[milesandcoltrane]

I don't know why its the case but it seems that these cans don't seem to get much love around these parts.

Recently in the route to picking some mid-fi cans - the DT880 being chief among my list and the HD600 a pretty close second - I stumbled upon the MDR 7506 and fell in love with them instantly.

With the DT880, everything was fine and dandy except on two fronts. Sibilance and high frequencies were fairly painful at times. This occurred alot with trumpets and brass instruments. Cymbals were also rendered bone dry and brittle. Percussion instruments also lacked the impact. These problems were not something I could live with. Granted they were 80% solved when plugged to a dedicated CDP via the Edge amp as opposed to my Macbook and Edge amp.

In comparison, the MDR 7506 didn't feature any of these problems. The high frequencies aren't piercing and painful. Sibilance was absent. Yet at the same time they were relatively forward and alive.

Mid range is nicely rendered. With the DT880, the mids are quite recessed. Only realised this when I compared them to the MDR 7506. Bass is of course more tightly rendered in the DT880. With the MDR 7506 it's not as clearly defined.

I'd also go as far to say that the MDR 7506 is about as transparent (90-95%) as the DT880. Then again these are studio monitoring cans.

I'm just really surprised at how much sound I can get at such a low price. The only thing going against the MDR 7506 as opposed to the DT880 is they sound a bit grainy at times and the bass is not as tight and clearly defined. A tad bloomy. The other BIG negative is that their not as airy and don't have much in the way of soundstage. But personally I enjoy a cosseted and intimate sound. If I want a soundstage I'd go listen to some speakers. Granted in complex passages of music they do sound congested. But it's bearable.

A big bonus is that I get 100% performance without the need for a dedicated CDP. With the DT880 I felt the sound dipped considerably when used from my Macbook via the Edge amp. I can't quite gun for a dedicated CDP setup just as yet, as I don't spend much time at home.

Any other head-fier's out there who love your MDR 7506?

 

[Xan7hos]

Congrat's on finding a new headphone! In regards to your 80% sibilance gone due to source, you may want to consider getting a DAC for your MacBook..i know the Apogee Duet gets a lot of love around these parts, and it shouldn't be too painful on the wallet. Also, because of this comment, I have to ask..how are the highs on the Sony? Does it have better details than the 880?

 

[MD1032]

The V6's are a very underrated headphone, in my opinion.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Xan7hos - Thanks buddy! I'm uber elated now that I've found these cans. With regards to the highs, they can be upfront compared to say the Senn house sound but without being fatiguing.

They occupy a nice middle ground for me as I found the DT880's sibilant at times. On the downside their not as sparkly as the highs on Grados (then again the only recent Grados I've auditioned are the GS1000 and those are like 10 times the price of the Sonys, on a sidenote the GS1000 is a fantastic set of cans, out of my price range though). I guess the best description of the highs on the Sony, as well as the mids, is that their neutral/slightly(perfectly for me) forward.

As for the details, I'd say these are on par with the DT880 if not better. They're incredibly (and sometimes unforgivingly) transparent. I made it a point to compare 320AAC and ALAC/AIFF lossless and for the last 4 Jazz albums I've been listening to the past hour or two I could easily tell the difference. Granted I closed my eyes and clicked the songs on iTunes - a tad crude where methodology is concerned - but the results speak for themselves.

On a sidenote I do believe the cans or rather the pads have to sit perfectly around your ears to get the best of what these cans have to offer. They're a circum-aural design, however the space where your ears fit is quite small. If you have pretty big ears they won't sit properly and the SQ might be affected. They fit my ears absolutely perfectly to the T and hence I presume my excellent impressions of these cans.

Of course compared to the DT880 you give up airiness and a wide soundstage. Thankfully I have a very strong preference for an intimate presentation. And if I were to nitpick down to the absolute last point of contention, I'd say the DT880 are a tad smoother and ever so slightly less grainy.

MD1032 - Haven't heard the V6 but based on what I've read here and elsewhere they're set to be exactly the same, save for minor cosmetics and the gold plated plug. Based on that I'd reply "Hell Yeah they're underrated!!!!" at the risk of sounding like a fanboy =)

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Oh yeah I do need to get a DAC and possibly an amp either combined or separate. The Apogee looks promising, however its Firewire only and the unibody Macbook I have has sadly given this port up - much to the chagrin of many old time mac loyalists.

Any other recommendations for DAC/amp guys? I posted on the amp and portable amp sections but have gotten next to no love where replies are concerned =(

 

[^adm^]

I also preferred ms1's over dt880, not only for sq alone (i dont compare sq of one to another please note this before flaming if you plan to ) but portability has meanings extending listening while walking that is what i learned from that experience.

You cant enjoy music on computer while it is 38° degrees instead of listening in balcony or garden.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Yeah ^adm^ it is true that the ability to take your music where you want to has immense benefits. For one it maximizes one's ability to enjoy one's music. For a person like me who spends a whole bunch of time outside the home, this means I can listen to music a whole lot more. It definitely makes my day better. Though I long for the day when I own my place or have a long term rent in place instead of bouncing around on from dorm room to dorm room.

 

[mobbaddict]

Very interesting. The CD900ST is on the top of my list right now, it's supposed to be as flat as the 7506 (if not flatter). I was wondering how those Sony studio cans handle treble. It doesn't look so bad compared to a DT880 eh?
Now how is the bass exactly? Is it slow?

 

[milesandcoltrane]

They handle treble fairly well. Sibilance is not an issue here, which I'm really glad for. The mids and treble are just a tad forward. This makes it involving and engaging, unlike the laid back Senns yet not as painful as the Grados and Beyer DT880. Its a good middle ground. The bass is sadly not as tight or well defined as the DT880. It's not as fast as well. But neither is it bloated, bloomy or flabby in the typical consumer boom box sorta way. I do wish it could be tighter and deeper though.

 

[alpha80]

7506 has a small dip in the upper bass, but that's exactly what makes it the ultimate closed vocal headphone, including cans with much higher price tags.

I'll of course take an open AKG for most listening, and a bass monster for knockaround fun use. But the MDR-7506 fills the vocal tracking niche like no other.

 

[D_4_Dog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MD1032 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The V6's are a very underrated headphone, in my opinion.

x2. not quite sure what happened either. In the early days of head-fi and head-wize the V6/7506 came up a lot more. Guess times have changed and people have moved on. Still, they're great for the price, and did i mention virtually indestructable? If WWIII breaks out I'm sure they'd be the only cans to survive

 

[doping panda]

Those Beyer DT48s would probably survive as well. Those things have monstrous build quality.