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Sony MDR-7506

#23 overall · closed-back wired · counts updated Oct 2026

Sony MDR-7506

Ranked #23 of 31: 23 people recommend it and 46 say they own it. Most repeated praise: The studio standard since 1991; owners keep pairs for 9-30 years. Most repeated complaint: Bass is thin; the most repeated complaint.

The under-$100 closed-back with thirty years of studio owners behind it.

Studio classicClosed-backBargainUnder $200
People who recommend it
23
Say they own it
46
Mentions
287
Posts read
2,057
Check price on Amazon · $115Buy direct from the maker

Price when checked (Sep 2026): $115. Sony US store price $114.99 (read 2026-09-26)

What owners love

3
  • The studio standard since 1991; owners keep pairs for 9-30 years
  • Cheap, loud from anything, and repairable with third-party pads
  • Clear, forward mids that owners use as a reference for vocals

The complaints

4
  • Bass is thin; the most repeated complaint
  • Bright, sometimes harsh upper mids
  • Stock pads flake; the coiled cable is not detachable
  • Plastic feel

Where owners disagree

Called hyped and not neutral by some producers, the honest workhorse by others.

The 12 sources

Every thread and video these notes come from.

Owner = the person says they use it. Recommendation = passed on without saying so. Dates are when the thread or video was posted.

Recommended for

Compared with

The headphones people weigh against this one most often, counted from comments that name both.

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