Sony MDR-7506

I bought a nice pair of sony studio monitors (MDR-7506), uh, 30 years ago now, and they're still my daily driver. I've had to replace the earpads, but that's it, they're still fabulous headphones. Actually, they're so good, they're still making and selling the exact same model.

100% this. I have had the MDR-7506 since my DJ days about 30 years ago. These are by no means expensive headphones, but compared even to much more higher-end Bluetooth headphones they can easily hold their own. They have good depth and are well balanced. They are just about indestructible, only requiring the occasional pads replacement. Probably one of the best purchases I ever made

Sometimes being cheap and poor is expensive: more expensive sound equipment is more durable. I also used to also buy new headphones (with about the same budget) every 6 to 12 months, usually with the cable breaking somewhere near the connector. I had similar buying criteria as you, but just to test a hypothesis, I spent a weekend researching what to buy and arrived at the MDR7506 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AJIF4E for many times my usual budget. However, they've lasted for 2 years of being shoved in a bag or pocket many times a day and running to lectures, and still show no signs of wear, so they've almost paid for themselves in dollars per day even if they didn't sound better than a $20 pair which, of course, they also do. Highly recommended. Edit: I see other comments also praising these. Yep, we're clearly a knowledgeable lot. :)

I work with a lot of audio in a professional capacity. You're correct if you're saying that neither tech is universally "teh best". And you're correct that wired phones have a lot of advantages. Tack on that they don't have latency, though I've never really tried to track vocals on wireless cans. I have a pretty nice collection of what I consider to be quality mid-tier stuff for my studio (hd280, dt770, mdr7506, k240), and I think they mostly sound better and I can use them longer than I can use the various wireless stuff I use. And the "real" UHF wireless audio I use professionally (well, to collect rather than listen to audio) is very reliable and good sounding but also, like, $1000/ch once it's cased and cabled and properly accessorized. However, for almost all of my day to day listening I use either airpods or a some bluetooth'd 3M ear muffs. I even went back to airpods after going through both wired and other wireless solutions. I don't enjoy having my in-ears ripped out along with my pocket. And universally the cord ends and the physical connector on my phone are the weak spots that have had me replace stuff- I haven't bought a phone in the 5 years since I got one that could charge wirelessly and never has phones plugged into it, and I don't intend to get another one any time soon (knock on wood that my case keeps the screen from breaking and needing me to repair it). I have a bluetooth receiver with an analog out that I keep in my workbox, which I used for program…

I love my 7506s. And I have a recurring event on my calendar to remind me to buy new pads every 2 years. That's almost exactly how long they last. I've tried 3 brands and they've all lasted almost exactly 2 years. The original Sony pads also lasted 2 years.

After years of a Fairbuds XL (never again!) and Bose QC for my Zoom sessions, I've ordered a Sony MDR-7506 because it does not need to be charged, and bluetooth doesn't need to be reconnected etc. Hurray for headphone jacks.

Cast iron is so extremely versatile and durable. I’ve had this one iron skillet for 23 years and it just seems to get better with age. I would also highly recommend enameled iron cookware like pots and pans from Le Cruset (it doesn’t have to be that brand though, there are plenty of excellent off-brand alternatives that are just as good and a lot cheaper). As for headphones, I obsess over the Sony MDR-7506s, which to my ears are the best sounding headphones ever made. These are old-school wired studio monitors and they outperform any hyped “high-end” overpriced headphones. They have a neutral, accurate sound and are surprisingly inexpensive. You can still get then new for about $100. They are my secret audio weapon. Oh and I love Jetbrains tools. I specifically use RubyMine quite a bit. VSCode (with the Ruby and Rails plugins) is great, but RubyMine is just very mature and polished, and it feels professional.

Sony MDR 7506. I got my first pair for monitoring to use with a Panasonic DVX-1000 video cam. I was so impressed I got a pair for my desk and have replaced them a few times over. I've tried may others' headphones but nothing beats it for midrange clarity and neutrality. For my commute I'm using JVC HA-FXD80 in-earphones that I imported from Japan. Great isolation and sound. Again very neutral with clear midrange and no exaggeration of bass or treble. Surprisingly the wires are still fully attached despite being ripped out of my ears and catching on bags etc repeatedly. Edit: I also keep a pair of Bose QuietComfort somethings around with no signal just NC and wear my in-earphones underneath them. Great combo on flights.

I use a pair of Sony MDR7506 headphones. They’re meant to be used in a studio setting, but they block out enough noise if I have music or white noise going and they are relatively comfortable. Plus they sound pretty good music-wise. They’re also relatively cheap (normally around $100 but I got mine for around $80 on sale).

Full disclosure: I'm not a full-time remote worker, but my team has VoIP conference calls if someone's working from home on a particular day (so whenever someone's sick, or if the weather's too bad for someone to make a distant commute). I've been on both sides of these calls. My personal preference is a combination of the Blue Yeti[0] and a pair of Sony MDR-7506[1] phones. This is a really comfortable setup since I can have the Yeti a bit off to the side (not blocking my monitor) while still picking up good quality sound, and I can also step away from my desk (e.g. to look for some files) without worrying that the headphone cable's going to be too short. I've also got the headphones plugged directly into the mic's 3.5mm jack, which means I can control output volume from the microphone (which I find more comfortable than a keyboard). [0] http://www.bluemic.com/products/yeti/ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_MDR-V6

It depends on what you're looking for in size/portability. Personally, I don't mind lugging around big cans. Beyer DT770, Sony MDR-7506, Audio Technica ATH-M50, Sennheiser PX100 are all good options. I've owned all of the above except for the DT770s, but I break headphones a lot, so right now I have AKG K240s which are probably not ideal because they're half-open and will leak a little noise to the surrounding environment. The 7506s are actually my favorite I think. They're affordable but don't feel cheap. Good isolation. They're very simple looking compared to others but have a unique sound that I miss. Might get another pair soon.

Check out the various levels of headphones on The Wirecutter. http://thewirecutter.com/leaderboard/headphones/ I use the Sony MDR-7506 which are rated as the best $150 Over Ear Headphones (actually $90ish on Amazon) and they are very popular with audio pros. Not noise canceling but they are comfortable enough for wearing all day and if you're listening to something, you don't have sound leaking in or out.