Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone

by Sony

Product Details

• Item Weight: 8.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000AJIF4E
• Item model number: MDR7506
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (407 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #76 in Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Audio & Video Accessories > Headphones

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony MDR-7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone is a large diaphragm foldable headphone designed for professional studio and live/broadcast applications. These large diaphragm, foldable headphones feature a rugged construction, a secure, highly effective closed-ear design, and a 40 millimeter driver unit for clean, clear sound reproduction.

Designed for professional studio and live/broadcast applications. Click here for a larger image

9.8 foot cord ends in a gold 3.5mm plug; 1/4-inch adapter included.

Headband with generous padding for added comfort.

Professional Sound

A neodymium magnet provides excellent power-handling, and 40-millimeter drivers deliver high-quality sound, with a wide frequency response of 10 Hz - 20 kHz.

Enjoy crystal-clear highs, present mids, and an extended low-end, for accurate monitoring.

Comfort and Isolation

The MDR-7506s feature a closed-ear design, which provides both comfort and outstanding reduction of external noises. Comfort is only enhanced by the generous headband padding.

A 9.8-foot coiled cord provides more than enough slack for working in a studio without removing the phones, whether you're the performer, the engineer, or both.

Accessories

The included Stereo UniMatch plug allows use in both 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch applications, and a soft case for protective storage is included with the headphones--fold them up and stow them a way safely.

MDR-7506 Specs

Headphone Type:	Dynamic, closed
Magnet Type:	Neodymium
Driver Size:	40.0 mm
Frequency Response:	10Hz - 20 kHz
Impedance:	63 Ohms
Sensitivity (db):	106dB/mW
Power Handling Capacity:	1000mW
Plug Type:	Gold, Stereo Unimatch plug 1/4" and 1/8"
Cord Length:	9.8 feet
Weight:	8.1 oz.

What's in the Box

Sony MDR-7506 Headphones, 1/4-Inch Adapter, Soft Case

Product Description

Sony MDR7506 Professional Stereo Headphones are ideal for sound monitoring in recording studios, radio, film production, video, electronic news gathering - and virtually any application where high quality sound is required. The closed-ear design MDR-7506 is outrageously popular in pro and home recording studios. It features a rugged design, convenient folding construction, 40mm driver units, gold connectors and a professional-quality OFC (oxygen free copper) cord. Sony 7500 Series headphones offer a practical range of choices for everyone from the casual user to the studio pro. These include the MDR-7506 which is lauded by many professional studios and broadcasters. Features Rugged Design: Proven to be reliable in the toughest situations Folding Construction: Compactness in storage 40mm Driver Unit: For clear, high quality sound reproduction Closed-Ear Design: Comfort and reduction of external noise interference Stereo Unimatch Plug: 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch applications Gold Connectors and OFC Cord: Reliable and stable signal connection and transmission Supplied Soft Case: Protective storage AmericanMusical is an authorized dealer of Sony products.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

379 of 387 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tried them all--these are the best., November 16, 2005

By 

Dick Oliver (Wilton, NH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone (Electronics)

I run a digital arts studio and teach digital arts, and have tried more than a dozen different headphones in the $15 to $250 price range. Again and again, I go back to using the MDR-7506 for all applications from digital video shooting and editing to music recording and studio mastering. Most of the pros I know also use the MDR-7506 when they have a choice--and buy them for use at home too.

What makes these the best? First and foremost, excellent reproduction from bass into the high end, with unrivalled "punch" and clarity. They are much louder at a given input volume than most headphones, which is important if your are recording in the field and need to hear the headphone monitoring above the ambient sound and the live sound around you. They are comfortable, instantly adjust to different head sizes without any fussing, sturdy and easily repairable, and stowe quickly and easily in the included soft drawstring bag.

I do keep a couple of pairs of high-end ($300+) headphones to check as references when mastering music, but honestly I seldom find anything with them that isn't already clear with the 7506es.

The only problem I can report is that, even though they invariably outlast other headphones in terms of wear-and-tear, they do get STOLEN more often by my students. Once you get used to the 7506, its hard to go back to using any other headphones that cost less that twice their price.

I still dream of someday discovering a comparable headphone set for half or a quarter the price of the MDR7506. Every year, I buy a few $25 or $50 models just out of hope. So far, however, nothing out there qualifies as "acceptable" to me--including the many competing $99 headphone models from other companies and even from Sony.

Bottom line: Don't hesitate. You absolutely cannot go wrong with the MDR7506. This is the headphone of choice, the industry standard. The only reason they're so cheap is MARKET VOLUME--Sony sells a lot of these to audio and video pros!!

161 of 167 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pristine sound, July 16, 2005

By 

Eo (Gilbert, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

My internet research and experience with these indicates that they are at least as good, and probably better, than anything else for the price. The sound quality from these headphones is fantastic. You can pick out the individual voices of the backup singers. Things like the drummer's brushes sound vastly improved, and many other little details. I have created mp3s using LAME at the "insane" quality setting, 320 kilobits/sec, with optimizations, and I can distinguish subtle sounds in the original stream that are muted or altered in the MP3. Poor quality recordings, or overly compressed MP3s sound terrible compared to what these headphones are capable of. I find it most impressive compared to lesser headphones in pieces that have vocals and acoustical instruments.
The headphone has an ultra-low impedance, 24 ohms, which means it can be easily powered by portable players, and achieve more than enough volume. Since a 1/4" screw-on adapter is included, so this headphone can be used equally well on your portable or your home stereo. Both the base mini plug and 1/4" adaptor are gold-plated. If use this headphone on a portable player with a large disc, you may be tempted to keep your most listened-to recordings uncompressed (or in the FLAC lossless format, for the few devices that support that).
According to my research, the headphones have an extremely even response over the whole spectrum. That means that what you are hearing is pretty close to the original intent when the music was mixed. Some users have complained that the bass response is low -- but I think that's compared to headphones / earbuds / in-ear monitors whose bass response is too high. If you don't like the bass response, simply change the equalizer settings on your unit.
The headphone has a closed design, blocking out outside sounds. This is the best way to go in my opinion, because with outside noise you need to raise the volume higher to achieve the same clarity, and you risk damaging your hearing. These headphones can be played at low volumes and still sound great. The only other option for "closed-ear" is some of the ear-sealing in-ear-monitors, but the good ones are very, very expensive. The in-ear-monitors also have the disadvantage that the sounds of brushing the cable, and even sometimes your own breathing and heartbeat, is trasmitted to your ear.
The headphone can also be used as a monitor headphone, i.e. to hear what you are recording while you are recording it--that in fact is it's primary intent. There is basically no sound leakage so it works very well--also meaning your won't annoy those around you when you listen to music. I own a Sony Hi-MD (MZ-RH910), which I record voice audio with, and so this monitor ability is very welcome.
I find the headphone very comfortable. Like any closed headphone, it does make your ears warm, but I have not found this to be noticably uncomfortable. I believe this headphone is suppossed to be more over-the ear rather than on the ear (i.e. like Sennheiser HD 25-SP), but be warned that the opening for each ear is small -- my ears barely fit in them, and I do not have large ears. From a comfort point of view, I recommended that you try this set on before purchasing them. I tried mine on before buying and purchased them from a retail outlet. Another plus for this set is that only one cable comes out of the left side of the unit, the connection to the right channel is through the arch over your head. Furthermore, the cable drops out about 1 inch from your neck, so it usually doesn't touch you. I find this greatly preferable to having cables hanging out of both sides of your head that always seem to be brushing you somewhere. All earbuds, in-ear-monitors, and even many hyper-expensive headsets (i.e. Sennheiser HD 650), have cables coming out of both ears.
The Sony 7506 headphone is super-rugged, exceptional quality from start to finish.
The only possible negative I see is the cable -- it's a non-removable, long, thick, heavy-duty coiled cable. For use on your home stereo, it's great. But for use outside the home on a digital music player, it is inconvenient, as the bundled coiled cable probably takes as much space as your player. However, it's not unusable, from the left earpiece there is just enough straight cable to reach down to your waist -- where you can stuff the coiled cable in your pocket or in a case along with your player. But if you plan on using this mostly on a digital player outside your home, this alone could a be deal buster. It is also fairly bulky to carry around. You can probably forget about using this headphone on your bicycle, or while jogging, or anything where you are moving around outside.
Overall, this is a very well made set of headphones that will deliver beautiful and pristine sound at a reasonable price. Highly recommended.

120 of 128 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One * less for comfort..., December 15, 2004

By 

Prasanna Karmarkar "Peeker Marker" (Dover NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

1) The SONY 7506 achieves very serious sound isolation - it cuts ambient noise of high orders of magnitude quite effectively (like inside a small aircraft), and doesn't transmit ANY sound to the outside. Full marks on this point, since that was an important factor for me - ideal for workplace and commuting.

2) Low 24 Ohms impedance, ideal for portable audio. Typically, portable audio comes without a pre-amp stage, so high input impedances on headphones lead to very low playing volumes. Full marks on performance with portable audio.

3) Foldable, makes it so much easier to carry than a comparable full-size non-folding piece.

4) Audio reproduction is decent, but not exceptional. Bass suffers - its a little boomy and has the least volume compared to treble and midrange. I think that is a direct side-effect of being acoustically sealed and isolated. Treble and midrange are just fine, with treble dominating more than I would like. My other Hi-Fi headset, the Sennheiser HD-570 may have spoilt me on this point. The Senn sounds far better, but fails on points 1 through 3.

5) For me - not too comfortable. My ears get pinched a little and hurt, but i'm getting used to it. My head and ears are larger than average. If you're average tending tending to the small, you'll be fine. This headset is full-size circum-aural, making it more comfortable than any generic headset that touches the ears, or presses on them in any way.

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After months of listening, I am upgrading the sound reproduction to Excellent, but still not exceptional. The bass has cleared up and is now crisp.

I would say the biggest asset of this headset is its faithful reproduction, with no artificial accents, highlights or timbre. BYO !