Difference between Sony MDR-7506 & V6

I've been looking for a pair of headphones under $100. I was following some of the other threads. I'm confused as to the difference between the Sony MDR-7506 and MDR-V6 headphones. Some people said they are essentially the same. But, I noticed the V6 sells for about $30 less than the 7506 does. Why is that? What is different about them? Which is a better headphone/ dollar for value?

Tia

Jeff

Jack Hammer said:

I've been looking for a pair of headphones under $100. I was following some of the other threads. I'm confused as to the difference between the Sony MDR-7506 and MDR-V6 headphones. Some people said they are essentially the same. But, I noticed the V6 sells for about $30 less than the 7506 does. Why is that? What is different about them? Which is a better headphone/ dollar for value?

Tia

Jeff

Click to expand...

The official replacement part numbers, as provided by Sony, indicate that every part number is the same between the two headphones except for:

-outer covers that have the model number engraved on them
-cord/plug assembly[the 7506 has a gold plated plug, the V6 has a nickel plated plug]

All other parts are listed as the same, including the transducers.

The price difference is due to different markets. The MDR-V6 is distributed through Sony's consumer division. The MDR-7506 is distributed through Sony's professional division. These two headphones are intended for different markets.

Is there a benefit to purchasing the MDR-7506? Maybe. It does not involve the actual product, but instead the warranty of the product. Some complaints have surfaced online within the last couple of years that when the MDR-V6 has a problem, Sony's consumer support department wants to replace it with the Sony MDR-V600[a different and inferior headphone, but Sony lists this as a replacement for the V6] instead of providing a replacement MDR-V6 or fixing the MDR-V6. The MDR-7506 will be replaced with a MDR-7506 or repaired. Consider the $30 premium to be the cost of a warranty. However, if you are interested in savings, www.simplycheap.com currently has factory refurbished MDR-V6 headphones for $50. Sony factory refurbished headphones are in perfect/as new condition according to my experience with 2 Sony factory refurbished headphones.

-Chris

Just saw some sennheiser 590's......

...I was just looking around at Ubid and they have some sennheiser HD590's for $89. I think those are a better set? How do they compare?

Thanks

Jeff

Jack Hammer said:

...I was just looking around at Ubid and they have some sennheiser HD590's for $89. I think those are a better set? How do they compare?

Thanks

Jeff

Click to expand...

I have seen/handled the HD590, but I have not listened to the product. The construction quality is vastly inferior to the MDR-7506/MDR-V6. This is the only thing that I can comment on in regards to the HD590. The MDR-7506/MDR-V6 is a very linear headphone, however, and I have never used a more accurate headphone[Beyer DT880 might be slightly better in accuracy, but I have not had a chance to do a proper direct miced comparison yet with the DT880, and because the DT880 is an open backed headphone this will further complicate the comparison procedure]. But realize that this accuracy may work against you for most commercial recordings, which are not engineered to be accurate. Also, despite the high accuracy of the MDR-7506/MDR-V6, there is a notch in the response at about 200Hz that causes the midrange to sound somewhat thin over extended listening periods; but I am nitpicking. If you are interested in the particular flaws of the MDR-7506, please refer my analysis/measurements that can be found in the following thread:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=46352#post46352

-Chris

With that in mind...

... I'm going to pick up a pair in the next few weeks. For the slight difference in price, I'll go with the 7506's.
WmAx, I really didn't understand the technical stuff in your other post, but it was enough to sell me. That and the fact that I really like accurate sound, even though it does sometimes make flaws very apparant in what I'm listening to.

Thanks again

Jeff

Jack Hammer said:

... I'm going to pick up a pair in the next few weeks. For the slight difference in price, I'll go with the 7506's.
WmAx, I really didn't understand the technical stuff in your other post, but it was enough to sell me. That and the fact that I really like accurate sound, even though it does sometimes make flaws very apparant in what I'm listening to.

Thanks again

Jeff

Click to expand...

Please report back and provide your opinion(s) concerning this headphone after you have aquired the product.

Good luck!

-Chris

I think you'll like the 7506s. I have a pair (Per WmAx's recommendation) and I couldn't be happier. I use them every day for pleasure listening, and occasionally when I'm goofing off in the studio (which unfortunately isn't very often). Now all I need is a good softare PEQ so I can apply Chris's EQ curves properly. Graphic EQ just doesn't cut it.