Sony Digital Reference Headphones

Reference has breathed new life into my Sony MDR-V6's which have been faithfully serving me for more than 10 years. The only qualm I've had with the Sony's are an apparent sibilance, even if it can be pleasant at times. Reference improves that problem (including an issue with bass) to flatten the response. This has helped immensely with mixing, but has also made general listening more enjoyable and less fatiguing. SONARWORKS has reviewed lots of headphones and rated them based on their before and after calibration performance, so if you're on the market for new headphones, that might be a good starting point for reference. They also offer an additional service for individual calibration which requires sending your headphones in so they can produce a personal profile for your headphones, as opposed to using the general profiles included with the software (you can also purchase a new pre-calibrated pair from them). That's all of course if you're looking for some kind of edge and really find yourself doing a great deal of work on headphones; it could certainly be worth the extra cost particularly for mastering headphones. Pairing this software with something like CanOpener (to simulate monitor crossfeed) will put you pretty close to a solid monitor mixing environment, so this is incredible software particularly for compact or mobile headphone-centric setups, or as a compliment to a studio setup that utilizes headphones in any critical way. Looking forward to using it with new headphones when the time comes. Highly recommended. Be sure to check the full headphone compatibility list to be sure they at least have a general profile for your particular model.

Trying other headphones over the years revealed one thing: Sony's MDR 7506 headphones are unparalleled reference headphones. They are comfortable and well-built, the pads last a long time and are easily replaceable and, most importantly, sound is reproduced faithfully without coloration. Excellence at an excellent price.

I've had this for almost a year and feel they are a real breakthrough in headphones. It's a big, grand sound along with palpable, natural images with real-life spatial portrayal. They are not fatiguing, especially with the optional Sony-Kimber headphone cable made especially for the Z1R (available at Amazon). The Z1R to me has a wonderful warm resonance that does sound aggressive, but is still uncannily real. The music flows but has real impact and humanity. You may want to give up on speakers with these headphones. It's a unique sound that you will not find with any other headphones. Many high end headphones can be shrill and painful in the name of a vivid sound, but that can be hard to live with. Not the Z1R, it is inviting while also resolving, with a balanced sound that is riveting and still supremely musical and detailed. And it's very comfortable too. It is best with a good, fairly powerful amplifier. The Z1R is a real cure for over-shrill digital sound. It sound analog, almost vinyl-like with any digital input. It's an awesome achievement for Sony IMHO.

Been cross shopping studio reference headphones for A WHILE, finally decided on the ATH-M50x and couldn't be happier for the price. B&H had best price on the internet and shipping was legit lightning fast. Highly recommend both!

Drives my Grado RS1e reference headphones like an amp that cost multiple times the cost of the Apogee. My appreciation to Apogee for delivering an exceptional product.

An outstanding cheap set of cans. These were the reference headphones we used in university & de rigueur at a lot of radio stations Ive worked at.  They are comfortable for extended use. Less lo-mid bump than Sonys not quite as brittle as Beyers. Close back great for tracking vocals. Not well suited for field production like 7506s but great for studio.

Some of the best headphones I've ever owned. For reference I have used Bose QC 35 II, AirPods Pro, Sony, Beats. These are pricy but worth the money.

I use this product as a reference check while mixing. These headphones are especially good for hearing midrange and high frequency issues in the mix. Any sibilance problems will stand out clearly with these headphones. A very useful tool for hearing unwanted artifacts that result from compression, EQ, vocal tuning, reverb, etc. A small minority of folks may find these headphones pleasing for casual music listening, but I would not recommend these headphones for that purpose. They are far too detailed and critical. Not necessarily the flattering type of listening experience. Rather, they are a useful tool for a recording engineer or producer who needs to hear subtleties within the complex layer of music. Headphones such as the K701s are just about necessary for the artist who wants to create professional quality, artifact-free recordings.

I used these to mix/reference on, I sat for about 5 hours without getting fatiuged or irritated with something on my head and ears like other headphones. Nice smooth flat sound, the tops are nice and crisp, and you dont get a false idea of the low end like with closed back headphones.

I prefer my Audio-technica for mixing but I have a couple other sets of headphones and speakers to reference between. These sound fantastic at a great price.