You'd think newer always means better. Especially for headphones, where it seems a new model is minted every hour.
But doing some research a few months ago, I spoke to a Grammy Award-winning audio engineer, Jim Anderson, who recommended an age-old headphone, the Sony MDR-7506.
The 22-year-old Sony MDR-7506 headphones remain a favorite of audio pros.The MDR-7506 has been sold for two decades as a headphone for studio professionals. These “cans†are a common sight at mixing boards because of their balanced sound, portability and modest price. So I tried a pair.
First thing, they are an over-the-ear closed design. That means padded cups isolate you from outside sound. That can be good for you and for seatmates in planes, trains and automobiles. The drawback is they can get hot during prolonged listening â€" the kind you are apt to do in planes, trains and automobiles.
I found them a good fit over my smallish ears and lightweight enough to wear an hour or so before my lobes cried out for a break.
The sound is nicely balanced, lacking the thudding bass of many popular headphones, although some electric bass sounded a bit muddy. Some say the higher tones are harsh. I didn't think so except on the crunchy guitar licks of Joe Bonamassa's version of “Jockey Full of Bourbon.†Not a dealbreaker.
Even though these are full-size headphones, they fold in on themselves to reduce size by about half. Too large for a pocket, but easy to stow in a backpack or messenger bag.
The price is $80 online. A “consumer†version of the headphone, the MDR-V6 is $68 online. The specifications are somewhat different, and you miss out on niceties like gold plated plugs, but the consensus is that they sound nearly identical.
For at-home listening, I still give a slight edge to the $100 on-ear Grado SR80i headphones, which I find more comfortable and to have better soundstage â€" a sort of audio 3-D effect that makes individual instruments seem to come from different spots in a room. But for travel, I might go with the MDR-7506.
