Well I have the UE6000s on my head and the 7520s in front of me and I've been switching back and forth.
I purchased the UE6000s for about $65 CAD shipped! That is like, what a can of beans in the US? Definitely a great deal and lower than what I usually see them go for.
This review is also in comparison to a the Sony MDR-7520 which is one of the best studio closed cans I've had the pleasure of using. The MDr-7520 is like a very refined and balanced MDR-1R
Recently, I let a coworker listen to my 7520s , and immediately he was like "ugh, I don't like that its really hollow'. Then he went on to praise the music app on my Iphone saying he has never heard music so clear. I just looked at him and smiled wryly, trying to explain there was little difference in the music app, what he really was hearing was the upper harmonic detail of the 7520s that is just rolled off on so many consumer devices. The thing is we all get so used to our preferences.
Sound Comparison.
My quick assessment of the UE6000, oh my, these are not neutral at all, yet still clear. The bass is definitely dominant and loose. The high end is also rolled off. Again, clarity or the perception of clarity is there, but information is missing. The result is pretty warm phone.
Overall, the 7520 is a massive upgrade over the UE6000 as far as balance, clarity, bass solidity, mid-range presentation. I put its dynamic driver technicalities up there with the HD650, maybe a bit higher.
Also, I don't think the amp or NC on the UE6000 has any real benefit. It does bring more excitement to the higher-end and the low-end. Can be fun for a bit on some genres. It's not as overblown as say something like the MDR-XB950BT.
Passively, the UE6000 is nowhere near the efficiency of the 7520. You have to crank it a fair bit.
The UE6000 has plenty of rumble though, and its pretty fun. The 7520 will still go very low, pay no attention to some graph measurements that show it rolled off on the bass, that is the Z1000, the 7520 has plenty of bass. The UE6000 sounds tubby in comparison. Drum 'n' bass, dubstep that is well-produced just tears it up on the 7520.
Frankly, really surprised that a number of reviewers have said the UE6000 is flat or neutral. I mean in a way it is, it is just a downward ski slope.
If it sounds like I'm completely dumping on the UE6000 I'm not entirely. It is more of a 'fun' headphone. You can even listen to acoustic music and I've thrown on some classical pieces, but its still like listening with cotton balls in your ears. 7520, vocals, and a whole range of instrumentation come alive. If the UE6000 is your reference, it may be a bit of shock going to the 7520 or another monitoring can. They are more forward than both my LCD2 and HD650 but still sound natural and organic. Somehow the highend of the 7520 is never piercing, but it also is not as smooth as the 650.
Hope my friend like these
was hoping for a bit more tonal neutrality.
Comfort:
From memory I thought the dimensions of the ear pads were bigger, hoping these would be comfier than my 7520s. Surprisingly, while the 7520 is not as plush, it has more space to fit your ears. Still the UE6000 is soft enough that even being on top of your ears, it sits well. The 7520 seals very well and stays on your head.
Build quality:
Well the UE6000 has some loose plastic bits, and is a little clattery. The 7520 has magnesium cups and a solid simple metal band. The 7520s flaw is that the cup holders are plastic and their housings can be downright squeaky. You can easily open it up and lube these components if its an issue. Otherwise, the 7520 is an awesome portable.
Isolation: I think the UE6000 is pretty good, and might isolate a bit more than the 7520.
The UE6000 is still a good headphone. The bass has a very good quality. I'm listening to it right now and you can kinda sink into them. They are pretty easy listen.
BTW - I can EQ the UE6000 and it responds very well. Enough to push them into a much higher quality. The 7520 just start out that way without any adjustment needed.
Edit: and the UE6000 leak quite a bit more than the 7520. Which is weird as it seems like the isolate a bit more. weird but confirmed by girlfriend sitting nearby.
Update: I increased my rating of them a smidge, But still feel these are overly dark. This was after spending some quality time with them right out of an O2 / ODAC. These are consumer headphones done right. For the small purchase price these go used, they are steal. After you adjust to their somewhat murky dark signature, they really do have a lot of depth. Still a little coloured and a bit cloudy, but really, if someone isn't too picky this can be their end-game closed headphone. Diminishing returns could start around here, and depending on what you paid for the UE6000 it could be $50 USD!
Definitely a fun headphone, and I may be tempted to get one myself.
I purchased the UE6000s for about $65 CAD shipped! That is like, what a can of beans in the US? Definitely a great deal and lower than what I usually see them go for.
This review is also in comparison to a the Sony MDR-7520 which is one of the best studio closed cans I've had the pleasure of using. The MDr-7520 is like a very refined and balanced MDR-1R
Recently, I let a coworker listen to my 7520s , and immediately he was like "ugh, I don't like that its really hollow'. Then he went on to praise the music app on my Iphone saying he has never heard music so clear. I just looked at him and smiled wryly, trying to explain there was little difference in the music app, what he really was hearing was the upper harmonic detail of the 7520s that is just rolled off on so many consumer devices. The thing is we all get so used to our preferences.
Sound Comparison.
My quick assessment of the UE6000, oh my, these are not neutral at all, yet still clear. The bass is definitely dominant and loose. The high end is also rolled off. Again, clarity or the perception of clarity is there, but information is missing. The result is pretty warm phone.
Overall, the 7520 is a massive upgrade over the UE6000 as far as balance, clarity, bass solidity, mid-range presentation. I put its dynamic driver technicalities up there with the HD650, maybe a bit higher.
Also, I don't think the amp or NC on the UE6000 has any real benefit. It does bring more excitement to the higher-end and the low-end. Can be fun for a bit on some genres. It's not as overblown as say something like the MDR-XB950BT.
Passively, the UE6000 is nowhere near the efficiency of the 7520. You have to crank it a fair bit.
The UE6000 has plenty of rumble though, and its pretty fun. The 7520 will still go very low, pay no attention to some graph measurements that show it rolled off on the bass, that is the Z1000, the 7520 has plenty of bass. The UE6000 sounds tubby in comparison. Drum 'n' bass, dubstep that is well-produced just tears it up on the 7520.
Frankly, really surprised that a number of reviewers have said the UE6000 is flat or neutral. I mean in a way it is, it is just a downward ski slope.
If it sounds like I'm completely dumping on the UE6000 I'm not entirely. It is more of a 'fun' headphone. You can even listen to acoustic music and I've thrown on some classical pieces, but its still like listening with cotton balls in your ears. 7520, vocals, and a whole range of instrumentation come alive. If the UE6000 is your reference, it may be a bit of shock going to the 7520 or another monitoring can. They are more forward than both my LCD2 and HD650 but still sound natural and organic. Somehow the highend of the 7520 is never piercing, but it also is not as smooth as the 650.
Hope my friend like these
Comfort:
From memory I thought the dimensions of the ear pads were bigger, hoping these would be comfier than my 7520s. Surprisingly, while the 7520 is not as plush, it has more space to fit your ears. Still the UE6000 is soft enough that even being on top of your ears, it sits well. The 7520 seals very well and stays on your head.
Build quality:
Well the UE6000 has some loose plastic bits, and is a little clattery. The 7520 has magnesium cups and a solid simple metal band. The 7520s flaw is that the cup holders are plastic and their housings can be downright squeaky. You can easily open it up and lube these components if its an issue. Otherwise, the 7520 is an awesome portable.
Isolation: I think the UE6000 is pretty good, and might isolate a bit more than the 7520.
The UE6000 is still a good headphone. The bass has a very good quality. I'm listening to it right now and you can kinda sink into them. They are pretty easy listen.
BTW - I can EQ the UE6000 and it responds very well. Enough to push them into a much higher quality. The 7520 just start out that way without any adjustment needed.
Edit: and the UE6000 leak quite a bit more than the 7520. Which is weird as it seems like the isolate a bit more. weird but confirmed by girlfriend sitting nearby.
Update: I increased my rating of them a smidge, But still feel these are overly dark. This was after spending some quality time with them right out of an O2 / ODAC. These are consumer headphones done right. For the small purchase price these go used, they are steal. After you adjust to their somewhat murky dark signature, they really do have a lot of depth. Still a little coloured and a bit cloudy, but really, if someone isn't too picky this can be their end-game closed headphone. Diminishing returns could start around here, and depending on what you paid for the UE6000 it could be $50 USD!
Definitely a fun headphone, and I may be tempted to get one myself.
Or just put the right music on, leave em as is, crank them up and dance about.