, is the headphones comfortable with glasses? I can't really see anything without them, and I'm trying to avoid squinting when mixing. Thanks
Thanks! I know what you mean about the glasses, I have had them since I was seven... I don't find the 7506 bother me. I use them mostly for tracking but as least in the way they fit me, they don't create a lot of pressure on my glasses. Hope this helps out!
Hello braza 👋 what's your opinion: sony 7506 vs shure 840 for music listening ? Thanks
For general listening, for me it would be the 840 as they have a comfortable sound profile to my ears. I find the 7506 a bit fatiguing for long listening sessions, but the 7506 are very good for critical listening as they expose the midrange very well in a mix.
Hey, just stumbled upon your channel, very nice content. Do you have a video of best headphones in a price range? Can you recommend me a pair under 100$ for mixing?
Thanks! I haven't released "best of" review yet, but I'm working on both $50 and $100. For mixing, I like the Audio-Technica M40x. With any headphones or studio monitors, for mixing the key it to learn their sound while being able to hear enough detail. The M40x are a good choice in that they have a natural sound meaning they are not overly biased in any frequency range while still providing enough detail for you to hear how instruments and vocals are sitting in the mix. Some prefer very mid forward headphones that really push detail out in front, but they can be fatiguing for long sessions and again, you really need to know their sound profile well in order for you mixes to translate well. This is where the M40x shine, mixing that sound well balanced on M40x generally translate very well to other playback devices. I use two sets of monitors and a number of headphones, but I always listen to mixes on my M40x before I consider them finished. While not perfect, the overall combination provided by the M40x is difficult to find at $100. I hope this helps out.
@@askdrtk thank you so much for this detailed information!
Actually I'm from India and M40X's are very expensive here. So can you suggest something around 80$? The Sony mdr 7506 fits in my budget.. so should I consider them? Or are there any better in that price?
In that case, the MDR-7506 are an option with one consideration. If your ears are very sensitive to higher frequencies, you may find them fatiguing. If this is the case I would suggest the Sennheiser HD 280 pro. The 280 pro are another studio standard that is not as forwards in the mids as the 7506 but is another popular choice. I am not sure what pricing is like between the two in your area, but either are good options in the price range you are looking for.
@@askdrtk okay! Will definitely consider them.
I have a new video idea for you: Top 5 best budget headphones for studio. What will be on your list?
Great suggestion! I have a few sets in mind including a few new sets that I am getting ready to review that would fit this topic very well.
I use these for all my video work. On the cons: the ear cups are shallow without a lot of cushion, the coating starts flaking off after a year. I really love after market ear cups for these they are deeper so you ears don't touch the drivers, and provide better sound isolation that is necessary if you're filming loud events. I'm also not a fan of the coil cable. I know it's to allow freedom of movement but if you're not careful it becomes stretched out can easily get tangled with other cables. It also adds weight... I wish they would have a much shorter coiled section. Also the cable isn't removable so if it gets damaged or you want a straight cable instead you need to take it apart and soldier one on. At this price point it's understandable.
Thanks for sharing some great points about these headphones. The cable is very heavy compared to the headphones themselves and they do not provide the same level of isolation as a number of other options. I’m curious, which aftermarket pads did you go with and other than comfort / isolation, how do you believe they altered the sound?
I removed the coiled cable and added a detachable non coiled cable.
@@chingonbass I want to do that when I have more spare time. On one of my headphones I opened it up and soldiered an old AKG240 non coiled cable in it's place. I've seen some people have drilled a hole and inserted a female 3.5mm jack in place. Any recommendations on parts or the procedure. Might make good content for a video.
@@petercofrancesco9812 I did this years back so I don't remember the part number for the female jack I used. I do remember buying it from Redco audio.
Nice mod on the 7506!
Can the balance issue be overcome with software EQ, or is this just wasting time?
Will you do a cd900st review?
That's one set I haven't had an opportunity to try out...I will try to get one in for review. Cheers!
what do you think this Sony mdr7506 VS Audio-Technica AT-m40x ?
Personally, I find the Sony's to be excessively shrill. I use the m40x's pretty often and they have a soft, mellow quality to them, just be prepared to spend about a month with them on until they get comfortable enough.
Great point on the m40x vs the 7506. The 7506 overemphasize everything wrong and right with the mids which can be good for monitoring yourself while overdubbing. That is one of the reasons they are so popular, in particular for tracking. They can also be good for exposing the complexities of a mix, but you need to really learn their sound in order to be confident in creating mixes that translate. The m40x are more balanced and I find mixes that sound balanced on the m40x translate well to a wide range of playback devices. They also provide a bit better isolation vs the 7506 in my experience. Even with two sets of monitors (ADAM and Genelec) along with HD600 and other headphones, in the end, I still check my mixes on m40x as I am confident that I know them well.
Excellent question, myself also faced that. Better hear also other alternatives along with ATH, as I did not stayes 1 month in the shop🎉🎤👏that is a scientific explanation, thanks
M40X adds too much bass. The MDR are more flat. And the ATH M50X are much better.
are there any gaming headsets with similar form to these anyone know. have around 200 gbp budget. and good quality would be great. but id really prefer something that looks closer to these than the huge cups all the more well regarded gaming headsets seem to have
Audio-Technica has released a new version of their M50x headphones with a built-in microphone (the capsule is based on their AT20xx series). This is as close as I have seen to a studio headphone configured more like a gaming headset. It is available with either usb or analog TRS/XLR connections. Here is a link to check it out: www.audio-technica.com/en-us/ath-m50xsts Hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk super great of you. ill be checking these out. after hours of looking I ended buying a pair of Moondrop blessing 2 Dusk :D
What's the song you use while testing? It's so good
It's Cold as Ice by Particle House. Cheers!
Glad someone asked the question, banging track!
How'd compare these to HD 280 Pro for rock/metal music recording? Many thanks
The 7506 have better transient response vs the 280. For me personally, the 280 are a bit too muted for rock and metal, whereas the 7506 will let you hear everything you need (excellent detail for guitars and drums) to produce great rock and metal tracks. Hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk I've just ordered a pair of 7506s. Thanks very much man, appreciated.
I found my pair to have a lot of bass.
I don't hear that a lot about the 7506, but the thing about hearing, especially with headphones, is the physics of our ears has a significant impact on the way we perceive sound across the audible frequency range. If you find the bass too emphasized, a general rule is to change pads out for a deeper set and preferably not pleather (velour doesn't seal up a much)...this will help reduce the bass relative to the rest of the frequencies.
Interesting I feel like everything in your analysis matches up with what I'm hearing (upper mid boost, roll off after 10k) expect for the bass response. There is a roll off in the sub bass but other than that they sound quite punchy in my opinion. when I listen to electronic and hip hip tracks they thump. I do prefer this over a bass light version though.@@askdrtk
How to distinguish the original from the fake? whose production
which one should i choose for mixing, mdr 7506 or philips shp9500? thanks
Both will get the job done. The key is to learn the sound profile of whichever set your choose by listening to a lot of good reference material. If you have a quiet space to mix in, the open-back 9500 have a bit better soundstage and imaging performance, but in a noisier room the 7506 will be easier to work with. That said, the 7506 will reveal everything, and I mean everything, that is out of balance in your mix. Much like NS10 monitors, if you can get a mix to sound good on the 7506 if will likely translate well to just about any playback device. I hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk thank you very much i will go with 7506 for now, if i have a bit budget later i will upgrade to sundra / ananda or HD600 later for openback
Thanks
M going to buy this headphone. But for the sole purpose of listening to music alone. Can someone help me with do i need a dac. Or what should i do to get the best out of this headphone. M using status audio cb1 right now.. will mdr 7506 be an upgrade for me ?
The 7506 are easy to drive, so a dedicated headphone amplifier will have less benefit vs when used with power hungry headphones. That said, depending on what you are connecting them to, there may be room for improvement. The 7506 have a different sound signature vs the CB1. You will find low end less emphasized on the 7506 but mids will be more forward. Whether you would find the 7506 an upgrade depends on what you are using them for and/or the sound profile you prefer. The 7506 will reveal more detail and issues in a mix, particularly in the midrange, but for casual listening it is more about the sound profile you prefer. I hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk very helpful. Thank you. I have one more doubt. My cb1s left and right got swapped. I have no idea why that happened. But it's permanent. Do u know any solution for this ?
So they're not good for gaming? What would you suggest for gaming then for a high quality set?
Without getting into very expensive sets, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro do a good job and spending a bit more, the Shure SRH-1540 perform very well - good immersive environment and wide effective dynamic range. You will hear everything from the quietest footsteps to the loudest explosions clearly and in balance. Hope this helps out!
@@askdrtkI ended up getting the Steel Series Arctis Nova Pro Xbox wired.
Those are fantastic! A buddy has a set and I tried them out a few weeks ago...one of the best sounding gaming sets I have tried... Enjoy!
MDR7506 or ATHM50x for music production?
7506 will let you here everything out of balance in a mix clearly, but if you work in bass heavy genres (EDM, HH) the 50x will help you to better hear what’s going on in the bass and sub-bass. Hope this helps out. Cheers!
Thankyouuuu..@@askdrtk
i'm pretty tired of bass headphones where you can't understand people talking. and i'm really tired of having to replace audio-technica ATH-M50s because the plastic decides to quit after about 1.5 years. they become usless even though the speakers in them are still fine. i have a box of broken ones because one day i thought i'd find a way to fix them. that box is going in the trash now. i'm going to try out the MDR 7506 and hope for the best.
2:55
Tried 2 different pairs: 1 from online, 1 that a physical store had in their inventory. the highs were boosted so high that these must be made for old people because they hurt my ears! Don’t understand how a pro could get a balanced mix with these because of their wonky sound signature
To me the 7506 are uncomfortable. Sound is flat as expected.
they have good bass
I learned today I should not buy studio headphones for listening to music, thanks...... hope amazon enjoy my money