REASONS TO BUY
Bright
And clear sound
Realtively inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Brighness can sound harsh to some
Sony MDR-7506 Review
Offer impressive clarity in the treble range on the cheap
Credit: Sony
RELATED: Best Over Ear Headphones
Our Verdict
The Sony MDR-7506 provides an exceptionally bright and clear sound at a very low price point. If you're one that likes to pick apart every lilt and twang of vocals and guitars, these headphones provide tons of detail for you to enjoy. However, they don't balance that brightness with much bass power. That top-heavy bright sound, though cherished by some, may feel taxing to listen to for others. These headphones are also wired and don't have active noise cancellation, so they're better suited for listening in quiet locations and aren't particularly convenient for travel. Check out our review of the top-ranked over ear headphones to see how they measured up to the competition.
Editor's Note: This review was updated on January 19, 2022, with more information about the headphones we'd purchase or recommend to a friend.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Sony MDR-7506 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Most Comfortable Premium Over Ear Headphones | Best Overall Over Ear Headphones |  Best Bang for the Buck | ||
| Price | $100 List $83.00 at Amazon | $379 List | $350 List $198.00 at Amazon | $350 List $199.00 at Amazon | $60 List $54.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Simple wired phones that emphasize the treble range | One of the most comfortable and best-sounding pair of headphones we've ever tested | This pair offers our favorite listening experience and noise cancellation | A premium pair of headphones that offers all the important features you could ask for | These headphones offer an impressive listening experience for their price range |
| Rating Categories | Sony MDR-7506 | Bose Noise Cancelli... | Sony WH-1000XM4 | Bose QuietComfort 3... | Soundcore Life Q20 |
| Sound Quality (30%) | |||||
| Noise Isolation (25%) | |||||
| Comfort (25%) | |||||
| User Friendliness (10%) | |||||
| Portability (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Sony MDR-7506 | Bose Noise Cancelli... | Sony WH-1000XM4 | Bose QuietComfort 3... | Soundcore Life Q20 |
| Noise cancelling | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manufacturer reported battery life (hours) | N/A | 20 | 30 | 40 wired, 20 BT | 40 |
| Measured weight (ounces) | 8.1 | 9.2 | 8.8 | 10.9 | 9.3 |
| Included case | Soft carrying pouch | Semi-hard case | Semi-hard case | Semi-hard case | Lined drawstring pouch |
| App | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Earcup padding cover material | Leatherette | Leather | Foamed urethane/leatherette | Synthetic protein leather | Leatherette |
| Charging cable length (inches) | N/A | 42" | 7.9" | 47.2" | 40" |
| Microphone for voice | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth version | N/A | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 5.0 |
| Onboard buttons | None | Volume, play/pause, forward/back, noise cancelling, voice assistant, power/bluetooth, answer/decline/mute calls | Volume, change track, take/make calls | Volume, play/pause, forward/back, noise cancelling | Volume, multifunction, power, NC |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Sony MDR-7506 and its bright clarity bring out lots of detail in the mid and treble ranges, making it great for people who like to appreciate detail and nuance in those ranges. They sound noticeably different from the brassier and warmer headphones that currently dominate the marketplace, so not everyone will be enamored with their sound.
Performance Comparison
Credit: Max Mutter
Sound Quality
These are some of the brightest headphones we've listened to, meaning they produce higher-pitched sounds with incredible accuracy and clarity. Many audio professionals love these headphones because of their ability to reveal any unnatural hisses or whines creeping into a recording. For the casual listener, this means vocals and higher guitar notes are going to sound sharp, crisp, and in your face. This adds some impressive detail to acoustic arrangements and makes podcasts sound great.
While this bright sound can reveal much detail in the treble and even mid-ranges, it is not balanced by much power or depth in the bass range. The bass is still represented and well defined but generally doesn't come to the forefront. Because of this, some people find the overall sound of these headphones to be a bit harsh, and fans of bass-heavy genres may think they sound a bit too light.
The Sony MDR-7506 offers impressive brightness and clarity.
Credit: Max Mutter
Noise Isolation
Without active noise cancellation, these headphones manage only to muffle rather than block most ambient noises. Turning the volume up on your music can generally drown out those muffled sounds, but louder environments require that you either blast your music or just deal with some ambient noise making it to your ears while you listen to music.
Comfort
The Sony MDR-7506 features relatively soft cushioning on the earcups, but those cups are fairly flat. This design means the cups sit against your ears, almost like a pair of on-ear headphones. In general, we still found this fit comfortable enough for hours of wear, but if you don't like things touching your ears, you probably won't like the fit of these headphones.
Te Earcups are large and plush.
Credit: Max Mutter
User Friendliness
The Sony MDR-7506 leans into its wired simplicity, not offering any controls of extra features. We do like that the coiled cable provides some literary flexibility, but otherwise, these headphones are about as bare-bones as it gets.
Portability
The Sony MDR-7506 folds up impressively small but provides only a soft bag to use as a carrying case. When traveling with these headphones, you either have to be careful about where you pack them or pick up a more durable carrying case.
The Sony MDR-7506 packs down quite small.
Credit: Max Mutter
Should You Buy the Sony MDR-7506?
The Sony MDR-7506 offers a great but particular kind of listening experience. If you like exceptional clarity and detail in the higher frequencies (vocals and high guitars) of your music, these are fantastic headphones. If not, you should likely pass on these.
The included carrying pouch isn't particularly protective.
Credit: Max Mutter
What Other Over Ear Headphones Should You Consider?
We can see how some would be drawn to these headphones for the Sony name or the more reasonable price. However, given the specific sound quality of these wired headphones, it is unlikely they are a suitable match for most. If wired headphones or this price range is your draw, we prefer the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. This pair has a similar price but scored better overall and in most test metrics. If your budget is tighter, the Soundcore Life Q20 has a list price less than half of the Sony, and it earned significantly higher test scores. We think they are a better value and that most readers will prefer them over this pair of Sonys.
—Max Mutter
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