Welcome today to my review on the Sony MDR-7506. These headphones have and continue to be highly regarded among audio professionals and they’re also hugely popular with the average consumer. And for good reason considering they perform better than a lot of other headphones costing almost twice as much. However, there are some situations where these may not be the best choice so I’ll talk more about that as I get into the sound quality comfort and features of these headphones.
Currently these headphones retail for around $80, but you can click here to check the current price and availability.
FEATURES, ACCESSORIES AND DESIGN
So I’ll start off by walking you through the features and giving you a closer look at these headphones. Now these only weigh eight ounces, so they’re lighter than the average full size over ear headphone. They also fold up and a synthetic leather bag is included which makes these great for portable use. The bag is a basic synthetic leather bag, nothing fancy but it gets the job done.
You also get a coiled cable which stretches out to about 10 feet. This cable is not detachable so if you’re not a fan of coiled cables then that’s something to consider. The cable terminates in a 3.5 millimeter connector and it includes a 6.5mm screw on adapter.
The headphones have slide adjustments on the side which click into place. And these get plenty large so they should accommodate anyone no matter the shape or size of your head.
One thing I’m not a fan of is the way the wire is exposed as it comes down along the outside of the headband. It’s just something to be aware of and to be careful of. However, I know people who use these headphones for years and years and years without any problems so it’s not something I would be overly concerned about.
The headband is covered in a pleather material and has a small amount of cushion on the underside. The ear pads are racetrack shaped and are just barely large enough for my ears. So if you have larger ears you might find these hug the outside of your ears just a bit.
The padding is comfortable but not ultra comfortable and it does get warm after wearing these for a while. I found the padding isn’t as comfortable compared to some of the other comparable headphones in this price range such as the Sennheiser HD 559 or the Audio Technica ATH M30X (both of those have larger ear pads).
You can move them a little bit horizontally just enough to help find that perfect fit and there’s plenty of that up-and-down vertical movement. So again, this makes it really easy to find a comfortable fit with these headphones.
Now these Sony’s have 40 millimeter drivers and are 63 ohms which makes them a bit more difficult to drive (or power using just a smartphone). As a result, you may not get the volume or detail you’re after if you really like to turn these up and are just planning to use them with your phone.
So while they’re not ideal to use with portable devices like your phone, they sound incredible when they’re properly powered either through your computer, or decent headphone amp, etc.
COMFORT
Regarding the comfort and fit of these headphones, they’re not only durable but quite comfortable as well and they do a really nice job of accommodating everyone no matter the shape or size of your head.
However if your ears are larger than average, you might find they press against them just a little bit as these aren’t quite as accommodating compared to other larger over-ear style headphones.
That being said, they still surround my ears just fine and feel quite comfortable. They do get a little bit warm so I wouldn’t consider these cool wearing headphones by any stretch. And the longer you wear these you may notice heat and warmth around your ears will start to build up.
Clamping pressure against the head is moderate. They’re certainly not as overly compressive so as to cause any pain, but they still do a nice job of staying on your head without feeling too tight.
So overall, I’m very satisfied with the comfort of these, even for longer listening sessions.
NOISE ISOLATION
Noise isolation is particularly good with these headphones. Even at a moderate volume I found that the 7506 really does a great job of blocking out the surrounding noise around me. So I really have a hard time hearing what’s going on besides whatever I’m listening to.
SOUND QUALITY
Next I’ll discuss the sound quality which is absolutely astounding considering the price point of these headphones. As I said earlier, these sound better than other headphones costing almost twice as much. The tonal balance is almost perfect with no flaws and they’re excellent reference headphones which allow you to hear a lot of the nuances in your music in a way that many other competing headphones fail to do. But given how accurate these are, these may actually be too revealing and detailed for some situations or listening preferences which I’ll explain more below.
Starting with the bass though, the low-end is smooth and captivating as well as being detailed and tight. There’s a real nice punch to it. In my opinion, not many headphones in this price range are really able to deliver an accurate and non overwhelming bass response the way these do.
However, they do lack a little weight down below 55 Hertz. But below 80 Hertz and above 14 kilohertz human years are less sensitive which of course is why we love to boost those frequencies. But with a decent headphone (such as these) and a decent amp, you’ll be able to hear that nice tight bass even down to the lowest frequencies.
Now something to keep in mind is that when you first get these the bass can sound a bit boomy. This does improve the longer you listen to them, so don’t be discouraged if you find that to be the case.
Mid-range is very clean vocals are detailed and just wonderful sounding. They’re really pleasing to listen to because they’re not congested or covered up by muddy bass. To get better sounding vocals than these headphones you would really need to spend at least a hundred to two hundred dollars more because they’re that good.
And that’s one reason these headphones work so well for singers or anyone who wants to be able to hear how they truly sound. Because the presentation these headphones provide is so accurate.
The treble is also clean and not harsh whatsoever. Cymbal crashes sound impeccable and I don’t know of another headphone in this price range that does a better job.
From a sensitivity standpoint, I found these headphones to be incredibly sensitive to the mids and highs. The benefit from this is that you’ll hear all the detail in your music and/or your recordings which is why these headphones are so highly prized among audio professionals.
These headphones are perfect for detecting any imperfections in any of your recordings which other headphones tend to hide.
The downside to this level of perfection though, is that it typically causes less than stellar recordings to sound worse. Because if you’re listening to something with a lot of contamination in the recording or a lower quality recording, then these won’t be as forgiving as other headphones.
Realize that it’s not the headphones that sound bad but rather they’re just more accurately portraying what you’re listening to and revealing all the flaws of the particular piece of music you’re listening to.
But otherwise, these headphones do sound great with any genre of music, particularly music with vocals or anything with heavy beats. Jazz and classical also sound wonderful on these but the soundstage could be better especially compared to more open headphones like the Sennheiser HD 559.
HOW THESE COMPARE TO OTHER HEADPHONES
Now comparing the 7506 to the Sony MDR 10R. The 10R sound more muted and mellow in an unexciting way by comparison. Whereas the 7506 has more sparkle, energy and detail to it. It’s definitely the better sounding headphone between the two.
Then if you compare these to the Sony MDR V6, they look almost identical but the V6 has a more up-and-down (or V-shaped) frequency response compared to the 7506 which is much more smooth and even. So while the V6 has more bass, the highs and the low-mids are less detailed and slightly veiled compared to the 7506.
So for anyone who has a listening preference for more bass and is less concerned about an even frequency response, then the Sony MDR V6 would be the way to go.
But overall, the sound quality is truly remarkable with these headphones. Their biggest asset I think, is just being able to so faithfully and accurately reproduce music as it was recorded.
REASONS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE
Now as great as these headphones are, there are some reasons you may want to consider something else. Of course, one of those reasons being the cable as I mentioned earlier as the cable is coiled and not detachable. While this can be a real benefit in a studio or recording type environment, it otherwise may be a less than ideal choice.
Something else to consider for some, is that these headphones aren’t as mobile friendly (for using with your phone) compared to some of the other headphones out there right now. Though you could use these with your smartphone, they’re just not going to sound as good compared to being properly powered by your computer, decent amp, etc.
Next, if you prefer a low end that’s a little more forward or weighty in the bass department, then you may prefer something different like the Sony MDR V6 or the Audio Technica ATH M30X.
Also, if you listen to a lot of lower quality mp3’s (such as music downloaded off the internet) or music that’s poorly recorded then you may find these aren’t as enjoyable to listen to because they’ll keep highlighting all the flaws and as a result, just won’t sound as pleasing.
If you’re in this situation, it might be better to go with a headphone that isn’t quite as sharp in the detail department so those flaws won’t be as distracting. The M30X would again, be a better choice in this regard.
Then, if you’ll primarily be listening to a lot of classical or jazz music and if sound leakage isn’t an issue then the Grado SR80 or the Sennheiser HD 559 will give you a similar level of detail and overall sound quality as the MDR 7056, but with a more open sound stage.
But while the Grados are airy sparkly and very refreshing sounding, they do lack low-end bass compared to the MDR 7056. So if you enjoy that bump in your bass line, definitely stick with the Sony’s.
Finally, if price-wise these Sony headphones are a bit more than you’d like to spend but you still want something that can hold its own against these calibre of headphones then go for the Audio Technica ATH M30X. They have really nice ear pads which give your ears actually a little bit more room.
And of course they sound better than their little brother the M20X by being more refined. They have a nice base bump compared to the Sony’s. But they also have a tad too much high-end treble in the realm of the 3000 Hertz mark. So even though they’re not as smooth and refined as the MDR7056, they still hold their own and are a solid choice if price is a factor.
But, if you can spend the few extra bucks to get the Sony’s, it’s more than worth it. And the Sony’s I think are the better value overall
BOTTOM LINE
What the Sony MDR-7056 really shines at is giving you a very accurate and smooth presentation of whatever it is you’re listening to. So if you’re looking for the most faithful reproduction of sound you can get at this price point, whether for professional or personal use, then these are the perfect headphones.
They have an even response across the entire frequency range. They have better sonic depth and dexterity than many headphones costing twice their price. And they’re also durable, comfortable, a true workhorse and very reliable.
Check Pricing and Availability for Sony MDR-7056
Considering they cost less than a hundred dollars it makes these one of the best headphone values on the planet. It’s no coincidence that these Sony headphones have been a staple among audio professionals for a long time. So whether you’re looking for a headphone for professional use or if you’re at that place where you’re ready to be introduced to the world of high-end sound I think you’ll really love and enjoy these headphones.