yo, honestly, if ur on a budget like me, I'd TOTALLY stick with the classic Sony MDR-7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone. I think I got mine for like $90 and they are literally amazing for mixing!! - They're super cheap
- Sounds legendary to me
- Really sturdy But yeah, save ur cash for other gear cuz these are legendary! Love it! gl!

sooo i stumbled upon this and had to jump in! honestly, i’ve been playing with audio gear for years, but i still feel like a total newbie whenever a new model drops lol. back in the day i just used whatever was in the studio, usually the 7506s, but my ears would get sooo tired after an hour of tweaking compression. for your situation, i would suggest the Sony MDR-MV1 Open-Back Reference Monitor Headphones. i finally tried them recently and they’re basically a game changer for critical mixing compared to older models. here's why i'm loving them:
- the open-back design makes the soundstage feel huge, which is great for spatial stuff.
- they are literally the most comfortable headphones i've ever worn.
- way less "ear fatigue" than the closed-back Sony MDR-M1ST High-Resolution Monitor Headphones. tbh, the biggest lesson i've learned over the years is that if you aren't comfortable, you won't make good decisions on your EQ. hope that helps a bit!! gl!

sooo i stumbled upon this and had to jump in! honestly, i’ve been playing with audio gear for years, but i still feel like a total newbie whenever a new model drops lol. back in the day i just used whatever was in the studio, usually the 7506s, but my ears would get sooo tired after an hour of tweaking compression. for your situation, i would suggest the Sony MDR-MV1 Open-Back Reference Monitor Headphones. i finally tried them recently and they’re basically a game changer for critical mixing compared to older models. here's why i'm loving them:
- the open-back design makes the soundstage feel huge, which is great for spatial stuff.
- they are literally the most comfortable headphones i've ever worn.
- way less "ear fatigue" than the closed-back Sony MDR-M1ST High-Resolution Monitor Headphones. tbh, the biggest lesson i've learned over the years is that if you aren't comfortable, you won't make good decisions on your EQ. hope that helps a bit!! gl!

Regarding what #4 said about "Nice, didn't know that" - tbh I wish I had more positive news to add. I've been a Sony user for ages but my recent experience with their newer studio stuff was actually pretty disappointing. I tried moving on from my Sony MDR-7506 and the new models just were not as good as expected. The build quality felt way more fragile and they gave me massive ear fatigue after just an hour of use. Ngl, it felt like they were prioritizing weight over the durability I actually need for daily studio work. Ive even started looking at other brands because I'm honestly worried about the longevity of the newer Sony stuff compared to the old tanks. I'm always super cautious about switching gear because I need things to last through long sessions. Just to get a better idea of your setup... are you mainly looking for something with a detachable cable, or is that not a big deal for you? And do you strictly need a closed-back design to prevent sound leaking into your mic during tracking?

Nice, didn't know that

^ This. Also, reading through these comments made me reflect on my own journey. I've spent literally decades sitting in dark rooms tweaking knobs, and in my experience, if you want that professional reliability, you just have to go with the top-tier Sony studio offerings. I remember one session about five years ago where my high-end boutique headphones from a different brand literally snapped in half mid-mix. It was a nightmare. I switched back to an older Sony pair I had in a drawer and realized I should've just stayed with them from the jump. The way they handle the low-end and clarity is just distinct once you get used to it. Honestly, just get any of their professional-grade studio units that are designed for high-resolution audio. Sony really knows what they are doing with their legacy tech, so basically anything from their dedicated pro line is gonna be a solid investment that lasts you years. Dont overthink the exact specs too much, just trust the brand reputation because they build stuff for actual working engineers.

@Reply #5 - good point! I totally get where you're coming from with the build quality concerns on some of the newer gear. It can feel like they just dont make them like they used to, and that plastic feel can be a real turn-off when you're dropping a couple hundred bucks. But honestly, if you're doing serious mixing and want to stick with Sony without the massive price tag of the MV1, you should really check out the Sony MDR-CD900ST Studio Monitor Headphones. I've been using them in my DIY setup for a while and they're basically the secret sauce for Japanese engineers for a reason.

• super flat response so you actually hear the mistakes in your mix
• parts are super easy to find if you're into DIY repairs later on
• way more comfortable for long sessions than the old 7506 tanks They aren't as "fun" as consumer cans but for tweaking EQ and catching those tiny details, they're a literal lifesaver. You might have to hunt a bit on import sites since they aren't always in local big-box stores, but for critical mixing they're a total beast imo.