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First full size cans recommendation

BrianZ

BrianZ

Active Member
i have been using only my trusty set of Sennheiser PX 100 for years now and i love love love their response. after a few foam pad replacements they are finally breaking down (i hear an occasional buzz on big low notes). so i'm looking for an affordable set of full size headphones with a similar response, which i would describe as a strong yet very tight low end, realistic & present mids and very clear highs but not too bright. iow natural is what i'm after, but not too laid back and dull.
 
Sony MDR7506

I do not own these but I have spent time listening...and are what I currently recommend for $100.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Prof ... +headphone

or if you don't like Amazon:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MDR7506/

----------------

Sony MDR-V6


http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-V6-Monit ... rds=MDR-V6

There is the nearly identical, non "pro" version ( MDR-V6 ). Best explained in the comments of the top review on Amazon for the Sony MDR-7506 :

The Sony MDR-7506 and MDR-V6 are IDENTICAL headphones, with the following differences:

1. PRICE: The MDR-7506 is, depending on where you buy it, about $20 dollars MORE than the MDR-V6 (comparing the lowest current street prices I found, $84 vs $65, MSRP is $130 vs. $109.99).

2. WARRANTY: They both have a 1 year parts and 90 days labor manufacturer warranty from Sony, but since the MDR-7506 warranty is handled by Sony's professional product division, some report a better customer service experience. The MDR-V6 warranty is handled by the regular Sony consumer products division. (My MDR-V6 has lasted about 20 years without any problem, as others in these reviews have reported, so unless you have a problem right out of the box, in which case you should get a new replacement directly from the seller, you likely will never make use of Sony's warranty, IMO).

3. PARTS (aesthetic only): If you look at the Sony parts/repair list, you will see that ALL parts for the MDR-7506 and MDR-V6 are identical except for:
a) the aluminum earcups (because they have the different respective model number stamped into them), and
b) the connector and unimatch plug adapter (because they are gold plated on the MDR-7506 and nickel plated on the MDR-V6), and
c) the sticker that is factory applied to the earcups (blue with "Professional" on the 7506, red with "Digital" on the V6).

So, the 2 models really are virtually identical with a 30% price increase. I'd personally much rather buy the MDR-V6 and spend the extra $20 on something tangible! Awesome headphones, either way.
 
cool, thanks. i'll look into them. after doing some research a big favorite online seems to be the Audio Technica ATH-M50. what do people around here think of these?

also, what is the consensus on this guy from Head-Fi: http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootou ... d-12-02-12 ? he seems to like the MDR-V6 as well, but has a bit of preference for the MDR ZX700. and prefers the Audio Technica's over all of the above.


anyway, I'm holding the top contenders in my Amazon shopping cart and so far here is the list:

Audio Technica ATH-M50 (both straight and coiled cable)
Sony MDR7506
Sony MDRZX700
Grado SR60i or SR80i
 
i decided i do want to go with circumaural so that eliminates the Grado's, for better or worse. and since obviously no one can really tell me what i'd prefer i just ordered both the MDR7506 and ATH-M50 from Amazon and i'll send back the loser. i'll report back. thanks for your input.
 
Good man! I'm looking forward to your reviews. The world of headphones is just as slippery a slope as speaker systems... sigh.
 
BrianZ said:
i decided i do want to go with circumaural so that eliminates the Grado's, for better or worse. and since obviously no one can really tell me what i'd prefer i just ordered both the MDR7506 and ATH-M50 from Amazon and i'll send back the loser. i'll report back. thanks for your input.
Click to expand...


Smart move to buy both. I forgot about the often recommended ATH-M50. I don't remember what they sound like and didn't spend much time with them at a Head-Fi meet years ago. I don't read Head-Fi these days like I once did. I'm not looking to spend any money on headphones or amps anytime soon.

I look forward to your findings.

Oh yeah, about joker at Head-Fi- I trust his reviews. I've owned or own quite a few IEMs and headphones that he's reviewed and I agree with his thoughts damn near 100%.
 
As with anything audio, it's all about the sound signature. Many people love traditional dynamic drivers, others are devout planar magnetic fans. I myself am a IEM junkie and prefer dynamic drivers for bass heavy music, although balanced armature's are quick and punchy.

Rope
 
yeah can't wait to try 'em, tho reviews are all over the place. bottom line seems to be that neither is especially flat response so we'll see. since i can handle low end push more than brightness (again i really like the PX 100's) i'm guessing i'm gonna like the M50's more due to the smoother high end. if flat response were my top priority (which is not necessarily the case) are there any other sets i should be looking into at the ~$100 price point?
 
GreatDane said:
BrianZ said:
i decided i do want to go with circumaural so that eliminates the Grado's, for better or worse. and since obviously no one can really tell me what i'd prefer i just ordered both the MDR7506 and ATH-M50 from Amazon and i'll send back the loser. i'll report back. thanks for your input.
Click to expand...


Smart move to buy both. I forgot about the often recommended ATH-M50. I don't remember what they sound like and didn't spend much time with them at a Head-Fi meet years ago. I don't read Head-Fi these days like I once did. I'm not looking to spend any money on headphones or amps anytime soon.

I look forward to your findings.

Oh yeah, about joker at Head-Fi- I trust his reviews. I've owned or own quite a few IEMs and headphones that he's reviewed and I agree with his thoughts damn near 100%.
Click to expand...

It's impossible to spend much time at a Head-Fi meet, unless you want to walk out buck nekkid (except for the 5 headphones and 3 amps you bought) and walk home.

|Joker| is the real deal, even though he never sleeps or eats.

Rope
 
gosh, after doing more reading (compulsively, i'll say) i wonder if i should have ordered the ZX700 instead of the 7506 to A/B against the M50's. any thoughts? i don't think they have shipped yet so i can still cancel and reorder.
 
I am a true believer of the MDR7506. I have two sets for recording and give them away as Christmas presents to my musician friends. For the money, few can compare. They are punchy, accurate, "fast", and don't generally cause fatigue.
 
Flint said:
I am a true believer of the MDR7506. I have two sets for recording and give them away as Christmas presents to my musician friends. For the money, few can compare. They are punchy, accurate, "fast", and don't generally cause fatigue.
Click to expand...

cool. so you're on record as preferring them overall to the M50's then?
 
OK got 'em both and listening now. Here we go with some quick first impressions:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50
The deep bass is too much for me, yet they seem to also somehow lack a little in the "normal" to upper bass range. High end is really close, though if I'm being picky (and why wouldn't I?) I'd actually shave a little off the very top - not a deal breaker tho. The mids are actually about perfect for me. I'm guessing some people call these a little scooped or V-shaped because of the prominence of the deep bass and the very top end?? Anyway, I find the mids plenty warm and natural. Soundstage: plenty of space for me; I like a little intimacy so no complaints here. As for comfort: pretty good but they're kinda heavy and since the the ear cups are so deep and wide I feel them sitting on my jaw and part of my face - not terribly though. Bottom line, they are really close to great but that deep bass extension and accompanying dip in the normal/upper bass range (aka bass guitar) makes them a no go for me (I love bass guitar even tho I'm a guitar player).

Sony MDR7506
Love love love the low end - just perfectly real and full. BUT the mids and highs are both wrong for me. Mid focus is way too high and the highs too strident. Sibilant? I don't know what that word means so I can't use it. But I can easily say brittle, papery, harsh - or simply too bright. Just not natural to me. I crave a lot more warmth and fullness overall. However I do find these more comfy - I could almost forget they're on. I also have no complaints about the soundstage - either I am very easy to please in this regard or both sets are pretty good at this.

Anyway, judging by these early impressions my ideal set would have approx the low end of the 7506, the mids of the M50, and the highs of the M50 (maybe ever-so-slightly trimmed). I am planning to send back both the above sets, and I also just put the Sony MDRZX700 in my Amazon Cart on the basis that they might have the same low end of the 7506, yet with a much warmer and fuller overall balance in the mids and highs - is this a decent gamble?

FWIW after listening to both of these I am now finding my Senn PX 100 a bit too boomy, thick and dull. Go figure, lol. I think what I'm after is the natural balance and clarity I get from my Paradigm Studio 20 V3's with the Dayton Audio 10" sub i just got. God I love my Studio 20's!! Too much to ask for ~$100 cans?
 
Like I said, slippery slope. Pretty soon you'll be looking for Beyerdynamic T1's. :laughing:

Yes, Flint has a well known preference for overly bright headphones. :violence-torch:

(sorry, there's a long history of that discussion here centered around AKG K701)
 
PaulyT said:
Like I said, slippery slope. Pretty soon you'll be looking for Beyerdynamic T1's. :laughing:
Click to expand...

Ahhh yesss , the T1- my stopping point.

Brian, now you get a taste of what I've gone through over 6 or 7 years. A dozen headphones later... I've tasted many flavors and enjoyed the ride. :music-listening:

I actually really liked many of them but I couldn't afford to keep them all and I realized that there's really not much sense in owning several if there's one that's superior and gets almost all of the head time.

I spent a ton of time reading Head-Fi when I was wanting a new sound to experiment with. Reading until your eyes bleed is rewarding unless you can buy and sell or can attend a large meet.

Good luck finding your ideal headphone.
 
thanks for the input, all. yeah this is fun stuff, and really i'm no stranger to audio obsession as i went through the same thing with speakers for my home system, not to mention the biggest rabbit hole of them all: music gear (guitar). i have over 5000 posts on guitar gear forums - yikes!

btw i did order the ZX700's, as well as a set of HiFiMan RE-ZERO IEM's for my wife (well, sorta). at what point does this fun hobby move into the sad and unhealthy zone??
 
BrianZ said:
at what point does this fun hobby move into the sad and unhealthy zone??
Click to expand...

Never. That's defeatist thinking there. :snooty:
 
When you buy a $5,000.00 headphone amp and swear the sonic quality is head and shoulders over your $3,000.00 headphone amp.

Rope
 
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