I recently got a chance to try a pair of Sony MDR-7506 at the Seattle Mini-meet. I have to say that I liked absolutely everything about them immediately (build quality, looks, comfort and sound) and I can see where they got their rep as classic studio/mastering cans. IMHO they are a real price/performance bargain.

I'd get a pair (and in fact I want one) but my Denon's sound close enough that it would be a waste of money at this point. Team AH-Denon takes precedence here. Besides, I would want to keep my Denon 950's, and the 750's are cosmetically imperfect and relatively unknown so I wouldn't get much money for them.

As far as some people saying the 7506 has "screechy highs," sometimes I find myself wondering if a certain audiophile contingent prefers rolled-off treble rather than normal treble extending all the way to 20+ KHz which people seem to claim causes "ear fatigue" (huh?). The highs sounded just fine to me. Bass extension and tightness were awesome, completely free of low-end mud. Zero distortion at higher volumes.

All I can say is... if you're looking for something in the ~$100 range, get these cans. I'd recommend the Denon AH-D750 and AH-D950 but they're discontinued. The V6/7506 is what I'll be recommending from now on for someone looking for good sound in the ~$100 range. Very nice cans.

Edit -- I can see some potential flames coming after I said a few slightly negative things about the Grado HP-1000, but here I am plugging a pair of cans at 1/10 the cost...

I bought a pair five days ago and I have to say I am liking them alot. I just updated my post about headphone shopping and was singing their praises too.

I used Sony V6s for years so it's like coming back to an old familiar place but with new ears.

John

They are great cans for the money. But whatever your preferences, I will have to say that they can be a little strident and fatiguing, if not exactly screechy.

I just bought a pair yesterday after a year away from them, and I was surprised that the mids sounded a little more fluid and pleasant than I'd remembered. For portable/studio use, I'm pretty happy with them.

Someone once called the HD497 the "little brother" of the HD580. In the same way, I'd call the V6 the "little brother" of the HD590. I own both, and except for the soundstage and overall richness, they are surprisingly similar in tone.

Anyone wanting to pick-up a pair of these headphones (MDR V6), that is located in Southern California, can find them at Fry's Manhatten Beach store. I was in there this weekend & they had them "in stock", for $79.00. There were about six pairs available.

i bought a used pair a year ago and i could npot stand the treble of these cans . i cant enjoy my music as the highs are too bright so i sold the off after a few days .

it is just a matter of preference i guess....

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The Fry's in San Diego has the V6s too.

i love my MDR-7506. no matter what new cans i buy, i always end up going back to the MDR-7506. i've gone through the Koss Sportapros, KSC-35, Sony MDR-D66sl eggos, Etys ER6, Grado SR60, etc... i still love the MDR-7506 best, although the SR60 holds a special place in my heart as they were my first hi-fi cans.

to me the MDR-7506 are one of the best headphone values of all time, the MDR-V6 is an even better value.

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From my limited experience with the HP-1000's, I can see why a fan of those cans might think so (note: this is not a knock on the HP-1000, I hope nobody gets the idea I disliked the HP-1000 when in fact I liked the sound of them quite a bit). Although I'm drifting away from the Grado sound as a matter of personal preference, I thought they sounded very rich and dramatic.

Sorry, just thought I'd emphasize that since it almost came to flaming with someone else when I mentioned that the HP-1000's might be a bit tipped-up in midrange.

I really do think it's a matter of preference, as the MDR-7506 have a sort of sound which I've come to associate with cans marketed for studio/mastering purposes. It's difficult to describe, but I'd say slightly tipped up bass, flat to slightly recessed midrange, and slightly tipped up treble (combined with a 'closed can' sound). My impression of the HP-1000 was the inverse -- flat to slightly recessed bass, slightly tipped up midrange, and flat to slightly recessed treble -- and of course, much better imaging and soundstage than the 7506. The frequency bumps were less dramatic with the HP-1000 than with the 7506, but the very first thing I noticed with the HP-1000 was the midrange. The first thing I noticed with the 7506 was the bass and treble. I didn't notice a damn thing with the HD-580's I listened to... nothing frequency related jumped out at me at all.

Disclaimer... I didn't listen to any of these cans for very long (10-15 minutes tops) nor with a variety of sources or recordings, so please take it for whatever it's worth. I do have something of a talent with tone and pitch, however.

Glad you liked the V6. I still enjoy my V6 after nearly a year of ownership. They were the first hi-fi cans I had heard, and the first hi-fi cans I owned. I like my Beyer DT770's more, but those aren't very portable and are amp dependent. While the V6's show a lot of improvement with an amp, they can sound good out of nearly anything and are portable too. And they're the cans I can thank for getting me into this insane hobby

I got V6's due to recommendations on this board last July.

While I've only had Grado SR-60's to really compare too , they are a great buy.

Paid around $85 from Frys Electronics.

Want to hear them through a quality amp though

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They're not accurate:

Large bass emphasis, and mild lower treble emphasis.

He never said they were accurate, he said they sounded good . I think they sound good too, although not entirely accurate.

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Your point being?

A lot of headphones are not accurate. That doesn't make them any less enjoyable to listen to. If it's really a big deal for someone, EQ could theoretically be used. I heard the bass emphasis, but it sounded like tight bass to me.

These are $75-$100 cans, whatcha want?

Edit -- uoods beat me to it...

fewtch, you said you heard the V6 at a meet; am I right in assuming that you heard them amped? Because I've never heard the V6 amped, but unamped the bass has some slightly boomy/flabby quality and the highs definitely have an unnatural sharpness... both of which disappear with a decent amp, from what I've read.