The fact you've bought so many of these headphones is a testament to how good they are. 😄 It's kind of crazy that they have been in production for over 30 years now. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Great observations. Thank you. One other observation is that the same brand of headphones would sound exactly the same if EVERYONE'S HEARING WAS EXACTLY THE SAME. This is just not true. People hearing too much bass may have higher frequency hearing problems, or the converse may be true if hearing too many highs. I don't think any audio headphone or speaker reviews address these potential hearing issues. Sony MDR 7506s are touted to be balanced in terms of frequency distribution (in other words, offer more "natural" sound). This is what I prefer. People who want more bass need to get bass-boosted headphones/equipment or those wanting better highs need to purchase augmented headphones or equipment for that purpose.
I used 7506 for decades. The thing with them is they are one of the flattest headphones on the market. So for field recordings or mixing, they're perfect IMO. I have the Senheiser and others, but their spectral response are not as flat which can give you some bad surprises when diffusing your music in a theater for example. This said, the 7506 are the only ones which I sometimes get static electric shock with. Not often but the inner material can build a charge and when your ear touches it, then you get a small spark. Nothing dangerous or painful, just a small "tic!". But in my experience, over all the multitude of headphones I tried, the 7506 are the only ones to do this, whatever old or new. Anyway, great video!
Just came across this video. I used MDR-7506's for 25 years. IIRC, one possible explanation for the sound problem is the drivers are a very thin membrane that can occasionally be affected by a piece of lint or fiber that somehow gets in past the earpad. IIRC, for whatever reason the driver membrane can also get lodged against the grill of the headphone frame which they are mounted very close to. In either case, gently blowing on them may solve the problem.
Something to note, the stock earpads typically have a layer of foam between the driver and your ear, and when that degrades, or when your replacements lack that layer, that may affect audio.
The low end frequency response change over time is actually natural. Physics. This will happen to any speaker, heaphones or not. This is due to the cones and spider (suspension (in the case of headphones, its just the cone (probably made out of polypropylene ))) becoming looser over time. The more floppy the suspension it is, the duller the lower bass becomes, it would require more power in those frequencies to get the same response out of them. I got a buddy that did sound for like 25 years, he made his sub cabinets, he would have to re-tune the cabinets to compensate for the suspension loosening up in order to keep a response of bass he wanted. The higher frequencies seeming to be higher, is probably still the suspension of the cone as well. I would wager that the driver is easier to move which causes the higher frequencies to come out more. Funny thing, I never even had a pair of these Sony MDR 7506 until about last week. I've had a pair of KRK KNS 8400's for like 10 years and ran into the same thing, when hearing a pair of these Sony's from a friend. The KRKs mid and low bass and sub frequencies essentially are gone, or very dim. I went to these Sony headphones as I know they've been a staples for like 30 years Great video Marcus!
Had mine for 14 years now and still enjoy them - definitely upgrade the ear muffs with some really comfortable ones. I think I have the badly reduced bass problem as well - so I've just ordered some Koss KPH40 to compare them with.
I got rid of the stock earpads right off the bat and fitted a pair of Yaxi StPad Microfiber pads on there (pricey but SO worth it) and they're now super comfortable and has been my go to daily driver headphone for a very long time (even though I have a wide selection of other headphones I just enjoy the sound so much). The only issue I've had with them is that the hinge on one side is creaking quite a bit. :)
I used to sell these in an audio store back in the early 1990ies. I remember that they sounded really flat. The bass was not very present. Thats how a studio monitor should sound like, right ? Back then almost all Sony components hat a flat sound. About 10 years ago I bought a new pair for myself. The sound was completely different. The bass was very present. Maybe they changed the characteristics a bit ?
I just borrowed a pair of 7506s from my father as my M50x's are starting to wear out after 10 years of usage. I find them really pleasing even for casual listening (plugged them to my UA Volt audio interface) and i kind of like the fact that they are "flatter" than the M50s. I might actually consider buying a pair of those. Thanks for the video!
I used a pair of 7510's for years. I was so disappointed to find they were discontinued when mine died. The 7506, in my opinion (for my liking at least) will never keep up to the 7510. I wish I could find a pair that was like the 7510 but sadly after trying dozens of them, none of them add up. So I'm stuck with the 7506 now since they are still better for recording than the others I tried
Lost all bass? Or just sub-bass and a little mid-bass? I don't know how old my pair are, as I got them second hand from goodwill, but they seem to be at least 3 years old, with flaking on the headband and still have sub-bass.
Audio Technicas M50x vs mdr 7506. Which should i get? I need them mostly for guitar practice in my bedroom. Plugging straight to my amplifier. Also maybe for casual music listening.
just bought a new pair to replace my 20 year old MDRs , i guess the bottom end is more pronounced but to my ears , the highs are also somewhat brighter , not as sweet . i liked the older ones better . on the sound isolation , i found out a few years back that the pads on my sennheiser HD 280 pros were interchangable with the Sony's , so . . i've been using my Sonys with 280 pads , much better isolation in the loud sound environment i play in every week .
I had occasionally used the original Shure SRH440’s. I liked them, they just had more low end…or conversely less top-end than the 7506’s, but I liked them. I got a pair of the new SRH440A’s about a year ago, and, overall I like them, they’re my daily use at my desk at home now. I was not very impressed with them when I first put them on… But I realize they sounded flatter because they probably are a bit flatter and maybe that’s what I need in a headphone. However, I do find the SRH440A’s can also sound a bit thinner at times.
I'm currently searching for neutral tuned closed-back headphones. I primarily use my HD 600 for mixing, but they are open-back, making them unsuitable for recording purposes. I often hear good things about the 7506, but I've never tested them myself. I really dislike the sound of the DT 770 Pro; the low-end is present but not precise, and it's very muddy. The mids sound like they're coming from a tin can, and the highs were unbearable for me - I returned them immediately. I used to own the Shure SRH 840 (not 840A), and I was amazed at their sound quality. I remember being able to hear very slight EQ changes and how well the individual frequency ranges were represented. Unfortunately, the plastic was very cheap, and the headphones fell apart after a year. I can't recall how precise the sub-bass was or how fast the transients were because I didn't have the mixing know-how back then. I will test the 840A and the 7506.
Thanks. My pair sound thin with exaggerated high end. I was wondering about that and sought out information on the subject. Your video confirms my thinking. This is my second pair. I’m thinking of jumping ship.😂
Hi there. Yeah, speakers are just going to wear out over time. I never *really thought about it that much with headphones, despite being in audio/video/event-production for 20 years! We get used to the different sound of a particular set of headphones or speaker because the change is slow and we don't and can't really notice. Unfortunately this will most likely happen with any set of headphones, so, jumping-ship may not solve the issue. But, at least I know to maybe get a new pair every few years. At least they're still under $100 so it won't always break the bank. cheers!
I asked for suggestions on wired headphones recently and went through some of the suggestions. Starting with a pair of the sony mdr 7506 and beyerdyanmic dt 770 pro. Keep in mind I'm just getting more refined in the audio department. I'm a photographer that's transitioned into video the past few years. They both sound nice clear. The most distinguishable difference to me is the sony seem to have the vocals/spoken bits more pronounced, they sound louder and more in the foreground. I can notice the difference in testing music and my own video work. I film a lot of on site reviews of mtb trails and have presenters speaking a good bit of the videos. I don't necessarily have a preference of one over the other in terms of sound quality otherwise but I also added into the mix my beats fit pro wireless buds with the idea that most people will be listening to my work that way, a lot of the stuff I shoot ends up on UA-cam. Between the two, the beyerdynamic sound much closer to the beats fit pro. Super scientific experiment, I know. This raised the question, which one between the sony and the beyerdynamic is more "accurate"? I don't even know where to begin to figure that out.
Hi there. All great questions.....and, honestly, there are a lot of differing opinions on every question you asked about 7506 vs DT770......I have both, and I like both. So, a LOT of recording engineers use the 7506's, especially when out in the field (think film work, holding a recorder in a bag, with a boom mic, and using headphones to capture the actor's voices). The 7506's YES, have more of those high-mids (voice-presence), and that can be GREAT for recording because you're going to hear any issues with the 7506's first. Especially noise or if the mic-to-voice is maybe not the right choice, etc. I've started to branch out and try different headphones and speakers and sometimes I think I'm making my audio life worse by TRYING to test my audio on so many different speakers/headphones......I've spent WAY too much money, and have way too many speakers....but, I guess I'm trying to make my audio sound "good" on all of these devices. It's still kind of hard after many years, and I constantly question myself. One day my mix will sound great on the 7506's, I won't touch the mix, and then think it sounds terrible the next day. oye!! Anyway, I've had some people show that the DT770 actually lacks some upper mid-range that they need around 3.5-4k, and that is apparent in the frequency response chart, but I also have seen the DT770's in a LOT of places, recording studios, etc, they're comfy, but they are larger. I know that may not help much, but reading your comments, you're probably better suited to try the DT770's, they may sound "warmer" overall.
I've always wanted to try the MDRV6, but I guess Sony discontinued them a few years ago. I've been trying to use multiple different headphones lately to try to make sure my mixes sound good on different cans.
@@MarcusHutsell Back then, the House Engineer, Stage Monitoring Engineer, various Techs and most members of the band were all using V6, that must say something.
I had a couple of pairs and over the years I noticed they changed over time as the ear cupts wore. Replacing the cups usually brought them back to life. Another possibility, I recall people mention at one point (early to mid 00's) that there were fake Sony 7506's circulating on Ebay.
I've also heard about the fake 7506's. I think it's just the drivers wearing out over time. I'm learning more about headphones as I get more experience every year, and even some well-respected studio engineers replace their headphones every couple of years if they get heavy use. I have also noticed that using different ear pads changes the sound a bit, which can help.......and they definitely need replacing when they start flaking! Cheers!
i modified those with the EDT 250 V earpads , it s much better , isolate a bit better ( i can play ad record drums without bleed from headphones to the microphones) , mine were very weak in bass and pretty harsh from beginning ... this mod did fix this problem .
I've been using MDRV6, essentially the same but from their consumer distribution rather than pro, since the 1980s. Being in continual production for many decades and being top sellers even to this day (MDR7506 are No. 1 at B&H photo for example) makes them a huge target for counterfeiters to copy. The counterfeits are amazingly close in appearance. The country of origin is written on the inside Left exactly where the blue L and red R labels on the outside band appear. If no country is listed then you have counterfeits. I will be posting a video on how to up the noise isolation on them, BIG time, in the next month or so. MY DIY version is basically a poorman's clone of Remote Audio HN7506 High Noise Environment Headset Monitor. Notice their model number? They fully admit theirs is a modified Sony as well!
They could also be Quality Control (QC) rejects. It's known in the computer parts world where QC rejects are sold in bulk and then repackaged and sold on eBay, etc.
By the time I threw away my last 7506, they had zero bass. Afterward I tested a pair in a store and I was shocked at how much low end they had. ……….BTW, I always felt that the drums cutting right through the phones was a plus in the studio. That way I could track and hear my drums without taking one “ear” off.
I'm particularly concerned about the bass response given I'm in a small work environment temporarily, and I can't use my monitor speakers. I just bought these from Amazon. if I was to reference the the low end on my mixes Is it that bad to be noticed? Will the 60-120 hz be affected? this is a wide range but any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks excellent review.
Hi Gary. Since I only noticed when I bought new pairs throughout the years, I'm not sure. The 1st pair I bought around 2003, I didn't notice a difference until I bought another pair around 2015/2016, the new pair sounded fuller and had proper bass, and my old pair from 2003 didn't. But since I ONLY used that single pair for about 11 or 12 years, I never knew for sure if it was a sudden loss or a gradual loss. For the 2nd pair that I bought from ebay around 2015, since that was the ONLY pair of 7506's I had at home, I also didn't compare them on a daily basis. It was only when I started buying more 7506's for work around 2019 and listening to all versions that I noticed my pair from ebay had less bass response. But, as I said in the video, 4 of the 5 pairs I have sound good and identical. So, the ebay pair is caput, I threw them out since I can't trust them, and, it's possible they may have been counterfeit, as I've read the past few years about counterfeit Sony headphones here-and-there. So, I now always buy new, usually from B&H Photo, or even Amazon.
If I recall correctly the only remaining factory for “real” MDR-7506 is in Thailand, so check the L side of the headband just above the adjustable part. It should say “made in Thailand” there.
How certain are you that the tilt towards less bass and more top end with age is an internal change and not a pads breakdown? Because you can just swap pads. I should try these someday. Not sure if they never crossed my path or whether i didn't quite like them. I have tried ATH-M50x and pretty much hated them. But i tried M40x and now i have a well-used pair with everything flaking, because prices have skyrocketed and i wasn't going to pay the full price. Will make my own real leather headband and get new pads when i get around to. M40x isn't perfect, the bass extension could be deeper and midbass emphasis could be less, but overall i'm quite pleased. I think listening impressions for headphones differ a lot between listeners, while reasonably designed speakers sound about right to everyone.
Hi there. I'm honestly not sure at all why I experienced loss-of-bass in a couple of pairs. I have changed the pads on a couple of pairs of my 7506's after the stock ear pads finally wore out (from the peeling of the black material), but I haven't really calmly tested between stock-pads and 3rd-party pads. But yes, 3rd party or simply different pads will change the sound a bit. My really old pair that I got rid of over 10 years ago DEFINITELY had an inner-problem though, they sounded so thin that no soft ear pad could fix it. That's when I started being more aware of checking against new pairs every few years. I've tried the ATH-M50x's, they're good, they sound similar to the 7506's, but I thought the m50x's had an even MORE EQ'd sound.....more bass, more top-end, but so many people use them that eventually I want my own pair (I think). Although from what I've read, the M40x's are less-hyped, and less-eq'd (AKA, more.........."accurate," or at the very least less-colored), but I have not tried the M40X's either. And yes, human ears and even our own listening experiences with headphones can vary day-by-day.....some days I hear more bass in my 7506's, some days I don't. Which is probably why I have 7506's, Shure SRH440A's, Beyer Dynamic DT770's, and some JBL bluetooth headphones and even a cheap pair of Sony ZX-110's. I still think my Airpods 2 are a good reference to tell if something's going to sound thin an tinny. If it sounds pleasing in my airpods, it will *probably sound good on most other things. Aaanwyay, happy listening!
I bought my pair brand new from Amazon about a year ago for $100. Mine do say they were made in Thailand but i've seen pics of fakes online and i'm pretty confident these are authentic. From what i've read Sony used to manufacture them in Japan and maybe used some different materials but I don't have an old pair to compare them to. In my opinion these sound good in every aspect except when it comes to bass and there's been no gradual decline with mine...they were lacking bass since day 1.
Luckily my last 3 pair have all been great. I've never had any issues with the WAY they're supposed to sound. Yes, a lot of people say they have less-bass or that it's not there, but, for me, that's only in comparison to other headphones. And for ME, I don't like extended bass, it gets tiring on my ears very fast when wearing headphones, and I also find that most "studio headphones" don't (or shouldn't) have over-amplified bass. But yes, the higher-end response of the 7506's can definitely make them sound "less bassey," simply because the high-end response is more articulate. Either way, I guess as long as we find something we like and can mix with, that's the goal. Cheers, and happy listening.
@@MarcusHutsell - To be fair i'm not an audio engineer or an audiophile. I just bought them to listen to rock music, video games, and movies. They're still probably the best sounding headphones i've ever owned and I don't regret my purchase. I used to buy these $30 Sennheiser HD 202s which didn't sound bad for the price but they had a long straight cord and my PC chair would constantly run over the cord which over time made the sound cut out in one ear. Even though the coiled cord on these get tangled occasionally it's been a huge help for my situation. Thanks for replying and cheers!
@@MarcusHutsell tbh I like bassy cans and i find the bass of the 7506 quite punchy and adequate. I just wish the treble and more extension instead of sharp peaks.
I have 2 pair of MDR-V6 the older pair is about 30 years old. To solve the flakey ear cups my mom used a nylon stocking, it worked for my brother back in the day when they were his. Over time the sound will degrade, my like new pair are much louder.
I think you missed a few more important critiques of these phones. Most importantly, the cost of replacement parts via Sony oem is a joke. The screw on 3.5 to 1/4” trs adapter costs over $70 from Sony. Yeah you can buy a cheap Hosa replacement but they’re nowhere near the same. I’ve had the “sleeve” part of the adapter actually separate from the adapter causing major signal loss and my only two solutions were to toss the headphones in the trash or repair the adapter which I accomplished via a small drop of liquid cement. I think at some point Sony should have made design improvements to things like the attached cable and the wiring which also seems to fail in certain areas over time. I guess the fact that they cost under $100 makes them disposable? Other than this I do experience ear fatigue a short while after monitoring through them. The best thing I like about them is the weight/feel while wearing them although I don’t like the “tugging” which happens when you’re standing with them on. Another design flaw.
It seems I just got a loose wire somewhere, the right ear has some sound, it's just really weak compared to the left ear. Sometimes, if I lift the left ear cup, the right will come back full sound, just with it on and off, and static-y. Maybe it's just a loose ground wire?
Yeah, sounds like a loose wire. Luckily, the right ear cup/wires are fed from the left ear cup/wiring. You can easily take apart the left ear cup, but if a wire is loose, you'd have to solder it back in place. Can be done for sure, I've done it before. But again, you can verify by just taking the ear pad off and removing the small screws and taking the cup apart, none of that requires soldering just to see what's wrong. good luck, let me know!
@@MarcusHutsell Thank you, the headphones have been behaving themselves lately, but I'm thinking I'll eventually have to take that left ear cup apparatus apart. Thanks again for sharing your experience with these things.
Hi there. I start talking about that very question/answer around 10:28 in the video. And I make that point again around 16:07. Long story short.......4 out of 5 of the pairs of 7506's I have access to all sound the same, they sound full, and like they should. Only my old pair that I bought on ebay about 5 years ago have lost some bass response. So, because almost EVERY other pair I own sound identical and good.....I'm confident my old pair just started having problems. That's why it's always good to test new or other headphones from time to time to compare.
i have been using my 660s for sometime one day i went to my friend's house and tried his 7506 and i was just so shocked at how good they sounded, the housing and ergonomics are really crappy but damn did they sound good.
You need to open and inspect them, are the components cheaper than before, are the wires thick enough or thin like in the ZX110? Regarding sound the 7505 are still the best headphones, for people with good taste in music, rather than pumped bass heads. I hope they will never change in size, because as soon as the size increases they will stress your head. Bigger size can fool you, they are good, but only for 10 minutes. Regarding the flaking I agree with you, they could do better, and I hope they will use thick wires in the future. Out of curiosity I bought the Superlux 681, and they are not as good, I had also to decrease the bass to make them usable...
Thank you for the info and feedback. Luckily I’ve had good luck with the most recent 5 pairs all sounding good and the same. Just bought some zx110’s because I was looking for a small, cheap, compact pair…..but man…too woofey, muffled-, overly (and fake) “bassey” sounding. They’re going back….
Any speaker/driver will age, we don't notice if we just keep using them for so long b/c our ears don't hear the change since it's usually so gradual. So, yes, your headphones may need to be replaced in the future, but I wouldn't worry *too much about it. Just test a new pair in a store (Guitar Center, etc) every now and then and compare to your old ones
Well, that confirms my lingering fear. Though I do really hope Sony start selling CD900ST and M1ST internationally so that customers like me don't have to deal with import fees, which can get quite costly depending on where you live.
I like these headphones BUT I end up buying a new pair almost every year because of them shorting out on one side or the other. Every set I have ever owned goes in about the same time span. WTF! Sony?
Luckily I haven't had any problems with any pairs shorting-out.....just 2 pair (now) over the years losing that bass response somehow. But yeah, at least they don't break the bank when you have to buy a new pair. I still love 'em too though!
The left side of my pair died from static electricity because I was changing my pillowcase while wearing the headphones and listening to music. I've never had any issues with static with any of my other headphones. Very weird. Still ordering another pair, though.
I just got the 7506. I usually listen to bassy music, but I didn't buy them for the bass at all. I bought them to have "accurate" headphones when video editing. My problem is, the mids / high mids are irritating. To the point where my body responds like hearing nails on chalkboard. This is absolutely not a "natural" or "accurate" sound because when I hear voices of people around me I never get irritated. But hearing any voice on these headphones my ears are immediately fatigued and irritated. I don't get it.
Hi Luka, thanx for the comment. I can only say that most studio headphones that I've used and own all have a similar sound signature to the 7506's. My 7506's, my DT770's, and my Shure SRH440A's (and even the Audio Technica M50X's) all sound similar-ish, they definitely have way more high-end response by comparison to consumer headphones. I just completed a video (will be publishing soon) on "cheap" headphones where I go through a bunch of cheap consumer models, and the problem with cheap, consumer headphones is that they almost ALL have some sort of boosted or woofy bass-sound....or conversely their treble has been turned down so they all sound muffled. Since I found that almost all cheap headphones have this artificial bass, or lack of treble.......they overall sound more muffled, etc, as compared to ANY studio headphones. Which leads me to the conclusion that: **** If the vast majority of the listening public (non-audio people) are listening on consumer headphones, they're going to think that's how the audio actually sounds.......but they're being conditioned to THINK the audio sounds that way because they only listen on cheap headphones........so when they/I/You listen to the same thing on the 7506's or other similar studio headphones......by comparison, YES, the 7506's and most studio phones that I use sound WAYYYY more crisp and harsh......again, by comparison......but that doesn't mean the 7506's or other studio headphones are entirely IN-accurate. It may mean that we've simply been conditioned to not know what going on in our audio track by using overly-colored (cheap) headphones. ********* That's my 2-cents. Because my 7506's sound similar to my Yamaha HS5 studio monitors in terms of the high-end (yes, the HS5's are certainly NOT perfect by any means), but I also listen on my Adam T5V's which have a completely different sound signature). And keep in mind that if there are an over abundance of PROBLEMS with your actual audio track in the high-end, you'll hear it with the 7506's first. Also, keep this in mind. When you say "when I hear voices around me talking to me, it's not harsh......but when I listen to them through these headphones (AKA, recorded), it's harsh..........remember that you're comparing something you hear in the natural environment with something that's been captured by non-perfect electronic equipment......SOMETHING had to capture their voice......a microphone. So, by comparing what we hear by someone talking to us vs a recording of their voice.....that recording is being colored by the MICROPHONE as well as editing and headphones. Every single mic will have its own sound characteristics. For example, most condenser mics can be very harsh-sounding in the 1k-4k range, so they're already coloring the sound on the input-stage. A Shure SM7B also colors the sound.....as does an SM58 vs. a KSM9. My little Deity D4 Duo sounds VERY harsh as compared to my Movo VXR10.....completely different and I REALLY don't like the Deity D4 duo for this reason, I have to EQ-out that harshness as best I can. I find that studio headphones, even the 7506's, are still giving me a more accurate representation of my audio. Anyway, I hope some of that made sense. The 7506's may not be for everyone, but they work well for me and I use them daily for not only editing, but also for recording and live-event production. Thanx Luka, cheers.
"There is a small and significant difference in sound quality between the old Japanese-made ones and the newer Taiwanese-made ones. For me, the Japanese ones sound clearer. Regardless of that, they are the standard in the music industry; there must be a reason for that, isn't there? Regards.".
Yeah, I would think that since they're a "standard" or at least widely-used, that must mean something. They're the first pair of headphones I was shown way back in audio-school, so it's the pair that i've stuck with for the most part.
does anyone else find that these fit a bit too tight on the ears, especially if you wear glasses, and that after a while, the headband, despite its being cushioned, feels uncomfortable on your head?
Yeah. Chances are, if you've had them for a while, the drivers are getting tired and will start losing bass. The only way I know how to "test" them is just to buy a new pair and compare. Not the answer we want to hear but the only other way to truly test headphones that I know of is to have a binaural microphone that's built kind of like a human-head that has "ears/mics" on both sides that you can put headphones-on-to. Luckily, the 7506's are inexpensive enough that it doesn't ALWAYS feel like I'm having to drop a lot of cash on a new pair, but yeah, still sucks. Then again, this is probably going to be the case with any headphones/speaker/driver...longer use = more potential of wearing-out and altering the frequency response. Happy listening!
People have high expectations for these headphones like they want to them to be like ath m 50s but that not their strength What they are really good at is catching subtle detail at lower volumes.. anything at higher volumes will sound harsh. But they are great for hearing into the music at lower volumes Very transparent headphones..
I keep wanting to get a set of m50X's, I've tried them, and both have a similar sound signature.....it's been a couple of years since I've listened through a pair of M50x's, will have to try them again, but when I did test them they were a bit too bass-heavy and had more top-end than I wanted at the time.......so I ended up with a set of Beyer Dynamic DT770's......which are great to listen with, but not to mix-on I'm finding. But yes, the 7506's definitely are great at lower volumes, which is mostly how I use them.....in home/studio office mixing corporate audio, voices, my own videos, etc......so, rarely at loud volumes. Aaaaanyway......cheers!
one thing i know about sony, their made in japan products are best, then used to be made in Malaysia, made in china had least price and demand because of quality and durability!
That's also what I've heard, and I always buy my Sony products from reputable dealers (B&H, sometimes Amazon, but I guess hoping they're legit through Amazon) ;)
@@MarcusHutsell oh ok! but sony is Japanese company they don't cheat! if you are buying eg tv then the model number would be unique for one country! and that would be clearly mentioned on the product! similar product from other country will have different model number and/ or atleast country's name!
Yep, they are definitely not great. I have found that changing the pads can alter the sound a bit, but, eventually one will have to change the pads anyway. Cheers!
yep, I guess that could be true. I'd never even heard of any headphones being counterfeit until a couple of years ago when I read some posts about just that thing with some Sony headphones. So, yes, very possible. Except for that first pair I bought around the year 2002/2003 that I had for a long time that seemingly lost their bass response over time. But yes, something to look out for, and probably will purchase from reputable dealers (Guitar Center, B&H Photo), from now on.
I am also aware (first hand) that some eBay listings are for 7506s that have had the drivers replaced. Some sellers state this, others don't. I bought a pair, and subsequently returned without hassle, a pair of 7506s that had the drivers replaced. I was not made aware prior to purchase the drivers were replaced, but I saw the telltale signs once I received them. They sounded horrible. These are relatively inexpensive headsets, so it pays to buy them new from an authorized reputable reseller.
Hi there Jorge. Yes, I think these would be perfect for mixing a podcast. They’ve been around a long time and are trusted by a lot of audio professionals, and I use them daily to record and edit my audio. Good luck!
Well, as I've said, the 7506's probably have some of the "smallest" "over-ear" cups of any studio-monitor-style headphone. They're smaller than the Shure SRH440's, 840's, Beyer Dynamic DT770's, Shure SRH440A's, Audiio Technica ATHM50x......but, that's ONE reason I stick with the 7506's for their smaller-size. So, yes, with slightly larger ears, the inner-part of the fabric will most likely touch your ears. If the entire cup is sitting on the pinna of your ear (that is, your actual ear), then.....you may have larger ears than most, because the 7506's, being closed-back headphones are SUPPOSED to go AROUND/over your ears.
I only want this headphones to listen to music from my Sony stereo. My Sony WH-1000XM5 jack is too small to fit in the receiver hole on my stereo. This show fit. I have a lot of C.D.'s and I live in a large apartment building. I want to be able to relax laying on the floor listening to music and not disturbing others. I like Christian music by artist like Brandon Lake that's relaxing in these depressing times we're living in. Plus, with the Christmas holidays coming, I can listen to my Christmas music by various artists along with R&B, Pop, Jazz, Gospel, and Salsa.🤣
Yeah, it's possible. It's hard to tell, I've "de-commissioned" the ebay pair, I do still own them, but I never noticed anything strange about their cosmetic, etc, they seemed fine. My assumption is that they are just getting worn out.
Ha!!!! Unfortunately no, I guess my family got out of the hut-selling business along time ago. I do appreciate your attention to detail, because that’s how I have always kind of thought about my last name.
have you tried using any other headphones? that would seem to be a logical solution to your dilemna. i quit trusting Sony to make good reliable products a long time ago.
Hi there. Yes, I actually have been branching out lately. I now have and use the new Shure SRH440A headphones, and I also have a pair of Beyer Dynamic DT770's (80-ohm). And, I'm usually now reaching for the Shure SRH440A most often in my home office. The shure's are a good mix between the 7506's higher-frequency response and the Beyer's lower-frequency/bass response. Kind of a "goldilocks" headphone...............not too bright, not too bassey, kind of plain actually, but, they still sound good.
Hi there. Thank you for the comment and feedback. The DT770's sound great to me. I'm curious as to why/how you find them unlistenable? It's always good to hear the other side of things and others' opinions. I find that my DT770's have a similar sound signature to my Sony MDR 7506's and my Shure SRH440A's......and I say similar, not identical, because all 3 of those headphones sound a lot more alike vs comparing any of those (3) to cheaper headphones like most consumer headphones like Sony ZX110's, Beats, etc because most of the headphones you get at electronics stores are overly muffled because they're trying to add bass, but not very effectively......whereas almost every single pair of "studio monitor" headphones I've tried are in the same ballpark of sound-signature.....or at the very least they're playing the same sport! Anyway, let me know your comments and feedback on the DT770's. Happy listening!
@@MarcusHutsell The big dip in the voice area at 4kHz and the exaggerated bass makes it just as good as "gaming" headphones, except it s worse because of that huge dip of 10dB at 4kHz and around it.
wow, a 10 year old pair doesnt sound the same as a brand new pair. What a shocker. I feel like much of your critique is far fetched, and should be expected for a pair of headphones at around 100 bucks. You cant have the cake and eat it too you know.
You mean in size? Maybe, I guess I try to give all information I can…especially since the 7506’s are probably more compact than any other studio headphones and they do touch one’s ear pinna more than other headphones.
so you have used them for 18/20 yrs and keep buying them, what's to complain about buy something else, show us a better set of headphones for the same price.
Well, yes, but speakers and headphones will wear out. Even Andrew Scheps uses the 7506’s and knows they’ll wear out. But that fact is something I had to learn and/or just didn’t know. The reason I keep using them and buying them is that they are still a common, ubiquitous, trusted headphone in the audio industry and if I encounter other pairs in the working-world, I know generally what they should sound like. I’m still gaining experience with other brands and models of headphones as I start to buy different models….I just need more time to offer longer term opinions and have time to record videos about them.
Thank you for the review but I think you ramble too much and take too much time to get to your point. For a busy person like me I don't have time to sit through it.
I do. Thank you. I know that I tend to ramble, it’s something I’m working on, but also something that I’m finding hard to overcome. Some of the time I feel that I want to offer a deeper understanding of a topic to provide a reason of HOW and WHY I arrived at a certain answer, result, or outcome. Sometimes it’s hard to be succinct. Cheers. And thank you. 🙏
@@MarcusHutsell I'm on Facebook Watch rather than UA-cam but I think the principle is the same. I find that the quicker and more concise I am the less people will tune out in the middle of the video. But if I make it too lengthy and complicated I lose a lot of people along the way.
I wish everybody would stop using these. They sound like candy to your average non-studio person, and that's why they're the standard cheap headphones that you see everybody use in every radio and podcast studio. But if you wear these too often, it's quite possible to damage your hearing permanently due to the extreme overhyped response in the highs. I bought a pair myself 12 years ago. After I started buying real studio headphones a few years ago, I realized how bad these really are. I can't even wear them anymore, because I now feel like they're digitally piercing my ears after using so many different pro level studio headphones.
I don't believe that hearing damage is likely at all. There's basically nothing going on past 12K and the peakiness in the treble is not that high in magnitude, mere couple dB, and about same magnitude as the broad midbass emphasis. More of a slightly scooped middle. According to LTAS of the overall music, most of the audio energy in terms of raw power is in the bottom anyway, and you seem to not be complaining about too much bass. But i also don't like headphones with peaky top end, they're just grating and unpleasant. On the other hand you can possibly just tame them often with a piece of acoustic foam, you can get replacement inserts for HD600 and the like, that's the right type of material. What has your choice of headphone been that you want to recommend?
One other stupid situation with the long cables is, most of the times the cable is all over the floor and you accidentally crush it with the chair wheels while you were sitting..Real bummer..
Dude, yeah!! I've come to really appreciate the coiled cable of the 7506's I have been using the new Shure SRH440A headphones and the Beyer Dynamic DT770's, both of which have straight cables, and BOTH of which have gotten yanked off my head more than a few times because the long, straight cables of those headphones (1) get caught under my chair wheels or on the desk and (2), when they do get caught and I get up.....the cable doesn't stretch and BOOM.....the headphones get yanked off my head aggressively, and I'm worried it's going to damage the 2.5mm end of the Shure headphones because it's just a plastic twist-style connector. Aaaanyway......yeah, really reminds me that I actually like that coiled cable design because it STRETCHES if it gets caught on stuff!
The fact you've bought so many of these headphones is a testament to how good they are. 😄
It's kind of crazy that they have been in production for over 30 years now. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Yep, I wouldn't keep buying them if they were bad overall. The ear pads wear out, but they're also still about $75, can't beat them!
Great observations. Thank you. One other observation is that the same brand of headphones would sound exactly the same if EVERYONE'S HEARING WAS EXACTLY THE SAME. This is just not true. People hearing too much bass may have higher frequency hearing problems, or the converse may be true if hearing too many highs. I don't think any audio headphone or speaker reviews address these potential hearing issues. Sony MDR 7506s are touted to be balanced in terms of frequency distribution (in other words, offer more "natural" sound). This is what I prefer. People who want more bass need to get bass-boosted headphones/equipment or those wanting better highs need to purchase augmented headphones or equipment for that purpose.
I used 7506 for decades. The thing with them is they are one of the flattest headphones on the market. So for field recordings or mixing, they're perfect IMO.
I have the Senheiser and others, but their spectral response are not as flat which can give you some bad surprises when diffusing your music in a theater for example.
This said, the 7506 are the only ones which I sometimes get static electric shock with. Not often but the inner material can build a charge and when your ear touches it, then you get a small spark. Nothing dangerous or painful, just a small "tic!". But in my experience, over all the multitude of headphones I tried, the 7506 are the only ones to do this, whatever old or new.
Anyway, great video!
Just came across this video. I used MDR-7506's for 25 years. IIRC, one possible explanation for the sound problem is the drivers are a very thin membrane that can occasionally be affected by a piece of lint or fiber that somehow gets in past the earpad. IIRC, for whatever reason the driver membrane can also get lodged against the grill of the headphone frame which they are mounted very close to. In either case, gently blowing on them may solve the problem.
Very good to know! Thank you :)
Something to note, the stock earpads typically have a layer of foam between the driver and your ear, and when that degrades, or when your replacements lack that layer, that may affect audio.
Good to know! Thank you!
I am flashing back to high school and all the jokes about my large ears. I didn’t know they were over the ear. 😢😂😂😢😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
The low end frequency response change over time is actually natural. Physics. This will happen to any speaker, heaphones or not. This is due to the cones and spider (suspension (in the case of headphones, its just the cone (probably made out of polypropylene ))) becoming looser over time. The more floppy the suspension it is, the duller the lower bass becomes, it would require more power in those frequencies to get the same response out of them. I got a buddy that did sound for like 25 years, he made his sub cabinets, he would have to re-tune the cabinets to compensate for the suspension loosening up in order to keep a response of bass he wanted.
The higher frequencies seeming to be higher, is probably still the suspension of the cone as well. I would wager that the driver is easier to move which causes the higher frequencies to come out more.
Funny thing, I never even had a pair of these Sony MDR 7506 until about last week. I've had a pair of KRK KNS 8400's for like 10 years and ran into the same thing, when hearing a pair of these Sony's from a friend. The KRKs mid and low bass and sub frequencies essentially are gone, or very dim. I went to these Sony headphones as I know they've been a staples for like 30 years
Great video Marcus!
Had mine for 14 years now and still enjoy them - definitely upgrade the ear muffs with some really comfortable ones. I think I have the badly reduced bass problem as well - so I've just ordered some Koss KPH40 to compare them with.
Let me know how the Koss headphones turn out!
I got rid of the stock earpads right off the bat and fitted a pair of Yaxi StPad Microfiber pads on there (pricey but SO worth it) and they're now super comfortable and has been my go to daily driver headphone for a very long time (even though I have a wide selection of other headphones I just enjoy the sound so much). The only issue I've had with them is that the hinge on one side is creaking quite a bit. :)
Try replacing the pads with the original ones or just swap them with the new ones you have to see if that changes anything. Let me know :)
I used to sell these in an audio store back in the early 1990ies. I remember that they sounded really flat. The bass was not very present. Thats how a studio monitor should sound like, right ? Back then almost all Sony components hat a flat sound. About 10 years ago I bought a new pair for myself. The sound was completely different. The bass was very present. Maybe they changed the characteristics a bit ?
I just borrowed a pair of 7506s from my father as my M50x's are starting to wear out after 10 years of usage. I find them really pleasing even for casual listening (plugged them to my UA Volt audio interface) and i kind of like the fact that they are "flatter" than the M50s. I might actually consider buying a pair of those.
Thanks for the video!
Hi there. You're welcome, I'm glad my video helped!
I set out to buy the M50x but after trying several models in the store I went home with the 7506s.
I used a pair of 7510's for years. I was so disappointed to find they were discontinued when mine died. The 7506, in my opinion (for my liking at least) will never keep up to the 7510. I wish I could find a pair that was like the 7510 but sadly after trying dozens of them, none of them add up. So I'm stuck with the 7506 now since they are still better for recording than the others I tried
My 7506 are almost 15 y.o. and completely lost bass several years ago. Never used them intensively.
Lost all bass? Or just sub-bass and a little mid-bass? I don't know how old my pair are, as I got them second hand from goodwill, but they seem to be at least 3 years old, with flaking on the headband and still have sub-bass.
@@benjamenYTDeadTheGamer almost completly gone
Audio Technicas M50x vs mdr 7506. Which should i get? I need them mostly for guitar practice in my bedroom. Plugging straight to my amplifier. Also maybe for casual music listening.
just bought a new pair to replace my 20 year old MDRs , i guess the bottom end is more pronounced but to my ears , the highs are
also somewhat brighter , not as sweet . i liked the older ones better . on the sound isolation , i found out a few years back that the pads on my
sennheiser HD 280 pros were interchangable with the Sony's , so . . i've been using my Sonys with 280 pads , much better isolation in
the loud sound environment i play in every week .
The 7506 are all I used for years. Now Shure 440 and 840 are my favorites.
I had occasionally used the original Shure SRH440’s. I liked them, they just had more low end…or conversely less top-end than the 7506’s, but I liked them.
I got a pair of the new SRH440A’s about a year ago, and, overall I like them, they’re my daily use at my desk at home now. I was not very impressed with them when I first put them on… But I realize they sounded flatter because they probably are a bit flatter and maybe that’s what I need in a headphone.
However, I do find the SRH440A’s can also sound a bit thinner at times.
840 are nice too but clunky as hell. Shure has some issues with build and comfort.@@MarcusHutsell
I'm currently searching for neutral tuned closed-back headphones.
I primarily use my HD 600 for mixing, but they are open-back, making them unsuitable for recording purposes.
I often hear good things about the 7506, but I've never tested them myself.
I really dislike the sound of the DT 770 Pro; the low-end is present but not precise, and it's very muddy.
The mids sound like they're coming from a tin can, and the highs were unbearable for me - I returned them immediately.
I used to own the Shure SRH 840 (not 840A), and I was amazed at their sound quality.
I remember being able to hear very slight EQ changes and how well the individual frequency ranges were represented.
Unfortunately, the plastic was very cheap, and the headphones fell apart after a year.
I can't recall how precise the sub-bass was or how fast the transients were because I didn't have the mixing know-how back then.
I will test the 840A and the 7506.
Thanks. My pair sound thin with exaggerated high end. I was wondering about that and sought out information on the subject. Your video confirms my thinking. This is my second pair. I’m thinking of jumping ship.😂
Hi there. Yeah, speakers are just going to wear out over time. I never *really thought about it that much with headphones, despite being in audio/video/event-production for 20 years! We get used to the different sound of a particular set of headphones or speaker because the change is slow and we don't and can't really notice. Unfortunately this will most likely happen with any set of headphones, so, jumping-ship may not solve the issue. But, at least I know to maybe get a new pair every few years. At least they're still under $100 so it won't always break the bank. cheers!
I use this with the yaxi ST pads . They sound great with that pads . Fixes the veiled issue
awesome! I've been replacing my flaking pads with the "BRAINWAVZ" pads, I got them on Amazon, and they're comfy and affordable.
I asked for suggestions on wired headphones recently and went through some of the suggestions. Starting with a pair of the sony mdr 7506 and beyerdyanmic dt 770 pro. Keep in mind I'm just getting more refined in the audio department. I'm a photographer that's transitioned into video the past few years.
They both sound nice clear. The most distinguishable difference to me is the sony seem to have the vocals/spoken bits more pronounced, they sound louder and more in the foreground. I can notice the difference in testing music and my own video work. I film a lot of on site reviews of mtb trails and have presenters speaking a good bit of the videos.
I don't necessarily have a preference of one over the other in terms of sound quality otherwise but I also added into the mix my beats fit pro wireless buds with the idea that most people will be listening to my work that way, a lot of the stuff I shoot ends up on UA-cam.
Between the two, the beyerdynamic sound much closer to the beats fit pro. Super scientific experiment, I know.
This raised the question, which one between the sony and the beyerdynamic is more "accurate"? I don't even know where to begin to figure that out.
Hi there. All great questions.....and, honestly, there are a lot of differing opinions on every question you asked about 7506 vs DT770......I have both, and I like both.
So, a LOT of recording engineers use the 7506's, especially when out in the field (think film work, holding a recorder in a bag, with a boom mic, and using headphones to capture the actor's voices). The 7506's YES, have more of those high-mids (voice-presence), and that can be GREAT for recording because you're going to hear any issues with the 7506's first. Especially noise or if the mic-to-voice is maybe not the right choice, etc.
I've started to branch out and try different headphones and speakers and sometimes I think I'm making my audio life worse by TRYING to test my audio on so many different speakers/headphones......I've spent WAY too much money, and have way too many speakers....but, I guess I'm trying to make my audio sound "good" on all of these devices. It's still kind of hard after many years, and I constantly question myself. One day my mix will sound great on the 7506's, I won't touch the mix, and then think it sounds terrible the next day. oye!!
Anyway, I've had some people show that the DT770 actually lacks some upper mid-range that they need around 3.5-4k, and that is apparent in the frequency response chart, but I also have seen the DT770's in a LOT of places, recording studios, etc, they're comfy, but they are larger.
I know that may not help much, but reading your comments, you're probably better suited to try the DT770's, they may sound "warmer" overall.
I'm not sure which video to watch first; this one, or the one from a couple of years ago where you talked about how great these headphones are.
Well, I hope both videos help you. I still use the 7506's daily though ;)
I’ve still got the predecessor, Sony V6, I started using them around 1990, I bought 10 pairs, 4 for the band crew and 6 for my home studio
I've always wanted to try the MDRV6, but I guess Sony discontinued them a few years ago. I've been trying to use multiple different headphones lately to try to make sure my mixes sound good on different cans.
@@MarcusHutsell Back then, the House Engineer, Stage Monitoring Engineer, various Techs and most members of the band were all using V6, that must say something.
Do you still use your V6s? Have they lost any bass?
I had a couple of pairs and over the years I noticed they changed over time as the ear cupts wore. Replacing the cups usually brought them back to life. Another possibility, I recall people mention at one point (early to mid 00's) that there were fake Sony 7506's circulating on Ebay.
I've also heard about the fake 7506's. I think it's just the drivers wearing out over time. I'm learning more about headphones as I get more experience every year, and even some well-respected studio engineers replace their headphones every couple of years if they get heavy use. I have also noticed that using different ear pads changes the sound a bit, which can help.......and they definitely need replacing when they start flaking! Cheers!
more likely just refurbished /repackaged old 7506
Is the 770 review ready? Very interested in hearing your thoughts. Thanks.
i modified those with the EDT 250 V earpads , it s much better , isolate a bit better ( i can play ad record drums without bleed from headphones to the microphones) , mine were very weak in bass and pretty harsh from beginning ... this mod did fix this problem .
i bought them new here in Japan in a very respected shop
Yes... The satin IS hilarious... LOL!! I've owned three or four over 35 years.
I've been using MDRV6, essentially the same but from their consumer distribution rather than pro, since the 1980s.
Being in continual production for many decades and being top sellers even to this day (MDR7506 are No. 1 at B&H photo for example) makes them a huge target for counterfeiters to copy. The counterfeits are amazingly close in appearance. The country of origin is written on the inside Left exactly where the blue L and red R labels on the outside band appear. If no country is listed then you have counterfeits. I will be posting a video on how to up the noise isolation on them, BIG time, in the next month or so. MY DIY version is basically a poorman's clone of Remote Audio HN7506 High Noise Environment Headset Monitor. Notice their model number? They fully admit theirs is a modified Sony as well!
They could also be Quality Control (QC) rejects. It's known in the computer parts world where QC rejects are sold in bulk and then repackaged and sold on eBay, etc.
Very interesting. 🤔
By the time I threw away my last 7506, they had zero bass. Afterward I tested a pair in a store and I was shocked at how much low end they had. ……….BTW, I always felt that the drums cutting right through the phones was a plus in the studio. That way I could track and hear my drums without taking one “ear” off.
It's the caliper that gets loose after a while and then, you loose the bass.
It is funny I feel they have to much bass I feel like the bass is overpowering the mid range and that affects the clarity and the sound stage
That’s because you needed to eq the mix and turn up the low end frequency
And turn down the midrange
@@MarioBruneauabsolutely right , I noticed when I tried these at the music shop they wall all loose with no clamping force and there was no bass
I'm particularly concerned about the bass response given I'm in a small work environment temporarily, and I can't use my monitor speakers. I just bought these from Amazon. if I was to reference the the low end on my mixes Is it that bad to be noticed? Will the 60-120 hz be affected? this is a wide range but any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks excellent review.
How long was it before the bass started to go?
Hi Gary. Since I only noticed when I bought new pairs throughout the years, I'm not sure. The 1st pair I bought around 2003, I didn't notice a difference until I bought another pair around 2015/2016, the new pair sounded fuller and had proper bass, and my old pair from 2003 didn't. But since I ONLY used that single pair for about 11 or 12 years, I never knew for sure if it was a sudden loss or a gradual loss.
For the 2nd pair that I bought from ebay around 2015, since that was the ONLY pair of 7506's I had at home, I also didn't compare them on a daily basis. It was only when I started buying more 7506's for work around 2019 and listening to all versions that I noticed my pair from ebay had less bass response.
But, as I said in the video, 4 of the 5 pairs I have sound good and identical.
So, the ebay pair is caput, I threw them out since I can't trust them, and, it's possible they may have been counterfeit, as I've read the past few years about counterfeit Sony headphones here-and-there. So, I now always buy new, usually from B&H Photo, or even Amazon.
If I recall correctly the only remaining factory for “real” MDR-7506 is in Thailand, so check the L side of the headband just above the adjustable part. It should say “made in Thailand” there.
Gotta put the “real” in quotation because I don’t know if the fake ones are also from there or not(fake ones’ probably from China tho)😅
How certain are you that the tilt towards less bass and more top end with age is an internal change and not a pads breakdown? Because you can just swap pads.
I should try these someday. Not sure if they never crossed my path or whether i didn't quite like them.
I have tried ATH-M50x and pretty much hated them. But i tried M40x and now i have a well-used pair with everything flaking, because prices have skyrocketed and i wasn't going to pay the full price. Will make my own real leather headband and get new pads when i get around to. M40x isn't perfect, the bass extension could be deeper and midbass emphasis could be less, but overall i'm quite pleased. I think listening impressions for headphones differ a lot between listeners, while reasonably designed speakers sound about right to everyone.
Hi there. I'm honestly not sure at all why I experienced loss-of-bass in a couple of pairs. I have changed the pads on a couple of pairs of my 7506's after the stock ear pads finally wore out (from the peeling of the black material), but I haven't really calmly tested between stock-pads and 3rd-party pads. But yes, 3rd party or simply different pads will change the sound a bit. My really old pair that I got rid of over 10 years ago DEFINITELY had an inner-problem though, they sounded so thin that no soft ear pad could fix it. That's when I started being more aware of checking against new pairs every few years.
I've tried the ATH-M50x's, they're good, they sound similar to the 7506's, but I thought the m50x's had an even MORE EQ'd sound.....more bass, more top-end, but so many people use them that eventually I want my own pair (I think). Although from what I've read, the M40x's are less-hyped, and less-eq'd (AKA, more.........."accurate," or at the very least less-colored), but I have not tried the M40X's either.
And yes, human ears and even our own listening experiences with headphones can vary day-by-day.....some days I hear more bass in my 7506's, some days I don't. Which is probably why I have 7506's, Shure SRH440A's, Beyer Dynamic DT770's, and some JBL bluetooth headphones and even a cheap pair of Sony ZX-110's.
I still think my Airpods 2 are a good reference to tell if something's going to sound thin an tinny. If it sounds pleasing in my airpods, it will *probably sound good on most other things.
Aaanwyay, happy listening!
I bought my pair brand new from Amazon about a year ago for $100. Mine do say they were made in Thailand but i've seen pics of fakes online and i'm pretty confident these are authentic. From what i've read Sony used to manufacture them in Japan and maybe used some different materials but I don't have an old pair to compare them to. In my opinion these sound good in every aspect except when it comes to bass and there's been no gradual decline with mine...they were lacking bass since day 1.
Luckily my last 3 pair have all been great. I've never had any issues with the WAY they're supposed to sound. Yes, a lot of people say they have less-bass or that it's not there, but, for me, that's only in comparison to other headphones. And for ME, I don't like extended bass, it gets tiring on my ears very fast when wearing headphones, and I also find that most "studio headphones" don't (or shouldn't) have over-amplified bass. But yes, the higher-end response of the 7506's can definitely make them sound "less bassey," simply because the high-end response is more articulate.
Either way, I guess as long as we find something we like and can mix with, that's the goal.
Cheers, and happy listening.
@@MarcusHutsell - To be fair i'm not an audio engineer or an audiophile. I just bought them to listen to rock music, video games, and movies. They're still probably the best sounding headphones i've ever owned and I don't regret my purchase. I used to buy these $30 Sennheiser HD 202s which didn't sound bad for the price but they had a long straight cord and my PC chair would constantly run over the cord which over time made the sound cut out in one ear. Even though the coiled cord on these get tangled occasionally it's been a huge help for my situation. Thanks for replying and cheers!
@@MarcusHutsell tbh I like bassy cans and i find the bass of the 7506 quite punchy and adequate. I just wish the treble and more extension instead of sharp peaks.
I have 2 pair of MDR-V6 the older pair is about 30 years old. To solve the flakey ear cups my mom used a nylon stocking, it worked for my brother back in the day when they were his. Over time the sound will degrade, my like new pair are much louder.
Did your brother have two stockings or did he just put both legs in one
I think you missed a few more important critiques of these phones. Most importantly, the cost of replacement parts via Sony oem is a joke. The screw on 3.5 to 1/4” trs adapter costs over $70 from Sony. Yeah you can buy a cheap Hosa replacement but they’re nowhere near the same. I’ve had the “sleeve” part of the adapter actually separate from the adapter causing major signal loss and my only two solutions were to toss the headphones in the trash or repair the adapter which I accomplished via a small drop of liquid cement. I think at some point Sony should have made design improvements to things like the attached cable and the wiring which also seems to fail in certain areas over time. I guess the fact that they cost under $100 makes them disposable? Other than this I do experience ear fatigue a short while after monitoring through them. The best thing I like about them is the weight/feel while wearing them although I don’t like the “tugging” which happens when you’re standing with them on. Another design flaw.
its not only that you don't know how old they are but what did the old owner do with them...
This is true 😳
Bass loss could be from sweat deformed the speaker....
Good to know! I'd say I tend not to sweat when wearing these, but, you never know. :)
It seems I just got a loose wire somewhere, the right ear has some sound, it's just really weak compared to the left ear. Sometimes, if I lift the left ear cup, the right will come back full sound, just with it on and off, and static-y. Maybe it's just a loose ground wire?
Yeah, sounds like a loose wire. Luckily, the right ear cup/wires are fed from the left ear cup/wiring. You can easily take apart the left ear cup, but if a wire is loose, you'd have to solder it back in place. Can be done for sure, I've done it before. But again, you can verify by just taking the ear pad off and removing the small screws and taking the cup apart, none of that requires soldering just to see what's wrong. good luck, let me know!
@@MarcusHutsell Thank you, the headphones have been behaving themselves lately, but I'm thinking I'll eventually have to take that left ear cup apparatus apart. Thanks again for sharing your experience with these things.
🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷👏🏻, Awesome video, very informative!
Thank you so much, I’m very glad the video helped :-)
good job bro
Thank you!
Besides the lost bass response does the older pair sound similar to the new ones? Also ... do all of the new pairs sound identical?
Hi there. I start talking about that very question/answer around 10:28 in the video. And I make that point again around 16:07. Long story short.......4 out of 5 of the pairs of 7506's I have access to all sound the same, they sound full, and like they should. Only my old pair that I bought on ebay about 5 years ago have lost some bass response. So, because almost EVERY other pair I own sound identical and good.....I'm confident my old pair just started having problems. That's why it's always good to test new or other headphones from time to time to compare.
i have been using my 660s for sometime one day i went to my friend's house and tried his 7506 and i was just so shocked at how good they sounded, the housing and ergonomics are really crappy but damn did they sound good.
:)
You need to open and inspect them, are the components cheaper than before, are the wires thick enough or thin like in the ZX110? Regarding sound the 7505 are still the best headphones, for people with good taste in music, rather than pumped bass heads. I hope they will never change in size, because as soon as the size increases they will stress your head. Bigger size can fool you, they are good, but only for 10 minutes. Regarding the flaking I agree with you, they could do better, and I hope they will use thick wires in the future. Out of curiosity I bought the Superlux 681, and they are not as good, I had also to decrease the bass to make them usable...
Thank you for the info and feedback. Luckily I’ve had good luck with the most recent 5 pairs all sounding good and the same.
Just bought some zx110’s because I was looking for a small, cheap, compact pair…..but man…too woofey, muffled-, overly (and fake) “bassey” sounding. They’re going back….
@@MarcusHutsell For lightweight you really need to har the Jlab studio, wired.
Will give them a try!
Oh crap. Hopefully CD900ST does not have the same aging issue, because mine is already over two years old, and it's around 200 bucks. 😰
Any speaker/driver will age, we don't notice if we just keep using them for so long b/c our ears don't hear the change since it's usually so gradual. So, yes, your headphones may need to be replaced in the future, but I wouldn't worry *too much about it. Just test a new pair in a store (Guitar Center, etc) every now and then and compare to your old ones
Well, that confirms my lingering fear.
Though I do really hope Sony start selling CD900ST and M1ST internationally so that customers like me don't have to deal with import fees, which can get quite costly depending on where you live.
Less base on old ones - pads are worn and became thin.
the coil pulls and its heavy I find
I like these headphones BUT I end up buying a new pair almost every year because of them shorting out on one side or the other. Every set I have ever owned goes in about the same time span. WTF! Sony?
Luckily I haven't had any problems with any pairs shorting-out.....just 2 pair (now) over the years losing that bass response somehow. But yeah, at least they don't break the bank when you have to buy a new pair. I still love 'em too though!
The left side of my pair died from static electricity because I was changing my pillowcase while wearing the headphones and listening to music. I've never had any issues with static with any of my other headphones. Very weird. Still ordering another pair, though.
I just got the 7506. I usually listen to bassy music, but I didn't buy them for the bass at all. I bought them to have "accurate" headphones when video editing. My problem is, the mids / high mids are irritating. To the point where my body responds like hearing nails on chalkboard. This is absolutely not a "natural" or "accurate" sound because when I hear voices of people around me I never get irritated. But hearing any voice on these headphones my ears are immediately fatigued and irritated. I don't get it.
Hi Luka, thanx for the comment. I can only say that most studio headphones that I've used and own all have a similar sound signature to the 7506's. My 7506's, my DT770's, and my Shure SRH440A's (and even the Audio Technica M50X's) all sound similar-ish, they definitely have way more high-end response by comparison to consumer headphones. I just completed a video (will be publishing soon) on "cheap" headphones where I go through a bunch of cheap consumer models, and the problem with cheap, consumer headphones is that they almost ALL have some sort of boosted or woofy bass-sound....or conversely their treble has been turned down so they all sound muffled.
Since I found that almost all cheap headphones have this artificial bass, or lack of treble.......they overall sound more muffled, etc, as compared to ANY studio headphones. Which leads me to the conclusion that:
**** If the vast majority of the listening public (non-audio people) are listening on consumer headphones, they're going to think that's how the audio actually sounds.......but they're being conditioned to THINK the audio sounds that way because they only listen on cheap headphones........so when they/I/You listen to the same thing on the 7506's or other similar studio headphones......by comparison, YES, the 7506's and most studio phones that I use sound WAYYYY more crisp and harsh......again, by comparison......but that doesn't mean the 7506's or other studio headphones are entirely IN-accurate. It may mean that we've simply been conditioned to not know what going on in our audio track by using overly-colored (cheap) headphones. *********
That's my 2-cents. Because my 7506's sound similar to my Yamaha HS5 studio monitors in terms of the high-end (yes, the HS5's are certainly NOT perfect by any means), but I also listen on my Adam T5V's which have a completely different sound signature). And keep in mind that if there are an over abundance of PROBLEMS with your actual audio track in the high-end, you'll hear it with the 7506's first.
Also, keep this in mind. When you say "when I hear voices around me talking to me, it's not harsh......but when I listen to them through these headphones (AKA, recorded), it's harsh..........remember that you're comparing something you hear in the natural environment with something that's been captured by non-perfect electronic equipment......SOMETHING had to capture their voice......a microphone. So, by comparing what we hear by someone talking to us vs a recording of their voice.....that recording is being colored by the MICROPHONE as well as editing and headphones. Every single mic will have its own sound characteristics. For example, most condenser mics can be very harsh-sounding in the 1k-4k range, so they're already coloring the sound on the input-stage. A Shure SM7B also colors the sound.....as does an SM58 vs. a KSM9. My little Deity D4 Duo sounds VERY harsh as compared to my Movo VXR10.....completely different and I REALLY don't like the Deity D4 duo for this reason, I have to EQ-out that harshness as best I can.
I find that studio headphones, even the 7506's, are still giving me a more accurate representation of my audio.
Anyway, I hope some of that made sense. The 7506's may not be for everyone, but they work well for me and I use them daily for not only editing, but also for recording and live-event production.
Thanx Luka, cheers.
If the midrange is irritating you the headphones are telling you to turn Down the midrange
A classic workhorse for sure!
"There is a small and significant difference in sound quality between the old Japanese-made ones and the newer Taiwanese-made ones. For me, the Japanese ones sound clearer. Regardless of that, they are the standard in the music industry; there must be a reason for that, isn't there? Regards.".
Yeah, I would think that since they're a "standard" or at least widely-used, that must mean something. They're the first pair of headphones I was shown way back in audio-school, so it's the pair that i've stuck with for the most part.
does anyone else find that these fit a bit too tight on the ears, especially if you wear glasses, and that after a while, the headband, despite its being cushioned, feels uncomfortable on your head?
There needs to be a way to test my pair to find out if my pair had lost it's bass.
Yeah. Chances are, if you've had them for a while, the drivers are getting tired and will start losing bass. The only way I know how to "test" them is just to buy a new pair and compare. Not the answer we want to hear but the only other way to truly test headphones that I know of is to have a binaural microphone that's built kind of like a human-head that has "ears/mics" on both sides that you can put headphones-on-to.
Luckily, the 7506's are inexpensive enough that it doesn't ALWAYS feel like I'm having to drop a lot of cash on a new pair, but yeah, still sucks.
Then again, this is probably going to be the case with any headphones/speaker/driver...longer use = more potential of wearing-out and altering the frequency response.
Happy listening!
People have high expectations for these headphones like they want to them to be like ath m 50s but that not their strength
What they are really good at is catching subtle detail at lower volumes.. anything at higher volumes will sound harsh. But they are great for hearing into the music at lower volumes
Very transparent headphones..
I keep wanting to get a set of m50X's, I've tried them, and both have a similar sound signature.....it's been a couple of years since I've listened through a pair of M50x's, will have to try them again, but when I did test them they were a bit too bass-heavy and had more top-end than I wanted at the time.......so I ended up with a set of Beyer Dynamic DT770's......which are great to listen with, but not to mix-on I'm finding. But yes, the 7506's definitely are great at lower volumes, which is mostly how I use them.....in home/studio office mixing corporate audio, voices, my own videos, etc......so, rarely at loud volumes. Aaaaanyway......cheers!
I bought them for gaming
My current pair is 15 years old.
That's quite a lot of use/time!
one thing i know about sony, their made in japan products are best, then used to be made in Malaysia, made in china had least price and demand because of quality and durability!
That's also what I've heard, and I always buy my Sony products from reputable dealers (B&H, sometimes Amazon, but I guess hoping they're legit through Amazon) ;)
@@MarcusHutsell oh ok! but sony is Japanese company they don't cheat! if you are buying eg tv then the model number would be unique for one country! and that would be clearly mentioned on the product! similar product from other country will have different model number and/ or atleast country's name!
Good to know!
the problems is the GARBAGE PADS. I changes mine and now the are perfect
Yep, they are definitely not great. I have found that changing the pads can alter the sound a bit, but, eventually one will have to change the pads anyway. Cheers!
what if the 1st pair are knock off fake counterfits ??? after all you bought them used and from ebay
yep, I guess that could be true. I'd never even heard of any headphones being counterfeit until a couple of years ago when I read some posts about just that thing with some Sony headphones. So, yes, very possible. Except for that first pair I bought around the year 2002/2003 that I had for a long time that seemingly lost their bass response over time. But yes, something to look out for, and probably will purchase from reputable dealers (Guitar Center, B&H Photo), from now on.
I am also aware (first hand) that some eBay listings are for 7506s that have had the drivers replaced. Some sellers state this, others don't. I bought a pair, and subsequently returned without hassle, a pair of 7506s that had the drivers replaced. I was not made aware prior to purchase the drivers were replaced, but I saw the telltale signs once I received them. They sounded horrible. These are relatively inexpensive headsets, so it pays to buy them new from an authorized reputable reseller.
Man i need to re check my own , i might have counterfeits
I'm thinking of buying a pair of these headphones, are they good for mixing a podcast?
Hi there Jorge. Yes, I think these would be perfect for mixing a podcast. They’ve been around a long time and are trusted by a lot of audio professionals, and I use them daily to record and edit my audio. Good luck!
I've been wearing them wrong, or I've got big ears?
Well, as I've said, the 7506's probably have some of the "smallest" "over-ear" cups of any studio-monitor-style headphone. They're smaller than the Shure SRH440's, 840's, Beyer Dynamic DT770's, Shure SRH440A's, Audiio Technica ATHM50x......but, that's ONE reason I stick with the 7506's for their smaller-size. So, yes, with slightly larger ears, the inner-part of the fabric will most likely touch your ears.
If the entire cup is sitting on the pinna of your ear (that is, your actual ear), then.....you may have larger ears than most, because the 7506's, being closed-back headphones are SUPPOSED to go AROUND/over your ears.
Darian Knoll
I only want this headphones to listen to music from my Sony stereo. My Sony WH-1000XM5 jack is too small to fit in the receiver hole on my stereo. This show fit. I have a lot of C.D.'s and I live in a large apartment building. I want to be able to relax laying on the floor listening to music and not disturbing others. I like Christian music by artist like Brandon Lake that's relaxing in these depressing times we're living in. Plus, with the Christmas holidays coming, I can listen to my Christmas music by various artists along with R&B, Pop, Jazz, Gospel, and Salsa.🤣
Sounds like the ebay ones are fake. Explains the poor sound quality. Compare them to your others in terms of cosmetics
Yeah, it's possible. It's hard to tell, I've "de-commissioned" the ebay pair, I do still own them, but I never noticed anything strange about their cosmetic, etc, they seemed fine. My assumption is that they are just getting worn out.
Can find any first or second copy headphone for under 10 USD in Chinese flea markets
@@MarcusHutsellI think that it can be simple dialed down to just worn-out ear-pads
Yo, man just passed by to ask if you have huts to sell.
Thanks
Asking for a friend
Ha!!!! Unfortunately no, I guess my family got out of the hut-selling business along time ago. I do appreciate your attention to detail, because that’s how I have always kind of thought about my last name.
Although the emphasis is on HUT, not sell. So as long as I’m seeing it right in my own videos, it’s pronounced HUTzl or HUTsl
have you tried using any other headphones? that would seem to be a logical solution to your dilemna. i quit trusting Sony to make good reliable products a long time ago.
Hi there. Yes, I actually have been branching out lately. I now have and use the new Shure SRH440A headphones, and I also have a pair of Beyer Dynamic DT770's (80-ohm). And, I'm usually now reaching for the Shure SRH440A most often in my home office. The shure's are a good mix between the 7506's higher-frequency response and the Beyer's lower-frequency/bass response. Kind of a "goldilocks" headphone...............not too bright, not too bassey, kind of plain actually, but, they still sound good.
@@MarcusHutsell good for you.....sounds like an update-video might be in order!
once you use a higher ohm beyerdynamic 250 ohm head phone you will not like them anymore nasty now !
packaging , seventies ? eighties ??? no ..... simply ........... Japanese !!! hehehe
sorry mate but i can t consider the dt770s even "hi fi".
They are unlistenable.
Hi there. Thank you for the comment and feedback. The DT770's sound great to me. I'm curious as to why/how you find them unlistenable? It's always good to hear the other side of things and others' opinions. I find that my DT770's have a similar sound signature to my Sony MDR 7506's and my Shure SRH440A's......and I say similar, not identical, because all 3 of those headphones sound a lot more alike vs comparing any of those (3) to cheaper headphones like most consumer headphones like Sony ZX110's, Beats, etc because most of the headphones you get at electronics stores are overly muffled because they're trying to add bass, but not very effectively......whereas almost every single pair of "studio monitor" headphones I've tried are in the same ballpark of sound-signature.....or at the very least they're playing the same sport!
Anyway, let me know your comments and feedback on the DT770's. Happy listening!
@@MarcusHutsell The big dip in the voice area at 4kHz and the exaggerated bass makes it just as good as "gaming" headphones, except it s worse because of that huge dip of 10dB at 4kHz and around it.
wow, a 10 year old pair doesnt sound the same as a brand new pair. What a shocker. I feel like much of your critique is far fetched, and should be expected for a pair of headphones at around 100 bucks. You cant have the cake and eat it too you know.
We only know what we know.
so basically you just worry too much about people with elephant ears ?
You mean in size? Maybe, I guess I try to give all information I can…especially since the 7506’s are probably more compact than any other studio headphones and they do touch one’s ear pinna more than other headphones.
so you have used them for 18/20 yrs and keep buying them, what's to complain about buy something else, show us a better set of headphones for the same price.
Well, yes, but speakers and headphones will wear out. Even Andrew Scheps uses the 7506’s and knows they’ll wear out. But that fact is something I had to learn and/or just didn’t know. The reason I keep using them and buying them is that they are still a common, ubiquitous, trusted headphone in the audio industry and if I encounter other pairs in the working-world, I know generally what they should sound like.
I’m still gaining experience with other brands and models of headphones as I start to buy different models….I just need more time to offer longer term opinions and have time to record videos about them.
The fawkin small cords get pinched between the rotating cups. What a fawking terrible design!
yes, they do :(
Thank you for the review but I think you ramble too much and take too much time to get to your point. For a busy person like me I don't have time to sit through it.
We are who we are.
@@MarcusHutsell Yes I understand but I just thought you would appreciate my input.
I do. Thank you. I know that I tend to ramble, it’s something I’m working on, but also something that I’m finding hard to overcome. Some of the time I feel that I want to offer a deeper understanding of a topic to provide a reason of HOW and WHY I arrived at a certain answer, result, or outcome.
Sometimes it’s hard to be succinct.
Cheers. And thank you. 🙏
@@MarcusHutsell I'm on Facebook Watch rather than UA-cam but I think the principle is the same. I find that the quicker and more concise I am the less people will tune out in the middle of the video. But if I make it too lengthy and complicated I lose a lot of people along the way.
I think you did a good and thorough job with good explanation and information. Thanks!
I wish everybody would stop using these. They sound like candy to your average non-studio person, and that's why they're the standard cheap headphones that you see everybody use in every radio and podcast studio. But if you wear these too often, it's quite possible to damage your hearing permanently due to the extreme overhyped response in the highs. I bought a pair myself 12 years ago. After I started buying real studio headphones a few years ago, I realized how bad these really are. I can't even wear them anymore, because I now feel like they're digitally piercing my ears after using so many different pro level studio headphones.
How do you feel about the Yamaha ns10
I don't believe that hearing damage is likely at all. There's basically nothing going on past 12K and the peakiness in the treble is not that high in magnitude, mere couple dB, and about same magnitude as the broad midbass emphasis. More of a slightly scooped middle. According to LTAS of the overall music, most of the audio energy in terms of raw power is in the bottom anyway, and you seem to not be complaining about too much bass.
But i also don't like headphones with peaky top end, they're just grating and unpleasant.
On the other hand you can possibly just tame them often with a piece of acoustic foam, you can get replacement inserts for HD600 and the like, that's the right type of material.
What has your choice of headphone been that you want to recommend?
One other stupid situation with the long cables is, most of the times the cable is all over the floor and you accidentally crush it with the chair wheels while you were sitting..Real bummer..
Dude, yeah!! I've come to really appreciate the coiled cable of the 7506's I have been using the new Shure SRH440A headphones and the Beyer Dynamic DT770's, both of which have straight cables, and BOTH of which have gotten yanked off my head more than a few times because the long, straight cables of those headphones (1) get caught under my chair wheels or on the desk and (2), when they do get caught and I get up.....the cable doesn't stretch and BOOM.....the headphones get yanked off my head aggressively, and I'm worried it's going to damage the 2.5mm end of the Shure headphones because it's just a plastic twist-style connector. Aaaanyway......yeah, really reminds me that I actually like that coiled cable design because it STRETCHES if it gets caught on stuff!