Very Quick
"I have heard many reasons for the differences between the two sets of Sonys from wiring to cup shape, and I've read all the references to the parts list that says they have all the same pieces, but all I'll say again is that there is a difference."
"I haven't owned them long enough to say much about durability, and they may have not had enough time to "burn-in" (I'm not confident myself of the importance of burn-in, but it seems to be a widespread-enough idea that I do give my headphones a short burn-in), but so far I agree that they are a great pair of headphones."
"I hear things in music that I never noticed before (even with other headphones), like sniffs and coughs from the audience during a winter-time recording of Horowitz."
"I also purchased a pair of Beyerdynamic EDT 250 Velour Padded Earcushions for this reason, and although I have not yet given them a try to compare them with the ear pads that come with the Sony headphones, I do like the fact that it is possible to fit different ear pads if desired in order to provide more comfort, as well as replace them when they have become worn (some owners use these headphones for many years)."
"My search revealed three main contenders in my price range: these headphones (the Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone , which are sonically identical to their predecessor, the Sony MDR-V6 Monitor Series Headphones with CCAW Voice Coil ), the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones with Coiled Cable , and the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones ."
"IN SHORT: These headphones are high quality and many things - probably a godsend to an engineer who wants to know every nuance of what's going on but they are NOT Audio "Comfort food"."
"Overall, I had basically given up and was going to stick with the cheaper MDR-XB400s as they were more comfortable on the ear and did the best as all around good headphones."
Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone (Compare Deals from $79.99)
Quick
"I've had some Sony MDR-V6's for a lot of years now, and after reading tons of opinions on how they compare to their sibling, these MDR-7506's, I figured I would pick a pair up and do my own comparison... But, before I get into it too far I just want to say that both models are excellent headphones; and it's amazing that either set can be had for less than $100... I have heard many reasons for the differences between the two sets of Sonys from wiring to cup shape, and I've read all the references to the parts list that says they have all the same pieces, but all I'll say again is that there is a difference."
"I haven't owned them long enough to say much about durability, and they may have not had enough time to "burn-in" (I'm not confident myself of the importance of burn-in, but it seems to be a widespread-enough idea that I do give my headphones a short burn-in), but so far I agree that they are a great pair of headphones... You can sort of push them up against the headband (with the two ear pads together) to make the set pretty compact, and there's a basic storage bag that they'll fit in... When I mentioned earlier that they make some songs more "exciting" than my 380 pros, I was hearing the crispness these songs bring to audio, particularly in the mids and trebles, where other headphones couldn't seem to be bothered."
"Previously, my favorite place for enjoying music was in the car, where I can play it as loud as I like without the concern of disturbing others (my own little environmentally-controlled acoustic bubble). They blew away any consumer-accessible home theater setup, car stereo, headphone or earbud I had ever heard previously, and instantly sold me on high-quality headphones as the ideal music enjoyment experience... I hear things in music that I never noticed before (even with other headphones), like sniffs and coughs from the audience during a winter-time recording of Horowitz."
"In reading many of the reviews here on Amazon and elsewhere, I knew that the two are constructed very similarly but there were different opinions regarding both the differences (if any) and which has the superior sound... If you read other reviews you will find that the 7506's are commonly used by studio engineers, because they are designed to reproduce the sound just as it is, without adding emphasis to the bass as some other headphones are designed to do... I also purchased a pair of Beyerdynamic EDT 250 Velour Padded Earcushions for this reason, and although I have not yet given them a try to compare them with the ear pads that come with the Sony headphones, I do like the fact that it is possible to fit different ear pads if desired in order to provide more comfort, as well as replace them when they have become worn (some owners use these headphones for many years)."
"My search revealed three main contenders in my price range: these headphones (the Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone , which are sonically identical to their predecessor, the Sony MDR-V6 Monitor Series Headphones with CCAW Voice Coil ), the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones with Coiled Cable , and the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones ... I was worrying they might be a little like the Yamaha NS10 studio monitors, which are infamous for not sounding great, BUT are really useful because, if you mix using them, and get the mix to sound decent on the NS10's, then the result will sound great on ANYTHING ELSE!... Now, personally, I prefer open cans to closed (and sometimes I NEED to be able to hear my surroundings), so I do most of my listening to music on my Grado SR-225's or my Sennheiser PX-100's (the original version, not the PX-100 II 's, which are not nearly as good)."
"First of all, the clarity of these headphones makes listening to MP3s - especially any Lower bitrate MP3s immediately tedious... IN SHORT: These headphones are high quality and many things - probably a godsend to an engineer who wants to know every nuance of what's going on but they are NOT Audio "Comfort food"... SAVING GRACE: These phones are good candidates for affordable travel headphones (long plane flight) where you don't want leakage to bug your immediate seat neighbors but also don't want to drop $300."
"Overall, I had basically given up and was going to stick with the cheaper MDR-XB400s as they were more comfortable on the ear and did the best as all around good headphones... Using these headphones on your computer without a good sound card is like putting the best chocolate in the world over old, almost rotting strawberries... A side benefit, not indicative of the quality of the headphones, is that I can connect them to my A/V receiver when I don't want to use my standing speakers while playing a game or watching a movie."
Less Quick
"I've had some Sony MDR-V6's for a lot of years now, and after reading tons of opinions on how they compare to their sibling, these MDR-7506's, I figured I would pick a pair up and do my own comparison... But, before I get into it too far I just want to say that both models are excellent headphones; and it's amazing that either set can be had for less than $100... You can research this on the web, but the safest way to insure you are getting the real deal is to make sure that when you purchase here on Amazon you only buy when it says "Ships from and sold by Amazon... With so many variables affecting peoples like or dislike of any pair of phones it is my goal to help those with similar musical tastes and similar gear to determine whether or not these headphones will be a good investment for them personally... My headphones include Sony MDR-V6s and these MDR-7506s, V-Moda Crossfade LPs and M-100s, Audio Technica ATH-M50s, Beyerdynamic DT-880 250ohm Premiums, Sennheiser HD 598s and HD 600s (my personal favorite) as well as my 4th pair of Koss Porta-Pros (easy to exchange when you live in Milwaukee) ... I have heard many reasons for the differences between the two sets of Sonys from wiring to cup shape, and I've read all the references to the parts list that says they have all the same pieces, but all I'll say again is that there is a difference... I have taken the V6's to work and I use them with my little Nuforce uDAC-2 as the two pair together very well, and the 7506's are my go-to phones at home when open cans won't do."
"I haven't owned them long enough to say much about durability, and they may have not had enough time to "burn-in" (I'm not confident myself of the importance of burn-in, but it seems to be a widespread-enough idea that I do give my headphones a short burn-in), but so far I agree that they are a great pair of headphones... the ear cups are massive, very large and deep, and make no contact with your ears, but the headphones are heavier and grip tighter, so instead of any ear fatigue you feel a fair amount of warmth... You can sort of push them up against the headband (with the two ear pads together) to make the set pretty compact, and there's a basic storage bag that they'll fit in... I also noticed that the best place to grip the cups as you put them on or take them off is covered with the same thin material that's on the ear pads... I'm fairly new to the audio scene and don't pretend to be an expert, but hopefully this can give a wide audience an idea of what these headphones are like... When I mentioned earlier that they make some songs more "exciting" than my 380 pros, I was hearing the crispness these songs bring to audio, particularly in the mids and trebles, where other headphones couldn't seem to be bothered... Where my 380 pros still make some dance beats and music that shines with the bass cranked up more punchy, the 7506s just can't be beat in showing you the music in its pure, raw form."
"With the Shure headphones, I could stand to have them in my ears for about a half-day before the skin in my ears became irritated and wearing them became painful... -Sound Quality- This was my first set of high quality over ear headphones, so I cannot size these headphones up against their competitors... Previously, my favorite place for enjoying music was in the car, where I can play it as loud as I like without the concern of disturbing others (my own little environmentally-controlled acoustic bubble). They blew away any consumer-accessible home theater setup, car stereo, headphone or earbud I had ever heard previously, and instantly sold me on high-quality headphones as the ideal music enjoyment experience... I hear things in music that I never noticed before (even with other headphones), like sniffs and coughs from the audience during a winter-time recording of Horowitz... They work just well enough - better than nothing but not as isolating as foam earplugs (and certainly more comfortable)... I know Sony has made a successor to these headphones, and from what I've read, the sound quality on the newer headphones is not as well balanced."
"My reason for purchasing a second pair (and getting both models) was because the V6's were very inexpensive at the time I ordered ($30 cheaper than the 7506's), and because I was curious to see if I could tell a difference between the two. In reading many of the reviews here on Amazon and elsewhere, I knew that the two are constructed very similarly but there were different opinions regarding both the differences (if any) and which has the superior sound... Now, regarding both similarities and differences between the Sony MDR-7506 and Sony MDR-V6, here is what I have found: - externally, they are almost identical in construction and appearance... - when I listen to the two headphones back to back, at the same volume level and with the same music, I can detect a slightly clearer treble and midrange from the 7506, and very slightly clearer sound... 0 mm driver, 5-30kHz frequency response, 63 Ohm impedance, 106 dB/W/m sensitivity I am not able to explain how Sony is claiming different frequency response for the two headphones if all of the other specs are identical, but this is what they are saying... If you read other reviews you will find that the 7506's are commonly used by studio engineers, because they are designed to reproduce the sound just as it is, without adding emphasis to the bass as some other headphones are designed to do... I also purchased a pair of Beyerdynamic EDT 250 Velour Padded Earcushions for this reason, and although I have not yet given them a try to compare them with the ear pads that come with the Sony headphones, I do like the fact that it is possible to fit different ear pads if desired in order to provide more comfort, as well as replace them when they have become worn (some owners use these headphones for many years)."
"My search revealed three main contenders in my price range: these headphones (the Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone , which are sonically identical to their predecessor, the Sony MDR-V6 Monitor Series Headphones with CCAW Voice Coil ), the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones with Coiled Cable , and the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones . I learned pretty quickly that the 7506's are considered to be an industry standard, but also that some consider them to be somewhat unmusical, or "too analytical" or something along those lines... As for the HD-280 Pro's, there were a number of reviews where the plastic of the headband cracked after just a few months and eventually broke, which concerned me, and many reviewers found them to be uncomfortable... However, I got a chance to listen to these locally, and didn't really like my first impression of them--although I would definitely require some extended listening (and break-in) before making any judgement of them... You can read my review for more details, but the short version of it is this: the M50's are not linear, have a hump in the bass at 100 Hz and another below that; have recessed mids; and sound muddy and dark to my ears... I was worrying they might be a little like the Yamaha NS10 studio monitors, which are infamous for not sounding great, BUT are really useful because, if you mix using them, and get the mix to sound decent on the NS10's, then the result will sound great on ANYTHING ELSE!... Now, personally, I prefer open cans to closed (and sometimes I NEED to be able to hear my surroundings), so I do most of my listening to music on my Grado SR-225's or my Sennheiser PX-100's (the original version, not the PX-100 II 's, which are not nearly as good)."
"SONIC INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: HIGHS: I like that the highs are very clear yet unexaggerated - without cutting your ears to pieces... THE BAD: Lack of Audio "Comfort Food" I had seen reviews of various "Studio" type headphones alluding to this and went "Well..... First of all, the clarity of these headphones makes listening to MP3s - especially any Lower bitrate MP3s immediately tedious... IN SHORT: These headphones are high quality and many things - probably a godsend to an engineer who wants to know every nuance of what's going on but they are NOT Audio "Comfort food"... They have made me realize that I don't want to scrutinize my music like an ant farm under a microscope - I want to ENJOY and FEEL my music on an INTEGRATED audio canvas/ soundstage... SAVING GRACE: These phones are good candidates for affordable travel headphones (long plane flight) where you don't want leakage to bug your immediate seat neighbors but also don't want to drop $300... Other Bright Spots / exceptions to my complaints: One song that is a revelation on these headphones is "Move Over" by Janis Joplin - these bring the dueling piano and guitar parts into perfect relief."
"I'd settled with some Sony MDR-XB400s that Sony had graciously sent me for some really minor stuff I did for them but it just wasn't enough... Some had too much Bass, some didn't have any Bass, some couldn't play the highs very well, and some could only do the highs well. Overall, I had basically given up and was going to stick with the cheaper MDR-XB400s as they were more comfortable on the ear and did the best as all around good headphones. Now, not too long ago, a friend and I started geeking out on audio systems, receivers, speakers, and building your own home theater system with actual good stuff (no HTIBs)... Whether it be for recording with my Yeti Mic, or listening while I work, these headphones have another fan... Using these headphones on your computer without a good sound card is like putting the best chocolate in the world over old, almost rotting strawberries... A side benefit, not indicative of the quality of the headphones, is that I can connect them to my A/V receiver when I don't want to use my standing speakers while playing a game or watching a movie."
